Chateau Pontet Canet 2020

JAMES SUCKLING: "Aromas of blackcurrants and black cherries with hints of crushed walnuts, grilled thyme, cocoa powder and graphite. It’s full-bodied with layers of ultra-fine, silky tannins that elegantly coat your palate, allowing the juicy and vibrant fruit to shine. Delicate and pristine, yet compact with lots of energy and power to uncover in the coming years. It lasts for minutes and is delicious now. The purity of fruit is really impressive. 60% cabernet sauvignon, 32% merlot, 4% cabernet franc and 4% petit verdot. 50% new oak 15% old oak and 35% concrete amphorae. Try after 2027."

WEINWISSER: "Delikates Bouquet, frisch gepflückte Alpenheidelbeere, getrocknete Rosenblätter und frischer Rosmarin. Im zweiten Ansatz Backpflaumen, erkalteter Waldfrüchtetee und Holundersaft. Am sublimen Gaumen mit seidiger Textur, körnigem Extrakt, kakaoartigem Tanningerüst, perfekt modellierter Körper. Im nicht enden wollenden Finale verschlankt sich der Pauillac, Anflug an Schattenmorelle und roter Pflaume gepaart mit dunklem Graphit, endet mit erhabener Adstringenz."

JEB DUNNUCK: "The flagship from this estate, the 2020 Château Pontet-Canet is a beauty based on 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, and 4% each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, brought up in 50% new oak, with 35% in amphora. Deep purple-hued with a great nose of dark currants, plums, tobacco leaf, and truffly earth, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a layered, seamless mouthfeel and a great finish. The higher Merlot content here really shows in its overall sexy, supple, seamless style, and while this already offers pleasure, it's going to be one for the ages as well."

DECANTER: "Dark chocolate, bramble tones, not overly floral or fruity with some cedar and cinnamon notes. Lovely high acidity straight away, forward, bright and energetic with lovely crunchy blue fruit on the palate but creamy textured tannins giving a round and complete mouthful. Nothing feels overdone, this is quietly seductive and confident but not at all showing off. I love the minerality and the graphite grip with plum and black cherry and tons of slate, liquorice and menthol freshness. Long finish, slowly expansive, building and growing from start to finish showing an impressive structure overall. Nicely constructed, charming still with the Pauillac touch. A great Pontet - immediately seductive and enjoyable with a long ageing potential."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "With a nose that displays truffle, tobacco leaf, cedar, licorice, and black currants, the wine is soft, fresh, refined, and focuses you on its cassis, blackberry, earth, spice, and peppery herb character. There are no hard edges in the finish, just soft, vibrant currants, herbs, and spice. The wine is a blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, and 4% Cabernet Franc. 13% ABV, pH 3.8. The wine is aged in 45% new, French oak barrels and amphora. The harvest took place September 14, to September 30. Drink from 2026-2055."

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "The magnificent structure and balance of this wine are powerful. It shows poise between the black fruits and the freshness of the vintage, while the texture is almost velvet. The wine is juicy and seriously structured at the same time. Drink from 2027. Organic and biodynamic."

FALSTAFF: "Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, opaker Kern, zarte Randaufhellung. Schwarze Kirschen, feines Cassis, reife Zwetschken, zart nach Nugat, kandierte Orangenzesten, sehr feine Edelholzwürze, einladendes Bukett. Komplex, saftig, würzige Textur, pfeffriger Touch, reife und feine Tannine, straff, mineralisch-salzig im Abgang, sehr strukturiert, noch etwas fordernd im Abgang, wird von ausgedehnter Flaschenreife profitieren."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "While Justine Tesseron declined my request to taste at the property, I was able to acquire a bottle of the 2020 Pontet-Canet for review. The wine starts strong, wafting from the glass with attractive aromas of cherries, sweet berries and plum preserve mingled with lilac and licorice, but that's followed by a medium to full-bodied, firm and extracted palate that lacks the amplitude and flesh to conceal the rather drying tannins which dominate the earthy finish. It's an open secret among Bordeaux insiders that this estate—which has benefited from such significant and laudable investments and which was on such an upward trajectory through 2011—has been a perplexingly erratic performer since 2012, intermingling successful vintages with relative failures, and the 2020 only confirms that. While the 2020 isn't by any means a flawed wine, and time may well be kind to it, it doesn't transcend this estate's fifth growth status, even if this château's terroir clearly has the potential to."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Deep crimson with smudgy rim. The fruit is so much fresher and more vibrant than on the 2019. Thick, dry, firm, honest tannins filled out by the cedary-cassis fruit. Chewy, compact, harmonious for a long future. Needs time in bottle to gain in elegance."