Wijnen

Ah: die heerlijke neus van zwart fruit. Die fenomenale, verfijnde tannine. Dit feilloos evenwicht en die elegante persistentie... Pontet Canet 2017 heeft alles én nog meer. De proefervaring is zo mooi onderbouwd, elegant en vitaal dat we een zaligmakende glimlach niet kunnen onderdrukken, terwijl de eigenaar net vertelde dat de heupoperatie beter had kunnen verlopen. Hij begreep snel mijn niet-synchrone reactie en deelde onmiddellijk mij vreugde (zonder misverstand). Pontet Canet 2017 is een prachtwijn! De stijl is weer op en top Pauillac en het is een schat in een excellente, ja zelfs lichtere, uiterst fijne stijl. De lijn werd uitgezet, de koers aangehouden en het resultaat is spectaculair: 2017 flatteert duidelijk het terroir van Pontet Canet en de werkwijze van dit bijzonder getalenteerd team. Bravissimo. Zal deze Pontet Canet ons nog meer charmeren dan zijn voorgangers van 2014-2015-2016? Dat is mogelijk...
Meer nog: er is meer wijn dan in 2016. 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc en 2% Petit Verdot. Elévage in 50% nieuwe eik, 15% in barriques van één jaar en 35% in amfoor.

IN DE PERS

93 Neal Martin – vinous.com (Februari 2020)
The 2017 Pontet-Canet offers attractive red berry fruit mixed with cedar and potpourri, underneath which lies subtle aromas of graphite that I would like to see a little more of as it matures in bottle. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins that render this one of the more approachable vintages in recent years. The cedar-infused black fruit is framed by fine tannins and a harmonious, graphite tinged finish. This Pontet-Canet should offer up to 20 years of drinking pleasure although it will be difficult to resist pulling the cork in its youth. Drink 2022-2036.

92-94 Neal Martin – vinous.com (Mei 2018)
The 2017 Pontet Canet has a very ripe and pure, slightly high-toned bouquet with touches of iodine inflecting the black cherry and cassis fruit. There is a subtle floral aspect to this Pontet-Canet, more iris than violet. With aeration there are hints of graphite and crushed stone, some of its initial opulence ebbing away. The palate is medium-bodied with fine balance on the entry, slightly chalky tannin, a fine sense of energy and poise. On the two readings of this wine, this was perhaps the most difference. The mid-April tasting had a very similar nose however, the palate demonstrated far more backbone, linearity and mineralité, not to mention a sapidity that was not present in the showing at the end of March. Ah yes, that’s the Pontet I love. I expect this to land at the upper end of my banded score once in bottle. Tasted twice at the property. Drink 2021-2040.

95 Antonio Galloni – vinous.com (Maart 2020)
A gorgeous, alluring Pauillac, the 2017 Pontet-Canet is racy and exceptionally polished, with floral top notes that bring out the natural brightness of the red-toned fruit. Super-silky tannins add to the wine's immediacy and sheer allure. The 2017 was the first wine made with the new sorting table. About half the fruit was destemmed by hand. As always, visiting Pontet-Canet is like stepping back into another time, a time in which wines were made much more manually than they are today. Here that means manual punch downs and pump overs, with no electricity. Harvest ran from September 18 through October 4. The blend is 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. Aging was done 50% in new oak, 35% in amphora and 15% in one year-old oak. Tasted three times. Drink 2025-2047.

92-95 Antonio Galloni – vinous.com (Mei 2018)
The 2017 Pontet-Canet showed progressively better on each of the three occasions I tasted it. Deep, pliant and beautifully layered in the glass, the 2017 exudes class. Dark red cherry, plum, pomegranate, licorice and rose petal infuse this super-expressive and highly nuanced wine from proprietor Alfred Tesseron and technical director Jean-Michel Comme. Harvest ran from September 18 through October 4. The blend is 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot and is aging in 50% new oak, 35% amphora and 15% one year old oak. Tasted three times.

94 Jane Anson – decanter.com (April 2018)
This is a very charming Pauillac with texture, rippling energy and undoubted finesse. It's deceptive, because the dark, luscious blackberry, bilberry, and damson notes are fairly fresh, with a luscious lipsmacking quality, but the tannins build over the palate. It almost tastes like a St-Julien rather than a Pauillac as they're so fine and elegant, but the Pauillac character becomes more apparent by the close of play - there's no hiding those swirling cassis, smoke and menthol notes. This has a really gorgeous tension and freshness without sacrificing concentration. They used brand-new concrete vats this year, designed by technical director Jean-Michel Comme's, for one-third of the crop. The concrete was made from sands and gravels extracted from the exact spot that the building containing them now stands, utilising geothermal heating and cooling, with as few metallic parts as possible and insulated with hemp. The wine will be aged in 50% new oak, 35% concrete vats and t15% in one-year-old barrels. They have made nearly no second wine again. Just 1% frost loss in 2017. The Merlot was harvested from 18 September, block by block over 10 days, then deleafed. The Cabernets were picked from 28 September through until 4 October. Drink 2025-2038.

