2023, Château Pontet-Canet, PAUILLAC, 5ème Grand Cru Classé

Last Year EP $198.00-

Alfred Tesseron has been at the helm here for nearly 50 years and constant improvements have been made in both viticulture and vinification. The 2023 was unaffected by mildew pressure and yields are up, though still below the average for Pauillac.

A wine to convince you of the quality and ripeness of Cabernet Sauvignon in Pauillac in this 2023 vintage, showcasing superbly supple tannins, great balance, depth and savoury blue and black fruit character, bitter cocoa bean, freshly cut herbs, black tea, fennel, all vivid and with purity of character. There is density here but it is not overt, with heightened raspberry leaf, peony and violet aromatics. Vinified in the newly-completed section of the cellars, in egg-shaped wooden vats and sunken clay vats. 50% new oak for ageing, with 35% amphora and 15% one year old barrels. One of the wines of the vintage. 98-100 Jane Anson.

A very structured Pontet-Canet that expands in the mouth with a gorgeous combination of beautifully ripe fruit and intense tannins. Very structured for the vintage. Full-bodied with excellent presence and length. So much raw pencil shavings to the blackcurrants. Graphite and tar. Fresh and vivid. They picked cabernet at the right time at the end of September. 52% cabernet sauvignon, 39% merlot, 6% cabernet franc and 3% petit verdot. 97-98 James Suckling

The 2023 Pontet-Canet is deep garnet-purple in colour. Notes of juicy blueberries, black cherries, and blackcurrant jelly spill from the glass, giving way to nuances of violets, black truffle, fertile loam, and mossy tree bark with a hint of cardamom. The medium-bodied palate is so, so silky, elegant, and fine, with perfumed black and blue fruit layers and beautiful tension, finishing long with lots of shimmery mineral and floral sparkles. This is a beautifully poised, tightly packed powerhouse that promises to keep the firework displays bedazzling collectors for many years to come. 97-99 Lisa Perrotti-Brown.

The 2023 Pontet-Canet has a very pure bouquet with dark cherries, blackcurrant and touches of vanilla, cohering over the course of ten minutes in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied, with very supple tannins matched by a keen line of acidity. There is plenty of creaminess on the mid-palate, fine grip and a pinch of black pepper toward the finish. Moderate in length, there's lovely linearity here and an underlying salinity that becomes evident with continued aeration. Very fine. 93-95 Neal Martin.