Chateau Pichon Baron in Pauillac has really progressed since the acquisition of the property by owner Axa in 1987. Some good wines previously produced including an excellent four year stretch from 1959 to 1962 including the surprising 1960 with those three other outstanding vintages. However they are today back at the deserving Second Growth classification received in 1855 with a solid run of complex lower yielding mature vines (using more Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend) resulting in outstanding wines from 2015 to 2023 inclusive. Managing Director of AXA Millesimes Christian Seely was at our Vancouver International Wine Festival on February 28, 2014 conducting a vertical of his wines from 2010 to 1990. He stated that the recent history was “in two phases of first 1987 to 2000 of less know how producing higher yields and secondly 2000 on paying more attention to small details in the vineyards and much lower yields with better selection”. Christian describes it as “72 hectares of which 38 are great gravel best plots of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon and to the west on richer clay soil is mostly Merlot used earlier in the Grand Vin but now more in their second wine Les Tourelles de Longueville.” He described the present terroir as “The Renaissance of Pichon Baron with a personality defined by old vine Cabernet Sauvignon grown on a plateau bed of gravel”.

On April 1, 2025 our Vancouver Group of Eight held meeting # 129 at Blue Water Cafe featuring nine vintages of Pichon Baron from 2009 back to 1982. We started with the legendary small appellation of CHATEAU-GRILLET 2011 run by the Neyret-Gachet family from 1830 until the 2011 acquisition by Artemis Domaines (Pinault family). This was their first year but the Viognier was so special combining delicate minerality with tight power and elegance. A beauty.

The Pichon Baron were served in two flights youngest to oldest and your scribe has ranked them personally with the first place deserving a much higher score than 9th but all really showed very well indeed. The tasting confirmed that even with higher yields the unique terroir really shone through in top vintages like 1989 & 1990. The future for this property is very high indeed.

2009 CHATEAU PICHON BARON PAUILLAC:

This very dark almost black younger vintage is 70 CS & 30 M with 80% new oak. Impressive powerful depth of fruit with harmonious balance. Juicy exuberant ripe accessible young but not too ripe as still built to age. Slight label change in 2009 from “sickly griffins” to “healthy vigorous “ ones. Christian fav is the twin 2010 of 79CS/21M where “the purity & freshness of the fruit are masking the tannins”. Two degrees higher average temperature in 2009 than 2010 that was cooler. Rank 4th (best future)

2000 CHATEAU PICHON BARON PAUILLAC:

Not as dense as some recent ones but open bouquet with delicious finesse and balance of integrated tannins. Showing beautifully on a lovely drinking plateau now at 25 years. Not as fantastic as show stopper 2000 Lynch Bages Pauillac written up last week here. Enjoy. Rank 3rd

1998 CHATEAU PICHON BARON PAUILLAC:

More herbaceous but less Pauillac definition forwardly with spices and less tannins. Easy mellow smooth ready but missing depth in the mid-palate. Drink presently. Rank 8th

1996 CHATEAU PICHON BARON PAUILLAC:

Surprised at being the lightest rim of the First Flight. Structured tannins with high CS 80 + 20M with 70% new oak in almost a Napa-like eucalyptus style. Christian stated “high yields in 1996 of 385,000 bottles and since 2000 only half that production of the Grand Vin at 170,000-190,000”. Solid but a bit disappointing for this top vintage. Rank 6th

1995 CHATEAU PICHON BARON PAUILLAC:

More colour depth as Christian noted back in his 2014 seminar that “smaller grapes for more skins and intense juice than 1996″ but spicy less ripe Merlot over lesser amount of CS on the nose. Evolving more quickly but losing fruit. Better when paired with the tasty excellent mushroom rabbit course. Rank 7th

1990 CHATEAU PICHON BARON PAUILLAC:

Deep but paling edge with stylish beautiful lead pencil, cedar, cigar box Pauillac definition. Good texture with earthy flavours plus drying a little bit on the finish but nonetheless excellent. Christian called it “one of the great years with a fresh style but yields of 73CS & 27 M were way too high at 67+ hl/ha”. Some tasters ranked it first or tied for first but your scribe believes 1989 has purity with more elegance. Rank 2nd.

