Chateau Pontet Canet 2021

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "Pure berry fruit and cedar aromas, the wine has great purity. It is a straight line of freshness as well as black-currant fruits and ripe acidity. The wine is beautifully textured and firm at its core. Drink from 2028. Organic and biodynamic."

JAMES SUCKLING: "This is a very pretty 2021 with a solid, beautiful mid-palate and density. Juicy fruit, slightly chewy tannins and a savory finish. Hints of graphite. Drink or hold."

DECANTER: "Gorgeous fragrance on the nose, so perfumed and floral - really vibrant - you can smell the Cabernet and the Petit Verdot on the nose. Juiciness straight away from a burst of high acidity focussed on blackcurrant and black cherry with both a fragrance, spice and minerality following. This really hits you square on - it's not opulent but it’s so fully flavoured, forward and upfront. Tannins are fine-grained but plentiful, they hold the structure and give the frame while the creaminess and freshness gives an expansive aspect to the palate. There's refinement and an aerial quality here despite the clear Pauillac power. The Cabernet fruit is in full shine mode, giving a eucalyptus, perfumed berry and black pepper touch. Structured and supple with grape and terroir characteristics. If you love Pontet, and classic Pauillac claret, this is an impressive reference point. Skilled winemaking from technical director Mathieu Bessonet. 4% Cabernet Franc completes the blend."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Blackberries, flowers, cigar box, herbs, espresso, and spearmint nuances pop from the glass with only a few swirls. On the palate, the wine is vibrant, fresh, and medium/full-bodied, with blackberries, chocolate, black currants, orange citrus, espresso, and spice. This is a forward-styled vintage that will be quite a treat to start drinking in its youth. Yet it will age for decades. The wine blends 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot. Drink from 2028-2055."

WEINWISSER: "Undurchdringliches Schwarz im Glas. Süß und intensiv im Geruch, sehr massiv, mit viel Wucht und Intensität, fast etwas ungestüm, jugendlich eben. Toller, rassiger Auftakt mit noch stumpfen Gerbstoffen, etwas roh und rau. Druck - voller, großer Wein mit enormer Gerbstoffausbeute und grandios langem Finale. Wirkt noch jugendlich trocken und wird einige Jahre brauchen bis die stumpfe, staubartige Note verschwindet. Dann könnte er viel Schmelz entwickeln, denn die Extraktfülle hat er. Ein ganz eigener Charakter."

LISA PERROTTI-BROWN: "The 2021 Pontet-Canet is deep garnet-purple in color. It slowly unfurls to reveal expressive notes of crunchy black cherries, fresh blueberries, and black raspberries, leading to suggestions of wet slate, black olives, rose petals, and cardamon. The light to medium-bodied palate is bright and lively, with wonderfully pure black fruit and mineral-inspired flavors and a fine-grained texture, finishing with a floral lift."

JEB DUNNUCK: "Ripe blue fruits, spring flowers, violets, tobacco, and some graphite notes all emerge from the 2021 Château Pontet-Canet, a richer, medium to full-bodied Pauillac that has polished, building tannins, terrific overall balance, and outstanding length. It picks up more classic Pauillac lead pencil notes with time in the glass (I was able to taste this on multiple occasions) and is a fleshy, beautifully textured 2021 that will benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and evolve for two decades. The 2021 is based on 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 6% Petit Verdot that was raised 50% in new oak barrels, 35% amphora, and the balance in once-used oak."

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, tiefer Kern, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Reife Zwetschken, Brombeerkonfit, kandierte Orangen, ein Hauch von Nugat, noch etwas verschlossen. Mittlere Komplexität. Rotbeerige Fruchtnuancen, präsente Tannine, frisch strukturiert, schwarze Kirschen im Abgang, zart blättriger Touch im Abgang, adstringiernder Touch im Finale, ein vielseitiger Begleiter bei Tisch, braucht noch einige Zeit."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Very dark with purplish rim. Open and fragrant, a touch floral along with fine savoury fruit. Powerful and very different from most of the 2021s in this line-up. Dry, elegantly tannic finish."

WINE SPECTATOR: "A nice, dark, winey offering, with steeped black cherry and black currant fruit melding nicely with warm earth, alder and cast iron accents through the focused finish. Shows grip and range, with barely any indication of the vintage's skinny side. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2026 through 2038."