Wine Advisor
Pontet Canet 2005
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Possibly the youngest wine of all the 2005 Médocs in terms of its evolution, at age 10 the inky purple 2005 Pontet-Canet tastes more like a two-year-old wine. Loads of pure blueberry, blackberry and cassis fruit are present along with a hint of licorice and background oak. It is full-bodied, ripe, and excruciatingly fresh, vigorous and exuberant. This is a tour de force, and a sensational effort that rivals the first growths. Give it another 5-10 years of cellaring, and drink it over the following 30-40 years.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The heavenly bouquet of pure blackberry, raspberry, cassis and boysenberry wafts from the glass with immense purity and delineation. A soft, understated entry and then those firm, saturated tannins lacquer the palate and remind you that this is a long-term proposition. Good acidity, assertive, a Pontet demanding attention and deserving it. Real succulence towards the sappy finish. This is turning into a beauty. Watch out First Growths! Tasted April 2008.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at Bordeaux Index’s Pontet-Canet dinner at The Ledbury. Like many wines of this lionized vintage, the 2005 Pontet is closing down: coming across rather broody and surly at the table, especially compared to the more outgoing 2006. The palate is very tight with supreme intensity, wonderful acidity and freshness with a touch of graphite and brine towards the finish, but it is definitely not coming out to play at this premature juncture. Still a brilliant wine for those who can wait. Tasted February 2011.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
One can’t say enough about the extraordinary work proprietor Alfred Tesseron has done since 1994 in taking Pontet-Canet to a remarkable level of quality. Every top vintage has been impressive, and the 2005 rivals the brilliant efforts of 2003, 2000, 1996, and 1995. A black/blue/purple hue precedes a classic Pauillac perfume of creme de cassis, melted licorice, cedar, and spice. Full-bodied with superb concentration, fabulous opulence, and huge tannins and muscle, this is an uncompromisingly made Pauillac boasting sensational concentration, power, and aging potential. Prospective purchasers should keep in mind, it requires at least ten years of cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2035+.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted on three occasions, his one with Alfred Tesseron at the chateau before dinner. An opaque purple hue. The nose is closed at first, before blackberry, cedar and vanilla bursts from the glass. The palate has a smooth entry, well-structured tannins cloaked in black toasty fruit. Very pure, sumptuous more than voluptuous. Harmonious finish. A great wine. Tasted April 2006.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Absolutely spectacular, Pontet-Canet’s 2005 receives the full attention of dedicated proprietor Alfred Tesseron. Produced from yields of 35 hectoliters per hectare (25% less wine than in 2004), it is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Merlot. The first vintage vinified in tiny cement cuves with pigeage for some lots, this wine will have 40-50 years of longevity, and should turn out to be the greatest Pontet-Canet since such ancient classics as 1961, 1945, and 1929. It boasts an inky/purple color as well as pure creme de cassis aromas, first-growth nobility and raciness, massive body, tannin, and extract, and a finish that lasts nearly a minute. With extraordinary purity and density, it is unapproachable at present, and is best cellared until 2012, and drunk over the following 50 years.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted single blind at Farr’s 2005 dinner in Hong Kong. This Pontet-Canet ’05 goes from strength to strength. Here it has a prodigious bouquet that to be honest, is a level above Lynch Bages, with startling clarity: crisp red berries, crushed stone, limestone and cassis. The palate is marked by svelte tannins and wonderful harmony and tension. Hints of graphite and brine interlace the finish that goes on and on. Top class. Tasted November 2011.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at Berry Bros. vertical in London. This has a deep limpid purple colour. The nose is very intense with stunning definition. It has closed up since I last tasted it, but there is undoubtedly a brooding intensity with blackcurrant, cassis and black plum, then touches of cedar coming through. Compared to the 2008, there is just a very faint touch of sur-maturite, but it just adds to the character. The palate is full-bodied, tightly coiled, sinewy tannins but beautifully focused. This is more surly than the bottle in Southwold, but there is a wonderful sense of tension and poise towards the minerally, shellfish tinged finish. This is undoubtedly an outstanding Pontet-Canet, even if it is a little tight fisted here and it remains that way after an hour. Drink 2012-2025+ Tasted October 2009.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The work that Alfred Tesseron and his winemaking team have done at this estate since 1994 is remarkable. At this fabulous terroir just south of Mouton-Rothschild, Tesseron has made major investments, and instituted incredibly severe selections in both the vineyard and winery. The result is a succession of extraordinary wines. It is difficult to know whether the 2005 Pontet-Canet will ultimately eclipse the hedonism and density of the flamboyant 2003, but it is unquestionably a stunning effort. Inky/black-colored with a classic Pauillac perfume of licorice, black currant liqueur, graphite, cedar, and spice box, it is full-bodied, with magnificent concentration, formidable tannins, and an Arnold Schwartzenegger-like structure (when he was 25 years younger). This backward, formidably endowed 2005 will require patience. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2040.