Château Pontet Canet, 5ème Cru Classé, Pauillac, 2008
This is absolutely delicious with just the right amount of gloss, highly perfumed fruit and the silkiest of textures. It really is glorious to drink right now. It demonstrates how far this 5th Growth Chateau has come since Alfred Tesseron took over and embarked on his biodynamic project. There is such precision and purity of fruit, while remaining absolutely faithful to its Pauillac origins.
critic reviews
Tasted at the estate a few months ago (blind against the five 1855 First Growths, where it more than held its own), and again at home within the same week as this vertical. A great vintage to look out for, with brushed velvety tannins, brambled blackberry and cassis puree fruits, softened tannins at 12 years old, and a good dollop of confident mint chocolate notes on the finish. Not as long lasting as some vintages, but bursting with pleasure.
A meeting by chance with the 2008 Pontet-Canet prior to a small tasting of South African wines reminded me what a lovely wine this is. There is plenty of black fruit on the nose laced with graphite. The cedar component is less prominent than the previous bottled tasting. The palate is medium-bodied, a little drier and more austere than recent vintages, yet clearly well balanced with a surfeit of freshness on the slightly herbaceous finish. Drinking perfectly now, this will give another two decades of drinking pleasure. Tasted at a merchant in London.