Super Second Bordeaux | Monumental, Aristocratic, and Exceptionally Long-Lived
Region: Pauillac, Bordeaux, France
Classification: Deuxième Cru Classé (Second Growth, 1855 Classification)
Grape Blend: Approximately 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot
Style: Powerful, structured, refined, and profoundly age-worthy
Nose:
Deep, commanding, and intensely expressive, opening with layers of blackcurrant, cassis, blackberry, graphite, cigar box, cedar, violets, tobacco leaf, crushed gravel, dark chocolate, and exotic spice. Signature Pauillac notes of pencil shavings, mineral tension, and smoky cedar are beautifully present, with floral lift emerging as the wine opens.
Palate:
Full-bodied, concentrated, and impeccably layered, revealing flavours of blackberry, cassis, dark cherry, licorice, graphite, espresso, cocoa, cedar, and crushed stone minerality. Monumental in concentration yet remarkably poised, the palate combines richness with extraordinary freshness and precision. Compared with the richer and more opulent 2009 vintage, the 2010 is more structured, linear, and classically proportioned.
Structure:
Full-bodied with towering yet ultra-refined tannins, vibrant acidity, and breathtaking concentration. Château Pichon Longueville Baron has long been recognised as one of Bordeaux’s elite “Super Seconds,” frequently rivaling First Growth estates in top vintages. The 2010 vintage is widely considered one of the greatest wines ever produced by the château—combining Pauillac power with remarkable elegance, precision, and seemingly endless ageing potential. Matured in approximately 80% new French oak, the wine remains impeccably balanced despite its scale.
Finish:
Exceptionally long, layered, and endlessly persistent, lingering with cassis, graphite, cigar tobacco, cedar, spice, crushed rock, and mineral freshness for over a minute. Noble, seamless, and profoundly impressive.
Château Pichon Longueville Baron 2010 stands among the legendary wines of the 2010 Bordeaux vintage and is widely regarded as one of the greatest modern releases of the estate. Located in the southern part of Pauillac, neighbouring Château Latour, Pichon Baron has long been admired for crafting wines of power, structure, and aristocratic refinement.
The 2010 vintage perfectly suited the château’s style, delivering extraordinary ripeness balanced by freshness and precision. Compared with the richer and more seductive 2009, the 2010 is often viewed as more classical, structured, and potentially even longer-lived. Critics awarded extraordinary praise, including 100 points from Robert Parker and James Suckling, with many considering it one of the greatest wines of the vintage and among the finest Pichon Barons ever made.
Still youthful and highly structured, Pichon Baron 2010 remains in the early stages of its evolution and rewards patience, extended decanting, or long-term cellaring.
The 2010 Bordeaux vintage is regarded as one of the greatest of the modern era, characterised by exceptional concentration, freshness, and tannic precision. In Pauillac, Cabernet Sauvignon flourished, producing wines of extraordinary purity, structure, and longevity. Château Pichon Baron excelled spectacularly, crafting a wine of immense depth, mineral precision, and remarkable harmony.
Now: Extraordinary with 3–5 hours decanting
Peak: 2030–2065+
Cellaring: Exceptional, generational ageing potential
