Château Pontet-Canet 2023

Deeply dark and ripe-fruited, Pontet Canet shines again this year, with a profound nose and a rich palate—pure fruit concentration carried by a massive tannic structure, powerful yet dancingly light, crisp, juicy, saline, and endlessly long. Once again, a moving wine experience that should last a small eternity.

The longest harvest ever at this estate, and it paid off magnificently: lovely red berry and mint freshness, with Cabernet Franc coming to the fore. On the palate, it shows freshness and gorgeous wet-stone salinity that rises above many other Pauillac peers. The acidity is very well managed and felt in a tangy (rather than tart) fashion, and the wine exhibits superlative ripe Cabernet Sauvignon with tannic finesse as well as structure for the long haul. Normally the estate needs three or four days to harvest the Merlots, but extra care was taken — picking over a 10-day period for the Merlots — to obtain only the very best for the blend, resulting in veritable juiciness, too.

Tasted blind. Intense, charry nose. Then sweet and gentle on the palate and some inky tannins underneath. A ‘pleasant’ if not dramatic wine for the next decade. (JR)

Currants, blackberries, cedar, mint leaves, wet earth, and cigar wrappers fill the perfume. The palate is juicy, dark, concentrated, and lush. There is power, without being overdone. Everything feel balanced and in harmony. The finish is long, creamy and deep, with a lingering finish that continues to build through to the endnote. The wine blends 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot. Drink from 2030-2065.

Deep dark ruby, opaque core, purple reflections, delicate rim brightening. Ripe cassis, blackberry confit, some nougat, fine herbal savouriness in the background. Complex, juicy, ripe black heart cherry, ripe tannins, fine extract sweetness, fresh and long-lasting, red-berry nuances, taut, assured maturity and definite ageing potential.

52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot, 50% new barriques, 35% amphorae and 15% in used barriques. Densely woven, elegant bouquet: freshly picked alpine blueberry, violet perfume and noble cassis spice. On the sublime, juicy palate with a velvety texture, energetic drive, a tight, licorice‑like tannic frame and a perfectly shaped body. In the concentrated, never‑ending finish: blueberry, sour cherry juice, dark graphite and lofty astringency. This Pauillac stands out this year for its incredible freshness and precision and should be a must‑buy.

One of the wines of the vintage. Slow and steady unrolling of spice, capsicum, fresh acidities, crushed oyster shell and peony, cassis, squid ink and blueberry. Elegant and finessed, capturing the heart of Cabernet Sauvignon in a way that makes me think of Zuccardi and Malbec. Bright unrolling through the palate, great precision and quality with a ton of freshly cut herbs, black tea and fennel, giving life and focus. This was blended before ageing for the first time for at least a decade. Vinified in egg-shaped wooden vats and sunken qvevri-style clay vats. 50% new oak for ageing, with 35% amphora and 15% one year old barrels. New lighter bottle as of the 2022 around 490g, down from 815g in the past, 30 tonnes of CO2 saved just in terms of production. Harvest September 7, one day earlier than 2022, then slow picking through to October 10, later than many in Pauillac - and normal yields of around 40hl/h. Technical director here Mathieu Bessonnet.

Score: 95–97. The nose releases a stunning, pure, zen-like perfume unlike the aromatic profile of any other wines of the vintage, with notes of wild berries, black cherry liqueur, and purple flowers—opulent and intensely scented. The celestial purity on the nose continues on the palate, with a sense of motion that sweeps you along and a lifted, generous texture that carries through to a chalky, mineral finish.

97-99. Barrel Sample. This is a very aromatic wine with all the Pontet-Canet style of attention to detail. With ripe black-currant fruits, it is beautifully perfumed and dense. Rich tannins and spices are layered with velvet fruits. It is impressive and seriously ageworthy. Organic and biodynamic.

A solid red, with a core of dark currant and blackberry reduction notes laced with singed alder and chestnut leaf threads. Its grip is in cast iron form, and this is ample and well-buried, letting the fruit flow through the finish, where sweet bay echoes prettily. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2027 through 2040.

Power shows itself with tact, precision and relevance. It is serenity that guides this wine, championing its authenticity, placing its nature center stage and focusing everything on its personality. Pontet Canet hasn’t changed, but the path is more direct and more accomplished. Power settles in with precision and subtlety, paired with a vibrant structure, giving rise to a radiant symbiosis set against real depth. A complex, sincere, lingering wine that relies as much on finesse as on vigor, culminating in a multitude of details that underline its identity. An inviting, exhilarating wine that can certainly be enjoyed in its youth, yet has the necessary potential for long ageing (if you can keep your hands off it!).

Meeting the expectations set at the en primeur tastings, the 2023 Pontet-Canet wafts from the glass with a vibrant, perfumed bouquet of cassis, mulberries, rose petals, pencil shavings and licorice. Medium- to full-bodied, seamless and pure, it is layered and precise, framed by filigreed tannins and delivering a powerful yet controlled profile that extends into a long, crystalline, licorice-inflected finish. A blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot, it signals a new aesthetic era for the estate, marked by greater purity, brightness and precision.