Chateau Pichon Longueville Baron Pauillac 2016
(Bordeaux, France) 3.0 L D-Magnum - [DM 100] [JS 99] [TWI 98] [WA 97] [JD 97] [WE 97] [WS 96, #8 Top 100] [VM 96]

100 Points - Decanter:
"Pichon Baron 2016 is a riveting, classy wine, richly aromatic and expressive from the start with a complex bouquet of black cherry, liquorice, graphite, menthol and subtle spices. The palate combines fleshy texture and linearity. The fine-grained tannins have the laser-like precision that Christian Seely likes so much, and contribute to the overall impression of crystalline purity so conducive to the terroir expression of this benchmark wine destined to reach new heights over the next 20 to 30 years. Magnificent wine."

99 Points - James Suckling:
"The concentration and largesse of the 2016 Pichon Baron is apparent from the get-go with incredibly alluring, ripe and expansive fruit aromas in the blackberry, dark-cherry, mulberry and plum zone. Espresso and cedar, as well as a slate-like, stony mineral edge add complexity. The palate has incredible depth, drive and detail. Fine and plush tannins stretch the palate in every direction. So fresh and vivacious, this is the greatest Pichon Baron since 1989 and has a long future. Try from 2024." (Jan 2019)

98 Points - The Wine Independent:
"A blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot, the 2016 Pichon Baron is deep garnet-purple in color. It needs a lot of swirling to uncover notes of blackcurrant cordial, chocolate-covered cherries, and boysenberry preserves, plus suggestions of cedar chest, tapenade, and clove oil, with a touch of iron ore. The medium-bodied palate shimmers with energy, featuring layers of black fruits and minerals, supported by ripe, grainy tannins, finishing long and earthy. This is so beautifully pure and intense. Drink 2025-2055." -LPB (12/8/22)

97 Points - Jeb Dunnuck:
"The 2016 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron is beauty and is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot that was brought up in 80% new French oak. Tasting like a hypothetical mix of the 2009 and 2010, its deep purple color is followed by a powerful yet sensationally pure bouquet of crème de cassis, blackberries, lead pencil shavings, and graphite, and is just about as quintessentially Pauillac as it gets. Full-bodied, fleshy and even a touch flamboyant, it has sweet tannins and a monster texture that coats the palate. Count me in as a huge fan. This fabulous wine will be relatively approachable in just 3-5 years but will age for 30 years or more. (Drink between 2022-2052)"

97 Points - Robert Parker:
"Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Pichon-Longueville Baron offers a suave and seductive nose of warm red and black currants, black plum preserves, truffles, tapenade and rose hip tea with touches of sandalwood and Chinese five spice plus a waft of iron ore. Medium to full-bodied, firmly structured and packed with mineral and exotic spice-laced black fruits, it finishes very long with compelling herbal sparks." - Lisa Perrotti-Brown (Nov 2018)

97 Points - Wine Enthusiast:
As often with this estate, this wine combines opulent richness and an elegant structure. It is a bold wine, ripe and full of black fruits. But it holds together impressively, with nothing in excess. The wine will age well; drink from 2025.


96 Points & #8 Top 100 Wines of 2019 - Wine Spectator:
"This gushes with dark fig and black currant compote flavors backed by lively sweet tobacco and singed alder edges. Very fleshy in feel, though there's ample grip to keep this red grounded, echoing with tar and humus accents through the finish. A thumper. Best from 2025 through 2040. 13,500 cases made." —JM

96 Points - Vinous Media:
"The 2016 Pichon-Longueville Baron electrifies the olfactory sense with a stunning bouquet of intense blackberry, cedar and graphite aromas that are quintessential Pauillac. Over a few minutes, it blossoms in the glass, gaining more and more depth. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly tarry black fruit, cedar and truffle, dovetailing into a saline, peppery finish that leaves the tongue tingling. Christian Seely and his team have imbued recent vintages of this Pauillac with unerring symmetry, and the 2016 can be added to the canon of triumphs." - Neal Martin (Jan 2019)