Around 35% of the wine is aged in amphorae partially made out of the soil from the estate, which ties elements of terroir into the fermentation process, creating integration between all stages of the winemaking process.
The wines of Pontet-Canet are characterised by depth and power, with aromas of ripe fruit, meat and spice, carried by high amounts of supple tannins. They are full bodied yet still extremely refined, with great potential for ageing. When reviewing the 2009 vintage, Robert Parker described the wine as one of “irrefutable purity, laser-like precision, colossal weight and richness, and sensational freshness… a tour de force in winemaking that is capable of lasting 50 or more years.”
Some of the best vintages produced by the estate have been 2000, 2003, 2005, 2009, 2010 and 2015, with 2009 and 2010 being given 100 point scores by The Wine Advocate. Parker writes that “the 2000, 2003 and 2005 have been wines that show its nearby first growth neighbour, Mouton Rothschild, has some serious competition”. Pontet-Canet also produces a second wine called Hauts de Pontet-Canet which is made from younger vines. First produced in 1982, it provides a lighter and earlier drinking alternative to the Grand Vin.