Chateau Pontet Canet - Pauillac 2018 4df5d4d9d819b397555d03cedf085f48

WeinWisser

19 / 20

the5/7/2019

Vinous

96-99 / 100

byAntonio Gallonithe5/3/2019

The 2018 Pontet-Canet is a freak of nature. Dark, rich and explosive, the 2018 possesses off the charts richness and concentration, much of it coming from tiny yields of just ten hectoliters per hectare, or one third of a normal crop. The 2018 soars out of the glass with stunning aromatic intensity and depth. Black cherry, gravel, grilled herbs, leather, lavender and menthol stain the palate. Dense and hedonistically ripe, the 2018 is a stunningly beautiful wine. The grapes were crushed by hand. Because of the tiny yields, the entire production was vinified in Pontet-Canet's new smaller concrete vats. All winemaking was done manually, without the aid of external temperature control or electricity. The 2018 is aging in a combination of 55% new oak and 45% terra cotta amphora. Quite simply, I have never tasted anything like it.

Bettane & Desseauve

96 / 100

by Bettane & Desseauvethe5/3/2019

Grande beauté de fruit, ensemble vibrant, harmonieux, un peu moins monumental que quelques voisins, mais inimitable dans ses équilibres et son naturel.

Vinifera

97 /

byJacques Perrinthe5/1/2019

Dans ce millésime qui fut très difficile de par la pression du mildiou, à l'instar de la plupart des propriétés en bio du Médoc, Pontet Canet livre un vin rare et émouvant. Nez fin et expressif qui présente des notes de rose, de fruits mûrs et de réglisse d'une grande originalité. Entrée en bouche magnifique. Grande texture avec une intégration parfaite du tanin dont la douceur tactile est impressionante. Le vin se déroule en bouche, sans rupture, crescendo et apaisé. Un vin unique à Bordeaux.

La Revue du Vin de France

19-20 / 20

the4/24/2019

The Wine Cellar Insider

97-99 / 100

byJeff Levethe4/23/2019

Opaque in color, the wine explodes from the glass with black fruit, tar, wet forest floor, currants and licorice. Full-bodied, intense and powerful, this wine is also graceful on your palate. There is an impressive amount of weight and yet the wine feels light. The fruit coats your mouth, teeth and gums for over 60 seconds, which is a good thing as you will not want this wine to end. Not much of this gem is going to be available due to climatic conditions keeping the yields under ten hectoliters per hectare and making it much harder to find than usual.

Wine Advocate

97-99 / 100

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe4/23/2019

The 2018 Pontet-Canet is made up of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. Picking began on September 24 and finished on October 5; aging is in 55% oak barriques and 45% amphorae. Very deep purple-black in color, it comes rolling sensuously out of the glass with all the opulence and seduction of Cleopatra on a carpet. It emerges with flamboyant scents of crème de cassis, preserved plums and blueberry compote, and after a few moments, it bursts with nuances of molten licorice, sandalwood, Chinese five spice, candied violets, dark chocolate and dried roses, followed by underlying earthy suggestions of fallen leaves, black truffles, underbrush and wild sage. Full-bodied, wonderfully dense, rich, impossibly layered and very, very decadent, the palate delivers all it promises on the nose, with a firm, wonderfully velvety frame and finishing with epic length, a scintillating wave of freshness and a beguiling perfume. This is one for true hedonists.

Decanter.com

96 / 100

byJane Ansonthe4/17/2019

The concentration that comes from having yields of 12hl/ha is extremely clear - it makes it feel very Pauillac, again resembling as at Latour, a 2010 style in terms of its backbone and sense of hunkering down.
The fruit quality is dark and knitted, with a creamy texture if you give it a minute to settle, an obvious tannic structure and a menthol finish that lets in some juice, bramble and hedgerow pleasures. It’s clearly impressive, although I get just the slightest touch of over-concentration with hints of prune on the finish.
The small yields meant the entire process, from destemming to sorting, was done by hand (last year around 30% of the crop was treated in this way), then fermented in small 40L cement vats that had seen their first service for just part of the crop in 2017. There was huge amounts of hard work and stress to ensure that no dried grapes made it through, with no pumping over and only soft manual punch down to control extraction.
This is 100% 1st wine, same as it has been here for the past three years. 55% will be aged in new oak barrel, 45% in amphoras.

Jamessuckling.com

97-98 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe4/12/2019

A bright and open young wine with polished and soft tannins that spread out and fold into the wine, becoming barely discernible, yet the feel and beauty of them frames the wine in a beautiful way. Love the fruit and purity.