CHÂTEAU PONTET CANET
2015 5ème Cru Classé Pauillac
Shows a mid-depth colour for recent Pontet Canet vintages, a clear bright dark ruby. The palate is also quite clear-cut and harder-edged than some this year, as though not massaged into the creaminess we have found almost everywhere else. At the same time the attack is silky before the tannins start to build. The whole remains limpid and fresh if a little simple, but I think this will be delicious because it tastes so real rather than over-made. They are winding back the oak here - this will be given 50% new wood, 15% one year old, and 35% will be aged in their clay amphorae. Reminds me of the shape of the 2004, which, by the way, is a cracker. Rating: 92-93 L&S (Apr 2016)
* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.
The 2015 Pontet Canet has a lovely bouquet with a mixture of red and black fruit, cedar and subtle tobacco scents. The palate is medium-bodied with fleshy ripe tannins, smooth texture and a sheen of classy new oak with a dab of spice that enlivens the finish. The 2015 is primal for being ten years old—this is one I would keep cellared. It was tasted blind at the 2015 Bordeaux Ten-Year-On tasting. Drinking range: 2029 - 2055 Rating: 93 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Jun 2025)
Vibrant plum colour, followed by spiced plum on the nose, more exotic in its range of flavours and silky texture than many vintages, still powerful and in its primary fruit phase. This is a gorgeous wine, hard to argue with, showing estate character over appellation or vintage. The tannins are softer at this stage that you will find with the 2016, even the 2014, but there is so much pleasure in the glass, and it will power ahead for decades. Harvest September 18 to October 3. This was the vintage where Tesseron decided to make no more Les Hauts de Pontet, with everything going either into the first wine, or declassified, as he felt both that the vineyard had reached the level he wanted, and also that philosophically that he wanted the wine to be a true reflection of the whole vineyard. Drinking range: 2021 - 2045 Rating: 95 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (Oct 2021)
The 2015 Pontet Canet is endowed with impressive lift and delineation on the nose of blackberry, graphite and tobacco – classic Pauillac all the way through. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannin and slightly herbal in style. The graphite-infused finish is missing a little depth and grip (like some other 2015 Pauillacs), though it seems to develop with aeration. I suspect that the 2016 will be superior. Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting. Rating: 93 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Jul 2019)
So much floral and dark-fruit character with almonds and walnut shell. Full body and ultra-fine tannins. Powerful. Classic style with a harmony and energy. Goes on for minutes. A superb wine with great fruit. Real Bordeaux. Drinking range: 2025 - Rating: 98 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Feb 2018)
Proprietor Alfred Tesseron and winemaker Jean-Michel Comme produced an absolutely stellar Pontet-Canet in 2015. Sumptuous, racy and totally inviting, the 2015 is all class. Super-ripe dark cherry, plum, spice and exotic floral notes build as the 2015 shows off its alluring personality. Even with all of its raciness, the 2015 speaks with authority and power. Fine tannins extend the persistent, highly nuanced finish. The 2015 is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot aged 50% new oak, 4% in terra cotta and 15% in neutral oak. Tasted three times. Drinking range: 2023 - 2040 Rating: 97 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Feb 2018)
The thick skins of the 2015 grapes made it easier to be organic and biodynamic when the rains came in late August, according to winemaker, Jean-Michel Comme. This is certainly a very serious, concentrated Pontet-Canet with compact, almost Italianate tannins, plenty of oak and layers of dark, plummy fruit. The finish is just a tad dry perhaps. Drinking range: 2022 - 2035 Rating: 94 Tim Atkin MW, www.timatkin.com (May 2016)
50% new oak. 35% amphora. 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3%Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. Picked relatively early, 18 September to 3 October, because they ripen earlier. Dark purplish crimson. Very ripe start and then rather drying tannins on the end. Wild and lively but a little bit heavy. I'm looking for a little more freshness. There's austerity and astringency (because of the amphorae influence?) but I'm not sure it compensates for the lack of acidity. Savoury, salty finish. Distinctive. 13.5% Drinking range: 2027 - 2040 Rating: 17- Jancis Robinson OBE MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2016)
Deep, velvety texture on the palate and wild flowers on the nose; unctuous yet firm with pristine clarity. A great wine by any standards – and the standards of Alfred Tesseron for his biodynamic vineyards and amphora-matured wine are magnificently evident. Drinking range: 2022 - 2045 Rating: 96 Steven Spurrier (Apr 2016)
This is very fine and silky with a beautiful vivid blackberry and blueberry character. Super polished tannins. Refined and very, very long. Fabulous harmony to this young wine. Very classic Bordeaux. Superb depth and length. Real Bordeaux. Rating: 97-98 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2016)
The 2015 Pontet Canet was tasted on two occasions around two weeks apart and I noticed a superior showing the second time around. This year is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot that was picked from 18 September apropos the Merlot and from 28 September for the Cabernet, finishing on 3 October. It is matured in 50% new oak, 35% concrete and 15% one-year-old barrels. It has a pure and perfumed bouquet with small dark cherries, red plum and subtle violet scents, perhaps a little Margaux-like in style, the second showing demonstrating a little more red fruit character. The palate is medium-bodied with a slightly grainy texture on the entry. There is nicely judged acidity here, moderate depth, very supple tannin that lend this a silky texture. There is modest weight towards the second half, perhaps spicier than some of its Pauillac peers with an edgy, lightly peppered finish. It is an intriguing and complex, almost mercurial Pontet-Canet, a wine that I suspect will gain more weight during its élevage. Afford this 5-8 years in bottle and you should have a delicious, intellectual Pontet-Canet on your hands. Drinking range: 2022 - 2045 Rating: 94-96 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Apr 2016)
One of the wines of the vintage, the 2015 Pontet-Canet oozes class, finesse and pure pedigree. A hypothetical combination of the 2010 (for its dark fruit and tannic structure) and the 2009 (for its voluptuous fruit), the 2015 offers remarkable intensity, power and grace. A host of exotic floral and spice notes wrap around the dark, racy finish. In a word: magnificent! Rating: 95-98 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Apr 2016)
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.
Please make sure that you have read the terms of this offer which are different from those of the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do call us, but see the 'practical notes' below.
Ordering
Prices are per case as listed 'in bond London'.
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Confirmation
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Delivery
- Shipment to our bond (LCB Creek Road) and insurance are included in the in bond price.
- Delivery is free to Lea and Sandeman / Elephant storage accounts, both duty paid and in bond.
- Other deliveries (In Bond and Duty Paid) are also free subject to a minimum order from the offer of £1000, orders below this total will be charged £16.50+ VAT when the wine invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchases, not a per-case charge.
- Delivery for 2016 Bordeaux primeurs will probably be completed by October 2019, but we make no guarantee as to specific delivery times, and some of the Sauternes may be later.
Practical notes - how it works
We start a sale in each customer's name and add all their primeur orders to one sale which is invoiced at the end of the campaign (or when the customer wishes) for immediate payment. We and our customers find that having a single invoice for the vintage is the simpler option, but do please note that confirmed orders are still binding as above even if the final invoice has not been issued.
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Half-bottles, Magnums and larger bottles.
One of the additional advantages of buying en primeur is being able to order the wine in the bottle size you want. Even if a wine is only listed in one size, you can order any bottle or case size you want if the property supplies it, but you must order the case/bottle size you require and check that the correct size has been invoiced.
Additional charges are as follows:-
- +£15 per case of 24 half-bottles
- +£15 per case of 6 Magnums (2 bottles equivalent, 1.5 litres each)
- +£35 per individually boxed Double Magnum (4 bottles equivalent, 3 litres)
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