Château Pontet-Canet 2023

Robert Parker Wine Advocate

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 élevage 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.

Jane Anson - Inside Bordeaux

Vinum Wine Magazine

Adrian van Velsen - vvWine.ch & VINUM

Wine Enthusiast

This is a very aromatic wine with all the Pontet-Canet style of attention to detail. With ripe black-currant fruits, it is beautifully perfumed and dense. Rich tannins and spices are layered with velvet fruits. It is impressive and seriously ageworthy. Organic and biodynamic.

Jeb Dunnuck

Blue fruits, sappy herbs, flowers, and subtle graphite notes all emerge from the 2023 Château Pontet-Canet, a medium to full-bodied, concentrated Pauillac that has plenty of mid-palate flesh and texture, ripe, polished tannins, and outstanding length. It's incredibly well-balanced, has a round, layered mouthfeel, and a brilliant sense of salinity and minerality on the finish. It's going to need just short-term cellaring, but this is a gorgeous Pauillac. The blend is 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot, from healthy yields of 55 hectoliters per hectare.