Château Pontet Canet - Pauillac 2005

Wine Advocate

97 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe6/30/2015

Possibly the youngest wine of all the 2005 Médocs in terms of its evolution, at age 10 the inky purple 2005 Pontet-Canet tastes more like a two-year-old wine. Loads of pure blueberry, blackberry and cassis fruit are present along with a hint of licorice and background oak. It is full-bodied, ripe, and excruciatingly fresh, vigorous and exuberant. This is a tour de force, and a sensational effort that rivals the first growths. Give it another 5-10 years of cellaring, and drink it over the following 30-40 years. (97+)

Jancis Robinson

17 / 20

byJancis Robinsonthe2/9/2015

Dark crimson. Silky sleek but very dry indeed! Really quite hard work at the moment. Some green-tomato flavour. Chewy end, some furriness. Quite extreme.  13% Drink 2020-2040(17-)

La Revue du Vin de France

18 / 20

the10/20/2014

Sauve et délicieux, muni de tanins très fins. La bouche a conservé un magnifique éclat de fruit, avec une petite touche de poivre blanc qui lui donne beaucoup de relief. Etiré et soyeux en finale.

Le Monde

19 / 20

the6/5/2010

Absolument somptueux de corps et de texture, vraiment une réussite spéciale à l'intérieur d'un très grand millésime pour Pauillac, dans la continuité de l'intelligence de la viticulture de cette propriété. 19/20

Wine Advocate

96 / 100

byNeal Martinthe11/4/2009

This has a deep limpid purple colour. The nose is very intense with stunning definition. It has closed up since I last tasted it, but there is undoubtedly a brooding intensity with blackcurrant, cassis and black plum, then touches of cedar coming through. Compared to the 2008, there is just a very faint touch of sur-maturite, but it just adds to the character. The palate is full-bodied, tightly coiled, sinewy tannins but beautifully focused. This is more surly than the bottle in Southwold, but there is a wonderful sense of tension and poise towards the minerally, shellfish tinged finish. This is undoubtedly an outstanding Pontet-Canet, even if it is a little tight fisted here and it remains that way after an hour. Drink 2012-2025+ Tasted October 2009.

Wine Advocate

97 / 100

byNeal Martinthe6/12/2009

Tasted single blind at Southwold. This is a stellar offering, here proving its mettle in a tough blind peer group tasting. It has a spellbinding bouquet of blackberry, touches of bilberry and Xmas Cake – lovely definition with honeyed/fig jam elements coming through. Exotic ambitions abound. The palate has superb concentration, layers and layers of fruit, real depth and vibrancy here. Enormous length and ambition and you know that it knows it is going to pull it off! Just amazing density and power. I thought this was stunning out of barrel…it could be even better. Drink 2012-2030+ Tasted January 2009.

Decanter Magazine

5 / 20

the10/13/2008

Big, concentrated, extracted nose. Very powerful. Very different - black, pruney, raisiny, thick with tannins to match. Wow! From 2015.

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

95 / 100

byStephen Tanzerthe6/30/2008

Good full ruby-red. Complex, enticing aromas of black raspberry, licorice, minerals, bitter chocolate, lead pencil and pungent cedar; just this side of exotic. Wonderfully silky, sweet and thick, with a powerful minerality framing the currant, graphite and spice flavors. This boasts superb inner-mouth energy and great length, with the full, ripe tannins totally enrobed by the wine's mid-palate richness. (My sample of the 2006 was old and tired, so I'll wait until next year to report on the finished wine; this was a star in the early going.)

Wine Advocate

96 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe5/7/2008

The work that Alfred Tesseron and his winemaking team have done at this estate since 1994 is remarkable. At this fabulous terroir just south of Mouton-Rothschild, Tesseron has made major investments, and instituted incredibly severe selections in both the vineyard and winery. The result is a succession of extraordinary wines. It is difficult to know whether the 2005 Pontet-Canet will ultimately eclipse the hedonism and density of the flamboyant 2003, but it is unquestionably a stunning effort. Inky/black-colored with a classic Pauillac perfume of licorice, black currant liqueur, graphite, cedar, and spice box, it is full-bodied, with magnificent concentration, formidable tannins, and an Arnold Schwartzenegger-like structure (when he was 25 years younger). This backward, formidably endowed 2005 will require patience. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2040.

Wine Spectator

96 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe2/22/2008

Jancis Robinson

16.50 / 20

byJancis Robinsonthe11/21/2007

This was the very end of the last bottle so hard to get a good look at this wine. There's an initial smoky fragrance that carries through on the palate. Tannins offering a good deal of friction but they are ripe and not too dry. 17

La Revue du Vin de France

18 / 20

the9/3/2007

Wine Advocate

93-95 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe5/4/2007

One can’t say enough about the extraordinary work proprietor Alfred Tesseron has done since 1994 in taking Pontet-Canet to a remarkable level of quality. Every top vintage has been impressive, and the 2005 rivals the brilliant efforts of 2003, 2000, 1996, and 1995. A black/blue/purple hue precedes a classic Pauillac perfume of creme de cassis, melted licorice, cedar, and spice. Full-bodied with superb concentration, fabulous opulence, and huge tannins and muscle, this is an uncompromisingly made Pauillac boasting sensational concentration, power, and aging potential. Prospective purchasers should keep in mind, it requires at least ten years of cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2035+.

