2011 Château Pontet-Canet - Pauillac (Pre-arrival)

Once again proprietor Alfred Tesseron has produced a wine of first-growth potential. One of the superstars of the vintage, Pontet-Canet’s 2011 exhibits an opaque purple color and a glorious bouquet of incense, subtle toast and copious quantities of creme de cassis. There is a floral underpinning, decent acidity and ripe tannin to this full-bodied effort. Big, rich, round and generously endowed, it should drink well for 20-25+ years.

A big, broad-shouldered style, with lots of bittersweet cocoa and coffee up front, followed by thick-textured blackberry and black currant fruit. Shows a bit more brute force than purity right now, though hard to deny the concentration and depth. Could move up if it stretches out and gains some finesse.

Deep, opaque ruby. Rich aromas of blackberry, black cherry and minerals are lifted by a perfumed minty note. Multilayered and vibrant, with compelling sweetness of black fruit cocktail, spicy vanilla and mineral flavors. Finishes with very smooth tannins, a persistent violet note and an impression of weightlessness. I love this wine's purity, but I don't know if my sample had any press wine in it.

Pontet-Canet has always been a legendary Medoc. It is deep ruby-red, crimson, and sometimes almost black colour and has a characteristic bouquet of black fruit (especially blackcurrant), liquorice, and prune as well as fig, cedar, and sometimes cocoa overtones. Pontet-Canet combines power and elegance, as well as concentration and fullness on the palate. Rather sinewy in style, Pontet-Canet is clearly a classical wine with a tannic structure that provides excellent ageing potential. The chateau team is conscious of the fact that they are following in the footsteps of more than three centuries of tradition, with each period contributing its technical innovations in the interest of quality and in order faithfully to reflect the terroir.