1989 CHATEAU PICHON BARON PAUILLAC:

Another great twin year with 1990. Very textbook Pauillac definition! Complex pure fruit aromatics with exotica. Wow. 65% new oak worked perfectly here using the same cepagement as 1990. More intense richness from the riper hotter opulent year but is holding the fruit wonderfully precisely together throughout. Also improved the best with airing and warming opening up showing more development over the dinner. Collected this 1989 vintage since Wine Spectator named it in 1992 as their Wine of the Year. Superb choice by them that your scribe has respected and enthusiastically enjoyed over many decades for the “breathtaking” quality. WOTN for me and Fred Withers agreed. Rank 1st

1986 CHATEAU PICHON BARON PAUILLAC:

Colour OK but not as dark as many 1986 Bordeaux. Not that clean with a touch of TCA corkiness. Less depth and less weight. Simpler. Not best bottle but seem to have missed the mark this time. Last vintage of the Bouteiller family ownership since the 1930s before Axa purchase. Your scribe has tasted better bottles of it than this one. Rank 9th

1982 CHATEAU PICHON BARON PAUILLAC:

Good bottle and drinking lovely but drier with less fruit than the glorious Fifth Growth Pauillac Grand Puy Lacoste 1982. Nice elegant mature finish. Leaner and was showing more fruit a few years ago but sings better with the culinary treat course of beef two ways. Drink up. Rank 5th

2003 CHATEAU RIEUSSEC SAUTERNES:

Deep dark usual Rieussec look. Rich powerful caramel/toffee notes with honey that pairs nicely with the prominent ginger in the ice cream.

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Question: A follow-up to your illuminating answer last week on the new 2024 BC wines made from imported grapes. Which winery in your opinion captured the best new wine label?

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The 2000 vintage in Bordeaux arrived with a lot of hype because of the double zero Millennium year celebrations. Late flowering with early mildew issues followed by dry hot long summer temperatures resulted in pretty consistent wines. There was enough ripe balanced fruit with structure plus a lovely approachability as well. Your scribe has enjoyed drinking many 2000 Bordeaux from different properties over the years and have found them surprisingly delicious even beyond the classified growths. Good value Lanessan, Cambon La Pelouse, Faizeau Vieille Vignes, Fontenil, Chasse Spleen, Clos du Marquis, and low yielding Reignac all provided pleasure early on and this year maturing D’Armailhac, Lagrange and Pichon Baron are showing tertiary bouquet development with smooth mellow complex textures.

On April 5, 2025 at the Vancouver Club our active Commanderie de Bordeaux held a Gala dinner bringing in 5 new members with four Champagnes to compare at the reception followed by nine wines from the 2000 Bordeaux vintage. A few comments:

NV CHARTOGNE-TAILLET CUVEE SAINTE ANNE EXTRA BRUT

Excellent grower Champagne in Merfy just 7 km north-west of Reims on the slopes of Massif de St. Thierry. Mostly 2021 harvest of vineyards using horse ploughing with natural yeast, tank fermented, and barrel aging. Disgorged February 2024 with only 2.5 g/l dosage. Lovely fresh stylish refined drier bubbles but showing less lees character. Well done.

NV HUGUES GODME ROSE GRAND CRU VERZENAY

This house has been organic and biodynamic since 2006 and this blend of 65% Pinot Noir & 35 Chardonnay adds 12% Coteaux Champenois Rouge. Disgorged January 2022 with 6 g/l dosage after about 4 years on the lees. Nicely done good value Rose.

NV PHILIPPONNAT ROYALE RESERVE ROSE BRUT

Famous house uses only 100% Premiere Presse quality from 69% Pinot Noir, 29 Chardonnay & 2 Pinot Meunier. Mostly 2019 vintage with 27% added wood barrel reserves disgorged April 2023 after 3+ years lees aging. Use 8% still Pinot Noir from Mareuil-sur-Ay & Riceys and higher 9g/l dosage. Dependable easy drinking Rose.

2016 PHILIPPONNAT BLANC DE NOIRS EXTRA-BRUT

Only Vintage Champagne in this group from the softer accessible 2016 vintage. All 100% Pinot Noir using only Premiers & Grands Crus vineyards that show top quality fruit. Production of 40039 bottles with higher 4.5 g/l dosage for an Extra-Brut.
Disgorged July 2022 nearing 6 years on the lees for classy better complexity. Delicious.

2000 SARGET DE GRUAUD-LAROSE SAINT-JULIEN

Good colour but drier nose and lesser oak in a rustic style. Blend is 64% Cab Sauv, 31 Merlot, 3 Cab Franc, and 2 Petit Verdot with 14 months in French oak but only 10% is new. Drinking well especially with the exquisite Raviolo. Excellent simpler second wine on its own but is in very tough company here.

