Château Pontet-Canet - Subskription -

94-95/100 Alexandre Ma Alexandre Ma 29/04/2025 In a year without the blessing of sunny skies, could Château Pontet-Canet still carry its signature warmth and generosity? That question lingered in my mind – until I raised my glass. The scent of ripe berries, brushed with a touch of clotted cream, began to bloom slowly, and in that moment, I couldn’t help but give it a quiet nod of admiration. Known for its exuberant aromas, Pontet-Canet had no natural advantage in the restrained 2024 vintage. Yet through painstaking selection and years of biodynamic dedication, it revealed a rare depth amid the absence of sunshine. The redcurrant and blueberry notes may not be abundant, but they are vivid and dimensional; the tannins may not be as bold, but they are definitely refined. This softer, more approachable expression may not align with the style we’re used to, but it feels like an old friend, gently recounting its journey through the 2024 vintage. It turns out that when it quiets down, Château Pontet-Canet reveals a different kind of beauty. 94-96/100 Wine Advocate William Kelley 25/04/2025 The 2024 Pontet-Canet underlines the fact that daring to harvest late paid dividends in this challenging vintage, wafting from the glass with aromas of cassis, black raspberries and plums mingled with accents of rose petals, licorice and exotic spices. Medium to full-bodied, deep and integrated, with mid-palate density that's all too rare this year, it's layered, suave and seamless, concluding with a long, sapid finish. Picking began on September 26 and concluded on October 11, with the heart of the estate's old-vine Cabernet Sauvignon coming in between the seventh and the ninth, well after many châteaux had finished their harvest. Greater reactivity during the season means that Pontet-Canet's vineyards are gaining in vigor, while in the winery, a lighter touch with extraction, systematic climate control and a wholesale refinement of the estate's cooperage choices have brought new harmony and sensuality to this estate's wines. That has combined with a willingness to take risks with harvest dates to deliver what is clearly one of the wines of the vintage. The blend is roughly half Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with the balance Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. 94/100 Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux Jane Anson 25/04/2025 Vibrant ruby in colour with violet edging, this is beautifully measured, with a careful release of black fruits. Puts the focus on the floral side of Cabernet Sauvignon on the aromatics, with rose petals, chamomile, fragrant tomato leaf and lilac. There is austerity on the opening, with tight architecture but as it opens juice begins to flow through the pumice and slate-textured tannins, and this delivers a finessed, slim-style of Pauillac, with plenty of ageing potential and quiet confidence. Harvest September 26 through to October 11. 3.8ph, 50% new oak, 35% concrete amphoras. One of the successes of the vintage. Tasted twice. 93/100 Falstaff Peter Moser 25/04/2025 Deep dark ruby, opaque core, purple reflections, subtle brightening on the rim. Ripe plum, blackberry confit, delicate herbal spice, candied orange zest, tobacco nuances. Medium body, ripe plums, blackberry confit, fresh structure, ripe, firm tannins, fine sweetness on the mineral finish, already well developed, good ageing potential. 92-94/100 The Drink Business Colin Hay 24/04/2025 . The aromatics here jump from the decanter and fill the air around the glass. As that suggests, this is very open and expressive. It is very ripe and with a lovely natural sweetness too. With aeration, a the cassis fruit comes to the fore. Black cherry too, even a touch of black forest gateau. Lush, plush and plump on the attack with that pleasing bright, natural sucrosity present immediately in the mouth. Rich and full in a way that’s rare in the vintage, this pushes the cheeks and yet does not lack for depth and density. Slightly toasty. Pretty spherical in form with darker berry and cherry fruits at the top of palate, redder berry fruits and their sapid juiciness gathering at the bottom. Soft and lush this is very well sustained and with a gentle taper towards a distant vanishing point. Quite nutty – walnut, roasted walnut shell and walnut oil. I’m impessed by the very refined tannins that are energising where they massage the fruit, releasing little plumes of freshness. A vin de garde but one accessible in its youth, even if today the tannins remain just a little firm on the finish. 92-94+. 94-95/100 Alexandre Ma Alexandre Ma 23/04/2025 In a year without the blessing of sunny skies, could Château Pontet-Canet still carry its signature warmth and generosity? That question lingered in my mind – until I raised my glass. The scent of ripe berries, brushed with a touch of clotted cream, began to bloom slowly, and in that moment, I couldn’t help but give it a quiet nod of admiration. Known for its exuberant aromas, Pontet-Canet had no natural advantage in the restrained 2024 vintage. Yet through painstaking selection and years of biodynamic dedication, it revealed a rare depth amid the absence of sunshine. The redcurrant and blueberry notes may not be abundant, but they are vivid and dimensional; the tannins may not be as bold, but they are definitely refined. This softer, more approachable expression may not align with the style we’re used to, but it feels like an old friend, gently recounting its journey through the 2024 vintage. It turns out that when it quiets down, Château Pontet-Canet reveals a different kind of beauty. 18,5/20 matthewjukes.com Matthew Jukes 23/04/2025 The twin themes of Cabernet and Merlot combine beautifully here in a harmonious, silky wine that already shows uncommon balance and precocity. While the humans might have been stressed, 2024 Pontet-Canet is nothing of the sort. If prices relax, as was hinted, I can see this being a no-brainer to purchase because it will drink early and hold well, thanks to its innate balance. As always, the flavour and stance that Pontet-Canet delivers are all its own, and fans will be delighted here. Medium-weight, sensual, and haunting, this is a classic case of years of experience paying off, coupled with deep-seated trust in one’s terroir and those hard-working people looking after it.