| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > Pauillac |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
The 2005 Pichon Baron is in a gorgeous spot right now. Aromatically expressive and open, the 2005 is so expressive. Cedar, sweet pipe tobacco, mint, dried flowers, mocha and sweet red cherry fruit all meld together in a creamy, wonderfully expressive Pauillac. A long, persistent finish with terrific saline energy rounds things out in style. The 2005 is a super classic Pichon Baron that delivers so much pleasure. Drink: 2021-2045
The 2005 Pichon Baron has a dense ruby/purple color, sweet crème de cassis fruit, lots of cedar wood and forest floor, medium to full body, ripe tannin, and a long finish of a good 30+ seconds. This is a beauty and one of the most successful Pauillacs of this vintage. Drink it now through 2035. Drink 2015 - 2035.
The 2005 Pichon Baron was tasted against the 1995 and is a far superior vintage. Director Christian Seely commented that there was about half the volume in this vintage due to selection. This has a mineral-driven bouquet with layered black fruit, wild mint and light graphite scents giving way to touches of black truffle. The palate is medium-bodied, fresh and vibrant with finely chiselled tannins and plenty of grip and substance. Still, there is precision here and wonderful sustain on the finish. This is drinking beautifully now but will last many years. Tasted at the château. 2025-2055.
The 2005 Pichon Baron is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-brick in color, it rolls effortlessly out of the glass with open-knit scents of blackcurrant pastilles, blackberry preserves, and licorice, with hints of mocha, black truffles, and unsmoked cigars. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is firm, with ripe, grainy tannins, supporting the voluptuous mid-palate fruit, finishing long and decadent. Maturing now, this is a 2005 with great richness and soft acidity. It is delicious right now and should continue to cellar to 2040+.
A fine tannic frame, blackberry and cassis fruits, hints of cigar, rosebud and tobacco leaf. You will be able to find more generous examples of the 2005 vintage in Pauillac appellation right now, as there remains some austerity to the tannins through the mid palate, but this is a vintage that has proved stubborn over the past 15 years, and is only just starting to come into its own - I would suggest giving this another few years and then checking back in. 80% new oak. Watch out for bottle variation - a second bottle we opened showed more nuance and generosity. Jean-Rene Matignon technical director.
Dark crimson. A much more substantial nose than the Pichon Lalande. Polished and with fruit overwhelming the tannic charge. Rather racy and flattering. Very dry, savoury finish. 13.5%
Drink 2020-2040
The 2005 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron is brilliant and is drinking spectacularly well today, with notes of ripe currants, smoked tobacco, crushed stone, and that utterly classic, freshly sharpened pencil Pauillac characteristics that's so hard to find from anywhere else. Ripe, full-bodied, expansive, and seamless, this sexy, opulent, incredibly seductive 2005 will continue to drink well for another 30-40 years if well stored. (Drink between 2024-2064)
Black-red, marvellous expression of very ripe Cabernet Sauvignon, with quite a bit of lifted florality over the cassis, intense fruit restrained and polished by finely grained tannins. Drink 2012-40.
The 2005 Pichon-Baron is showing impressively after 13 years. It boasts intense black cherry, raspberry coulis, graphite and mineral scents that gain intensity in the glass. There is nuance and detail here, perhaps more than any previous release of this Second Growth. The masculine palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannin and an insistent grip in the mouth, indicative of its long-term intentions. The mineralité surfaces in a second half that demonstrates great tension and energy. There is considerably more length than previous vintages, and superior precision. An outstanding 2005 that deserves several more years in bottle. Tasted at the Pichon-Baron vertical at the château. Drink: 2020-2055
