2011 Chateau Pontet-Canet 5eme Cru Classe, Pauillac 1x750ml

Robert Parker 93

Deep garnet in color, the 2011 Pontet-Canet comes bounding out of the glass with exuberant notes of redcurrant jelly, warm cassis and blackberry pie plus touches of dried mint, mocha, smoked meats and yeast extract with a waft of pencil lead. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has bags of energy with lively red and black fruits and compelling mineral accents, finishing long with a provocative lift. [Lisa Perrotti-Brown, 05/12/2020]

Anticipated maturity: 2020-2040

Vinous 89+

Vivid ruby. Very ripe scents of dark plum, graphite and leather and a strong note of underbrush on the initially reduced nose. Fleshy and smooth on entry, showing hefty, slightly warm, ripe dark fruit and licorice flavors, but turns austere on the long back end, finishing with tight tannins and a metallic edge. Really not much fun presently, and very different from what I remember at the Primeurs: I imagine the sample I tried most recently was in the process of shutting down. I wouldn’t pull the cork on this for at least another four or five years. [Ian D’Agata, 01/07/2014]