2005 Pichon Baron
By Chateau Pichon Baron
2005 Pichon Baron from Château Pichon Baron, Pauillac, Bordeaux
The 2005 vintage in Bordeaux stands as a beacon of excellence, and the 2005 Pichon Baron from Château Pichon Baron is a testament to this exceptional year. The season blessed the vines with a flawless summer and ideal ripening conditions, leading to grapes with profound intensity and balance. I had the pleasure of revisiting this wine, which held every promise made during its youth.
Investing in Elegance
For wine investors, delving into a bottle of 2005 Pichon Baron is not merely about enjoying a glass of wine; it's an exploration of a storied terroir at its peak performance. This vintage encapsulates the archetype of what makes Pauillac wines so investable - the convergence of power, elegance, and longevity.
The Château Pichon Baron, greatly respected for its pedigree and consistent quality, outdid itself in 2005. Its cabernet-driven blend offers a complex bouquet, blending ripe blackcurrants and cedar with an underlying layer of gravel and cigar box intricacy - it is classic Pauillac in all respects.
Decadent Depth, Lasting Legacy
The lives of great wines are punctuated by their balance and structure; here, the stellar tannins provide a framework akin to the finest cantilevered architecture, suggesting that this particular wine has more chapters to write in its story. With each passing year, these tannins integrate seamlessly, clothed in the rich tapestry of fruit and terroir-derived flavors that make Bordeaux so revered.
This wine is an achingly beautiful example of concinnity and depth found in 2005 Bordeaux vintages. It offers a profound experience that beckons to be savored now or adds grandeur to any discerning investor's collection with the assurance of further maturation potential.
In conclusion, the 2005 Pichon Baron from Château Pichon Baron exemplifies a vintage which stands as a touchstone for collectors and connoisseurs alike. As fine-wine investment portfolios are curated, inclusion of this emblematic bottle from a standout year not only elevates the collection but also holds the promise of impressive returns as this noteworthy vintage continues to evolve.
Market price (GBP)
£1,620.00
12x75cl
Highest score
94
POP score
115.71
Scores and tasting notes
Tasted single blind at Farr’s 2005 dinner in Hong Kong. This does not quite match the heady heights of Grand Puy Lacoste ’05, but Christian Seely has still overseen a magnificent Pauillac. There is mint and dark berried fruit on the nose, a seam of graphite that becomes more pronounced with continued aeration. The palate is full-bodied and “broader” that GPL, although it does not achieve the same ethereal sense of delineation. Tasted November 2011.
Neal Martin - Wine Journal Jan 2012
As usual, this superb Pauillac possesses an inky/blue/black color in addition to a big, sweet nose of graphite, charcoal, burning embers, black currant liqueur, and toasty vanillin from new oak casks. Full-bodied with high but sweet, well-integrated tannins, the 2005 Pichon Baron is more backward than the blockbuster 2003 or prodigious 2000. Nevertheless, it is a superb effort whose power, length, and tannic structure suggest it should be at its peak between 2015-2035.
Robert Parker Jr - Wine Advocate #176 April 2008