Yoly Sardinas

9.1

2019, 2018, 2017 - we enjoy them all. At the Chateau Pichon Baron facility. Incredible tour . — 8 days ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.4

2023 vintage. 54% Cabernet Sauvignon and 46% Merlot, aged 18 months in barrels ( 50% new). This beauty is from the AXA Millésimes stable (also Pichon Baron and Suduiraut in Bordeaux), and it represents excellent Pauillac value (around 45 euro). Left bank 2023 Bordeaux wines seem to be very floral ( no idea why). Dark red with purplish rim. Flowers, cassis, blackberries, cedar, and dark chocolate. Power and elegance combined. Freshness, ripe tannins, and very good length. A beautiful Pibran that is hard to resist young, but should age beautifully. Abv. 13,5% — 2 days ago

Ted

9.4

The oldest of a 4 bottle vertical I bought a few weeks ago. In a perfect window. Made a vodka sauce and wow. Great compliment. Fresh herbs after an hour of being open. Can’t wait to try the other 3 years. — 6 months ago

with Jeni

Ray Vanderhoff

9.3

Blend of Merlot (59%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (41%). Dark purple color. Fruit forward aromas of black fruit, sweet oak, violets and baking spices. Bright and ripe dark berry and plum flavors mesh nicely with touches of spices and minerals. Long and lingering finish. Smooth tannins. Excellent balance and freshness. Nicely layered and precise. — 2 years ago

Tom Garland

9.3

Spoto Family wine dinner under the stars: always a fun night with Stuart and family!

DINNER WINES
2021 Spoto Oakville cabernet rose
2019 Spoto Godfather red....a blend you can't refuse.
2019 Spoto cuvee Christiane
2018 Spoto Beckstoffer amber Knolls malbec
2018 Spoto family reserve cabernet
2015 Spoto late harvest viognier
Also:
2004 Las Cases
2005 Pichon Baron
2009 Cos d'estournel
2012 La Mission Haut Brion
2005 Spottswood
1989 clerc milon
2005 Spoto private reserve
2001 clos du val

FOOD
Oysters, lamb lollipops, feta skewers
Tomato and nectarine panzanella
Ricotta, summer pea and corn agnolotti
Wood fired gulf prawns
Five spice grass-fed short rib, Yukon potato
Apricot and vanilla custard tartelette — 3 years ago

with Brenda

Paul J

9.2

PnP. Dark red/purple color. Young, deep wine. I thought it actually smelled a bit like the ‘66 Pichon Baron somehow. Earthy with cedar. Fruit was reserved. More alcohol than I was expecting. Needs 5+yrs. — 3 years ago

with Brooke

Jay Kline

9.4

I had a few members of the Tasting Group crew join me in a sort of, "help me drink down my cellar" gathering. Everyone had an opportunity to dig through the cellar and select a bottle of their choosing; the identity of the wine was kept from everyone else and then presented double-blind though, since the bottles were being pulled from my cellar, it wasn't a true double-blind situation for me. This was poured into a decanter and served within two hours of opening. The wine poured a deep ruby color, slightly turbid with a nearly opaque core. On the nose, the wine bursting with dark-over-red fruits; black currants and black cherry along with tobacco, bell pepper, leather, coffee, and baking spices. On the palate, the wine was dry and the structure was, overall, quite firm. The fruit set was confirmed and while the wine came across as vinous and fully mature, there was a rather remarkable freshness about it...and almost ageless quality. The tannins and acid were so refreshing. And then there was the texture which, I have to say, was quite noble. It was really hard for me to get away from the Left Bank in Bordeaux, from a great, warmer vintage. The question was: St. Julien or Pauliiac. I called 2000 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. I don't hate my call. This was a banger and going back to my notes, I really liked it back then too! It's worth mentioning that the Stelvin enclosure is the real deal folks. This has aged beautifully and has years and years to go. I wish I had more. Alas, this was my last bottle. — 5 years ago

"Odedi"

9.3

#AgedWineTuesday

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish/ brick rim.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with a beautiful nose.

