Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.3

1988 vintage. Feminine-styled. Ran into some resistance back in the day with the (re-) emergence of this Château and the massive 85/86 and 89/90 efforts. Eff all that. The 1989 AND 1990 vintages probs the best this Château has ever realized. The 1988 slid in then and performed delicate magick. That cocoa powder and blueberry combo still coming forth with undeniable impressions. Whereas those four “bigger” vintages rocked harder, all four have had more noticeable drop off. This 1988 just doing its best La Mission Haut-Brion/Haut-Brion impression and pulling it off. No rush to crush. 5.13.26. — 23 days ago

Vino Joe

9.8

Wow. Wow and wow. This was amazing! It’s definitely still early on. I let this decant for 2.5 hours before the first sip. It was revved and ready by then and was stellar by hour 4+. Rich and deep but silky smooth. Currants and an earthy/smokey quality. Loved this! — 4 months ago

Joe DAscoli

9.5

Opened and decanted for 2 hours before dinner and then really only opened up and truly hit expectations around the 3rd hour when paired with wagyu strip steaks.

This wine was savory tightly wound and tannic at first. Didn’t show much fruit until after the long decant and then it really changed.

With time, the fruits shown through with great complexity and great balance for the savory elements. — 8 months ago

Pooneet K

9.2

Thought we’d had our last bottle 4 years ago but then found this one. Probably better then, but still very nice. Definitely quite secondary, but the core of fruit and acid carries through. Wonderful pairing with dry aged strip steaks and wild mushroom risotto for our 10 year anniversary. — 8 months ago

Jay Kline

9.6

And then this happened. Oh my days! Opened prior to dinner and enjoyed over the course of a few hours. The 1990 pours a deep garnet color with a translucent core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and some sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of powerful ripe and desiccated brambles, dried purple flowers, beef blood, leather and mushrooms and earth. On the palate, the wine is dry and structure is still going strong with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose, to quote “Squints”, the finish goes on, FOR-EV-ER. A monument. Drink now through 2040. — 2 months 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. — 5 months ago

Danny O'Brien

9.2

Very nice and layered CDP, nose is a nice combination of red fruit, flowers and graphite. On the palate, the fruit hits first and then somewhat quickly gives way to the graphite/mineraly flavors, which last and develop on your palate in an interesting and pleasant way that avoids making me think I just licked a rock. Tannins aren't too powerful but what's there is grippy, could easily lay down for a few years and really develop. Overall this strikes a nice balance between approachable and interesting, easy to like for anyone who's into Rhone reds! — 3 months ago

Meredith Moody

9.5

This is what I think of when I think of Rioja. Dried cherry and cranberry is what I get right away, and then it has more savory/earthy notes like leather and mushroom. When I tasted it I said “it tastes old.” That is a compliment. Hints of vanilla and spice. Felt elegant with a long finish. Had it with fatty new york strips. Tannins and acidity balanced it well. Not a loud wine, but a great one. — 3 months ago

Jerry Raphael

9.5

Well, here we are two years later, back at the same BYOB for New Year’s Eve with the same wine. I figured 35 years was enough—it was time to drink it.
Same treatment as in 2024: opened and decanted, then poured about two hours later. This time the nose offered noticeably more—cedar, a touch of vegetal character, and dark berries. On the palate, dark berries again took the lead. The finish was good, but at the very end it seemed to stop just a bit short but still giving it a 95. At Anthony’s — 5 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.5

2005 vintage. Decanted and tasted immediately and over the course of 4 hours. Medium body with a continually morphing nose. Super-impressive bouquet throughout the night. Overt fruit fallen off the framework and replaced with secondary attributes/complexities. @Bill Bender remarked twice about a lack of “heat”since the usual CDP ABV range seemed underwhelming One might think that would present issues but, rest assured, it did not. Great wine possibly at its’ zenith/top of the bell curve and living its’ best life now. Backed up the hype and then some. Tied for WOTN along with the 2006 Krug Clos du Mesnil Champagne (missed a picture for that one) for both myself and @Shay A 09.21.25. — 9 months ago

with Shay and Bill