Château Pontet-Canet 2019

Commentaire

The blend this year is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Very deep purple-black colored, the 2019 Pontet-Canet has the most gorgeous, lifted perfume of lilacs, dark chocolate, Morello cherries and rosehip tea over a core of crème de cassis, plum preserves, licorice and woodsmoke with a waft of fragrant soil. Full-bodied, rich and fantastically opulent, the palate offers layer upon layer of ripe, finely grained tannins and seamless freshness, finishing very long and mineral laced. A real head-turner, this beauty is absolutely going to steal your heart! Lisa Perrotti-Brown

Commentaire

A very tight, compact red that shows wonderful precision and definition with lots of blackberries, blueberries, stones and black tea. The sorting and de-stemming was all done by hand. Love the sensibility to this. Superb length and finesse. Subtle and sophisticated. No pumping over and gentle pushing down. Handmade. Very exciting and thought-provoking. Very long. 35% in amphora and the rest in 50% new oak and 15% one-year oak. 65% cabernet sauvignon and 30% merlot, the rest cabernet franc and petit verdot. Biodynamic grapes.

Commentaire

Rouge grenat dense aux reflets pourpres. Superbe expression olfactive marquée par la fraîcheur du fruit au travers de notes de raisin… ce qui semble certes pertinent, mais il est sain de le relever. S’y ajoutent des parfums de cassis, de mûres et de bois de réglisse. En bouche le vin brille de sa fraîcheur et de sa vigueur. Ses tannins sont compacts, puissants, serrés et en parfaite symbiose avec le tempérament de la structure acide. Que de verve, de clarté et de précision dans ce vin. Il affiche une magnifique notion de force tranquille, de sérénité et de potentiel. Un très grand Pontet Canet qui tutoie le 2016 ! 2027-2060

Commentaire

Powerful and lush, the aromas are so enticing, emitting a scent of black cherry, jujube candy, and a hint of moss. Unlike the intense palate I expected, the opening of Pontet Canet 2019 is particularly delicate, juicy, bright, and elegant; it is pure like a virgin holding a flower basket. Refined by its smooth freshness, the signature ripeness of Pontet-Canet is delivered in a harmonious way, and it is a top-quality wine that can make people feel it is pedigree Blue Blood.

Commentaire

Clear Pauillac character in terms of its tannic structure, overlaid with the Pontet signature of recent vintages that translates into spirals of peony and iris alongside brambled hedgerow. As it settles, coffee bean and tobacco adds a charred character alongside blackberry and cassis puree. It opens extremely slowly, with so many subtle nuances that gather in confidence. The tannins have unmistakeable Pauillac strength, but the structure and the subtlety of this wine is Pontet-Canet, with the amphoras having an influence in terms of the tannins feeling less silky than they do in many of the appellation's biggest wines, but still with swagger. Back to a normal yield after the difficulties in 2018 with mildew that saw production drop to 12hl/ha. This is the last vintage under Jean-Michel Comme, technical director and estate manager for past 32 years. He has been replaced by Mathieu Bessonnet who has spent the last 15 years with Michel Chapoutier on his (also biodynamically farmed) estates in Australia and Alsace and who was, they tell me, selected by Comme who chose him and worked with him. 100% 1st wine, as it has been for the past four years. 45% will be aged in new oak barrel, 15% one year, 40% in amphoras. This is a two-point score under the 2016, because it doesn't have the concentration of that exceptional vintage, but it's an excellent Pontet, full of vigour. Manual punching down across the entire production. Jane Anson

Commentaire

Quite evolved-looking dark garnet. Fresh, mild nose. Soft tannins. Just lacking a little freshness. A tad stodgy. Without real follow-through.