2020 Chateau Pontet Canet - 5eme Cru Pauillac

Decanter.com – 97 pts – GH: *Dark chocolate, bramble tones, not overly floral or fruity with some cedar and cinnamon notes. Lovely high acidity straight away, forward, bright and energetic with lovely crunchy blue fruit on the palate but creamy textured tannins giving a round and complete mouthful. Nothing feels overdone, this is quietly seductive and confident but not at all showing off. I love the minerality and the graphite grip with plum and black cherry and tons of slate, liquorice and menthol freshness. Long finish, slowly expansive, building and growing from start to finish showing an impressive structure overall. Nicely constructed, charming still with the Pauillac touch. A great Pontet - immediately seductive and enjoyable with a long ageing potential.* - 01/2023

Falstaff Magazin – 96 pts – PM: *Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, opaker Kern, zarte Randaufhellung. Schwarze Kirschen, feines Cassis, reife Zwetschken, zart nach Nugat, kandierte Orangenzesten, sehr feine Edelholzwürze, einladendes Bukett. Komplex, saftig, würzige Textur, pfeffriger Touch, reife und feine Tannine, straff, mineralisch-salzig im Abgang, sehr strukturiert, noch etwas fordernd im Abgang, wird von ausgedehnter Flaschenreife profitieren. (2030–2065)* - 02/2023

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate - 96-98+pts: *The 2020 Pontet-Canet is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot, aging in 50% new French oak barriques, 35% concrete amphorae and 15% in one-year-old barrels. Harvest began on the 14th September for the Merlot, and the final lot of Cabernet Sauvignon was harvested on 30th September. Opaque purple-black in color, it needs significant aeration and swirling to coax out evocative notes of black cherry preserves, raspberry pie, blackcurrant pastilles and damp soil, before launching into gorgeous floral and spice notions of red roses, cinnamon stick, star anise and cardamom, with a waft of crushed rocks. The medium to full-bodied palate reveals a lot of depth and polish, delivering mouth-coating red and black fruits with loads of fragrant earth and floral sparks, framed by velvety tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and mineral tinged. This is a singular, fascinating expression of the vintage and highly recommended!* - 05/21

Vinum Magazin – 19,5/20 pts: *Wie immer von ganz besonderer Art, komplex, vollmundig, samten, ewig lang: wirkt allenfalls ein Spur feuriger als die letzten Jahre und damit nicht ganz so erratisch, was seiner Klasse keinen Abbruch tut.* - 07/2023

WeinWisser – 19+/20pts – GL, TW: *Delikates Bouquet, frisch gepflückte Alpenheidelbeere, getrocknete Rosenblätter und frischer Rosmarin. Im zweiten Ansatz Backpflaumen, erkalteter Waldfrüchtetee und Holundersaft. Am sublimen Gaumen mit seidiger Textur, körnigem Extrakt, kakaoartigem Tanningerüst, perfekt modellierter Körper. Im nicht enden wollenden Finale verschlankt sich der Pauillac, Anflug an Schattenmorelle und roter Pflaume gepaart mit dunklem Graphit, endet mit erhabener Adstringenz.* – 03/2023

JancisRobinson.com – 17,5/20pts – JH: *60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot. Deep crimson with smudgy rim. The fruit is so much fresher and more vibrant than on the 2019. Thick, dry, firm, honest tannins filled out by the cedary-cassis fruit. Chewy, compact, harmonious for a long future. Needs time in bottle to gain in elegance.* - 10/2023

JamesSuckling.com - 98-99pts - JS: *This is integrated, with superb density and beauty, offering blackcurrant, mineral and some bark. Full-bodied, yet so polished and refined. Crushed stone. Lots of expression and texture to this wine. Creamy. Pure and precise. Elegant, yet layered. Slightly plusher than the 2019. Dense, yet agile. Fresh as always. 60% cabernet sauvignon, 32% merlot, 4% cabernet franc and 4% petit verdot. 50% new oak 15% old oak and 35% concrete amphorae.* - 05/2021

Vinous.com – 95+ pts – AG: *The 2020 Pontet-Canet is a potent, brooding wine that really seems to reflect the richness of the year in its flavor profile and overall feel. Today, the 2020 is quite dark and somber, although aeration gradually brings out floral top notes that convey freshness. The 2020 is an exotic Pontet-Canet that that will require time. The 2020 spent 14-16 months in the cellar, in the combination of 50% new oak, 35% amphora and 15% once-used barrels.* - 12/2022

Vinous.com – 95 pts – NM: *The Pontet-Canet, which was picked from 14 September, has quite a plush bouquet with blachberry, raspberry coulis, cedar and light touches of espresso that hover in the background. Fine delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins. These remain unnoticable and indeed pleasurable sprinkling of black pepper complementing that black fruit. Quite structured on the finish (more so than previous vintages) with a gentle but insistent grip. Unquestionably this is more classically styled than the recently blind-tasted 2019 and should mature well in bottle. Excellent.* - 12/2022

Thewinecellarinsider.com – 97 pts – JL: *With a nose that displays truffle, tobacco leaf, cedar, licorice, and black currants, the wine is soft, fresh, refined, and focuses you on its cassis, blackberry, earth, spice, and peppery herb character. There are no hard edges in the finish, just soft, vibrant currants, herbs, and spice. The wine is a blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, and 4% Cabernet Franc. 13% ABV, pH 3.8. The wine is aged in 45% new, French oak barrels and amphora. The harvest took place September 14, to September 30. Drink from 2026-2055.* - 08/2023