Guide des vins Gilbert & Gaillard

91-93 / 100

the9/30/2006

Vinifera

4 / 20

byBernard Burtschythe7/31/2006

Sous l'impulsion du rigoureux Jean-Michel Comme et avec un cuvier en ordre de combat, Pontet-Canet a produit un vin d'anthologie, très charmeur au premier abord grâce à une extraction douce, mais doté d'une texture serrée et d'une grand longueur. Il faut remonter à 1945 pour trouver un vin aussi complet.

Vinum

17 / 20

the6/30/2006

Etwas holzgeprägtes Muster, doch auch bluige Noten, kompakt und fest gebaut, reifes, kantiges Tannin, langes Finale frischer Beeren.

La Revue du Vin de France

4-5 / 20

the6/30/2006

Malgré ses abords charmeurs, ses qualités de fnd sont réelles et il faut probablement remonter à 1945 pour retrouver un vin aussi dense et aussi complet.

GaultMillau

19 / 20

the6/30/2006

En dehors des premiers, certainement la plus belle réussite de l'appellation. Couleur encre noire. Au nez, un concentré de fruits, cassis, mûre, mrtille, prune. Le velouté apparent de l'ensemble trouve également de la fraîcheur sur des notes mentholées et réglissées. Le vin prend des notes d'encens à l'aération. Attaque souple, douce, crémeuse, portée par des tannins d'une finesse incroyable qui le projettent dans un bel avenir. Coup de coeur.

Le Point

17.50 / 20

byJacques Dupontthe5/11/2006

Nez fruits frais, silex, une étonnante minéralité dans l'expression des arômes, bouche aux tanins soyeux, ronds et pleins. Un vin droit, parfaitement équilibré, long, généreux qui devrait encore s'enrober à l'élevage.

Wein Wisser

19 / 20

byRené Gabrielthe5/8/2006

Dunkles Violett-Schwarz. Geniales Bouquet, schwarze Johanisbeeren, Korinthen, Teer, extrem tiefgründig, sehr beeindruckend mit seinem Cabernet-Essenz-Parfüm. Grosser Gaumenauftritt, dicht, fleischig, eng, wiederum alles im schwarzbeerigen Bereich, Cassis, schwarze Johanisbeeren, dramatische Länge. Nicht nur der beste je produzierte Pontet-Canet, sondern auch einer der besten Pauillacs in diesem Jahrgang. Auch wenn das der teuerste Wein des aufstrebenden Weingutes sein wird, lohnt es sich, die enorme Qualitätsleistung zu honorieren.

Wine Advocate

94-96 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe5/1/2006

Absolutely spectacular, Pontet-Canet’s 2005 receives the full attention of dedicated proprietor Alfred Tesseron. Produced from yields of 35 hectoliters per hectare (25% less wine than in 2004), it is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Merlot. The first vintage vinified in tiny cement cuves with pigeage for some lots, this wine will have 40-50 years of longevity, and should turn out to be the greatest Pontet-Canet since such ancient classics as 1961, 1945, and 1929. It boasts an inky/purple color as well as pure creme de cassis aromas, first-growth nobility and raciness, massive body, tannin, and extract, and a finish that lasts nearly a minute. With extraordinary purity and density, it is unapproachable at present, and is best cellared until 2012, and drunk over the following 50 years.

TAST

18 / 20

the4/24/2006

Vin de grande ampleur, assumant sans complexe son ambition : belle robe profonde et opaque, boisé luxueux mais parfaitement intégré à des notes de havane et de fruits rouges et noirs, allonge et structure serré mais moelleuse, beau volume velouté et solide.

Jancis Robinson

15.50 / 20

byJancis Robinsonthe4/12/2006

Rather raw simple black fruit flavours. Quite agressively crude. Lots of acidity and tannin and not much attempt to integrate them. Positively inky.

Wine Spectator

95-100 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe3/28/2006

Glorious aromas of currants, blackberries and cherries with hints of vanilla and cedar. Full-bodied, with exuberant fruit. Velvety tannins. Soft and round mouthfeel. This is supercharged with fruit. Wonderful purity of Cabernet Sauvignon. Very low yields this year. Best ever from here? —J.S.

Jancis Robinson

15.50 / 20

byJancis Robinsonthe4/26/2005

Dark purple energy drink but deeply embryonic. A slightly jagged green note on an overall glossy package. Extremely dry finish.