We were able to source some ex-cellar bottles of the 2016 Pontet-Canet. One of the wines of the vintage, 2016, is a masterpiece and a bottle that should be on everyone's list for those looking for a fabled bottle of Bordeaux. Ponet-Canet is a storied estate that dates back to 1705 when an affluent man named Jean-François de Pontet, who was appointed the Grand Squire of France by Louis XV, made his way to the Medoc where he became governor. He purchased a few hectares of vines above Pauillac and soon after purchased an estate in an area known as Canet, which would become Ponet-Canet. In the lifespan of the estate, Ponet-Canet has only been owned by three families, and today is owned by the Guy Tesseron, who purchased the Chateau in 1975 and has since elevated this address even further and was the first large estate in Bordeaux to become fully biodynamic. Along with the help of his son Alfred, and Daughter Justine who joined in 2015, Ponet-Canet has never been better. Their commitment to tradition while being unafraid to make new advancements to improve their wines makes them one of the greatest producers in Bordeaux today. As mentioned, these 2016s are coming directly from the Chateau and are in excellent condition. It's one of the wines of the vintage in 2016, rubbing shoulders with first growth bottles like Lafite and Haut-Brion at a fraction of the pricing, making it such an excellent buy for the category.
Antonio Galloni 99 points! "The 2016 Pontet-Canet is absolutely breathtaking. Powerful, ample and racy in the glass, the 2016 is one of the most exquisitely well-balanced young Pontet-Canets I can remember tasting. Savory, high-toned aromatics and brisk mineral notes lend energy and delineation as this vivid wonderfully alive wine opens up in the glass. The flavors are dark and incisive, but it is the wine's total sense of harmony that is most compelling. All of the elements are simply in the right place. The 2016 is tremendous. It's as simple as that. As is often the case, Pontet-Canet is one of the most singular wines in Bordeaux. Alfred Tesseron could have chosen to play things safe when he took over the management of the estate in the mid-1990s. Instead, he chose a very different path. No proprietor in Bordeaux has taken more risks over the last two decades than Alfred Tesseron. A commitment to biodynamic farming, sustainability across the entire estate more broadly, and the adoption of new concepts for Bordeaux, such as aging a portion of the wine in terra cotta, set Pontet-Canet apart from other properties in Pauillac and the Left Bank. Not surprisingly, the wine is also starkly different from the wines of neighboring estates."
Wine Enthusiast 99 Ranked #2 Wine Enthusiast Top 100 Cellar Selections of 2019 "A voluptuous wine, this is rich and fruity yet properly balanced by a magnificent structure. Pure, crisp and packed with a black currant flavor, this will be a remarkable wine as it develops. Still young, it needs many years to develop. "
Jeb Dunnuck 98+ points! "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."
Wine Advocate (Lisa Perrotti-Brown) 98+ points! "Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2016 Pontet-Canet hits the ground running with a hedonic nose of Black Forest cake, crème de cassis and blueberry pie plus suggestions of candied violets, hoisin, chocolate mint, charcuteries and forest floor with a waft of star anise. Full-bodied, rich, profoundly layered and powerfully fruited, the palate is built like a brick house, with very firm, super ripe, grainy tannins and harmonious freshness, finishing with incredible length and depth. Still incredibly primary and yet already strutting so many layers, I wouldn't be at all surprised if this warrants the three-digit score in a few years' time."
Decanter 98 points! "The 2016 is a vintage that shows off the best of Pontet, and is similar in feel to their 2010. Gorgeously rich right from the first nose, it opens stunningly in the glass, showing waves of tight black fruits, touches of redcurrant, liquorice and aniseed, fine tannins and mouthwatering salinity. It manages to remain balanced without losing the punch and concentration of Pauillac, rising up through the palate. It's hard not to fall in love with this wine, and it will clearly age with grace and ease."
2016 Chateau Pontet Canet
2016 Chateau Pontet Canet
$169.99
$169.99
We were able to source some ex-cellar bottles of the 2016 Pontet-Canet. One of the wines of the vintage, 2016, is a masterpiece and a bottle that should be on everyone's list for those looking for a fabled bottle of Bordeaux. Ponet-Canet is a storied estate that dates back to 1705 when an affluent man named Jean-François de Pontet, who was appointed the Grand Squire of France by Louis XV, made his way to the Medoc where he became governor. He purchased a few hectares of vines above Pauillac and soon after purchased an estate in an area known as Canet, which would become Ponet-Canet. In the lifespan of the estate, Ponet-Canet has only been owned by three families, and today is owned by the Guy Tesseron, who purchased the Chateau in 1975 and has since elevated this address even further and was the first large estate in Bordeaux to become fully biodynamic. Along with the help of his son Alfred, and Daughter Justine who joined in 2015, Ponet-Canet has never been better. Their commitment to tradition while being unafraid to make new advancements to improve their wines makes them one of the greatest producers in Bordeaux today. As mentioned, these 2016s are coming directly from the Chateau and are in excellent condition. It's one of the wines of the vintage in 2016, rubbing shoulders with first growth bottles like Lafite and Haut-Brion at a fraction of the pricing, making it such an excellent buy for the category.
Antonio Galloni 99 points! "The 2016 Pontet-Canet is absolutely breathtaking. Powerful, ample and racy in the glass, the 2016 is one of the most exquisitely well-balanced young Pontet-Canets I can remember tasting. Savory, high-toned aromatics and brisk mineral notes lend energy and delineation as this vivid wonderfully alive wine opens up in the glass. The flavors are dark and incisive, but it is the wine's total sense of harmony that is most compelling. All of the elements are simply in the right place. The 2016 is tremendous. It's as simple as that. As is often the case, Pontet-Canet is one of the most singular wines in Bordeaux. Alfred Tesseron could have chosen to play things safe when he took over the management of the estate in the mid-1990s. Instead, he chose a very different path. No proprietor in Bordeaux has taken more risks over the last two decades than Alfred Tesseron. A commitment to biodynamic farming, sustainability across the entire estate more broadly, and the adoption of new concepts for Bordeaux, such as aging a portion of the wine in terra cotta, set Pontet-Canet apart from other properties in Pauillac and the Left Bank. Not surprisingly, the wine is also starkly different from the wines of neighboring estates."
Wine Enthusiast 99 Ranked #2 Wine Enthusiast Top 100 Cellar Selections of 2019 "A voluptuous wine, this is rich and fruity yet properly balanced by a magnificent structure. Pure, crisp and packed with a black currant flavor, this will be a remarkable wine as it develops. Still young, it needs many years to develop. "
Jeb Dunnuck 98+ points! "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."
Wine Advocate (Lisa Perrotti-Brown) 98+ points! "Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2016 Pontet-Canet hits the ground running with a hedonic nose of Black Forest cake, crème de cassis and blueberry pie plus suggestions of candied violets, hoisin, chocolate mint, charcuteries and forest floor with a waft of star anise. Full-bodied, rich, profoundly layered and powerfully fruited, the palate is built like a brick house, with very firm, super ripe, grainy tannins and harmonious freshness, finishing with incredible length and depth. Still incredibly primary and yet already strutting so many layers, I wouldn't be at all surprised if this warrants the three-digit score in a few years' time."
Decanter 98 points! "The 2016 is a vintage that shows off the best of Pontet, and is similar in feel to their 2010. Gorgeously rich right from the first nose, it opens stunningly in the glass, showing waves of tight black fruits, touches of redcurrant, liquorice and aniseed, fine tannins and mouthwatering salinity. It manages to remain balanced without losing the punch and concentration of Pauillac, rising up through the palate. It's hard not to fall in love with this wine, and it will clearly age with grace and ease."
