Pontet Canet - Pauillac 2013

Wine Spectator

89 / 100

the4/30/2016

Jamessuckling.com

93 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe2/15/2016

You really want to drink this the minute you taste it with chocolate, walnut and cedar aromas and flavors. Full to medium body, very refined and flavorful. Seamless structure. Stone, currant leaf and tobacco. Why wait?

Wine Advocate

90-92 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe8/29/2014

A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, this biodynamically farmed vineyard (a rarity, but increasing in the Bordeaux viticulture), had tiny yields of 15 hectoliters per hectare. This doesn’t translate into super concentration, but this is certainly an outstanding effort in an extremely difficult vintage. The wine has a dense purple color, and classic creme de cassis, licorice and mocha and espresso roast notes that Pontet-Canet has displayed recently. The wine is medium-bodied, possesses excellent purity, equilibrium and sweet, but noticeable tannin. This is by no means at the level of the great vintages that have been so common of late from this incredible property on the Plateau of Pauillac across from Mouton Rothschild, but it’s certainly one of the vintage’s more noteworthy efforts. Give it 2-3 years of bottle age and drink it over the following 15 or so years.

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

87-90 / 100

byStephen Tanzerthe5/16/2014

(65% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot, 4% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot): Deep ruby.  Very aromatic nose of dark plum, blackcurrant jelly and violet.  Sweet and supple in the mouth, with lively floral flavors of dark fruits and allspice.  Finishes persistent and pure, with smooth tannins, but just a little too diffuse for a higher score.  Not an especially concentrated Pontet-Canet but has plenty of fruity charm.  Production was 50% lower than usual at Pontet-Canet in 2013, and no second wine was made.  Alfred Tesseron doesn't believe a second wine is necessary "if an estate works well during the course of the year, all the wine it makes should reflect this, so our goal ideally is not to have a second wine."

matthewjukes.com

18 / 20

byMatthew Jukesthe4/23/2014

(65 Cabernet Sauvignon, 30 Merlot, 4 Cabernet Franc, 1 Petit Verdot) 35% amphora, 50% new oak, 15% older oak, 13% alcohol. Floral nose with stunning violet notes, beautifully attractive and perfumed. A darker attack than many with buoyant fruit and a nice melodic finish. This is a superbly bright, moderately exotic and sensually textured wine. Only 15hl/ha makes is half of last year’s crop. Behind the delicacy of the nose there is some power all topped off with supple, juicy tannins. Another triumph for this stellar property

Vinous

87-90 / 100

byAntonio Gallonithe4/17/2014

A soft, utterly exquisite wine, the 2013 Pontet-Canet graces the palate with small red berries, a kiss of spice, mint and French oak. The 2013 is a wine of detail and nuance. I am curious to see how the 2013 ages. Today, the mid-weight structured suggests the 2013 is a wine to drink in the near and medium term. It's all polish here. The 2013 is a very pretty wine, with good balance, but also slight elements of dilution. I also had a chance to taste the 2009 and 2010 on this trip. While it is unfair to compare the 2013 to those two epic vintages, the gap is significant. The 2013 was aged in 50% new oak, 35% concrete and 15% one year-old oak. The blend is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot.

Jancis Robinson

18 / 20

byJancis Robinsonthe4/16/2014

Drink 2017-33
http://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/a201404153.html

My Bettane + Desseauve

17 / 20

the4/15/2014

Coloré, suave, extrêmement diversifié et harmonieux dans ses arômes, texture soyeuse, mais sur un socle de tannin ferme. Beau pauillac en liberté dans le verre, mais moins imposant que d’autres

Wine Advocate

89-91 / 100

byNeal Martinthe4/15/2014

In 2013, the Pontet Canet is a blend of around 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. There is about 50% new oak, 35% amphora and 15% in one-year old wood. The nose is quite light for Pontet Canet, the Merlot actually more expressive than the Cabernet Sauvignon at the moment. There is something almost northern Italian about the aromatics, warmth not European but something further south. The palate is medium-bodied with a slightly meaty entry. The tannins are a little coarse at the moment but they will soften with time. There is an attractive spicy tincture here, although there is not a great deal of depth on the finish, which is typically quite linear for the vintage. Again, the clay amphora, do lend this wine something tertiary or at least "of the ground". I do not think this is a long term Château Pontet Canet, but it should drink well over the next 8 to 10 years.

Decanter.com

17,75 / 20

bySteven Spurrierthe4/14/2014

Fine depth and purity of fruit that comes from the inside in a Burgundian  manner, beautiful precision, balance and length.

Jamessuckling.com

92-93 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe4/8/2014

An aromatic wine with exceptional delicacy and suppleness for the vintage, featuring blackberry, mineral, spice and flower character. Very fine tannins. Seamless structure. It’s a wine with a pleasant savory, fruity character that makes you want to drink it. Harmonious.      

Wine Enthusiast

93-95 / 100

byRoger Vossthe4/3/2014

This wine is very true to the vintage. It has an attractive fragrance and great fruit purity, along with touches of wood and black currant. It is a fine wine, while showing the lightness of the year.            

René Gabriel

17 / 20

byRené Gabrielthe4/3/2014

65 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 30 % Merlot, 4 % Cabernet Franc, 1 % Petit Verdot. 15 hl/ha. Dunkles Granat Das Bouquet zeigt insgesamt eine schon fast Châteauneuf-hafte Süsse, reife Pflaumen und einen Anklang von Dörrfrüchten, Malagarosinen, Feigen, Kakao, Assamtee. Im Gaumen geht diese nasale Süsse weiter mit viel Souplesse, eingedickter Birnensaft, viel Biermalz und wieder schokoladige Konturen im aromatischen Finale. Ein recht grosser Pontet-Canet, der vom Stil her dem 2012er gleicht und somit eine unlogische Herbstwärme ausstrahlt. Um das Anderssein zu erklären, muss man hier von einem Pauillac mit Colheita-Akzent sprechen.

Wine Spectator

89-92 / 100

byJames Molesworththe4/3/2014

A lovely, aromatic expression of fresh plum, just-warmed cherry confiture and violet, giving way to a very supple, gentle feel as the silky tannins let the red and blue fruits glide through. Quite pretty and stylish, and a 180-degree turn from the 2011 in style. Very light, pure and balanced. A true display of the vintage. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot , Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Tasted non-blind. —J.M.