Daniel Bloom

9.4

Now that’s a “Super Tuscan” of another color! Wild, deep black cherry schnapps and mint/chocolate nose. Masserta huh.? Decanted this btl 3 hrs. following suit of others.( maybe didn’t need 3 on account of age)Silky smooth with fine tannins and acidity built in like tuck and roll upholstery. Corinthian “leather “ anyone? There have been many, many touted ST’s that pale before this.
After some time in the glass, some very Tuscan, red earththyness peeks through. Lovely stuff indeed. Perfect for a Wednesday all day Ragu w meatballs.
Thanks @FassSelections
Day 2, Licorice oomph, bigger acidic/tannin presence , all in balance. Darker…if possible. — a month ago

Ted

9.2

Same restaurant almost a year later. New vintage. Delicious. Ready to roll. — 2 years ago

with Jeni

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.5

Liquid jelly aromas of grapefruit and nectarine. Spice and gorgeous aromas. Floral. So complex. Just an insane nose. 9.5. or 9.6 nose. Very harmonious and lovely sweet pink grapefruit. Great acids. So complete. Long. Amazing. So harmonious and soothing. Amazing fruit. The extra skin contact gives this another dimension of complexity. — 4 years ago

Pooneet K

9.1

Surprisingly delicious at 10 years of age. Wonderful ripe Napa jelly fruit. Surprisingly good acid, the tannins have receded but still provide some structure. Rarely drink Napa merlot but this is compelling. Certainly somewhat biased by the fact that I worked on this vineyard in 2011. Nice pairing with skirt steak on the grill. — 4 years ago

Nophakhit Khositchaiphithak

9.5

My second time drinking this vintage. The first time I had a small sip and absolute love it. This time I decided to have the whole bottle. It was gorgeous. Herbal, dried fruits and elegant like grass jelly. — a month ago

Douglas Braun

9.0

2019-Vintage a slight tawny edge , dried strawberry fruit roll up, earth, acetate, floral , very soft, my guess is that this won’t be getting better, but for the time being very complexing — 9 months ago

Michael Drapkin

8.9

Fine bubbles. Medium Bodied. Pink Friut. Fermentation notes—toast, butter, tootsie roll. Mouth filling smoothly textured. Spicy. Smokey. — 3 years ago

Daron Watson

9.5

dark fruit, tobacco, cigar box, pencil shavings,

gobs of juicy fruit, bay leaf and bell pepper finish

over time fruit leans to roll ups, as well as including dried prunes and dates — 4 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

I’ve had a number of PC 96’s over time, none quite this good. The fill line & cork perfect. Very little sediment. Some bottle neck tannin burn. For me, Pontet Canet didn’t really hit its consistent, quality stride until 2005. Doesn’t mean they didn’t make a few beauties before then. Pontet Canet is proof that the 1855 Bordeaux Classification needs to be redone. Unlikely it will in my lifetime.

This 96 maybe just short of its precipice. Stylistically a little better than 94.

The nose reminds me of everything I love about older Bordeaux. Dark core of currants/cassis. Ripe, floral; blackberries, dark, baked cherries, sweet, black plum, poached/strawberries, raspberries, hints of baked rhubarb & blueberries, mixed berry cola. Sweet forest floor w/ leaves, sweet mushrooms, sweet led pencil shavings, steeped tea w/ hints of fruit, charcoal, dry tobacco/leather, some dry herbs, withering dark, red flowers, red roses with violets.

The palate is also everything I love about older Bordeaux. Dark core of currants/cassis. Ripe, floral; blackberries, dark, baked cherries, sweet, black plum, poached/strawberries, raspberries, hints of baked rhubarb & blueberries, mixed berry cola/red vines. Everything I understood the first time standing in the estate vineyard of Pichon Baron. Tasting limestone, dry river stone, dark, rich soils with dry leaves, dry stems. In fact, I’ve tasted vineyards soils everywhere I have been in every world wine region. Basically, everywhere in the wine world that has reliance. Many multiple times. Sweet graphite, steeped tea w/ hints of dark fruit, understated, layered baking spices-clove, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanillin, dark cocoa, dark exotic spices, some anise to black licorice, charcoal, dry tobacco with ash/leather, some dry herbs-safe/bay leaf, limestone, dry river stone, dry crushed rocks, dark, rich, earth with dry leaves, dry topsoils, dry stems, withering/dry dark, red flowers, red roses with violets, excellent, rainfall acidity with an extremely well balanced/structured/tensioned, great length and an elegant finish that lasts minutes and falls nicely on dry earth and dark spices.

A very, very slow roll with my Ribcap. Definitely better with the steak than on its own.

This bottle tells me this 96 has plenty of good drinking ahead, another 8-10 yrs+.

ABV is 13%. Disappointing it ever changed. — 2 months ago

Jay Kline

9.1

Pulled from my cellar, popped and poured and presented double-blind to the group. In the glass, the wine appears a deep garnet with a translucent core, a slightly orange rim and some signs of fine sediment on the glass. On the nose, the wine is mature with initial notes of Tootsie Roll and old leather bound books. However after about 40min in the glass, the nose brightens up and begins to show more varietal characteristics: cherries, desiccated flowers, fennel, damp earth, leather and espresso. On the palate, the wine is bone dry and the tannin’s are still quite firm. Acid is medium+ and the finish is long. Alcohol is medium. A very lovely mature wine! Guesses were all in Italy but further north in Piemonte (Barbaresco mostly) and much, much younger with most settling on late 90’s. I don’t drink a lot of modern wines from Antinori but this was quite the charmer with 41 years of age on it. If anyone has any well stored examples, drink now with about 40min of air. That being said, there is enough life for these to soldier on for another 5-10 but this is very clearly in the twilight of its life. Something else of note: the cork was extracted completely intact. It was one of those cute little stubby ones more typical of the time. — 4 years ago