Les Griffons de Pichon Baron - Pauillac 2021

Jamessuckling.com

91-92 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe6/8/2022

Lots of polished spice notes with blackcurrant, peppercorn and clove. Medium body with firm, velvety tannins. Open already. Pleasing, creamy finish. 45% cabernet sauvignon, 44% merlot and 11% petit verdot.

Jeb DUNNUCK

91-93 / 100

byJeb Dunnuckthe6/2/2022

The 2021 Les Griggons De Pichob Baron offers more purity and focus, as well as a touch more precision. Based on 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot, it has gorgeous Cabernet cassis and blue fruits supported by notes of charcoal, chocolate, and graphite. Still aging in 40% new barrels, it stays straight and compact on the palate, has good mid-palate depth, and a great finish. It's a beautiful wine in the making.

The Vintage Journal

93-94 / 100

byAndrew Caillard MWthe5/17/2022

Deep colour. Pure blackcurrant, espresso hint miso/ violet notes. Well concentrated blackcurrant, elderberry, espresso mocha, Parma violet notes, fine sinewy tannins and underlying graphite savoury flavours. Finishes firm and tight with juicy acidity at the finish. Elemental but balanced wine that will settle down. 45% cabernet sauvignon, 44% merlot, 11% petit verdot. Maturation for 18 months in 40% new and 60% second-use oak.

The Wine Cellar Insider

89-91 / 100

byJeff Levethe5/16/2022

With a floral and pepper accented start, the wine moves to its core of black and red currants. Medium-bodied, soft, fresh and polished, the wine is bright, spicy, crisp, chewy and loaded with peppery red berries. The wine was created from a blend of 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot and 11% Petit Verdot. It is interesting to note the large percentage of Petit Verdot in the blend. Drink from 2025-2040. 89-91

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

90 / 100

byJane Ansonthe5/13/2022

Vinous

91-93 / 100

byNeal Martinthe5/12/2022

It is the second year in a row that Les Griffons de Pichon Baron contains Petit Verdot (11%). The fragrant bouquet, perhaps more floral than usual, features scents of pencil box, undergrowth, black fruit and just a hint of violet from the Petit Verdot. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit, and quite compact compared to the Grand Vin. Linear and strict on the finish despite the 44% Merlot, with good grip. Perhaps just denied the amplitude of a great growing season, but I can see this aging well in bottle.

Vinous

91-93 / 100

byAntonio Gallonithe5/11/2022

The 2021 Les Griffons de Pichon-Baron is gorgeous. This is the second year in which the Griffons includes a touch of Petit Verdot, a choice that I have to say works very well here. Aromatic and racy in the glass, with terrific persistence, the 2021 is positively stellar. Blackberry, gravel, spice, lavender an mocha lend darkness and gravitas throughout.

vvwine

92-94 / 100

byAdrian Van Velsenthe5/10/2022

(45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot, 11% Petit Verdot) Tiefgründige und leicht rauchige Nase, dazu Trockenkräuter, dahinter Cassis und Brombeeren, das Holz sehr gut verpackt. Der Gaumen ist von mittlerem Bau, zeigt eine satte Frucht, eine gute Struktur und viel Rasse, im Gegensatz zum 2020er drückt hier das Terroir deutlicher durch, im Abgang mineralisch, rotfruchtig und lang. Gefällt mir dieses Jahr besser als Les Tourelles. Sehr Pauillac. 2027-2042 (Verkostet im April 2022. Château Pichon Baron)

Anthocyanes

92-94 / 100

byYohan Castaingthe5/6/2022

Assemblages réalisés. Plus racinaire et terrien que Les Tourelles, la cuvée Les Griffons montre toute la puissance de son terroir avec des notes de réglisse, de graphite, d'épices et de fruits noirs frais. Très belle structure de bouche avec de l'allonge, du mouvement, de la puissance également mais le tout contenu dans une très belle acidité. Droit et généreux. Un peu terrien mais possédant un beau potentiel.

Wine Advocate

87-89 / 100

byWilliam Kelleythe4/29/2022

More serious than the Tourelles, the 2021 Les Griffons de Pichon Baron offers up aromas of dark berries, sweet soil tones and cigar wrapper. Medium to full-bodied, taut and lively, 11% of recently planted Petit Verdot made it into this Cabernet-dominant blend. (87 - 89)+

Decanter.com

90 / 100

byGeorgina Hindlethe4/1/2022

Gorgeous Cabernet aspects on the nose; green pepper, fragrant violets, herbal aspects and eucalyptus. Appealing sensuality, this is sparky with bite - it’s high-toned, a touch sour but with licks of stone and spice. Lovely freshness and purity and also ripeness of tannins, there’s a chewiness that gives a mouthfilling sensation with sweet raspberry and strawberry fruit accented by clove, vanilla and cola. Lots of nuance and power with abounding freshness. This is made from a 45% Cabernet Sauvignon,44% Merlot and 11% Petit Verdot from gravel parcels near the estuary, more suited to Cabernet.