Aromas of blackcurrants and black cherries with hints of crushed walnuts, grilled thyme, cocoa powder and graphite. It’s full-bodied with layers of ultra-fine, silky tannins that elegantly coat your palate, allowing the juicy and vibrant fruit to shine. Delicate and pristine, yet compact with lots of energy and power to uncover in the coming years. It lasts for minutes and is delicious now. The purity of fruit is really impressive. 60% cabernet sauvignon, 32% merlot, 4% cabernet franc and 4% petit verdot. 50% new oak 15% old oak and 35% concrete amphorae. Try after 2027.
Jane Anson
Highly successful Pontet, one of the few Pauillacs that, for me, overperforms on its 2019. Inky purple with ruby reflections in colour. Lots of firm but upright tannins, a good dollop of graphite, pencil lead and cassis bud, there is depth through the mid palate shot through with wild blackberry, hawthorn, sage, rosemary and wild mint. It has personality, and is a little old school in the best possible way. Recommended. They have avoided the over-concentrated feel of some Pauillacs in the vintage, while remaining true to the appellation. 4% Petit Verdot completes the blend, 50% new oak 35% amphoras, 15% one-year barrels. First full vintage for Mathieu Bessonnet who replaced the previous long-term director Jean-Michel Comme in 2020. 100% first wine, as it has been for the past four years. 45% will be aged in new oak barrels, 15% one year, 40% in amphoras. The mildew pressure was stressful in the early part of the year, but they had learnt from 2018, and brought in the manpower to get around the whole vineyard in a (very long) day, so their yields ended up being close to normal.
Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, opaker Kern, zarte Randaufhellung. Schwarze Kirschen, feines Cassis, reife Zwetschken, zart nach Nugat, kandierte Orangenzesten, sehr feine Edelholzwürze, einladendes Bukett. Komplex, saftig, würzige Textur, pfeffriger Touch, reife und feine Tannine, straff, mineralisch-salzig im Abgang, sehr strukturiert, noch etwas fordernd im Abgang, wird von ausgedehnter Flaschenreife profitieren. (2030–2065)
Delikates Bouquet, frisch gepflückte Alpenheidelbeere, getrocknete Rosenblätter und frischer Rosmarin. Im zweiten Ansatz Backpflaumen, erkalteter Waldfrüchtetee und Holundersaft. Am sublimen Gaumen mit seidiger Textur, körnigem Extrakt, kakaoartigem Tanningerüst, perfekt modellierter Körper. Im nicht enden wollenden Finale verschlankt sich der Pauillac, Anflug an Schattenmorelle und roter Pflaume gepaart mit dunklem Graphit, endet mit erhabener Adstringenz.