Les Griffons de Pichon Baron 2019 is the second wine of Château Pichon Baron, the Pauillac Second Growth (Deuxième Grand Cru Classé) in the 1855 classification. Produced since 2012, Les Griffons is sourced from the estate’s gravelly holdings in Pauillac. In 2019 it is a Merlot-forward blend—59% Merlot and 41% Cabernet Sauvignon—with reported production of 6,587 cases. Élevage is consistently described as involving new oak; multiple sources cite 40% new oak, though one account suggests a higher new-barrel share, so the exact proportion varies by reference.
In the glass, the wine reads as a modern, polished Pauillac second wine with clear Left Bank markers—currant fruit, tobacco, graphite, and firm tannin—tempered by Merlot’s roundness. Wine Spectator’s James Molesworth emphasizes immediacy and classic savory detail, calling it “juicy and direct,” with “crushed red and black currant” plus “tobacco, bay leaf, pepper and an iron streak,” and suggests a 2023–2033 window.
The strongest reviews point to unexpected depth for the label. Jeb Dunnuck delivers an excellent 94-point score, describing a “medium to full-bodied” wine with “terrific depth” and “outstanding length,” and he confirms the 59/41 blend and 40% new oak. Vinous’ Antonio Galloni (93 points) frames it as “a Pauillac of substance and depth,” highlighting “dark fruit, licorice, smoke, [and] tobacco” and a “long, persistent finish.”
Other critics land in a similar band: James Suckling (92) notes “blackberries, dried herbs, wet earth, graphite and tar,” with “firm, fine tannins,” recommending drinking after 2024. Decanter (91) points to “blackcurrant florality,” “grippy, bramble-fruit tannins,” and flavors of “liquorice and coffee,” describing it as “juicy but sombre.” The Wine Independent’s Lisa Perrotti-Brown is more restrained at 89, finding “uncomplicated redcurrants and baked plums” with a “bright, crunchy, lively” palate.
Overall, 2019 Les Griffons offers serious Pauillac character, strong structure, and notably high critical approval for a second wine, with Dunnuck and Galloni marking it as a top-performing bottling in its category.
