Château Pontet Canet, 5ème Cru Classé, Pauillac, 2006
Alfred Tesseron worked extensively in the vineyards and with lower than normal yields (35hl/ha), and we believe that his 2006 matches the outstanding calibre of all his recent vintages. Excellent depth of colour; complete on the nose, with a vast array of flavours all superbly integrated with ripe blackcurrant and a clear sense of this château's exquisite terroir. Smoke, brambles, fresh savoury accents on the nose; toasty oak on the palate, full, powerful and rich with wonderful structure, length and depth. Undoubtedly one of the finest 2006's.
critic reviews
Tasted at Bordeaux Index's annual 10-Year On tasting in London. The 2006 Chateau Pontet-Canet has an extremely pure, vivacious, perfumed bouquet with crushed violets infusing the blueberry and blackberry fruit. But it is all about the detail and precision in this wine. The palate is medium-bodied with a gentle grip in the mouth: lightly toasted black fruit, dried orange peel, cedar and a pinch of white pepper. This feels very cohesive and poised with just a touch of mint entering right on the finish. What a great wine from Alfred Tesseron and Jean-Michel Comme. Go grab the corkscrew now, but don't feel that this wine has to be opened for another 5-6 years. Tasted January 2016.
Saturated medium ruby. Inky cassis, black raspberry, graphite and pungent minerality on the very ripe nose. Dense, rich and silky, with a brooding inky minerality and an almost liqueur-like dark fruit sweetness leavened by a savory peppery element. This very ripe, deep and concentrated wine boasts wonderful lushness without any undue weight thanks to its sheer energy. Like its neighbor Mouton-Rothschild, Pontet-Canet's 2006 conveys a powerful impression of soil character. Finishes with serious dusty tannins and superb lingering sweetness. Should be long-lived.