2011 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron Pauillac Bordeaux France Wine Tasting Note
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2011
Château Pichon-Longueville Baron (Pauillac)
Forward in style, this allows for early drinking pleasure, while waiting for your 2009 and 2010 to come around. Already open, the soft cassis, blackberry and tobacco notes, with the right amount of freshness and firmness can be enjoyed with little effort. 4,980 Views Tasted Nov 14, 2017Lush, round textured fruits, soft polished tannins and an open, fresh, black cherry, earth, tobacco and spice filled finish that can be enjoyed on the young side while waiting for the 2009 and 2010 to develop. 5,397 Views Tasted May 21, 2015Cassis, coffee bean, tobacco, earth and forest floor notes open to a medium bodied wine filled with spicy blackberries and earth. Give this a few years for the tannins to soften and develop more complexity. This is quite successful for the vintage. 4,409 Views Tasted Feb 16, 2014Utilizing a blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon and 18% Merlot. The wine reached 13.2% ABV. The wine will be aged in 80% new oak. The assemblage features one of the highest concentrations of Cabernet Sauvignon found in modern times. Ruby in color, smoke, truffle, earth, cassis, vanilla and tobacco scents are found in the perfume. Medium bodied, ripe and soft, there is a fresh, vibrant feeling in the wine, ending with crisp cassis flavors. 92-93 Pts 4,888 Views Tasted Apr 10, 2012 |
When to Drink Chateau Pichon Baron, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time
Chateau Pichon Baron is not a wine to drink on the young side. The wine is usually far too tannic, powerful, and backward during its youth. Young vintages can be decanted for an average of 3-6 hours, give or take. This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume. Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment.
Chateau Pichon Baron is usually better with at least 15 years of bottle age. Of course, that can vary slightly, depending on the vintage character. Chateau Pichon Baron offers its best drinking and should reach peak maturity between 15 and 50 years of age after the vintage.
Serving Chateau Pichon Baron with Wine and Food Pairings
Chateau Pichon Baron is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift.
Chateau Pichon Baron is best paired with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised, and grilled dishes. Chateau Pichon Baron is also good when matched with Asian dishes, and rich fish courses like tuna, salmon, mushrooms and pasta.
The estate made two changes starting with the 2012 vintage. Consumers are now able to go to the website for the chateau and use the visual recognition system that is now placed on the bottles on both on the capsule and back label.
Each capsule and back label has a unique code they can enter into the website to show if their bottle is authentic and the consumer can also know where the wine was initially sold, as a way to guarantee its authenticity. It's a step in the right direction that helps fight wine fraud and counterfeiting.
Additionally, the same technical team that is responsible for Chateau Pichon Baron produces Cap Royal. A quick glance at the label will remind you of the relationship. Cap Royal is available as a Merlot-dominated wine from Bordeaux Superieur.
Cap Royal is also available as a white Bordeaux wine made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc. Cap Royal is a true value Bordeaux wine. Interestingly, Cap Royal is a certified vegan wine.