Freddy R. Troya

9.4

Château Pichon Baron 2023 – Pauillac, Grand Cru Classé en 1855. BDX France 🇫🇷

Overview
A commanding and traditionally styled Pauillac delivering power, precision, and aristocratic structure, driven by a 66% Cabernet Sauvignon–dominant blend with 27% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot and 1% Semillon support. Dark fruit density, mineral authority, and refined oak integration create a wine that feels impactful today while clearly engineered for long-term evolution and layered complexity.

Aromas & Flavors
Blackcurrant, cassis, blackberry, graphite, pencil shavings, cedar, cigar box, crushed gravel, subtle dark cocoa and savory spice.

Mouthfeel
Full-bodied with firm yet polished tannins, excellent mid-palate density, vibrant structural tension, tightly knit acidity, and a long, authoritative finish that builds rather than fades.

Food Pairings
Dry-aged ribeye, lamb rack, beef Wellington, venison, mushroom-forward dishes, aged hard cheeses.

Verdict
A textbook expression of elite Pauillac: powerful, elegant, disciplined, and deeply age-worthy. The wine delivers immediate presence while clearly signaling even greater complexity and harmony with time in bottle.

🍷 Personal Pick
This is serious wine, fierce yet controlled, deeply impressive without arrogance, and loaded with finesse under the horsepower. A bottle that earns respect with every sip and promises an extraordinary future in the cellar. — 3 days ago

Jeroen Koenen

9.5

From magnum.
Deg. 05-2018
Base (60%) 2013, 40% reserve wines from 2012, 2011 and 2010.
70CH, 30PN.
This was fabulous and perfectly a point. — a month ago

Ron Siegel

9.2

Delicious! Quickly drained — a month ago

Gilbert Van Hassel

9.5

Crisp, pear and honey. Long burn. — 2 days ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.1

Medium deep ruby garnet , with quite narrow garnet rim . This is quite closed at first , with some dusty , mineral , seaside hints . Cassis , cedar , blackberry , charcoal and a touch of toasty oak . On the palate this is again quite four square and serious , dusty blackberry , cassis, cedar , grafite . Quite linear in style , fresh acidity and quite fine but noticable tannin . A lightly saline , grafite tinged medium length finish . This is drinking well at the moment , quite classic in style but with enough polish and mid palate . Will probably continue to show well over the next 5-10 years . — 23 days ago

William Lauder

9.5

One of the best Sauvignon Blancs I’ve ever had. — a month ago

Doug Powers

9.3

Fascinating, after my recent run of so-so to DNPIM (do not put in mouth) CdPs from 25 or so years of age, here’s a “basic cuvée” of CdP (think $18-20 bottle on release) that is punching far above its weight, red fruits, very fine CdP that is drinking great now, long, lingering finish, and shows promise for another 3-5 years of aging!! — a month ago

with Jim

Ericsson

9.6

This is poised power: cassis, cedar, cocoa, and fine spice carried by polished tannins and effortless balance. Long, composed, and confident. This is Mouton in a generous, expressive mood, built for pleasure now and poetry… officially my fav, first growth. — a month ago

Bijan Shahvali

9.0

Thought it paired really nicely with lamb dish I ordered and Zoe’s peppercorn duck dish — a day ago

Vasanth Balakrishnan

9.1

After 10 years in the bottle, a decidedly savory second wine from this storied Second Growth château. Meaty, almost Northern Rhône character after uncorking. After a day in wine fridge the charcuterie notes ease a bit, blackberry, stewed cassis start to edge forward, classic #pauillac graphite and mineral notes that carry through on palate. Lovely tension on the palate and persistent fine tannins through the finish. — a month ago