Château Pontet-Canet 2023 en avant-première

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. Drink in three or four years.

97-99. Barrel Sample. 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.

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.

Some sweet strawberry and floral notes. Lovely purity from the get go, smooth, sappy, succulent and all in line. Great structure and balance here, grippy but fine tannins. Feels really cool and classic, the blue fruit, soft liquorice not spicy at all, wood super well integrated. Leans into the vintage with a classical frame, straight, well defined, pure and finessed. Lacking a touch in the fleshy appeal of some but you can't fault the precision on show. Juicy acidity too adds lift from start to finish. A brilliant, hands off, very assured Pontet. Also very approachable. A modern drinkable wine from Bordeaux. Really lovely. Ageing 50% new oak, 35% concrete, 15% one year barrels. 3% of Petit Verdot completes the blend.