Showing black plums, black currants, cedar, dried figs, licorice, dark chocolates, earth, rhubarb, tobacco leaf, light black tea and black pepper.

Long finish with soft tannins and tangy cherries.

This 32 year old Pauillac is still drinking beautifully, but a bit past its prime. Rich and elegant. Very complex and spicy.

This Second Growth Bordeaux needed 5 hours to open up properly, and was not that special right out of the bottle.

Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel, and still showing enough fruits to balance the earth notes.

Robert Parker 91 points.

Good by itself as a sipping wine, and with food.

A blend of 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and 8% Petit Verdot.

12.5% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$200. — 4 days ago

Jeremy Shanker

Sommelier at RN74

9.3

Spectacular bottle — 4 months ago

GaryWEdwards

9.7

Drinking even more beautifully than 18 months ago. Beautiful nose, big fruits, and that whole cigar leaf thing going on, with hints of chocolate. But the reward here is the generously long finish. Wow! — 8 months ago

Jack Tan

8.9

Birthday. Great buy. Mellow and great finish. — 2 years ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.3

1990 vintage. Excellent fill and halfway saturated cork. Used a Durand but surmise a regular waiter's friend, wielded carefully, could have done the trick with the cork. Decanted and tasted after 30 mins, one hour and two hours. Some obvious sed but not troublesome or overtly noticeable. Original owner-château direct on original release. Super cold cellar because this was lagging noticeably behind other '90's and LB's. Bigger tannic structure (for a generally feminine-styled house) than anything save a Latour, Mouton, Ducru Left Bank property. Even more guts than Lynch-Bages or Pichon-Baron '90's currently stored above 55 or so degrees. Surprising but made sense. Light-medium body. Appropriate color. 3-4 years left in this stage unless larger format in play. Slight, fleeting burst of richness in the frontal palate and a tad brickish and then it just flowed on, without speed bumps. A little cocoa powder and cedar/tobacco. Suspect 750ml specimens not stored as cold/religiously will be showing more in the 9.0-9.1 range and farther down the backside of the bell curve. 10.26.24. — 2 years ago

David Koenen

9.4

Sweet, ripe black fruit. Charcoal, fresh and elegant acidity, brilliant balance. Starts very strong, then perhaps lacks a little length (in comparison to the Pichon Longueville ‘08). Powerful, but truly beautifully balanced, gorgeous exotic sweetness in the nose. — 4 years ago

Neil Shah

9.6

Pichon’95 - lovely — 5 years ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.0

1966 vintage. Mid-shoulder fill. Lip under the foil an anthrax fever dream. Cleaned than up with an ice cube and a napkin. Used a Durand but this cork merely chuckled at it. Worst cork I’ve ever (tried to) extracted with a Durand. Bring out the funnel with screen to sift/filter out all the semi-ancient cork sed. Wasn’t going to decant as per usual guest wishes so went with the smallest decanter. Tasted 15 minutes, 45 minutes and 1.5 hours after opening. Light, well aged-Burgundy body. Substantial, (STILL!!!) feminine-styled offerings fruit/spicewise. Ummm…reason why Pichon-Lalande-and La Mission Haut-Brion-are my two fave BDX big guns. This was still showing better than you woulda thunk. 8.14.26 — a month ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.5

2020 vintage. An excellent introduction to the grand vin at a fraction of the price. Highly recommended. Abv. 14%. — 3 months ago

Lawrence Bernstein

9.3

2/26 - amazing qualities all around. A fruit driven wine with lots or red plum and darker blackberry notes. Nice cedar and tobacco notes. Firm tanins. Outstanding mouthfeel. Soft finish. 93 — 7 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

I’ve had a number of PC 96’s over time, none quite this good. The fill line & cork perfect. Very little sediment. Some bottle neck tannin burn. For me, Pontet Canet didn’t really hit its consistent, quality stride until 2005. Doesn’t mean they didn’t make a few beauties before then. Pontet Canet is proof that the 1855 Bordeaux Classification needs to be redone. Unlikely it will in my lifetime.

This 96 maybe just short of its precipice. Stylistically a little better than 94.

