Andrew Cullimore

9.5

Tasted blind. Medium ruby garnet , medium garnet rim . Quite classic and elegant, with cigar box , grafite and some dried earth , some slightly toasty notes also . On the palate this shows good balance , fresh acidity , classic blackcurrant , cigar box , earthy touch . Good depth and length , grafite tinged finish , quite correct and no extra sweetness or weight . Good length and a spicy , mineral , blackcurrant tinged finish . Lafite ? Still young , really well balanced. From now and over the next 10 to 15 years. This was actually the Mouton , which was a great surprise, but certainly a pleasant one ! — 3 days ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.4

Medium ruby garnet with quite wide garnet rim . Still quite youthful for age . Aromatic from the off, with red plum , cherry , hedgerow fruit , cigar box , scorched earth , dried flowers . On the palate this is medium bodied , with lots of herbal tinged red fruits , tobacco , grafite, with good volume. Perfectly balanced acidity and suave resolved tannins . Long tobacco edged , red fruit finish . Very detailed and aromatic, no need to decant , really pretty and in a lovely spot though don’t see this improving further, as after about 2 hours this particular bottle starts to fade a little , loosing its aroma and showing a touch of rain water and wet rock hints on the nose, and fading a little on the palate . Drink now and over the next 5 years or so to get the best of this . At Restaurante Fasano , Jardins , São Paulo — a month ago

DE

9.5

At Clayton with a cigar big as the 96 — 3 months ago

Ron Siegel

9.4

Classic La Mission nose that is in a perfect spot showing red & black fruits, cedar, leather, earth, graphite, spice box along with sweet tobacco — 4 months ago

Jakub Kalinowski

9.9

A complex, stunning, beautifully elegant wine!
Really well preserved bottle with very little ulage!
Needed a bit of time to open up and lose the damp smell - showing cedar wood, cigar box, red fruit, leather, a bit of mushrooms, complex & still evolving in the glass!
On the palate this was smooth, mellow with bright acidity, layers of juicy red fruit accents and tertiary aromas. The length was just incredible. Sophisticated & elegant.
A truly spectacular & special bottle! — 5 months ago

Ross Bathgate

9.2

Not overly complex but nonetheless delightful. Sweet Coonawarra dusty tannin! — 6 months ago

Timothy Eustis

Wine Director, Red Lion Inn

9.3

2016 out of magnum. Cigar box. Ripe tannins. Beautiful. — 8 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.3

Again quite deep ruby , with a wider garnet rim , slightly cloudy appearance. This is a little more smudged on the nose with , earthy , slightly swimming pool note , tobacco and some dried flowers . However with time this starts to gain stature and complexity with cigar box , cedar and grafite notes . On the palate this is a little rounder and deeper in style , a bit more generous . More cassis and blackberry , along with some cherry . Herbal tobacco notes , fresh acidity and more rounded tannins , perhaps better length that the Ducru too. This also is showing well , if not as young as the Ducru , from now and over the next 10 years in this format. — 3 days ago

Tom Garland

9.4

+1 hour decant(modest sediment). A striking still dark purplish crimson color with bricking. On the nose: Seductive notes of dark fruit, sandalwood, cigar wrapper, herbaceous, stewed meat, pencil lead, worn leather. Taste: silky, layered, vibrant wine with dried plum/cherry, cigar leaf, graphite, that Cos spice, crushed gravel, hint of chocolate, and a hauntingly long dry finish. YUM! Terrific old school Bordeaux. — a month ago

with Brenda

Daniel M

9.2

No notes. Bottle offered to my friend and kept since then, again for a decade or more. Superb currently, can be kept for another 5 to 7 years easily. Cassis, oak and firm tannins, strong acid drive, tar and cigar on the nose. Great stuff ! — 2 months ago

Shuhui Ng

9.3

Blackcurrant, clay, liquorice, cigar, leather, tobacco. Medium bodied, acidic, well integrated tannins. Elegant, understated wine with brilliant structure. 22 years…. What a wait 🔴⚪️ — 4 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.6

Slight younger looking , a little more ruby both in the core but still mostly garnet rim.
This is high toned slightly redder fruit , less dense than the preceding 3 . Cherry , red plum , cedar, seaspray . On the palate this is again quite elegant and refined , cherry , red plum some cassis , red plum , cigar box . Not overly weighty with perhaps a little less noticeable tannin than some of the others . Long vibrant , spicy grafite tinged finish . Very elegant , reserved and I suppose very Lafite , this grows during the experience but was actually voted in last place by the group , that somehow doesn’t surprise me, at the end of the day one wine did have to come last, and this was relatively discreet only showing its real breeding and class with time in the glass. Needs time , but is very promising , probably another 5-10 years (as with almost all the others ) , will last well a further 20 if not more . The elegance and style of this wine is fantastic , this really grows in the glass . Had to be Lafite for me . Bronze medal here . — 5 months ago

