2025 Pontet Canet
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Tasting notes
A beautifully expressive nose of dark fruit immediately sets the tone, layered with a sense of purity and precision. On the palate, the wine is round and juicy, driven by crunchy fruit that gives it lift and energy despite its concentrated core. The oak integration is particularly well judged, bringing a light touch of creaminess without ever feeling overwhelming, adding polish rather than weight. There is a real sense of depth here, a multidimensional feeling that evolves across the palate, combining richness with freshness. The texture is refined and polished, leading into a long length marked by pleasant notes of spice and lingering dark fruit nuances. Already showing remarkable accessibility, it feels almost ready to drink now, though it will clearly benefit from another year of élevage to fully harmonise its components. A compelling and finely balanced Pontet-Canet.
Critic scores
Average Score
James Suckling
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
A precise and beautiful wine with total integration of the fruit and polished tannins that give a caressing and seductive mouthfeel. It’s medium-bodied with lovely fruit, a gentle nature and an overall softness and gorgeousness. Yet structured.
The 2025 Pontet-Canet is a wine of exquisite class. Silky, aromatic and vibrant, the 2025 is all finesse. Crushed red/purplish fruit, lavender, rose petal and a gentle hint of spice are all wonderfully knit together. Pontet-Canet is one of the more refined, sublimely beautiful wines of the year. This could turn out even better than my note suggests. Tasted two times.
Inky but vivid bright plum colour, tannins at the front of the mouth, a ton of energy, if reserved at this early stage. Expect graphite and crayon, lovely lift and floral Cabernet Sauvignon character; low yields like much of Pauillac and small berries ensuring the tannins are plentiful. Walks the line of fresh and juicy flavours alongside a brooding concentrated architecture, huge ageing potential with cold ash and gunsmoke nuance. Although there was some rain at end of June and July, this was still a dry vintage, and vineyard work including braiding the vines for shade and applying chamomile as sunscreen, so they coped better than in 2022 overall. Harvest September 2 to 23, indigenous yeasts that are specific to the vintage, 40% new oak, 35% clay amphoras, 15% one year old barrels. Extended maceration, low SO2 with zero added until after fermentation.
About the producer
Ch. Pontet-Canet is one of Pauillac’s top estates, and one of its largest at 81 hectares. Although classified as a Fifth Growth, these days it consistently competes with the First Growths