2022 Chateau Pontet Canet
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S$24197
Vintage: 2022
Region: Pauillac, Bordeaux
Country: France
About Winery
Château Pontet-Canet, Pauillac 5th Grand Cru Classé, has enjoyed an irresistible rise to become one of the Médoc's most emblematic names. Managed by Justine and Alfred Tesseron, Château Pontet-Canet has established itself as one of the pioneers of biodynamic viticulture in the Pauillac appellation, with results that exceed all expectations. Vintage after vintage, the estate has established itself as one of the finest references on Bordeaux's Left Bank.
The estate
Château Pontet-Canet, Pauillac 5th Grand Cru Classé, has enjoyed an irresistible rise to become one of the Médoc's most emblematic names. Managed by Justine and Alfred Tesseron, Château Pontet-Canet has established itself as one of the pioneers of biodynamic viticulture in the Pauillac appellation, with results that exceed all expectations. Vintage after vintage, the estate has established itself as one of the finest references on Bordeaux's Left Bank.
The vineyard
A benchmark among the great wines of Pauillac, Château Pontet-Canet oversees its vines with the greatest respect for the environment. The vines are worked with horses to prevent soil compaction. Biodynamic viticulture is applied on the estate. Through their work and knowledge of the vineyards, the estate's technical teams help the vines to give their very best.
The vintage
A relatively cool winter preceded a month of February in which temperatures exceeded seasonal norms. Rapid flowering took place in May, helped by summer weather conditions. There was some rain in June, including two stormy spells. July and August were marked by scorching weather. Water stress was avoided thanks to the clay soil and the adaptation of the winegrowers.
Winemaking and ageing
50% of the wine is aged in new barrels, 35% in concrete amphorae and 15% in one-wine barrels.
Blend
Château Pontet-Canet 2022 is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (57%), Merlot (35%), Cabernet Franc (4%) and Petit Verdot (4%).
James Suckling, 99-100 pts
"What a finish on this Pontet-Canet. So much energy and brightness. It's full-bodied yet so tight and focused with superb fruit and transparency. It is racy and fine with super fine texture. It's like crushed cabernet sauvignon with cassis, tobacco and cigar box. Licorice and spices. Freshness of the seed. 57% cabernet sauvignon, 35% merlot, 4% cabernet franc, and 4% petit verdot."
Jeb Dunnuck, 97-99+ pts
"The 2022 Château Pontet-Canet is brilliant and should easily be up with the crème de la crème from the Médoc. Based on 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, and 4% each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it was vinified mostly in concrete (there's a small part in wood), and the aging is in 50% new French oak, 35% in amphora, and the rest in once-used barrels. It has an incredibly pure bouquet of cassis, graphite, lead pencil, and scorched earth. This carries to a full-bodied Pauillac with a deep, layered mid-palate, building tannins, and a great finish. It has the purity, richness, and structure that makes this vintage so compelling and is going to be drinkable with just 4-6 years of bottle age but have an incredibly long life."
Lisa Perrotti Brown, 97-99 pts
"The 2022 Pontet-Canet is a blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot, aging 50% in new oak barrels, 35% in amphoras, and 15% in used barrels. Deep garnet-purple in color, it needs considerable swirling and coaxing to reveal aromas of damp earth, fragrant soil, crushed rocks, and underbrush, giving way to a profound core of blackcurrant cordial, juicy black plums, and fresh blackberries. The full-bodied palate is laden with nuanced black fruits, slowly releasing earthy and mineral-laced flavors, framed by firm, ripe, grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing on a lingering fragrant earth note. Talk about tasting the place! This is Pauillac in all its powerful, energetic glory"
Vinous, 95-97 pts
"The 2022 Pontet-Canet is a surprising wine. Usually much more opulent, especially in warm, dry years, the 2022 comes across as restrained and understated. It is a wine of linear intensity rather than size, marked by notable freshness and a feeling of tension and precision I don't recall seeing in the past. Clean mineral notes extend the finish effortlessly. I very much admire the precision and vibrancy here. Unforgettable. (AG)"
Decanter, 95 pts
"Vibrant, vivid purple colour in the glass, rich and deep. Smells bright, super fresh and expressive on the nose with freshly-picked blackcurrants and perfumed purple flowers-the Petit Verdot, really standing out. Clean and clear, creamy, powdery and softly chewy on the palate. The texture is lovely, you can tell they haven' over extracted but theres still clear concentration with a gentle succulence provided by the acidity, cool freshness and appealing mineral touches alongside liquorice, clove, dried herbs and bitter chocolate. Enjoyable and well defined if still a little compact. 3.85pH. 4% Cabernet Franc completes the blend. 15% press wine used. Harvest 8 - 28 September the earliest and longest ever. 20% lower yields than in 2021. The technical team used a clay sunscreen on the grapes to avoid burning. (GH)"
