Chateau Pontet-Canet Grand Cru Classe 2016
Country: France Region: Pauillac, Bordeaux
Varietal: 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot.
Vintage: 2016 Category: Red Wine Style: Dry
Producer: Chateau Pontet-Canet
Description:
Château Pontet-Canet, Pauillac 5th Grand Cru Classé, has enjoyed an irresistible rise to become one of the Médoc's most emblematic names. Managed by Justine and Alfred Tesseron, Château Pontet-Canet has established itself as one of the pioneers of biodynamic viticulture in the Pauillac appellation, with results that exceed all expectations. Vintage after vintage, the estate has established itself as one of the finest references on Bordeaux's Left Bank. Alfred Tesseron has been at the helm here for nearly 50 years and constant improvements have been made in both viticulture and vinification.
Alfred Tesseron has been making classic Pauillac here every year since the excellent 1994 and recent vintages have been amongst the best ever, scoring impressively when shown in blind tastings. Pontet Canet is now pushing the Pichons as Pauillac's top non-first growth. Grapes are manually sorted by a team of 30 people on specially made sorting tables.
This wine is at the pinnacle of the vintage, one of the finest wines made. Energetic and with fabulous substance, it offers supreme balance, with a magical hue and a taffeta touch. Fruit, tannins and acidity all meld with sumptuous harmony. Another masterpiece.
100/100 Points - Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast
"A voluptuous wine, this is rich and fruity yet properly balanced by a magnificent structure. Pure, crisp and packed with a black currant flavour, this will be a remarkable wine as it develops. Still young, it needs many years to develop. Don't think about drinking before 2025."
99/100 Points - Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent
"Deep garnet-purple coloured, it explodes from the glass with bombastic crème de cassis, stewed plums, and blueberry preserves notes, giving way to subtle notions of licorice, lilacs, and damp soil plus a waft of truffles. Full-bodied, it is super concentrated with a lovely line of freshness and ripe, firm, grainy tannins, finishing very long and with amazing purity."
98+/100 Points - Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com
"Reminding me of the 2010 and, I suspect, a wine that will merit a triple-digit rating in a decade or so (I tasted this on multiple occasions and thought it was perfect on one of them), the 2016 Château Pontet-Canet comes from 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and the balance Petit Verdot that spent 16 months in 50% new French oak, 35% in concrete amphora, and the rest in second fill oak. Thrilling notes of pure crème de cassis, lead pencil shavings, crushed mint, graphite, and crushed rock notes all emerge from this deep, powerful, yet elegant Pauillac. The style of this wine has become more and more finesse-driven and pure, yet it hasn’t lost a beat on concentration or length. This singular, beautiful Pontet-Canet needs 7-8 years of cellaring (it has some accessibility today given its purity and balance) and will keep for 4-5 decades. Drink 2026-2076."
97/100 Points - Jane Anson, Decanter.com
"This is richly layered with seductively ripe fruit. The quality and texture of the brambled blackberries, cassis and bilberries is striking. There is a sense of lightness and juiciness but also depth and flesh - you can feel the joy of that contrast at every step as the wine stretches out in front of you, hard to resist. 2016 is another vintage where they are up at 95%+ of grand vin, this year aged in 55% new casks, 10% in one year old casks and 35% in amphorae. Feel the effects of biodynamics make Pontet Canet stand out for its energy and lush tannins, even with the concentration of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. Drinking Window 2027-2050"