The nose reminds me of everything I love about older Bordeaux. Dark core of currants/cassis. Ripe, floral; blackberries, dark, baked cherries, sweet, black plum, poached/strawberries, raspberries, hints of baked rhubarb & blueberries, mixed berry cola. Sweet forest floor w/ leaves, sweet mushrooms, sweet led pencil shavings, steeped tea w/ hints of fruit, charcoal, dry tobacco/leather, some dry herbs, withering dark, red flowers, red roses with violets.

The palate is also everything I love about older Bordeaux. Dark core of currants/cassis. Ripe, floral; blackberries, dark, baked cherries, sweet, black plum, poached/strawberries, raspberries, hints of baked rhubarb & blueberries, mixed berry cola/red vines. Everything I understood the first time standing in the estate vineyard of Pichon Baron. Tasting limestone, dry river stone, dark, rich soils with dry leaves, dry stems. In fact, I’ve tasted vineyards soils everywhere I have been in every world wine region. Basically, everywhere in the wine world that has reliance. Many multiple times. Sweet graphite, steeped tea w/ hints of dark fruit, understated, layered baking spices-clove, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanillin, dark cocoa, dark exotic spices, some anise to black licorice, charcoal, dry tobacco with ash/leather, some dry herbs-safe/bay leaf, limestone, dry river stone, dry crushed rocks, dark, rich, earth with dry leaves, dry topsoils, dry stems, withering/dry dark, red flowers, red roses with violets, excellent, rainfall acidity with an extremely well balanced/structured/tensioned, great length and an elegant finish that lasts minutes and falls nicely on dry earth and dark spices.

A very, very slow roll with my Ribcap. Definitely better with the steak than on its own.

This bottle tells me this 96 has plenty of good drinking ahead, another 8-10 yrs+.

ABV is 13%. Disappointing it ever changed. — 8 months ago

Shay A

9.4

This was served during my annual WWC hosting. Typical format of sparkler, three whites, four reds, one dessert, all served blind.

My goal was to compare this 2003 next to the 2003 Pichon Baron. I’ve had the 2002 Mondavi VHR a few times and have been floored how good they’ve been. Read a review from WA and it said the 2002 was a spitting image of the 2002 Pichon Baron, so I figured I’d see if the 2003 was worthy of the same comparison.

Decanted an hour. Whoa! Much more Bordeaux like than the ‘02, and a touch lighter. Mushroom, pipe tobacco and fig, with mineral/graphite note on the nose too. Mocha dusted red and black berries, currant, herbs and saddle leather. At the end of the lunch, this eventually turned to a more resolved (and deeper core of fruit) with the tannins integrating beautifully. Really enjoyable. Pop and enjoy. — 3 years ago

Paul T, Missing My Beautiful Wife 24/7

9.0

Just too young obviously,an experiment since we had an 08 Bordeaux yesterday.
Spectator 92,
Other reviews,
Decanter Magazine Review
Rated 94
Another bargain alert! At this price level, perhaps the most subtle and elegant of all wines tasted. Not as expressive as Ormes de Pez, but top marks for delicate refinement and indeed a noticeably floral aromatic profile that accentuates the palate. As wine consultant Kevin Gagnon noted at a tasting: ‘Finesse and great length.' Do not hesitate. Drink now-2035.

Wine Enthusiast Review
Rated 93
One of the many estates on the Pez plateau in Saint-Estèphe, this property is at the top of its game. Owned by the same proprietors as Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, the wine has structure, big tannins as well as dense black fruits. Drink from 2024.

Wine Tasting Notes
The vintage is dense in color, retaining a purplish-blue hint typical of wines that are slow to develop. The slightly toasty nose has plenty of red- and black- berry fruit and a hint of jamminess mingled with aromas of spice and tobacco. The nose is what you would expect of a wine made from very ripe grapes. It is already deliciously complex. The palate is entirely consistent with the nose. The attack is still firm at this stage but developing in a manner that instantly suggests an opulent wine. Good, well-rounded substance lingers elegantly on the palate, with silky tannins and not a trace of harshness. This is truly an exceptional wine: thoroughbred, elegant and rich. — 5 years ago