2005 Château Pontet Canet, France, Bordeaux, Pauillac, Wine Review

Popped the cork, allowed to breathe for an hour or so. Purple in color, ruby at the rim, slightly flat and opaque. The nose is classic Bordeaux. Some Bordeaux earthy funk along with cassis, cigar box and cedar. Firm tannins. Nicely balance. Great texture. On the palate, this is just about at peak but maybe not quite. Layered complexity. Cassis, earthiness, tobacco and slight char. Long finish with some dark chocolate on it. Delicious. Everything one could have hoped for on purchase. This drinks well on its own but would be great at the dinner table with Roasted Lamb. It still has another ten to fifteen years at peak.

Grade:

A+

Score:

Vintage:

2005

Current Price:

$198.00USD

2008 Château Pontet-Canet, France, Bordeaux, Wine Review

Vintage:

2008

Score:

Grade:

Current Price:

$100.00USD

An issue with Bordeaux is how long do they need to be cellared before opening. I saw a tasting note saying this was drinking great, so I opened a bottle. Pop and pour. Uh, no. At least not for my tastes. It was tight, closed up and tannic. No harm though, the cork went back in and it was left for the next night. Again, pop and pour on Night 2. Much better although the last glass was certainly then best (by far). If I was doing it again, I would wait a couple of years but if I really wanted it htat evening, a six hour decant seems about right. As for the wine, it is inky purple in

2015 Château Pontet-Canet, France, Bordeaux, Pauillac, Wine Review

Vintage:

2015

Score:

Grade:

This winery as been on a roll, certainly over the last twenty years, but especially, the last 10. This is the best 2015 I have tasted so far. Purple in color. The nose has great cassis, some char, tobacco and cedar. On the palate, this has soft black cherries while still having firm tannins. Cassis, earth and tobacco. Some spice. It is big and bold, yet accessible in the glass. Improved all night long. Certainly a few points of upside if cellared for a decade or two. $130 is expensive but for this quality, probably fair.

2008 Château Pontet-Canet, France, Bordeaux, Pauillac, Wine Review

Vintage:

2008

Score:

Grade:

Current Price:

$90.00USD

Thrown into a tasting of First Growths from this vintage, that probably wasn't fair, but it held it's own even if not one of the top wines. And, to top it off Inky purple in color. The nose is very nice with liqueur-like notes of cassis and cherries along with some cedar and spice. On the palate, this has a lot of cassis fruit with firm tannins. It will need another five to ten year to maturity. It is delicious as pop and pour right now. Considering this is available for around $90 right now, it is hard to justify the prices of some of the other "better" wines.

2008 Château Pontet-Canet, France, Bordeaux, Wine Review

Vintage:

2020

Score:

Grade:

Current Price:

$120.00USD

Great showing for this wine. Still, not close to maturity, but certainly no harm drinking now. Purple in color with very slight dark brown hues, opaque and bright. The nose has cassis, blueberries, cigar, graphite, and a slight herbal/minty note. Medium tannins. Full bodied. On the palate, cassis with underlying char and minerality. Good acidity. Complex. Long finish. This is delicious and kept improving all night long. It will improve but was fantastic now. Great on its own, this needs big/fatty food now such as Prime Rib. Drink over the next twenty years.

2005 Château Grand-Pontet, France, Bordeaux, St. Emilion, Wine Review

Vintage:

2005

Score:

Grade:

Current Price:

$140.00USD

This is coming along quite nicely. It's not yet at peak and still drinks big and young. Purple in color. The nose is big with black cherries, some black raspberry, spice, some chocolate and a bit of coffee. On the palate, this has medium tannins. Lots of black cherry and black raspberry fruit over a bit of char/dark chocolate. Slight black licorice on the finish. This is delicious and great on its own or with bolder roasted meat (or vegetable) dishes. It will continue to improve for another five to ten years, and be good for another ten to fifteen after that if well stored. This bo

2005 Château Pontet Canet, France, Bordeaux, Pauillac, Wine Review

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