2001 Château Pichon Baron
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Tasting notes
Sheer quality shines through on the nose, with oak spice, black cherry, blackcurrant, a touch of coffee grinds, smoke, earth and beetroot – this is almost veering into burgundy territory! Finely tannic with excellent persistence. Not heavy, but it does have the signature tannins of Pauillac, even though they are mellowed by time. (RH)
Critic scores
Wine Spectator
Robert Parker
More reviews and scores
Full, glorious, fully evolved and great proof of the excellence of this overlooked vintage. Really fragrant with a sweet palate though relatively light-bodied. Lively, we'd say today. (JR)
70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc. Aged 15 months in oak barrels (70% new). Garnet with brick at the rim. Longer and more defined than the 2000. A hint of char and chocolate initially then notes of cedar and spice. Adequate fruit and a recognisable framework of tannin. Lovely freshness. Firm finish. Drinking extremely well now. (JL)
Unusually this feels even more muscular than the 2000, with dark fruits, fresh acidities and a ton of appellation signature. Powerful tannins that form walls around the fruit even at 20 years old, with nuanced black pepper spice, cocoa bean, woodsmoke, black cherry and blackberry fruit as it opens. 70% new oak. This was the first year with Christian Seely as director, and the selection process for the first wine became more severe, with lower yields and a greater focus on fruit from the historic plot of vines directly opposite Château Latour. Jean-René Matignon remained as technical director.
About the producer
Pauillac’s Ch. Pichon Baron, formerly known as Ch. Pichon-Longueville Baron, is ranked as one of the 15 Second Growths from the 1855 Classification and is considered one of the "Super Seconds".