Château Pontet-Canet
Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend
Pauillac, Médoc, Bordeaux, France
This was actually the first wine we had at the Bordeaux first growth lunch last Saturday (which wasn’t a First Growth). No notes taken but it did show the quality of the 1982 vintage particularly from Paulliac, and was still going strong.
This was actually the first wine we had at the Bordeaux first growth lunch last Saturday (which wasn’t a First Growth). No notes taken but it did show the quality of the 1982 vintage particularly from Paulliac, and was still going strong.
May 17th, 2025
Been a long time, got a lot to catch up on
Been a long time, got a lot to catch up on
May 9th, 2025
Vintage 2008 | 17 years, great drinking but also potential to ripen further. Real Pauillac character: strong wine with good structure, cherries and mint.
Vintage 2008 | 17 years, great drinking but also potential to ripen further. Real Pauillac character: strong wine with good structure, cherries and mint.
Apr 21st, 2025Vintage 2008 | paired with choucroute and apple sausages
Vintage 2008 | paired with choucroute and apple sausages
Jan 10th, 2025
Good god. Peaking right now.
Huge aromatics on the nose. Superb weight, balance and texture. No rush to consume. Cedar and macerated black cherries transition to coffee and hints of maple. Blew me away. In raptures over this. Direct from the winery when I lived in Europe.
Good god. Peaking right now.
Huge aromatics on the nose. Superb weight, balance and texture. No rush to consume. Cedar and macerated black cherries transition to coffee and hints of maple. Blew me away. In raptures over this. Direct from the winery when I lived in Europe.
Opened 24 hours prior and decanted for sediment before returning to the bottle; enjoyed over the course of two days. The 1981 pours a deep garnet color with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of tart brambles and plums, green bell pepper, tobacco, leather, all of the decomposing earth and soft baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium, mostly integrated tannins with medium+ acid, borderline high. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium. Overall, a wine that is a reflection upon the vintage and at 43 years of age, that’s a big compliment. The 1981 is very much alive and will likely live for a very long time. However, it is backward, rustic, and somewhat tough to love unless you’re an old-school masochist. But I’m guilty and this wine is charming despite all of its green character. Drink now and over the next 30 years probably.
Opened 24 hours prior and decanted for sediment before returning to the bottle; enjoyed over the course of two days. The 1981 pours a deep garnet color with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of tart brambles and plums, green bell pepper, tobacco, leather, all of the decomposing earth and soft baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium, mostly integrated tannins with medium+ acid, borderline high. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium. Overall, a wine that is a reflection upon the vintage and at 43 years of age, that’s a big compliment. The 1981 is very much alive and will likely live for a very long time. However, it is backward, rustic, and somewhat tough to love unless you’re an old-school masochist. But I’m guilty and this wine is charming despite all of its green character. Drink now and over the next 30 years probably.
Aug 9th, 2024
thank you for proving my point. What a strange vintage. Still lacking integration, the wine seems to go everywhere on the spectrum and at the same time, going nowhere. I really don’t like 03 in BDX. At all. It’s a breaking point kinda vintage where wines were disintegrated then and feel disintegrated now. I avoid at all cost 03.
Nota: review may not be really genuine as I am biased and I know it so I may harsher than normal.
thank you for proving my point. What a strange vintage. Still lacking integration, the wine seems to go everywhere on the spectrum and at the same time, going nowhere. I really don’t like 03 in BDX. At all. It’s a breaking point kinda vintage where wines were disintegrated then and feel disintegrated now. I avoid at all cost 03.
Nota: review may not be really genuine as I am biased and I know it so I may harsher than normal.
I love this vintage now. Cedar, camphor and pine as well as dry roses and pot pourri. Long finish full of elegance. The marker of Pauillac for me is blood sausage/iron/cured meat and here it was just exploding. Great bottle, classic, perfect for a blind tasting.
I love this vintage now. Cedar, camphor and pine as well as dry roses and pot pourri. Long finish full of elegance. The marker of Pauillac for me is blood sausage/iron/cured meat and here it was just exploding. Great bottle, classic, perfect for a blind tasting.
Jun 15th, 2024SPEC TA CU LAR! Here you feel the absolute majesty of a wine who can be promoted to at least 2nd growth. Cedar, camphor, eucalyptus, butterscotch/4 spices, yellow curry. I’ve always loved ‘00 in Pauillac has I think it’s the last great of the classic style. Definitely this bottling is a keeper.
SPEC TA CU LAR! Here you feel the absolute majesty of a wine who can be promoted to at least 2nd growth. Cedar, camphor, eucalyptus, butterscotch/4 spices, yellow curry. I’ve always loved ‘00 in Pauillac has I think it’s the last great of the classic style. Definitely this bottling is a keeper.
Jun 15th, 2024