96 Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW – robertparker.com (April 2018)
Composed of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, the medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2017 Pontet-Canet gives up beautifully fragrant notes of rosehip tea, lilacs, cinnamon stick, cloves, dried leaves and underbrush with a core of kirsch, raspberry coulis, warm plums and red and black currants plus a waft of pencil shavings. Medium-bodied, the palate is refreshing, minerally and wonderfully elegant with a well-played texture of approachable, plush tannins and a long, fragrant finish. Beautiful. Aging took place in 50% new and 15% in second fill barrels and the remaining 35% in amphorae for 16 months, much of the material for which came from the soil at Pontet-Canet! Drink 2021-2048.

96-98 Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW – robertparker.com (April 2018)
Blended of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, the deep garnet-purple colored 2017 Pontet-Canet opens with vibrant wild blueberries, black raspberries and crushed plums with notions of cinnamon stick, violets, unsmoked cigars and pencil lead plus wafts of roses, lavender and tilled black soil. Medium-bodied with very fine, incredibly plush tannins, it is deliciously savory in the mouth, with wonderful freshness and spectacular energy delivering many layers, resulting in a very long, mineral-laced finish.

96-97 James Suckling – jamessuckling.com (Maart 2018)
This is incredibly transparent and refined with blackcurrant, blueberry and mineral character. Full-bodied, layered and ethereal. Tannins have a crushed-stone character. Long and persistent.

17-18/20 Julia Harding MW – jancisrobinson.com (April 2018)
Sweet and spicy on the nose and sweet and quite thick on the palate. Rounded and soft but not a huge amount of fruit flavour. Very nice spice, giving a slightly exotic character. Firm, compact, fresh. Spice is the thing here and a very natural chewy texture. With air more fragrant, a floral fragrance. Chewy, 'spicy' texture, well-balanced fruit and deeply textured. Distinctive. Drink 2027-2040.

94-96 Jeb Dunnuck – jebdunnuck.com (April 2018)
Described as a mix of his 2015 and 2016 by owner Alfred Tesseron, the 2017 Pontet-Canet is another tour de force from this estate that readers will be thrilled to have in the cellar. A blend of roughly 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, harvested between September 18 and October 4 (which is later than most), it will spend roughly 16 months in 50% new barrels, 35% in amphora and the rest in once-used oak. Gorgeous blueberries, crème de cassis, incense, and spring flower characteristics all soar from the glass of this inky-colored, medium to full-bodied, deep, beautifully concentrated 2017. It doesn’t have the sheer weight of the 2009, 2010, 2015, or 2016, yet it’s no lightweight and excels on its purity and balance. This is a classic Pauillac that will be approachable with 4-5 years of bottle age and keep for two to three decades.

90-93 James Molesworth – winespectator.com (Maart 2018)

18-18,5/20 Revue des Vins de France – rvf.com (April 2018)

95-97 Roger Voss – wineenthusiast.com (April 2018)

Pontet Canet

Pontet Canet zet de trend. Al tien millésimes lang staan biodynamie, harmonie met de natuur en "cette compréhension du vivant" centraal in hun gedetailleerde werkwijze. Elke wijnstok wordt piekfijn gesoigneerd "zoals een individu gewaardeerd wordt voor zijn originaliteit". Daarmee werden op Pontet Canet sommige "traditionele" ingrepen zoals de ébourgeonnage bijvoorbeeld overbodig. De voordelen zijn veelvuldig: natuurlijk lage rendementen (niet meer dan 30 hl/ha), een grotere natuurlijke weerbaarheid van de wijnstok en sneller rijpe druiven. Gaandeweg zijn trekpaarden, koeien en ezels de wijngaard gaan bevolken; elk heeft er zijn functie en nut. Minimalisme typeert de vinificatie. Alles gebeurt handmatig en electriciteit werd verbannen uit het productieproces. Een dertigtal mensen sorteert de oogst en cuves worden pomploos gevuld. Ook het élevage is baanbrekend met amfores van 900 liter. De wijngaard is aangeplant met 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc en 1% Petit Verdot. De ware test is in het glas en wijnliefhebbers wereldwijd juichen. Pontet Canet kreeg perfecte parkerscores voor 2009 en 2010.

Tesseron