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2011 Château Pontet-Canet, Pauillac, Bordeaux

  • Red
  • Dry
  • Full Bodied
  • Cabernet Sauvignon (60%),Merlot (35%),Cabernet Franc (4%),Petit Verdot (1%)
Ready, but will improve
18/20
James Molesworth
90-93/100
Robert Parker
93-95/100
Neal Martin MW
93/100
Product: 20118007342
2011 Château Pontet-Canet, Pauillac, Bordeaux

Description

There are a handful of châteaux in 2011 that surpass the quality of certain of the First Growths and Pontet-Canet is certainly in that elite group. It has a sweet richness and exotic weight that totally defies the vintage. Creamy, yet plump and fruity with such purity and freshness it really does take your breath away. I wouldn’t say it’s better or worse than 2010 or 2009, just that it has exceptional quality and it’s different. Cooler, possibly more elegant but just as rewarding. I described Lynch-Bages, its neighbour, as Led Zeppelin, in their pomp of the early 1970’s. If that’s the case, Pontet-Canet must be Pink Floyd a few years later, not quite as rock 'n roll, but slightly more mellow and considered. But, as no music collection would be devoid of either band, no collection of great wine cannot have either châteaux in. Both radiant, powerful and essential. Superb.
Simon Staples, Berrys’ Fine Wine Director
Colour Red
Sweetness Dry
Vintage 2011
Alcohol % 13.5
Maturity Ready, but will improve
Grape List Cabernet Sauvignon (60%),Merlot (35%),Cabernet Franc (4%),Petit Verdot (1%)
Body Full Bodied
Producer Château Pontet-Canet

Critics reviews

18/20
Wild violets and black fruit nose, both exuberant and classic. It is a wonderfully elegant Pauillac with superb vineyard expression.
Decanter.com
James Molesworth 90-93/100
A big, broad-shouldered style, with lots of bittersweet cocoa and coffee up front, followed by thick-textured blackberry and black currant fruit. Shows a bit more brute force than purity right now, though hard to deny the concentration and depth. Could move up if it stretches out and gains some finesse. Wine Spectator's 2011 Top-Scoring Red Bordeaux james_molesworth, Wine Spectator, April 10, 2012
James Molesworth, WineSpectator.com (Apr 2012)
Robert Parker 93-95/100
Once again proprietor Alfred Tesseron has produced a wine of first-growth potential. One of the superstars of the vintage, Pontet-Canet’s 2011 exhibits an opaque purple color and a glorious bouquet of incense, subtle toast and copious quantities of creme de cassis. There is a floral underpinning, decent acidity and ripe tannin to this full-bodied effort. Big, rich, round and generously endowed, it should drink well for 20-25+ years. robert_parker - Wine Advocate - April 2012
Robert Parker, RobertParker.com (Apr 2012)
Neal Martin MW 93/100
Tasted at the Pontet-Canet vertical in London, the 2011 Chteau Pontet Canet must constitute one of the best wines on the Left Bank, even if it does not quite live up to its stellar performance from barrel. Lucid purple in color, the bouquet leaps from the glass and yells Pauillac - thanks to its graphite seam interwoven through the black fruit. Over ten minutes, tobacco scents join the fray and it develops what you might call mint fresh aromatics. The palate is medium-bodied and remains understated on the entry, perhaps exaggerated by the exuberance of the nose. However, there is no question that this is a refined, pure and seamless Pontet-Canet with crme de cassis and cedar inter-layered on the sustained finish. Bon vin. Tasted February 2016.Neil Martin - 29/07/2016
Neal Martin MW, (Jul 2016)

About this wine

Cabernet Sauvignon

The most famous red wine grape in the world and one of the most widely planted.
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Chateau Pontet-Canet

Château Pontet-Canet is a large Pauillac estate that can trace its origins back to 1725, when Jean-François Pontet gave his name to the estate he had acquired. The wine was not château-bottled until 1972 and in 1975 the property was sold to Guy Tesseron, of the Tesseron family, one of the finest exponents of luxury, very old, aged Cognacs (Cognac Tesseron). The Tesserons also own Château Lafon-Rochet in St-Estephe. Today, Château Pontet-Canet is owned and run by Alfred and Michel Tesseron.
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