2023 Chateau Pichon-Longueville au Baron de Pichon-Longueville, Pauillac, France 750ml

Arriving Fall of 2026

A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot, the 2023 Pichon-Longueville Baron is a terrific effort from this estate, unwinding in the glass with aromas of crème de cassis, dark berries, pencil shavings, cigar wrapper, violets and burning embers. Medium to full-bodied, layered and textural, it's deep and concentrated, with sweet structuring tannins and a long, resonant finish. The charm and vibrancy of the vintage lends this considerable appeal, without effacing Pichon Baron's more serious, Cabernet-driven personality. (WK)

As I've written before, the numbers speak for themselves: Until 2000, Pichon-Longueville Baron produced some 350,000 bottles per year, but since 2001, that figure has fallen to 160,000. Managing director Christian Seely's first decision on arriving at the property was to reduce production, focusing the grand vin on Cabernet Sauvignon growing on the deep gravel terraces opposite Château Latour that have always been the heart of this historic estate and which were the source of the great duo of 1989 and 1990 before being joined by other holdings after a series of acquisitions in the early 1990s. The results also speak for themselves in the form of a series of excellent vintages, and things improved further with the construction of a new barrel cellar in 2006, permitting better temperature control and more precision during élevage. In style, Pichon Baron these days has more in common stylistically with the depth and structure of Latour than it does with the perfumed sensuality of its sibling, Pichon Lalande, and in quality, it's clearly one of contemporary Bordeaux's greatest wines. The 2023 vintage is a terrific success at this address: the team harvested block by block, trying to combine lots with a similar tannin profile in vat, and extracting gently. The result is a classical Pichon, but with enough charm to offer a broader-than-usual drinking window.