The 2010 Pichon-Longueville Baron is a Bordeaux Blend hailing from the renowned Pauillac sub-region of Bordeaux, France. This red wine, produced by Pichon-Longueville Baron, is a blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon and 21% Merlot. It is aged in 80% new French oak barrels and has an alcohol content of 13.5%.
John Sweeney from JJ Buckley describes the wine as having "fresh aromas of lilac, cassis, and violets," along with "a good dose of cedar and a touch of graphite." He notes that the wine is still quite primary and will need time to fully integrate its components, suggesting it be held for at least 10 years and could last through 2035. Sweeney’s review emphasizes the wine’s full-bodied nature and "gorgeous texture."
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate also scores the wine at 96, highlighting its "expressive scents of baked black cherries, plum preserves, and crème de cassis with hints of cedar chest and bouquet garni." The review mentions the wine’s "firm backbone of grainy tannins" and its long, pure finish, describing it as "medium to full-bodied."
Wine Spectator gives the wine a 95, noting its "solidly built" structure with flavors of "steeped fig, blackberry, and black currant." The review commends its "brambly tannins" and "superb drive and verve," suggesting it is best enjoyed from 2017 through 2030.
James Suckling also rates the wine 95, calling it "dense and layered with lots of ripe and sweet fruit." He highlights its "loads of currants, plums, and tar," and describes it as "concentrated and almost jammy with velvety tannins."
One of the most enthusiastic reviews comes from Jeb Dunnuck, who awards the wine 99+, referring to it as "borderline perfection in a bottle." He praises its "extraordinary aromatics of crème de cassis, licorice, crushed rock-like minerality, graphite, and spring flowers," and suggests it shows the "purity, grandeur, and precision" of the 2010 vintage.
John Gilman, with a score of 98, describes the wine as "stunning" and "young and primary," with "wave after wave of rich, fat, juicy, pure, ripe, concentrated berries."
Decanter, also scoring it 98, notes the wine’s "physical presence" in the mouth and its "layers of black fruit, truffles, olives, and smoked earth," calling it "totally wonderful."
Jeff Leve at The Wine Cellar Insider rates it 97, praising its "rich, full-bodied" nature and "gorgeous tobacco-laced perfume," considering it a "future rockstar wine."
Wine Enthusiast, scoring it 97, calls it "quintessential Pauillac," with a structure that promises longevity, while Jane Anson, scoring it 98, highlights its "purity and finesse" and the "extraordinary potential of this site."
Overall, the 2010 Pichon-Longueville Baron is highly regarded, with multiple reviewers praising its structure, aromatic complexity, and potential for aging, marking it as a standout vintage from Pauillac.