Château Pontet-Canet Pauillac 2021 - 5ème Grand Cru Classé BIO

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

This wine has become one of the most sought-after in the Médoc thanks to an extraordinary partnership between Jean-Michel Comme, a passionate and charismatic winemaker dedicated to authenticity, and Alfred Tesseron, an equally committed owner-manager willing to take any risk. Their partnership has enabled the vineyard’s conversion to organic viticulture—an inspiration to all their neighbors—and the refinement of a winemaking approach tailored to their quest for authenticity in expressing the terroir and the vintage. There is no longer a second wine; the entire harvest goes into the grand vin. In terms of style, in recent vintages, a portion aged in concrete tanks perfectly balances the oak and releases the full aromatic purity of an exceptional wine.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the estate:

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the estate:

Owned by the Tesseron family, Pontet-Canet owes much to the tireless work of Jean-Michel Comme, who spearheaded the transition to biodynamics and has shaped the estate’s winemaking philosophy for some thirty years. He left the estate in May 2020, handing the reins to Mathieu Bessonnet. In any case, the estate is well on its way, and there is no reason to believe it will not continue along the path it has charted. It is now up to Justine Tesseron, Alfred’s daughter and now at the helm, to keep Pontet-Canet in this league of its own. A tour of the cellar, the horse stables, and the winemaking facilities reveals just how far the château has taken its vision of excellence and respect for nature to the extreme—whether the grumblers like it or not. A pioneer, Pontet-Canet has sparked a powerful movement in the Médoc that is now setting the standard.

Wine Enthusiast

About the wine:

With pure aromas of berries and cedar, the wine itself is exceptionally pure. It offers a clean, crisp profile of blackcurrant and ripe acidity. The wine has a beautifully textured palate and a firm core. Best enjoyed starting in 2028. Organic and biodynamic.

Terre de Vins

About the wine:

Vibrant and, as a bonus, spared from frost. Herbal treatments were widely used to combat downy mildew, and teams working tirelessly on the ground saved the day, managing to achieve the appellation’s average yield of 35 hl/ha. Under the guidance of technical director Mathieu Bessonnet, work in the vineyard consisted of a series of quick-thinking responses to the whims of the weather (for example, all the vines were treated in 11 hours). The reward is clear, with an expressive bouquet of jammed plums, redcurrant jelly, and wild mint, a dense, well-integrated tannic structure, and a very silky texture that lingers on the finish with a burst of cocoa bean and bitter orange peel. Aging is split equally between new barrels, over a third in concrete amphorae, and finally 15% in one-year-old barrels. If you’re looking for a great wine to savor, this is it!

Yves Beck

About the wine:

Pontet Canet 2021 displays an authentic, precise character, clearly inspired by its terroir! The wine possesses power and an unexpected tension, making it lively and mouth-watering. The tannins, somewhat creamy, are neither subdued nor overwhelmed; they fulfill their role effectively and create a harmonious balance with the wine’s acidity. Harmony is thus assured. A Pontet Canet that stands out through its vigor and terroir, and which serves as a reminder that it can perform regardless of the vintage. That, too, is what makes a great wine. 2027–2047

Vert de Vin

About the wine:

The nose is fruity, elegant, and refined, offering lovely purity of fruit, a delicate concentration, a very nice finesse of texture, and complexity. It features notes of vibrant blackcurrant, violet, and a hint of fresh morello cherry, combined with touches of fleshy, juicy purple plum, licorice, subtle hints of caramel, graphite, and refined minerality, along with subtle hints of crushed berries, and discreet notes of bergamot and cherry blossom. The palate is beautifully executed, delicate, and precise, offering purity, juiciness, freshness, lovely definition, well-balanced bitterness, depth, minerality, vibrant energy, a lively acidity, and a delightful crispness and juiciness. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of pulpy/juicy cherry, fresh/crisp morello cherry, and more subtly, violet plum, crisp/juicy, as well as delicate hints of vibrant wild berries, licorice, vanilla, subtle hints of bergamot, subtle hints of fresh flowers and fresh rose, a subtle hint of cardamom, fresh hazelnut, and a subtle hint of bourbon vanilla. The tannins are supple. Good length. A lovely success, a classic.

Tastingbook - Markus Del Monego

About the wine:

Deep purple color with violet highlights and a black core. An opulent nose with a multi-layered character, featuring ripe blackberries, blackcurrants, black cherries, and hints of candied wild berries in the background. Very elegant spices, with notes of vanilla and gingerbread. The palate is very structured; this is a wine with freshness, precision, and elegance, and a lovely length. Excellent fruit and delicate spices, with notes of dark chocolate on the finish. A very elegant wine with lovely tension and promising potential.