Castle Pontet Canet - Pauillac 2006

Wine Advocate

95 / 100

byNeal Martinthe11/30/2011

One of my favourite recent vintages, the 2006 is initially quite “strict” and “edgy” on the nose with cedar, blackberry and graphite but then manifests that opulence and almost braggadocio on the nose. The palate has a seriously good backbone, real structure and beguiling symmetry with a long grippy finish that suggests long-term ageing is a rule, not an option. Tasted February 2011.

Wine Advocate

95 / 100

byNeal Martinthe9/30/2010

This remains a sensational Pontet Canet struts its stuff under severe blind conditions. It has a decadent, almost Tuscan bouquet that manages to be supremely well defined with fully embraces the oak, with a touch of gravel underlying the ripe blackberry, tobacco and plum. The palate is full-bodied, very well balanced with pure, fine tannins. I was expecting more of a hedonistic Pauillac, but this is restrained, feminine and beautifully poised towards the finish. Nice gentle but insistent grip. Enormous potential. Tasted January 2010.

Le Monde

17,5 / 100

the6/5/2010

Encore un pauillac somptueux de la part de ce cru, offrant en dehors de sa robe d'un pourpre inimitable de grands arômes de cèdre, de tabac et même de truffe, un velours de constitution sans équivalent chez ses pairs, une générosité et un naturel d'expression dans le verre encore plus rares. Bravo. 17,5/20

Wine Advocate

94 / 100

byNeal Martinthe1/31/2010

The 2006 Pontet-Canet has a very lifted nose, very pure with an almost Pinot Noir-like allure. Black cherries, creme de cassis and a touch of blueberry with crushed stones in the background. Superb delineation and integration of new oak. With few more minutes in the glass, there is a touch of espresso just beginning to emerge. The palate is full-bodied with sinewy tannins, very good acidity and sense of symmetry, although I would say that this has closed down a little since I last tasted it. Good backbone and sense of vitality. Tannic, grippy and more masculine, graphite tinged finish. Drink 2013-2025. Tasted October 2009.

Jancis Robinson

16.50 / 20

byJancis Robinsonthe1/27/2010

Dark. Very cassis nose, not especially complex. Thick and dense with some oak tannin. Ambitious though it doesn't have quite the fruit weight for all the tannin, I fear. Drink 2014-2024

Wine Spectator

93 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe3/31/2009

Blackberry, currant and plum tart aromas lead to a full body, with a solid core of fruit, sweet fruit and silky tannins. Generous and round, with lovely richness for the vintage. Best after 2014.

Wine Advocate

95 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe2/1/2009

The 2006 is a wine to stockpile, especially for those in their thirties and forties as it needs another decade to reach maturity, after which it should keep for 30+ years. This vineyard, just south of Mouton Rothschild, has produced an opaque bluish/purple-colored 2006 with an extraordinarily pure nose of graphite, charcoal, sweet creme de cassis, and a hint of scorched earth. Incredible concentration, stunning richness, and a 60-second finish result in a wine that transcends the vintage as well as this estate’s 1855 classification. This enormously endowed, modern day classic is a legend in the making. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2050+. 95+

La Revue du Vin de France

16.50-17.50 / 20

the7/6/2007

Un nez raffiné et confit de belle intensité. L'attaque est jolie, avec une grande franchise de bouche et une construction admirable. Tout est en place pour faire de ce vin une brillante réussite du millésime.

Decanter Magazine

18 / 20

the6/30/2007

Intense colour, concentration of blackcurrant fruit, very fresh and fragrant despite the concentration, very good lenth, shows great depth of vineyard fruit. 2015-30

Le Point

16-16.50 / 20

byJacques Dupontthe5/24/2007

Fruits noirs, biscuit, bouche fine, tanins serrés mais sans dureté. Le fruit est bien préservé. Ce 'nest pas très corpulent mais la longueur y est, et surtout, l'équilibre est préservé.

