critic reviews
The 2023 Les Griffons de Pichon Baron just needs a little more delineation to come through, touches of baking powder and cinnamon infusing the black fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with a bright entry, quite rounded in texture, fine acidity with a touch of brown spice toward the finish. Give this two or three years in bottle.
An excellent vintage to kick off a serious white wine, this has intense citrus, gunsmoke and honeysuckle aromatics that instantly signpost quality. Takes a beat on the palate before opening to show white flowers, lime, acacia, lemon peel, grilled coriander seeds, and a push and pull of steely acidity, taut yet with weight and impact. The vines for this wine are in Pauillac, on a cooler gravel sector of the Pichon Baron site, and are massal selected Sémillion from Château Suduiraut. Harvested September 11, fermented and aged in barrels for 9 months, on fine lees with regular stirring, no malo and new oak. Technical director Pierre Montégut. Excellent quality, strongly suggest looking out for this (there are just over 2,000 bottles in this inaugural vintage, so it won't be easy to track down). A buy.
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2023 Les Griffons de Pichon Baron comes barreling out with exuberant notes of blackcurrant jelly, dark chocolate, and kirsch leading to hints of candied violets, fragrant soil, and tapenade. The medium-bodied palate delivers a good intensity of crunchy black fruit flavors supported by grainy tannins and well-knit acidity, finishing with lovely purity. The blend is 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Merlot, and 2% Petit Verdot.
Based around 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2023 Les Griffons de Pichon Baron reflects the style of the grand vin, offering up aromas of cassis, sweet red berries, cigar wrapper and pencil shavings, followed by a medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated palate with a deep core of fruit, sweet powdery tannins and a long, penetrating finish.