2024, Château Pontet-Canet, PAUILLAC, 5ème Grand Cru Classé

Last year EP $148.00-

Bordeaux Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot.

The 2024 is 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot. Harvest started on 26th September for the Merlot, but didn't finish until 9th October for the last Cabernets.

The 2024 Pontet-Canet underlines the fact that daring to harvest late paid dividends in this challenging vintage, wafting from the glass with aromas of cassis, black raspberries and plums mingled with accents of rose petals, liquorice and exotic spices. Medium to full-bodied, deep and integrated, with mid-palate density that's all too rare this year, it's layered, suave and seamless, concluding with a long, sapid finish. Greater reactivity during the season means that Pontet-Canet's vineyards are gaining in vigour, while in the winery, a lighter touch with extraction, systematic climate control and a wholesale refinement of the estate's cooperage choices have brought new harmony and sensuality to this estate's wines. That has combined with a willingness to take risks with harvest dates to deliver what is clearly one of the wines of the vintage.
94-96 William Kelley, Wine Advocate, April 2025

Vibrant ruby in colour with violet edging, this is beautifully measured, with a careful release of black fruits. Puts the focus on the floral side of Cabernet Sauvignon, with rose petals, chamomile, fragrant tomato leaf and lilac. There is austerity on the opening, with tight architecture but as it opens juice begins to flow through the pumice and slate-textured tannins, and this delivers a finessed, slim-style of Pauillac, with plenty of ageing potential and quiet confidence. One of the successes of the vintage. Tasted twice.
94 Jane Anson, April 2025

Deep purple colour. Good fragrance here, with violets, cherry drops and cassis - that is layered with a stony, earthy spice that rises with air. The palate is led by dark fruit that is ripe but not overdone, together with more of that concrete-like stony spice that is unique to this property. The tannins are crunchy and firm - they need to knit into the fruit but it does feel like this is a vintage that will get there. Forest fruit, hedgerow and cassis linger on the finish, which is sandy in texture and unique in its profile but well done this year.
92-94 Thomas Parker MW, Farr Vintners, April 2025

Drinking Window: 2032 - 2046