Pontet Canet - Pauillac 2020

Vinous

95 / 100

byNeal Martinthe2/15/2023

The 2020 Pontet Canet, which was picked from 14 September, has quite a plush bouquet with blackberry, raspberry coulis, cedar and light touches of espresso that hover in the background. Fine delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins. There remains a noticeable and indeed pleasurable sprinkling of black pepper complementing that black fruit. Quite structured on the finish (more so than previous vintages) with a gentle but insistent grip. Unquestionably this is more classically styled than the recently blind-tasted 2019 and should mature well in bottle. Excellent.

Jamessuckling.com

98 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe1/16/2023

Aromas of blackcurrants and black cherries with hints of crushed walnuts, grilled thyme, cocoa powder and graphite. It’s full-bodied with layers of ultra-fine, silky tannins that elegantly coat your palate, allowing the juicy and vibrant fruit to shine. Delicate and pristine, yet compact with lots of energy and power to uncover in the coming years. It lasts for minutes and is delicious now. The purity of fruit is really impressive. 60% cabernet sauvignon, 32% merlot, 4% cabernet franc and 4% petit verdot. 50% new oak 15% old oak and 35% concrete amphorae. Try after 2027.

TASTED

97 / 100

byAndreas Larssonthe7/6/2021

Ripe and pure, dark chocolate, mint, ripe black currant, no noticeable oak. Very supple palate yet dense and concentrated with powdery tannin, almost a creamy texture intense long and lingering dark fruit flavours with some bay leaf and grassy notes, very stylish and finely tuned with great length.

Vinous

94-96 / 100

byNeal Martinthe6/25/2021

The 2020 Pontet Canet, picked from 14 to 30 September, has a well-defined bouquet with scents of black cherries, raspberry, crushed iris and violet. This is demonstrating more delineation than the 2018 that was tasted just a couple of days previously. The palate is medium-bodied with quite a spicy entry, a liberal sprinkling of black pepper and a hint of cedar. Fine structure and focus here. It is fresh with a touch of pencil lead towards the finish, and a touch of pepper lingering on the aftertaste. Here, I can taste Pauillac DNA, which has been my pet peeve in recent vintages. I look forward to revisiting this in bottle. Tasted at the estate with Alfred and Justine Tesseron.

La Revue du Vin de France

98-100 / 100

the6/7/2021

Comment résister à ce vin extrêmement raffiné et profond. Dès le nez, le fruit explose et libère des arômes intenses et complexes. Harmonieuse, la bouche est à la fois crémeuse et étirée. Pur !

Le Figaro

95-96 / 100

the6/2/2021

Des arômes typiques de forêt noire, qui se prolongent par des notes de fromage à pâte cuite. En bouche, une énergie rugissante, sucrée-salée, légèrement fumée, avec beaucoup de mâche en finale.

Vinous

95-97 / 100

byAntonio Gallonithe6/1/2021

The 2020 Pontet-Canet is captivating effort from the Tesseron family. The intensely perfumed, savory bouquet is immediately alluring. Deep and substantial, the 2020 is luxuriously rich from start to finish. Swaths of incisive tannin wrap around a core of dark red cherry fruit, gravel, dried herbs and rose petal, and a whole range of floral and savory accents lend aromatic presence. The Pontet-Canet is often a charmer en primeur, but the 2020 comes across as quite serious. I can't wait to see how it develops. As always, one of the signatures of Pontet-Canet is a high proportion of Merlot vis-à-vis its peers among top Left Bank châteaux that lends tremendous midpalate weight. In 2020 production is within historical norms. Mildew pressure was high, but not as severe as in 2018, when two-thirds of the crop was lost in a single day. Harvest took place September 14–30, a bit more of a compact time frame than normal, and a good 7–10 days earlier than is typically the case. Aged in 50% new oak, 35% amphora and 15% once-used barrels.

Decanter.com

97 / 100

byJane Ansonthe5/25/2021

Highly successful Pontet, one of the few Pauillacs that, for me, overperforms on its 2019. Inky purple with ruby reflections in colour. Lots of firm but upright tannins, a good dollop of graphite, pencil lead and cassis bud, there is depth through the mid palate shot through with wild blackberry, hawthorn, sage, rosemary and wild mint. It has personality, and is a little old school in the best possible way. Recommended. They have avoided the over-concentrated feel of some Pauillacs in the vintage, while remaining true to the appellation. 4% Petit Verdot completes the blend, 50% new oak 35% amphoras, 15% one-year barrels. First full vintage for Mathieu Bessonnet who replaced the previous long-term director Jean-Michel Comme in 2020. 100% first wine, as it has been for the past four years. 45% will be aged in new oak barrels, 15% one year, 40% in amphoras. The mildew pressure was stressful in the early part of the year, but they had learnt from 2018, and brought in the manpower to get around the whole vineyard in a (very long) day, so their yields ended up being close to normal.

Wine Advocate

96-98 / 100

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe5/20/2021

The 2020 Pontet-Canet is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot, aging in 50% new French oak barriques, 35% concrete amphorae and 15% in one-year-old barrels. Harvest began on the 14th September for the Merlot, and the final lot of Cabernet Sauvignon was harvested on 30th September. Opaque purple-black in color, it needs significant aeration and swirling to coax out evocative notes of black cherry preserves, raspberry pie, blackcurrant pastilles and damp soil, before launching into gorgeous floral and spice notions of red roses, cinnamon stick, star anise and cardamom, with a waft of crushed rocks. The medium to full-bodied palate reveals a lot of depth and polish, delivering mouth-coating red and black fruits with loads of fragrant earth and floral sparks, framed by velvety tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and mineral tinged. This is a singular, fascinating expression of the vintage and highly recommended!

Jamessuckling.com

98-99 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe5/12/2021

This is integrated, with superb density and beauty, offering blackcurrant, mineral and some bark. Full-bodied, yet so polished and refined. Crushed stone. Lots of expression and texture to this wine. Creamy. Pure and precise. Elegant, yet layered. Slightly plusher than the 2019. Dense, yet agile. Fresh as always. 60% cabernet sauvignon, 32% merlot, 4% cabernet franc and 4% petit verdot. 50% new oak 15% old oak and 35% concrete amphorae.

Anthocyanes

96-98 / 100

byYohan Castaingthe5/11/2021

Nez frais, éclatant et délicat, fumé, un peu poivré, légèrement bourgeon de cassis, mure et cassis. Beaucoup de fraicheur. En bouche, les tanins sont parfaitement structurants, bien en place, serrés et la texture charnue relève l'ensemble. Très dense sans être ni lourd, ni trop puissant, ce Pontet-Canet est magnifique de fraicheur avec des tanins satinés. Sur l'allonge avec une fraicheur exceptionnelle. Un vin très élégant. Une longue garde sera appropriée.

Bernard Burtschy

96-97 / 100

byBernard Burtschythe5/10/2021

Falstaff

93-95 / 100

the5/10/2021

Kräftiges Neuholz. Vanille und Süßkirsche. Leicht floral. Wildkirsche. Ausgeze- ichnete Frische in der Frucht. Im Mund mit seidigem Ansatz, ultrafeines Tannin, präsenter Alkohol, hier eine mittelgewichtige Intensität in der Frucht, ganz zuletzt eine Steigerung in Säure und leicht grünlichen Komponenten. Die Integration von feinem Gerbstoff und cremigem Körper ist hier die Pointe.