2021 Château Pontet-Canet, Pauillac, Bordeaux

Tasted blind

Concentrated, purplish crimson. Some freshness on the nose. Vibrant but simple blackcurrant. Chewy finish. Marked acidity. Certainly youthful! Giving this the benefit of the doubt. It’s no fun now, but it should come right.

Drink 2030 - 2044

Offering up wild, exotic aromas of blackberries, cloves and Indian spices mingled with notions of rose petal, bruised orchard fruit and cherry pit that evolve rapidly in the glass, the 2021 Pontet-Canet is medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy, with a layered mid-palate and refined tannins that assert themselves on the firm, saline finish. Always one of the Médoc's most singular, idiosyncratic wines, it will be interesting to see how it performs in bottle.

Harvest took place from September 24 through October 12. Yields were 34 hectoliters per hectare.

The 2021 Pontet-Canet is a soft, open-knit, attractive wine, but its light structure is impossible to look past. Graphite, dried herbs, menthol and liquorice fill out the layers. The 2021 is a fairly accessible Pontet Canet that will drink well with minimal cellaring.

Drink 2028 - 2041

The 2021 is based on 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 6% Petit Verdot that was raised 50% in new oak barrels, 35% amphora, and the balance in once-used oak.

Ripe blue fruits, spring flowers, violets, tobacco, and some graphite notes all emerge from the 2021 Château Pontet-Canet, a richer, medium to full-bodied Pauillac that has polished, building tannins, terrific overall balance, and outstanding length. It picks up more classic Pauillac lead pencil notes with time in the glass I could taste this on multiple occasions) and is a fleshy, beautifully textured 2021 that will benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age and evolve for two decades.

Drink 2028 - 2049

The 2021 Pontet Canet, which contains a little more Petit Verdot than usual, was bottled in July. It has a very attractive bouquet with pure black fruit, cedar and light iris flower scents. It is not powerful, yet there is elegance here. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins and a crisp line of acidity. A hint of mocha lurks in the background, but there is a satisfying, almost citric freshness toward the finish. Suggestions of graphite linger on the aftertaste. I have not spared Pontet Canet from criticism in recent vintages, but that said, I really warmed to this 2021, and it should age with style.

Drink 2025 - 2050

This is a very pretty 2021 with a solid, beautiful mid-palate and density. Juicy fruit, slightly chewy tannins and a savoury finish. Hints of graphite.

Drink or hold

4% Cabernet Franc completes the blend.

There is a gorgeous fragrance on the nose, so perfumed and floral - really vibrant - you can smell the Cabernet and the Petit Verdot on the nose. Juiciness straight away from a burst of high acidity focussed on blackcurrant and black cherry with both a fragrance, spice and minerality following. This really hits you square on - it’s not opulent, but it’s so fully flavoured, forward and upfront. Tannins are fine-grained but plentiful; they hold the structure and give the frame, while the creaminess and freshness give an expansive aspect to the palate.

There’s refinement and an aerial quality here despite the clear Pauillac power. The Cabernet fruit is in full shine mode, giving a touch of eucalyptus, perfumed berry, and black pepper. Structured and supple with grape and terroir characteristics. If you love Pontet and classic Pauillac claret, this is an impressive reference point—skilled winemaking from technical director Mathieu Bessonet.

Drink 2026 - 2050

Harvest 24 September until 12 October. 50% new oak, 35% amphora, 15% one year barrels, 15% press aged in the amphora).

Bright berry red in colour, nuanced blackberry and loganberry with bitter black chocolate notes from the first attack. Lovely precision, good level of spice, earthy, unfussy, rose stem and blackcurrant bud. This was the third vintage with mildew pressure, but the team are now experienced, and I can attest to seeing the vines during harvest and remarking on how healthy they looked, with no-till farming helping concentration. Plenty of tannins give structure and are shot through with sinew and juice, this is an impressive wine from Technical Director Mathieu Bessonet, with Pauillac typicity.

Drink 2026 - 2044