Château Pontet-Canet 2002

This wine has seemingly gone to sleep and is in a dormant, ungracious stage, exhibiting notes of green tea leaves intermixed with red and black currants in its dusty nose. A medium-bodied wine with moderately high tannin and a certain austerity, it seems to be a much less impressive effort than I thought from barrel or is it just impossibly closed? There is still substantial size and tannic clout to the wine, but the fruit seems to have gone into hiding. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2020+. As most well-informed insiders in Bordeaux know, proprietor Alfred Tesseron has been doing everything right since 1994 in order to fully develop the enormous potential of this vineyard adjacent to Mouton-Rothschild. Some serious work is done in the vineyard including de-budding, de-leafing, and crop-thinning. The harvest usually takes place in several attempts trying to maximize ripeness and there are two separate sorting tables. Yields have dropped dramatically, and of course there is a severe selection.

A solid wine with berry, currant and mineral character. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a long finish. Racy. Alfred Tesseron is making excellent wine nearly every year now. One of the few 2002s better than 2001. Best after 2008.

Mid crimson. Very light nose. Solid and very earthbound with some really earthy flavours. Lots of acidity on the finish. Stolid. (JR)

Red-ruby. Cool aromas of blackcurrant, espresso and menthol. Then sweet and pliant in the mouth, with concentrated, very pure currant, chocolate and mint flavors. Wonderfully smooth for the vintage. Broadens out impressively on the back end, finishing with firm, ripe tannins. St. Julien

Cassis, earth, blackberry, pepper, blue fruit, hints of floral, tobacco and pepper notes make up the perfume. This full bodied wine shows some rustic sensations in mouth as the tannins are not fully ripe. The wine finishes with a big mouthful of cassis.

Deep garnet-ruby colour with a lighter rim. Spicy, cedary bouquet with black cherries, quite peppery, showing medium concentration. On the palate, full-bodied, with red and blue berries, a well-supporting tannin-acid framework; a touch upfront, yet showing promising potential.

03: Dark garnet ruby with a lighter rim. Spicy, cedary bouquet, black cherries, quite peppery, with medium concentration. On the palate, full-bodied, red and blue berries, well-supporting tannin-acid framework; a little upfront, but with very promising potential. 17/20 2010 – 2030

Floral, powerful, peppery bouquet with notes of redcurrant, red cassis, green tea and green wood. Velvety, medium-bodied, full-flavoured palate with sandy tannins, a sweet aromatic profile and a slightly bitter finish. 17/20 drink by 2025

Logo on the cork: AL Dark colour, with normal intensity and slightly evolved. Intense, fruity and lively nose. Subtle on the attack, then fruity and round on the mid-palate, flavoursome, the wine develops into a medium-length finish with no sharp edges.