2000 CALON-SEGUR SAINT-ESTEPHE

Slightly paler edge but best open aromatics of the first flight. Excellent sous-bois fruit but seems less defined St. Estephe commune with that stylish 50% new oak and integrated tannins. On a lovely plateau already but no rush.

2000 CLERC-MILON PAUILLAC

Deepest darkest colour of First Flight displaying medium bodied cassis black tea tobacco notes. Signs in as Pauillac but drier blend of 2/3 Cab Sauv & 1/3 Merlot in a drier leathery old style using 30% new oak. A bit coarser but OK.

2000 D’ARMAILHAC PAUILLAC DOUBLE MAGNUM

Served blind as a mystery wine with good depth and medicinal nose to start like an older Leoville Barton often shows but cleared with airing from this big format to clean rich youthful complex fruit. Guessed 2000 St Julien or Pauillac but surprised it was my fav d’Armailhac that I drink fairly often as more supple tertiary development now in regular 750 ml bottles. Wonderful underrated 2000 wine. Shows so young with that special character of the vintage very well indeed.

2000 GRAND-PUY-LACOSTE PAUILLAC

Lighter edge of maturing colour with a beautiful open classic cedar cigar box Pauillac definition. Medium bodied savoury smooth round creamy with outstanding balance. Long elegant with classic flavours. Always such good value showing textbook Pauillac. Plateau but no rush. My second fav.

2000 LASCOMBES MARGAUX

Dark and good selection of the best ripe grapes shows. Less defined Margaux but does have intensity in the softer entry and is forwardly drinking on an improving quality track by new owners. Pairs nicely with the Beef Wellington course.

2000 LYNCH BAGES PAUILLAC

Dark and concentrated with an outstanding bouquet of defined cigar box cedar and black currants with a touch of graphite & mint. So full of black ideal dense fruits of 71% Cab Sauv, 16 Merlot 11 Cab Franc & 2 Petit Verdot with 70% new oak at only 13.3 abv. Even better than the 2000 Pichon Baron tried last week. One of the very top 2000 Bordeaux. Clearly Wine of the Night for your scribe and Fred Withers. Already great and will even develop more complexity!. Wow.

2000 LEOVILLE POYFERRE SAINT JULIEN

Similar dark look. Less open and less dramatic on the nose but 80% new oak. Easy St. Julien style and more accessible than the other two more backward Leovilles. Like very much the smoother opulent textures with mellow tannins and long finish. My tie for second with GPL but this WOTN for both Nick Wright and Cellarmaster Alvin Nirenberg.

2000 CLIMENS BARSAC

Jumped out of the glass with a strange pine pitch bitter citrus nose on first pour. Another bottle shows way purer fruit and maturing beauty. Drier Barsac styling suited the cheeses even better than a sweeter Sauternes. Always a nice finish.

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Question: What are these new British Columbia 2024 wines made from imported grapes?

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Specific recommendations for wine pairings to go with food courses have evolved over the years. The more rigid older solutions such as white wine with fish and red wine with meat no longer strictly apply. Moreover, the older traditional wine choices that worked well are now rather expensive. In addition there currently are so many more newer excellent reasonably priced wines to consider. Everyone is looking for a new magical value pairing.

Our IWFS Founder Andre L. Simon recognized wide choices in his booklet called Partners – A Guide to the Game of Wine & Food Match-Making:

“Which wine is the right partner for each food? It is just a matter of taste, always, and also a matter of luck, often. The place, the company, the weather, the mood of the moment all have something to do in the happy of unhappy match-making of wine and food. No book can tell us. Yet, because of the insistence of so many people asking to be given some guidance in the game of the partnering of wine and food, this little book has been prepared with the greatest diffidence.”

On March 25 a most interesting dinner entitled Sommelier Showdown was cleverly organized by Sarah McCauley Corporate Wine Director for Five Sails restaurant in Vancouver. It was a competition final event for testing the skill of top local Sommeliers to match wine with food but as voted on blind by all 50+ diners in attendance. The food was sublime with talented Chef Alex Kim (fresh off his glorious first place finish at 2025 The Canadian Culinary Championships in Ottawa) and his brigade producing four outstanding food courses. Sarah brilliantly orchestrated the serving before each course of two wines blind as chosen by the finalists Nick Berlioz (NB) of Wentworth Hospitality and Sean Nelson (SN) of Somm Wine Club. The hospitality for the evening was wonderful as Alexandre Blais Director of operations stated:

“People may forget what you’ve said or what they ate, but they will never forget how you made them feel. No one who ever changed the game did so by being reasonable. At Five Sails, we trained our team to be unreasonably good listeners and dream makers. The food, the wine, the restaurant, it’s all black and white… hospitality is the colour you add to the paint.”