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The Château Pontet-Canet 2005 has an opulent, fruit-laden bouquet with precocious black cherries, wild strawberry, marmalade and fig roll-scents that bloom from the glass. The palate is full-bodied with copious sweet ripe black fruit – black cherries and crème de cassis – one of the most sensual and voluptuous Left Bank wines with layers of glycerine on the finish. Decadent and sophisticated, this is a Pauillac built for the long-term.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted single blind at Southwold. This is a stellar offering, here proving its mettle in a tough blind peer group tasting. It has a spellbinding bouquet of blackberry, touches of bilberry and Xmas Cake – lovely definition with honeyed/fig jam elements coming through. Exotic ambitions abound. The palate has superb concentration, layers and layers of fruit, real depth and vibrancy here. Enormous length and ambition and you know that it knows it is going to pull it off! Just amazing density and power. I thought this was stunning out of barrel…it could be even better. Drink 2012-2030+ Tasted January 2009.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at the Pontet-Canet vertical in London, the 2005 Château Pontet-Canet has long been one of the stars of the vintage and this might well be the best of over a dozen showings of this wine. However, do not expect ostentation on the nose. This is 2005 and like many wines of this vintage, even with considerable decanting, it remained broody and introspective on the nose, as if it is checking you out and seeing if you are worthy. Once you have been accepted, then it swings the doors open to reveal gorgeous scents of blackberry, briary and cassis fruit, perhaps a little more sous-bois than I have noticed compared to previous bottles. The palate is medium-bodied, but dense and structured—certainly a more masculine Pontet-Canet built for long-term ageing. Yet it retains marvelous freshness and vitality all the way through to the pencil-lead, quite saline finish. I suspect that the 2009 Pontet-Canet is more approachable than the 2005, so heeding Robert Parker's sage advice, afford this up to ten years in your cellar and then reap the rewards of patience. Tasted February 2016.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2005 Pontet-Canet is a heady, exotic wine. Inky dark fruit, mocha, chocolate, licorice, spice and tobacco are front and center. Readers will find an unabashedly opulent, full-throttle 2005 with quite a bit more oak influence and overall extraction than is the norm these days. Even so, the 2005 is a young, young wine with a bright future. This is one sexy Pauillac, that's for sure.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Good full ruby-red. Complex, enticing aromas of black raspberry, licorice, minerals, bitter chocolate, lead pencil and pungent cedar; just this side of exotic. Wonderfully silky, sweet and thick, with a powerful minerality framing the currant, graphite and spice flavors. This boasts superb inner-mouth energy and great length, with the full, ripe tannins totally enrobed by the wine's mid-palate richness. (My sample of the 2006 was old and tired, so I'll wait until next year to report on the finished wine; this was a star in the early going.)
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Deep ruby-red. Spectacular aromas of black raspberry, minerals, lead pencil, coffee and brown spices. Hugely rich and suave, with outstanding inner-mouth perfume allied to great structure and depth of flavor. Voluminous and utterly seamless wine with captivating flavors of currant, graphite, spices and minerals, all lifted by a minty nuance. Finishes with great breadth and extraordinary palate-staining persistence. With time in the glass, the wine's firm acidity became apparent. This is at first growth quality, and should evolve positively in bottle for the next two decades or more.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
(70% cabernet sauvignon, 25% merlot, 4% cabernet franc and 1% petit verdot) Bright medium ruby. Perfumed, vibrant aromas of raspberry, currant, minerals, spices and cigar box. Sweet and densely packed; superripe yet fresh, with brisk acidity giving definition and lift to the lush but sappy flavors. Wonderfully seamless and fine. A big wine with noble building tannins and compelling lingering sweetness. This has the tannic spine and sheer concentration of material to age for three decades or more.
About the Producer
The history of Château Pontet-Canet dates back to the early 18th century when Jean-François de Pontet, grand equerry of the king became governor of the Medoc, brings together several parcels of land located in Pauillac. Subsequently, his descendants add the vineyards adjoining the locality Canet: Château Pontet-Canet was born. One hundred years later, the famous classification of 1855 included Château Pontet-Canet among the elite of the Médoc viticulture. This rise did not escape one of the first Bordeaux merchants of the time, Herman Cruse, who bought the property in 1865. He built new cellars, modernized the facilities and made this wine known throughout the world. The Cruse family managedthe property for 110 years, until another merchant, but from Cognac, Guy Tesseron, bought it in 1975. Thus, in more than two hundred years, Château Pontet-Canet knew only three different owners. Today, it is the son of Guy Tesseron, Alfred Tesseron who is at the head of the field. The Château Pontet-Canet terroir consists of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. The property is 120 hectares of which 80 hectares are dedicated to the breeding of the vine. Led by Jean Michel Comme, Château Pontet-Canet’s viticulture has gone from conventional cultivation to organic farming and biodynamic farming. Thus, the terroirs, worked daily by Breton horses, have found their originality.
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