Pontet Canet 2016 (750ML)

98 Points, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The blend of the 2016 Pontet-Canet is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Around 55% of the wine was aged in new French oak barrels, 15% in two-year-old barrels and 35% in cement amphorae for 16 months. Deep garnet-purple colored, it opens with opulent scents of plum preserves, spice cake, hoisin and crème de cassis with fragrant wafts of potpourri, wood smoke and rose hip tea. Medium to full-bodied, rich and decadent, with loads of spicy layers, it has a firm, velvety texture with great freshness and incredible depth, finishing very long and on a compelling mineral note." 11/18

96 Points, Neal Martin, Vinous: "The 2016 Pontet-Canet was bottled in July 2018. Jean-Michel Comme says it is the best vintage in recent years, a reference point for the estate, with more definition and precision than the 2010 Pontet-Canet. I do like the bouquet here: very pure and precise, the oak nicely integrated, subtle floral scents emerging with time. In the background there is a touch of fresh fig, conveying the warmth of that summer but not impeding upon the terroir expression. The palate is very well balanced and extremely pure, with fine tannin and an almost satin-like texture; the acidity here is well judged. A subtle spiciness becomes more pronounced toward the finish, which exerts gentle grip. This is a very sophisticated Pontet-Canet, easily the finest from Alfred Tesseron and winemaker Jean-Michel Comme in recent years." 1/19

99 Points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous: "The 2016 Pontet-Canet is absolutely breathtaking. Powerful, ample and racy in the glass, the 2016 is one of the most exquisitely well-balanced young Pontet-Canets I can remember tasting. Savory, high-toned aromatics and brisk mineral notes lend energy and delineation as this vivid wonderfully alive wine opens up in the glass. The flavors are dark and incisive, but it is the wine's total sense of harmony that is most compelling. All of the elements are simply in the right place. The 2016 is tremendous. It's as simple as that. As is often the case, Pontet-Canet is one of the most singular wines in Bordeaux. Alfred Tesseron could have chosen to play things safe when he took over the management of the estate in the mid-1990s. Instead, he chose a very different path. No proprietor in Bordeaux has taken more risks over the last two decades than Alfred Tesseron. A commitment to biodynamic farming, sustainability across the entire estate more broadly, and the adoption of new concepts for Bordeaux, such as aging a portion of the wine in terra cotta, set Pontet-Canet apart from other properties in Pauillac and the Left Bank. Not surprisingly, the wine is also starkly different from the wines of neighboring estates." 1/19

97 Points, James Suckling: "The aromas of ripe blackcurrants, iodine, sweet tobacco and fresh flowers are spellbinding. Full-bodied with mouth-expanding, massive and natural tannins. Impressive fruit with hints of prunes. The finish is long and powerful. Needs six to seven years to soften and come together. Try from 2025." 2/19

100 Points, Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast: "A voluptuous wine, this is rich and fruity yet properly balanced by a magnificent structure. Pure, crisp and packed with a black currant flavor, this will be a remarkable wine as it develops. Still young, it needs many years to develop. *No. 2 Top Cellar Selections of 2019, Editors' Choice* (RV) (5/2019)