2023 Pontet-Canet (Pauillac)

The 2023 Pontet Canet was bottled in mid-July 2025 and it was the first vintage that used air conditioning in the barrel cellar, also the first not using the large vats. There was also a reconfiguration of cooperages used during the ageing. It has a tightly knit bouquet with those dark cherries and blackcurrant scents noted previously, albeit with a subtle cassis scent emerging with time. This is nicely poised and more classical in style compared to previous vintages. Free sulphites here are around 30 mg/L. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, slightly edgy tannins, more tension and mineralite tucked into this vintage than the 2022. Nicely composed towards the finish with a residual pepperiness that lingers, this is a fine Pontet Canet. Tasted three times including at the chateau. 94 points

A wine to convince you of the quality and ripeness of Cabernet Sauvignon in Pauillac in this 2023 vintage, showcasing superbly supple tannins, great balance, depth and savoury blue and black fruit character, bitter cocoa bean, freshly cut herbs, black tea, fennel, all vivid and with purity of character. There is density here but it is not overt, with heightened raspberry leaf, peony and violet aromatics. Vinified in the newly-completed section of the cellars, in egg-shaped wooden vats and sunken qveri-style clay vats. 50% new oak for ageing, with 35% amphora and 15% one year old barrels. One of the wines of the vintage. New lighter bottle as of the 2022 around 490g, down from 815g in the past, 30 tonnes of CO2 saved just in terms of production. Harvest September 7, one day earlier than 2022, then slow picking through to October 10, later than many in Pauillac - and normal yields of around 40hl/h. 98-100 points

With the 2023 vintage, this estate has crafted a wine of unprecedented aromatic intensity and precision that marks a significant evolution. Revealing an elegant, fresh bouquet of mulberries and cassis mingled with notions of violets, gentian and menthol, the 2023 Pontet-Canet is medium to full-bodied, seamless and multidimensional, with a pure and precise core of fruit that`s framed by ultra-refined tannins and a powerful but controlled profile, concluding with long, mineral, licorice-inflected finish. It`s the result of more daring harvest decisions than in previous years: By picking the Merlot earlier to highlight fresh, fruity notes rather than baked, sun-kissed flavors and simultaneously delaying the Cabernet Sauvignon harvest until after September 28 to refine tannins, the 2023 Pontet-Canet marks a significant evolution at this renowned estate. At this early stage, its elevage appears to be more discreet, too. This wine, which I`d be delighted to own, is a blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot, matured in 50% new oak barrels, 35% amphorae and 15% once-used barrels. 96-98 points