The Griffons of Pichon Baron - Château Pichon Baron - Pauillac 2016 11166fe81142afc18593181d6269c740

Wine Advocate

93-95 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe4/28/2017

The 2016 Les Griffons de Pichon Baron is a blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon and 48% Merlot matured in 60% new oak. The harvest was between 26 September and 18 October, and it represents 30% of the total yield. It has a very pure and detailed bouquet with blackberry, briary, cold stone and graphite aromas. This seems to meliorate in glass. The palate is very well balanced with fine tannin, a Griffons that is nimble and agile, the finish very precise with an almost clinical graphite-tinged finish. This is superb.

The Wine Cellar Insider

92-94 / 100

byJeff Levethe4/27/2017

Just a stunning black-purple color, the wine is superb this year. Concentrated layers of luscious fruits, the structure is forthright and graceful with round, creamy tannins and a long, black currant, spice and licorice-filled finish. Hard to believe this wine this is not a classified growth in this vintage! The wine was created from a blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon and 48% Merlot. Les Griffons de Pichon Baron is produced from a vat selection that is tasted before the final blending.

Vinous

90-92 / 100

byAntonio Gallonithe4/26/2017

One of the highlights of this tasting, the 2016 Les Griffons de Pichon Baron opens with exquisite Cabernet Sauvignon aromatics. Deep and flavorful, but also light on its feet and translucent, the Griffons hits all the right notes. Readers looking to sample the 2016 vintage before dipping into the very best wines of the year will find considerable pleasure here. The 2016 is a superb Griffons, perhaps the best since the wine was introduced in 2012. Shades of lavender, rose petal, grilled herbs and succulent black cherry add the closing nuances. The 2016 is a compellingly delicious wine. Don't miss it.

matthewjukes.com

17 / 20

byMatthew Jukesthe4/25/2017

(52 Cabernet Sauvignon, 48 Merlot) | 60% new oak | 13.3% alc. | 82 IPT Huge power, really rich and very much related to the Grand Vin, this is a dense, briary wine with amazing attack and fairly dry tannins. Very much a second wine it is not as fine as its big brother but it attempts to copy its stance. 17+

Jancis Robinson

17 / 20

byJancis Robinsonthe4/21/2017

52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 48% Merlot. 60% new oak. Production is 30% of Pichon Baron production. Meant for ageing. Glossy, dark crimson – very dense. Rich and racy and much more subtlety than the Tourelles. Inky finish. Good energy.

Decanter.com

91 / 100

byJane Ansonthe4/20/2017

This is a closer to the signature of the grand vin than that of the Tourelles de Longueville as it comes from soil with a higher gravel content. Beautiful, rich dark purple in colour from a blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon and 48% Merlot, a more classic interpretation of a Médoc second wine. This is gorgeous, with a sense of restraint behind the deep, plump fruit. 18 months in 60% new oak reinforces the silky tannins. I like this very much.