| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > Pauillac |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
The Tesseron family have owned this Pauillac cru classé since 1975 and constant improvements have been made in both viticulture and vinification. Grapes are manually sorted by a team of 30 people on specially made sorting tables. The vineyard has been organic and biodynamic for 10 years and is worked by horses. A part of the maturation is now done in egg-shaped concrete amphoras. The vineyard is planted with (on average) 55 year old vines - 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot. Spring 2020 saw the departure of long-standing technical director Jean-Michel Comme, who oversaw the conversion to biodynamics and other technical innovations. Since 2023 Thomas Duclot has consulted.
The 2024 is 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot. Harvest started on 26th September for the Merlot, but didn't finish until 9th October for the last Cabernets. 13% ABV.
The 2024 Pontet-Canet underlines the fact that daring to harvest late paid dividends in this challenging vintage, wafting from the glass with aromas of cassis, black raspberries and plums mingled with accents of rose petals, licorice and exotic spices. Medium to full-bodied, deep and integrated, with mid-palate density that's all too rare this year, it's layered, suave and seamless, concluding with a long, sapid finish. Picking began on September 26 and concluded on October 11, with the heart of the estate's old-vine Cabernet Sauvignon coming in between the seventh and the ninth, well after many châteaux had finished their harvest. Greater reactivity during the season means that Pontet-Canet's vineyards are gaining in vigor, while in the winery, a lighter touch with extraction, systematic climate control and a wholesale refinement of the estate's cooperage choices have brought new harmony and sensuality to this estate's wines. That has combined with a willingness to take risks with harvest dates to deliver what is clearly one of the wines of the vintage. The blend is roughly half Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with the balance Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc.
The 2024 Pontet Canet was picked between September 26 and October 11. It matured in 50% new oak, 15% used oak and 35% in concrete amphoras. It has a very pure bouquet with black cherry, wild strawberry, cassis and light violet scents vying for attention. This is not quite as complex as the '22 I tasted a few months earlier. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly grainy tannins on the entry, a keen line of acidity and veins of blue fruit commingling with black pepper and light graphite notes. Cohesive on the finish, there is an attractive linearity to this Pontet Canet, with satisfying sustain that delivers about as much precision as anyone could hope for in this vintage. Give this two or three years once in bottle, and drink over the next 15. 2029 - 2049
Deep purple colour. Good fragrance here, with violets, cherry drops and cassis - a ripeness few have managed in this vintage that is layered with a stony, earthy spice that rises with air. The palate is led by dark fruit that is ripe but not overdone, together with more of that concrete-like stony spice that is unique to this property. The tannins are crunchy and firm - they need to knit into the fruit but it does feel like this is a vintage that will get there. Forest fruit, hedgerow and cassis linger on the finish, which is sandy in texture and unique in its profile but well done this year.
Deep garnet-purple colored. Strolls confidently out of the glass with notes of ripe, juicy plums, wild blueberries, and red currants, leading to suggestions of lilac, cardamom, fertile loam, and crushed rocks. The medium-bodied palate is elegant and fresh with wonderfully plush tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and fragrant.
52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc.
Vibrant ruby in colour with violet edging, this is beautifully measured, with a careful release of black fruits. Puts the focus on the floral side of Cabernet Sauvignon, with rose petals, chamomile, fragrant tomato leaf and lilac. There is austerity on the opening, with tight architecture but as it opens juice begins to flow through the pumice and slate-textured tannins, and this delivers a finessed, slim-style of Pauillac, with plenty of ageing potential and quiet confidence. One of the successes of the vintage. Harvest September 26 through to October 11. 3.8ph, 50% new oak, 35% concrete amphoras. Tasted twice. 2032-2046.
The 2024 Pontet-Canet is one of the most elegant wines I have tasted here in some time, as in a long time. Brisk acids and beams of tannin shape a mid-weight, classically built Pontet-Canet unlike any I have tasted. The 2024 is not an obvious wine, it does not have the opulence of most recent years, rather it is a wine that impresses with its energy, tension and class. Floral, spice and mineral notes stain the palate in this vibrant, beautifully sculpted Pontet-Canet. The 2024 is seriously impressive, but it is also less immediate than what was once the norm because of a shift towards a style that favors greater energy and vibrancy than in the recent past. The evolution here is going to be fascinating to follow in the coming years. Tasted three times. 2032-2044.
A light but juicy wine that's fresh and fluid, with good depth of blue fruit and violets, a medium body and nicely reactive tannins. Crunchy, with a delicate mid-palate and firm, chalky tannins. Long, balanced and pristine finish. This will show early appeal. 52% cabernet sauvignon, 43% merlot, 4% petit verdot and 1% cabernet franc.
