Chateau Pontet Canet 2023

The 2023 Château Pontet-Canet is an elegant, highly praised Pauillac grand cru classé red wine characterized by vibrant freshness, silky tannins, and a lower alcohol level (13.8%) than previous opulent years.

Aromas of ripe blue fruits, black cherries, cassis, and wet earth, with a long, mineral, and graphite-inflected finish.

Cellar from 2030 through 2065.

Wine Spectator: 93
A solid red, with a core of dark currant and blackberry reduction notes laced with singed alder and chestnut leaf threads. Its grip is in cast iron form, and this is ample and well-buried, letting the fruit flow through the finish, where sweet bay echoes prettily. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2027 through 2040.

Wine Advocate: 97
Meeting the expectations set at the en primeur tastings, the 2023 Pontet-Canet wafts from the glass with a vibrant, perfumed bouquet of cassis, mulberries, rose petals, pencil shavings and licorice. Medium- to full-bodied, seamless and pure, it is layered and precise, framed by filigreed tannins and delivering a powerful yet controlled profile that extends into a long, crystalline, licorice-inflected finish. A blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot, it signals a new aesthetic era for the estate, marked by greater purity, brightness and precision.

Wine Advocate: 97

Meeting the expectations set at the en primeur tastings, the 2023 Pontet-Canet wafts from the glass with a vibrant, perfumed bouquet of cassis, mulberries, rose petals, pencil shavings and licorice. Medium- to full-bodied, seamless and pure, it is layered and precise, framed by filigreed tannins and delivering a powerful yet controlled profile that extends into a long, crystalline, licorice-inflected finish. A blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot, it signals a new aesthetic era for the estate, marked by greater purity, brightness and precision.

Decanter: 97
The longest harvest ever at this estate, and it paid off magnificently: lovely red berry and mint freshness, the Cabernet Franc coming to the fore. On the palate, it shows freshness and gorgeous wet stone salinity that rises above many other Pauillac peers. The acidity is very well managed and felt in a tangy (rather than tart) fashion and the wine exhibits superlative ripe Cabernet Sauvignon with tannic finesse as well as structure for the long haul. Normally the estate needs three or four days to harvest the Merlots but extra care was a taken - picking over a 10 day period for the Merlots - to obtain only the very best for the blend, resulting in veritable juiciness, too.

Decanter: 97

The longest harvest ever at this estate, and it paid off magnificently: lovely red berry and mint freshness, the Cabernet Franc coming to the fore. On the palate, it shows freshness and gorgeous wet stone salinity that rises above many other Pauillac peers. The acidity is very well managed and felt in a tangy (rather than tart) fashion and the wine exhibits superlative ripe Cabernet Sauvignon with tannic finesse as well as structure for the long haul. Normally the estate needs three or four days to harvest the Merlots but extra care was a taken - picking over a 10 day period for the Merlots - to obtain only the very best for the blend, resulting in veritable juiciness, too.

Vinous: 97
The 2023 Pontet-Canet is a powerful, impressively constituted wine. Dark, vibrant and sensual in the glass, the 2023 is somber and mysterious in bearing. Black plum, gravel, lavender, graphite and licorice all meld together in the glass. More than anything else, the 2023 is incredibly well put together. In this vintage, the wine was blended at the beginning of élevage rather than at the end, as was the custom in the past. This is a gorgeous and hugely promising Pontet-Canet. I especially admire its finely cut precision and soaring aromatics.

Vinous: 97

The 2023 Pontet-Canet is a powerful, impressively constituted wine. Dark, vibrant and sensual in the glass, the 2023 is somber and mysterious in bearing. Black plum, gravel, lavender, graphite and licorice all meld together in the glass. More than anything else, the 2023 is incredibly well put together. In this vintage, the wine was blended at the beginning of élevage rather than at the end, as was the custom in the past. This is a gorgeous and hugely promising Pontet-Canet. I especially admire its finely cut precision and soaring aromatics.

James Suckling: 98
A crunchy and vivid Pontet Canet with aromas of blueberries, blackberries, roses, violets and some sandalwood and graphite. Medium-bodied with ultra-fine tannins that are long and caressing. Creamy texture, with crushed stones and light cement. Lots of energy at the end. Very approachable and long. Turns chewy and silky, with a bright and vivid finish. From biodynamically grown grapes. 52% cabernet sauvignon, 39% merlot, 6% cabernet franc and 3% petit verdot.

James Suckling: 98

A crunchy and vivid Pontet Canet with aromas of blueberries, blackberries, roses, violets and some sandalwood and graphite. Medium-bodied with ultra-fine tannins that are long and caressing. Creamy texture, with crushed stones and light cement. Lots of energy at the end. Very approachable and long. Turns chewy and silky, with a bright and vivid finish. From biodynamically grown grapes. 52% cabernet sauvignon, 39% merlot, 6% cabernet franc and 3% petit verdot.

Jeb Dunnuck: 96
A serious, age-worthy Pauillac, the 2023 Château Pontet-Canet is based on 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, and the balance Petit Verdot, brought up in 50% new French oak, 35% amphora, and the rest in once-used barrels. Its deep purple hue is followed by a classic 2023 style in its aromatics and texture, with black cherries, ripe blue fruits, smoke, tobacco leaf, loamy earth, graphite, and beautiful floral nuances. It's medium to full-bodied on the palate, with a pure, pretty mouthfeel, remarkable elegance and purity, plenty of fine tannins, and a great finish. It already offers pleasure given its purity and vibrancy, but smart money will hide bottles for 5-7 years. It will see its 40th birthday in fine form. Drink 2030-2065.

Jeb Dunnuck: 96

A serious, age-worthy Pauillac, the 2023 Château Pontet-Canet is based on 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, and the balance Petit Verdot, brought up in 50% new French oak, 35% amphora, and the rest in once-used barrels. Its deep purple hue is followed by a classic 2023 style in its aromatics and texture, with black cherries, ripe blue fruits, smoke, tobacco leaf, loamy earth, graphite, and beautiful floral nuances. It's medium to full-bodied on the palate, with a pure, pretty mouthfeel, remarkable elegance and purity, plenty of fine tannins, and a great finish. It already offers pleasure given its purity and vibrancy, but smart money will hide bottles for 5-7 years. It will see its 40th birthday in fine form. Drink 2030-2065.