Tom Garland

9.5

+2 hour decant(decent sediment). A marvelous dark magenta color. On the nose: perfumed red fruit, potting soil, graphite, cedar lined cigar box, herbaceous. Taste: Powerful, structured wine with red fruit, currants, planting soil, spice, and a cedar-minerally-mocha lingering and evolving finish! YUM! — 7 months ago

with Brenda

Andrew Cullimore

9.3

Quite deep with a ruby core , light garnet rim . Quite young looking . Quite tertiary , with cigar box , grafite some cassis and a grafite note , still very alive and relatively young . On the palate this is quite dusty and earthy , menthol, cassis , tobacco and that grafite hint . Ripe but noticable tannins and refreshing acidity with good lightly grippy length, quite classic . Compared to the Poyferre this is younger but sterner and more foursquare , but classic and unapologetically traditional claret in style. From now with a decant , but this will probably keep well and perhaps improve over the next 10-15 years . — 3 days ago

Tom Garland

9.4

+1 hour decant(some sediment). A gorgeous dark garnet with bricking. On the nose: mesmerizing areomatic notes of dark red fruit, currants, forest floor, floral, cigar wrapper, pencil shavings. Taste: velvety, vibrant, fresh wine with brambly dried blackberry/cherry, earth, graphite, wet stones, and a cedar gamey raspberry long finish. YUM! What a treat to drink, and a success for 03...not too ripe, hot, or roasted. — 21 hours ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.4

Medium deep ruby garnet with a quite wide medium garnet rim . This has quite an open personality with cigar box , earth , grafite and cedar and some spicy cassis underneath. Showing maturity and quite classic in style. On the palate suave and polished , with resolved fine tannins . There is good depth with some sous bois , but mostly mixed summer fruits , earthy dark cherry and grafite. Good length , perfectly balanced alcohol, and lovely salivating freshness . This grows in the glass , showing more facets , at a great moment , without the need for an extended decant . After a while this become a touches more smoky , hints of soy sauce , violet and sea spray. Grafite tinged saline finish . Perfect now , though no rush , best over the next 5-8 years . At Hawksmoor , Liverpool , 26th July . — 2 months ago

Tom Garland

9.4

Decant and pour.  On the nose:  dark fruit, pencil shavings, green bell pepper, leather, mushrooms.   Taste:  a brooding, still austere, structured wine with dark fruit, cassis, smoked earth, cigar, minerals, crushed stone.  Some pronounced tannins want you to give it more time for a better score in the future.

At Cote, Last Vegas — 5 months ago

with Brenda and

Ron Siegel

9.4

Drinking well showing notes of black fruits, berry, plum with graphite, mocha, spice box & tobacco — 6 months ago

Tom Garland

9.5

1 hour decant(some chunky sediment). A striking deep garnet color with some bricking. On the nose: exquisite notes of dark fruit, herbaceous, cedar lined cigar box, floral, pencil shavings. Taste: silky, brooding, balanced wine with blackberry/dark cherry, loamy soil, graphite, tobacco, licorice and a minerally roasted coffee persistent finish. YUM!! — 6 months ago

with Brenda

Freddy R. Troya

9.4

Château Pichon Baron 2023 – Pauillac, Grand Cru Classé en 1855. BDX France 🇫🇷

Overview
A commanding and traditionally styled Pauillac delivering power, precision, and aristocratic structure, driven by a 66% Cabernet Sauvignon–dominant blend with 27% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot and 1% Semillon support. Dark fruit density, mineral authority, and refined oak integration create a wine that feels impactful today while clearly engineered for long-term evolution and layered complexity.

Aromas & Flavors
Blackcurrant, cassis, blackberry, graphite, pencil shavings, cedar, cigar box, crushed gravel, subtle dark cocoa and savory spice.

Mouthfeel
Full-bodied with firm yet polished tannins, excellent mid-palate density, vibrant structural tension, tightly knit acidity, and a long, authoritative finish that builds rather than fades.

Food Pairings
Dry-aged ribeye, lamb rack, beef Wellington, venison, mushroom-forward dishes, aged hard cheeses.

Verdict
A textbook expression of elite Pauillac: powerful, elegant, disciplined, and deeply age-worthy. The wine delivers immediate presence while clearly signaling even greater complexity and harmony with time in bottle.

🍷 Personal Pick
This is serious wine, fierce yet controlled, deeply impressive without arrogance, and loaded with finesse under the horsepower. A bottle that earns respect with every sip and promises an extraordinary future in the cellar. — 8 months ago