Château Pontet-Canet 2004

Shows beautiful aromas of crushed berries and currant, with hints of mineral. Full-bodied, with lovely currant, licorice and mint. Long and caressing. Very refined and balanced. Another winner from Pontet-Canet. Best after 2011. 25,000 cases made.

93-95 A wine that combines big solid, but fresh fruit, with big flavors of new wood. It is solid, black and powerful.

The restrained aromas of this wine offered little attraction to tasters, with a muted blackcurrant fruit and little depth or nuance on the initial attack. The tannins on the palate were substantial, which helped carry the wine to a lingering finish, yet the wine stubbornly refused to open up. The development of the wine seems stalled, and the aromas have yet to unfurl. Although the château constates two green harvests and picking on the last day of September, this failed to imbue the wine with flesh.

Firm and fresh with currant bush and sweet tobacco character that turns to cigar box. Medium-to-full body with a racy edge to it. Drink or hold.

Perfumed dark fruit. Dry and lightish in the middle. Elegant but a little lacking in fruit depth on the mid palate so feels a little warm at the end. (JH)

Fresh herbs, cedar, cassis and oak in the nose, the wine is medium bodied, open and finishes with a cassis and olive note in the red berry finish.

Still vibrant ruby in color, the 2004 Pontet Canet offers a very classic, balanced, medium- to full-bodied style, along with textbook notes of blackcurrant, cedar wood, dried tobacco and a hint of graphite. Still firm and focused, yet nicely concentrated, with ripe tannins, it is in the early stages of its drinking plateau and should easily keep for another two decades.

(65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot): it was the first vintage in which 30% of the grapes used already came from certified organic farming. On the day, it showed in a classic style, with a subtle cedar-like spice and the typical dark fruit, such as blackcurrant. It was a fine example of traditional Pauillac—firmly structured, with pronounced oak ageing and a distinctive character. 18.5/20

Medium garnet with a purple sheen. A noble, fine Cabernet bouquet with notes of blueberries and blackberries, though it feels rather slender; beneath that, wonderful terroir notes emerge. Long, juicy and very elegant on the palate, showing balanced yet demanding astringency, finishing with blue berries. Perhaps not quite as impressive as in previous years. (17/20). 12: At a dinner with Alfred Tesseron at the Château. Still too young, yet already pursuing a very straight path. And that path leads into classicism with demanding Cabernet tannins. For that, I’m giving it one more point now. For those who can’t wait—decant three hours. 12: Opened just like that with a tartare at the Caveau in Zurich at a lunch with Jürg Richter. That was a tough nut. There will never be any charm here—but instead, a compensated character! (18/20). 14: Immediately after pulling the cork: extremely dark colour. A deep, probing bouquet, first absorbing terroir notes; behind it, very dark-berry fruit, with tar notes and summer truffle in the background. It seems to be trying, timidly, to show itself for the first time. When you put your nose in the glass, you’ll spontaneously say “Pauillac” to yourself. Very aromatic on the palate; here too a clear Pauillac—i.e., unmistakably Bordeaux in origin. The tannins are still a bit crumbly, but they indicate that integration into the body has begun. A great Ponet-Canet that is currently underrated. I have to admit I slightly underestimated it at the en primeur tasting. The wine had strikingly heavy sediment. 18/20. At a Wine & Dine: showing a terrific warm aromatic profile, broader and with far more drive than before decanting. Alongside very dark fruit, there’s also a floral shimmer. Velvety palate, still slightly roughening, yet offering far more pleasure than when not decanted. Air contact has brought the drinking window forward by about two years. I especially like the lightly sandalwood-tinged, black-berry finish. Super performance! 15: During a wine evening at Mövenpick Weinkeller Zürich-Wollishofen. This is Bordeaux! Liquorice, black pepper, blue fruit and a hint of herbs. On the palate, dense with class, muscle and power.

Velvety, dense, dark, powerful bouquet with plum, tobacco, liquorice and charcoal. Dense, full, fruity palate with a velvety texture, fine tannins, dark aromatic notes, a finely muscular structure, and a long, concentrated finish. 18/20 drink – 2038

In the glass the 2004 Château Pontet-Canet presents an attractive hue, with a nice density for the vintage, a dark plum core and dusty matt rim. The aromatics are a delight, starting off with scents of violets and incense, before relaxing to reveal notes of crisp blackcurrant, blackberry, black liquorice, rose and lavender, along with very fine dark chocolate and touches of fragrant mint. This precedes a fresh and light-footed style at the very start of the palate, then a light and savoury texture through the middle, set upon a nicely resolved core of tannins which add a barely perceptible touch of powdery grip. Overall this is fresh, lightly floral and peppery, with a delicate finish, an easy-going charmer with aromatics that outclass the palate. The structure seems almost entirely resolved here, with just a lick of tannin remaining. Drinking now.

The wine is dense, tannic, elegant, very long, and still very young.

Logo on the cork: JL (Lafitte Liège) Dark, intense colour, slightly developed. Moderately aromatic nose, with fresh fruit, and a note of cedar and new oak. Broad on the attack and flavoursome on the mid-palate, the wine then lacks stability as it evolves, showing a slightly harsh, tannic finish, though with good flavour. Medium length.