Lots of fun and so educational. Well done!

Here are the food courses and insightful choices made by the Sommeliers:

The aperitif was 2019 TINHORN CREEK BLANC DE BLANC 100% Chardonnay from the Okanagan Valley BC showing fine small bubbles, crispy entry with good acidity.

1. Hokkaido SCALLOP crudo lemon Arbequina emulsion, Castelvetrano olives, chervil & fennel salad.

2022 ETNA BIANCO PLANETA SICILY (NB): 100% Carricante organic grapes from 10 hectares single vineyard volcanic soils on north side of Mt. Etna at 700 metres harvested late September 29 to October 8 fermented 80% Stainless and 20 Nevers & Allier large oak casks at 14 abv.

2022 POGGIO ALLE GAZZE DELL’ORNELLAIA TOSCANA IGT BIANCO ITALY (SN): 53% Sauvignon Blanc, 37 Vermentino, 6 Viognier, 2 Verdicchio, 23 Semillon 13 abv fermented in 50% barriques (25% new) and 50 Stainless/Concrete (half each) with regular battonage during 6 months on the lees with no malolactic.

Two excellent choices. The scallop course had subtle flavours with chervil & fennel plus Sicilian special olives. Your scribe slightly appreciated the quieter neutral minerally pairing guess of “Grillo from Sicily” than the bigger rounder richer full complex flavours of perhaps an “oaked Loire Fume Blanc style”. Group vote very close with NB narrow winner.

2. PORK RILLETTES Speck crisps, chive mustard vinaigrette vol au vent.

MV ROEDERER ESTATE SPARKLING BRUT ROSE ANDERSON VALLEY CALIFORNIA (SN): Multi-Vintage blend of 56% Pinot Noir & 44% Chardonnay plus 15% oak-aged reserve wines with 8g/l dosage.

2021 MARAIA BARBERA DEL MONFERRATO MARCHESI DI BAROLO ITALY (NB): Means “little rascals” from the Province of Asti Barbera grapes at 14 .5 abv.

Another close vote but SN prevailed with lovely elegant Rose bubbles pairing beautifully with the exquisite looking white pork & crispy Speck dish. The red has acidity too but the big red fruits and alcohol make quite a forceful statement. Nice contrasts.

3. FRASER VALLEY DUCK BREAST Orange gel, salt-baked beetroot foie gras. Chef Alex Kim says “FV duck is known for its tender meat and crisp, buttery skin. They are Grade A Pekin ducks raised without antibiotics. The ducks are hatched, raised, and processed on the farm in Chilliwack British Columbia”.

2023 ELK COVE ESTATE PINOT NOIR WILLAMETTE VALLEY OREGON USA (SN): 100% Estate fruit dry farmed low yields from six vineyard sites harvested at 23.5 Brix fermented in small open top steel followed by 10 months in French oil at 13.5 abv.

2020 CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE CHATEAU DE BEAUCASTEL FAMILLE PERRIN RHONE FRANCE (NB): Blend 30% Mourvèdre, 20% Grenache and 50 % balance of 10 other grapes including Cinsault, Syrah & Counoise.

Two outstanding choices with lighter stylish perfumed refreshing pinot noir and darker full bigger fruits structured spicy one.

Both popular and dead heat group vote.

4. APPLE DESSERT Sable Breton, Vanilla mousse, creme anglaise apple & passion fruit compote. Sensational.

2018 CHATEAU D’ ARMAJAN DES ORMES SAUTERNES FRANCE (NB): Very textbook blend Sauternes so sweet rich and stylish with honey, ginger, and balancing acidity. Not cloying.

2003 ERMITAGE VIN DE PAILLE M. CHAPOUTIER RHONE FRANCE (SN): Very special unique wine with 20+ years of aging. Made from straw dried Marsanne for nearly two months and then aged in new oak. Intriguing caramel tropical fruits.

Group vote 28:24 in favour of NB.

Over the four courses a virtual tie. Showed that both wines chosen worked well in all four cases with the dishes presented. Taste-off required to determine the winner with notes was a blind 2019 RED MOUNTAIN LES GOSSES VINEYARD SYRAH WASHINGTON STATE USA. Big ripe style had guesses from Malbec in Chile to Barossa Valley in Australia. Both Sommeliers did a stellar job in selection and analysis but Sean Nelson was declared the winner by a whisker.

Outstanding event so well organized by Sarah! Made you think about appropriate wine pairings while enjoying the superb meal. Congrats.

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