1990 Ch Pichon Baron - 2me cru classe
1990 - 2me cru classe - SKU: 128643
$650.00
750ml
TASTING NOTES
Other critics: 98 points, Neal Martin (Vinous); 97 points, Robert Parker (Wine Advocate).
Other critics: 98 points, Neal Martin (Vinous); 97 points, Robert Parker (Wine Advocate).
For many winelovers, Pauillac embodies everything that Cabernet Sauvignon is supposed to be. Home to three of the five ‘first growths’, Pauillac is surprisingly ‘normal’ in appearance – residential and commercial buildings intermingling with vineyards and magnificent Châteaux. The roads leading into and out of Pauillac are single-carriageway roads, often thick with tractors and CV2s, and the inherent wealth that accompanies these world-famous landmarks remains subtly hidden away. But in many ways, that is simply true of Bordeaux.
For me, there are two distinct styles of Pauillac, especially noticeable in the wines’ youth – simply differentiated as ‘northern’, or those properties close to the St.-Estephe border, and the ‘southern’ or properties nearer to St.-Julien.Of course, nothing is ever quite that simple, and it should be noted that there is a distinction to be made between those properties closer to the Gironde and those further inland.
Pauillac’s wines – especially the best of them – are famously long-lived, ageing gracefully for decades. In perfect conditions, they have been pristine after more than 100 years. Yet the past decade or two has also seen an evolution in style, making them far more approachable and attractive in their youth. I believe that this will not compromise their longevity, but rather extends the optimum drinking window of the wines.
It is irrefutable that Bordeaux is one of the world’s most important fine wine regions, and indeed a strong argument can be made that it’s the single-most important wine-producing area on the planet.
The reasons for this are countless and varied, but there is no greater concentration of top-quality oenologists, wine producers than can be found in Bordeaux, not to mention the 125,000 hectares under vine producing perhaps 60 million cases of wine each year. In fact, there are nearly 20,000 producers throughout the region. And it is as if the entire city of Bordeaux, home to more than one million people, exists solely to facilitate the creation and dissemination of wine for the world.
Bordeaux is an important port city located near France’s south-west Atlantic coast, on the Garonne River (flowing into the Gironde Estuary), and is the capital of the ancient Aquitaine region. Around 500 kilometres southwest of Paris, the city is practically surrounded by vines, and driving in nearly any direction will lead to one commune or another. Most of the famous villages and Châteaux are within an hour or thereabouts drive.
