1996 Pontet Canet

The second bottle, from an estate I know like the back of my hand, was the 1996 Pontet Canet. One or two people had suggested that this might be past its best; after all, it predates the innovations and application of biodynamics overseen by Alfred Tesseron by several years. On the contrary, it has aged beautifully. Cedar, scorched earth and mint blossomed on a nose that is firmly into its secondary phase, yet laden with more fruit than expected considering both its age and the austere style of Left Bank 1996s. The palate might be nearing the end of its drinking plateau, so don’t hold back if you own a few bottles. But I admired its balance and density, its structure and classicism, and the typical Pauillac traits of cedar and a touch of mint toward the finish. I savored it down to the last drop.

Tasted at the Pontet-Canet vertical in London, the 1996 Château Pontet-Canet was tasted from three different bottles. Two of them didn't pass muster and seemed a little bretty on the nose. A third was much better with mulberry, blackberry and cedar on the nose that still lacks the panache of more recent vintages. I noticed how meaty it became in the glass, slightly ferrous. The palate is medium-bodied and at 20 years fully mature. Cedar and dried herbs dominate the opening but unlike the 1982 Pontet-Canet there is decent substance here and a slightly medicinal finish. Hopefully your bottle will mirror the best of the three that I tasted. Good luck. Tasted February 2016.

Mid to pale crimson with a little age at the rim. Dried herbs and grasses on the nose. Then sweetness. Then some quite brutal tannins. This needs quite a time. (JR)