At the start of June, frequent rain intensified the pressure of mildew. Finally all the vines came into bloom at the end of May without any significant coulure or millerandage. Budding developed unevenly, very much depending on the locations although the coo and humid weather in April had not a very significant impact on slowing down the growth of the vines. These conditions led to a premature budbreak. In a tasting of 650 winesĢ020 began with mild temperatures even breaking temperature record highs at the beginning of February. Markus Del Monego MW/BWW2022-Best Germany Wine Critic of the World, Wine Writer (Germany) tasted 1 wines from Château Pichon Baron . A vintage rated on finesse and persistence rather than on sheer power and opulence.” Arguably it will be a vintage praised for it finesse in the future. It will be exciting to see the evolution of this vintage which produced in many cases yields on a very low scale. Despite low yields, the botrytised sweet white wines are of excellent quality." The development of Botrytis cinerea in Sauternes was delayed by the cool summer and eventually triggered by rainfall in mid-September.ġ0. The Merlots are fresh and aromatic while the Cabernets from the finest terroirs are well-structured with good balance.ĩ. The wonderful Indian Summer allowed the red grape varieties to ripen in ideal conditions and preserved aromas.Ĩ. Thanks to a cool summer, the dry white wines are brilliant, lively and aromatic.ħ. Véraison (colour change) was observed in mid-August, while vine growth had not stopped yet.Ħ. Thunderstorms in June slowed down the onset of water stress.Ĥ: Cool, dull weather in July increased the threat of vine diseases.ĥ. Wet and gloomy weather in May slowed down the vine growth although a providential window of fine weather helped flowering unfold in ideal conditions in early June.ģ. The start of the growing season was marked by severe frost on the 7th and 8th of April.Ģ. Professor Axel Marchal has presented the 10 key points of this vintage on the occasion of the Union des Grands Crus press tasting:
However, terroir was the decisive factor in 2021. It is a true vintage of terroir although there is a lot of talk about a vintners vintage. They offer a convincing potential for a long ageing and promote elegance in Bordeaux again. The wines are elegant, however the well made ones have an excellent persistence, depth and length. One could say the wines are reminiscent of the 80s, however made with more experience and the modern techniques today. Bordeaux is back to a more moderate alcohol level and the style is lighter and more elegant. This years "en primeur" tasting seemed like a journey in time.
This is undoubtedly a château that has really found its own identity since the late-80's and under the aegis of Christian Seely, is asserting itself as a Pauillac wine to be reckoned with.Markus Del Monego MW/BWW2022-Best Germany Wine Critic of the World, Wine Writer (Germany) tasted 1 wines from Château Pichon Baron . As Neal Martin states “the wines of Pichon-Baron certainly rank with some of the best in Pauillac. Whilst this has inevitably reduced the potential volume, the quality of fruit which now goes into the Grand Vin is so exceptional that Pichon Baron can be considered a true paragon of Pauillac. Since then the estate has moved to a new level, with the most significant change being the accurate identification of the most appropriate plots across the estate for each of their wines. The improvements began under the auspices of Jean-Michel Cazes (of Lynch Bages fame) culminating in the sensational 1989/90 combination they continued and indeed arguably picked up further pace in 2000 when the charming, bow-tie-sporting Christian Seely took over. Under the stewardship of Christian Seely this estate has shown itself to be one of the most consistently high-performing Chateaux in Pauillac, if not the whole of the Medoc. The quality achieved from this grand terrior is constantly biting at the heels of next door neighbour Latour. Since the purchase of Pichon Baron in 1988 by AXA Millesimes, the property has gone from strength to strength to become one of the most consistent in quality and fair in value. Pichon Baron is the most photographed Chateau in Bordeaux and produced good, occasionally brilliant, wines from the 60s to 80s.
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