2008 CHÂTEAU PONTET CANET 5ème Cru Classé Pauillac

Colour	Red	Origin	France, Bordeaux
Sub-district	Haut Médoc	Village	Pauillac
Classification	5ème Cru Classé	ABV	14%

Colour	Red
Origin	France, Bordeaux
Sub-district	Haut Médoc
Village	Pauillac
Classification	5ème Cru Classé
ABV	14%

65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot. As completely coal-black as recent vintages. Very pure black fruit nose -ripe cassis, a sweet fruit expression. Silky quite oaky attack, real intensity and drive, not at all closed. This is definitely Lynch/Poyferré standard but not the complexity of a First. But so pretty despite the power, and finishes powerful and sweet and long. The Bordeaux the most like a Barolo - thick-skinned but sweet. We are now into second-tranche pricing here, but I think its still worth it. Rating: 93-94 L&S (May 2009)

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Tasted at the estate a few months ago (blind against the five 1855 First Growths, where it more than held its own), and again at home within the same week as this vertical. A great vintage to look out for, with brushed velvety tannins, brambled blackberry and cassis puree fruits, softened tannins at 12 years old, and a good dollop of confident mint chocolate notes on the finish. Not as long lasting as some vintages, but bursting with pleasure. Drinking range: 2021 - 2038 Rating: 94 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (Oct 2021)

A meeting by chance with the 2008 Pontet-Canet prior to a small tasting of South African wines reminded me what a lovely wine this is. There is plenty of black fruit on the nose laced with graphite. The cedar component is less prominent than the previous bottled tasting. The palate is medium-bodied, a little drier and more austere than recent vintages, yet clearly well balanced with a surfeit of freshness on the slightly herbaceous finish. Drinking perfectly now, this will give another two decades of drinking pleasure. Tasted at a merchant in London. Drinking range: 2019 - 2039 Rating: 92 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Dec 2019)

The 2008 Pontet-Canet has a very perfumed, outgoing bouquet with raspberry coulis, blackberry, briary and graphite aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, crisp acidity, classic in style with a firm, grippy finish that suggest it will need more ageing. I detected just a slight herbaceous note on the aftertaste but I suspect that will disappear with time. Drinking range: 2018 - 2035 Rating: 92 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2018)

Château Pontet Canet

Pauillac Cinquième cru 1855 Such is the speed with which Pontet-Canet's star has risen of recent that it could almost feel as if it's a new estate bursting on to the scene. But it has a long history, in keeping with its noble neighbours, but a long history of under-achievement, a moniker it has only just shaken off. During the 18th Century, Jean-François de Pontet, and his descendants, built up a very healthy portfolio of vineyard in the Médoc. Those that they owned in St Julien were, eventually, disposed of but the large estate that they assembled in Pauillac was retained and has resisted the fragmentation that afflicted so many Médoc estates over the years. Consequently, at 80ha of vines in a 120ha estate, Pontet-Canet is one of the largest Cru Classé estates. By the time of the 1855 classification, despite being the neighbour of Mouton-Rothschild and Lafite, Pontet-Canet could "only" scrape 5th Growth status. Herman Cruse bought the run down estate in 1865 and, initially, put in the neccessary investment to realise the vineyard's potential. But, by the mid-20th Century, Pontet-Canet's production was mediocre at best. Salvation came when the Cruse family, beset with scandal, were forced to sell Pontet-Canet to a Cognac shipper Guy Tesseron in 1975. He, with his son Alfred, have, at last, allowed Pontet-Canet to blossom. It has taken a lot of work, a lot of investment, and a lot of time to perform the miracle but, since the mid-1990's, Pontet-Canet has produced wines of immense quality and longevity, much loved by Robert Parker and far exceeding 5th Growth status. Lying on a wide plateau of poor gravel soils, with Mouton Rothschild and d'Armailhac immediately to the north and the Carruades de Lafite vineyard to the west, Pontet-Canet is planted to 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. The vineyards are farmed biodynamically, the first classed growth vineyard in the Médoc to do so. In keeping with that, they have eschewed tractors in favour of horses, who's hooves are kinder to the soil than tractor tyres. The Grand Vin spends 16 to 20 months in wood, of which 60% typically is new. There is a second wine - Les Hauts de Pontet Canet.

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RELATED PRODUCTS

2009 CHÂTEAU PONTET CANET 5ème Cru Classé Pauillac

Left Bank Bordeaux France 13.5% Red
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A deep purple-edged black. First scent is incredibly appetising, like blackberry and apple pie. Full and sweet, and also an intense, pointed cassis fruit. Thick dry attack - an amazing combination of freshness of concent...(read more)

L&S

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