Dinner with JeanFred, he opened one of my fav Bordeaux

[Nicklasss]

Saturday, we went at J and JeanFred's place for diner. JeanFred is changing job, and he was in celebration mood.

So he started with 2 white wines from Alsace, Domaine Kuehn, the 2017 Riesling Grand Cru Kaefferkopf and the 2018 Grand Cru Kaefferkopf. The Riesling was great, with just enough Grand Cru richness, green/yellow mango, confit lemon, ripe peaches and quince nose, compleyed by some wax. Mouth was showing great fruit, medium power, half oily half light texture. Great petrol minerals and lemony fruit final. Green lemon latter on and freshness. This was excellent. Tn : 93. The Grand Cru was a mix of alsatian grapes, with majority of Riesling i guess, and sweet lightly liquorous. Went well with crackers with foie gras, powerful nose of peaches, litchis, flowers and again petroleum minerals. Superb rich sweet mouth, mid thick, sweet lemon, sweet ginger, pollen, peaches, light spices. And, long final on sweet fruit and also waxy petroleum. Excellent too. Tn : 92.

With the starter, raw tuna on a rice crunchy layer, and fancy "buisson de verdures", the only bottle from my stash that has been opened is tbe 2020 Morgon Tradition Jean-Paul Thévenêt. Very nice gamay, mainly mix of rasberries, light meat, smomy granite. Mouth is fresh, medium body, medium tannins, on cherry and rasberry flavors, and something like cardamom. Tn : 89-90. Quite good, but surely not in the same league for what JeanFred opened next...

With the main meal of duck with mushrooms and polenta cake, JeanFred opened 2 Pichon Baron, the 2014 and the 1990.

The 2014 is an excellent to great Pichon Baron, and a great 2014. Dark color, the Baron signature on the young nose and mouth. All the aromas and flavors are concentrated, with nice blackcurrants, spicy oak, blackberries, lead pencil. Smoky vanilla oak, more fruits, full of Pauillac strictness, black character, with terroir. Extremely good and promising. Tn 92-93+. Try back in 10-12 years.

The 1990 is simply one of the greatest Pichon Baron, period. That bottle that JeanFred opened was in top shape. Why it is so great? For me 3 reasons : balance, complexity and definition. Color of that dark red, with slightly light brown rim, nose was unbelievable! Smelling so much stuff in a wine is just too much! Blackcurrants, blackberries, spicy vanilla oak, graphite, dry tobacco, roasted honeycomb, mushrooms/truffles, minty eucalyptus, a dream! Mouth is ethereal, with also a superb complexity, lush and ripe, but also light and long, soft tannins, creamy blackcurrants, integrated oak, dry leather, dry tobacco, light plums, with all the Pauillac terroir mineral with also light cedar. Long and sooo balanced and delightful. This is the 4th time i tried that wine, and it is just confirming it 5th position in my top 10 favorite wines again. An amazing wine, an amazing 1990, a top Pichon Baron, a great Pauillac. Tn : 97. Enjoy it now, at age 33 yo... put a smile on your face!

I still remember like yesterday, when Rob Dayton poured me some for the first time...

What a night! Thank you JeanFred, and congrats for the new job!

[JimHow]

From the headline I was going to guess he uncorked the 2015 Canon, but the 1990 Pichon Baron?! Now that is what I call a friend. Congratulations on the new job JF!

[hautbrionlover]

I couldn’t agree more about the 1990 Pichon Baron, which is my favorite PB and among my favorite all-time Bordeaux.
I last tasted it about 1 1/2 years ago, when I opened one with my (adult) kids to celebrate my 65th.
I still have a couple of bottles left; now I’m anxious to open another!

[Comte Flaneur]

Congratulations Jean-Fred on your new role and Nic on sharing this great wine, one which I have also been fortunate to try a few times in recent years.

In 1990 it is hard to call the winner between Pichon Baron, Leoville Lascases and Chateau Latour from - as Jim often notes - that legendary patch of terroir producing (some of) the world’s greatest Cabernet Sauvignon on that particular kink in the D2 on the St-J/Pauillac border (Lafite and Mouton a few miles further north may take issue with that)

[AKR]

Chapeau!

[DavidG]

Nice!

[dstgolf]

Congrats JF. A nice way to celebrate the next chapter in life. Nice to hear the 1990 PB is still a stunner. Not sure which is better but depends on the bottle between 89 & 90. I wouldn't say no to either.

[JimS]

Congrats! This wine, and the 1989, were nearly single-handedly the wines that really opened my eyes as to what magic aged Bordeaux truly possesses. Although my palate has broadened in recent years beyond the region, this wine is a special one for me. So glad it showed well. I brought a 1989 PB to a dinner a few weeks back, and one of the others at the dinner stated it was the best Bordeaux he's ever had in his life. I think when these 1989/1990 Pichon Baron bottles are truly "on", well-stored, etc. they are so hard to beat.

[JeanFred]

Again, We had great time with M-C and Nicolas talking about our summer trips, kids and wine…

As often, we had good wines, the 2 kuehn was excellent. A good Morgon and the 2 fabulous Pichon.

I bougth this Pichon 90 at Wine Watch ( store recommandation from Stuart) at Fort Lauderdale this Summer. I Glad we had a great bottle.

As always, Nicolas welI resume the wine. However, I gave more a 94-95+ to the 2014 Pichon, 98 pts for the 1990,So everything this Pichon!!!

And thanks for the congratulations

JeanFred

[Nicklasss]

Congratulations Jean-Fred on your new role and Nic on sharing this great wine, one which I have also been fortunate to try a few times in recent years.

Ian, it is JeanFred who offered the 90 Baron, and all other wines except the Morgon. He did not told me about his machiavelic plan, so i did not brought anything to go with the 2 Baron. And i don't have anything at that level on hand, i guess...

Other 1990 left bank i liked a lot in the past : Rausan Ségla, Lagrange, Sociando Mallet.

[hautbrionlover]

Yes, that 1990 Lagrange was a beauty!
(And even better - your note reminded me that I still have one left!)