Wein Wisser

18 / 20

byRené Gabrielthe5/7/2007

2018-2035. Schon beim Einschenken eine beeindruckende Farbe, Violett-Schwarz. Explosives Bouquet, Cassis in verschwenderischer Form, tiefe Würznoten, Rauch, Lakritze, dicht, aber auch kompakt, Dörrbananen im Hintergrund. Auch im Gaumen dicht, gut stützende Tannine, wieder einen frischen, aromatischen Beerenton aufweisend, in der adstringenz kräftig, fordernd, muskulös, an die alten, grossen Jahrgänge von Pontet Canet erinnernd, sehr typisch, zur neuen Epoche des hervorragend geführten Weingutes passend, vielleicht immer etwas rustikal bleibend,deshalb ein sehr klassischer Cinquième.

Falstaff

89-91 / 100

the5/3/2007

Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, jugendliche Reflexe, violetter Rand. In der Nase feine reife Zwetschken- und Brombeerfrucht, Nougat, angenehme Gewürzanklänge, zart nach Zitruzesten. Am Gaumen saftig, elegante Textur, frische rotbeerige Frucht, gut integrierte Säurestruktur, feste Tannine, zarte Holzwürze im Nachhall, es fehlt etwas die Länge der letzten Jahre.

Wine Advocate

93-95 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe5/3/2007

One can’t say enough about the extraordinary quality proprietor Alfred Tesseron has achieved at Pontet-Canet over the last decade. The 2006 is another massive wine that may be as backward and concentrated as its nearby neighbor, Mouton Rothschild. Boasting a dense purple/black color in addition to aromas of creme de cassis, incense, burning embers/charcoal, and pain grille, it is monstrous in the mouth with huge flavor concentration, extremely high tannins, and significant extract. Tesseron’s goal appears to be a 50+ year wine. The 2006 requires a decade of patience. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2040+.

Wine Advocate

94-96 / 100

byNeal Martinthe5/1/2007

Tasted three times, this note from the château. Now this is a stunning wine from a property that is both innovative and embracing traditional techniques of vinification. This is their best wine I have ever tasted out of barrel and could surpass even the 2005. A very deep garnet core. The nose leaps from the glass with blackberry, violets and a sense of minerality that I have never encountered before with Pontet-Canet. The palate is beautifully poise with again, an unerring sense of minerality and delineation. Blackberries, violets and a touch of cassis, I cannot help feel that Alfred Tesseron and winemaker Jean-Michel Comme have leapfrogged both Pichon’s this year. An elegant, wonderful poised finish with freshness on tongue. Just a fabulous wine.

TAST

18 / 20

the4/30/2007

Admirable de charnu de texture, de densité de tannin et de richesse aromatique : il flirte encore une fois avec les premiers crus et montre une perfection formelle unique pour le moment parmi les cinquièmes crus. Le grand pauillac comme tous le rêvent !

Vinum

16.50 / 20

the4/30/2007

Zurückhaltend, floral; kompakt, frisch, geschmeidiges, kantiges, rassiges, genau richtiges Tannin : nicht den extremen Extrakt gesucht, sondern die Ausgewogenheit. 2014 bis 2020

Wine Enthusiast

90-92 / 100

the4/15/2007

Surprisingly delicate for this estate, but the balance is there, an elegant wine with light blackberry fruits, and some ripe tannins. —R.V.

Jancis Robinson

16 / 20

byJancis Robinsonthe4/12/2007

Dark, blackish crimson. Very dark. Something a bit strange on the nose. Vegetation plus molasses. Not totally compact or together. A bit soft and messy on the finish. Pretty dry and inky on the finish and lacking real concentration too – diffuse. Julia's note, with a score of 16+: Rich spicy fruit with hints of aromatic violets. Lovely purity. Disappointingly dry and a bit tough on the finish after the nose promised so much, but maybe it will soften (hence the plus)? (JH)

Wine Spectator

92-94 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe3/29/2007

Big and rich, with lots of round and velvety tannins. Full-bodied and very ripe, with a long flavorful finish. A beauty. Voluptuous for the vintage, with lots of currant and berry character.