Medoc
2020 Chateau Pontet-Canet 5eme Cru Classe, Pauillac 6x75cl
The 2020 is yet another superb wine from an estate that has hardly put a foot wrong since the mid-1990s. A Château that delivers quality to equal and often surpass that of the super seconds, yet is... available at a much more palatable price tag.
60% cabernet, 32% merlot and 4% cab franc and petit verdot apiece, here is essential Pauillac: lifted, lilac-floral, chocolate and cherry nose; fresh, full-bodied cassis, plum and licorice palate, with layer upon layer of finely grained tannins with a terrific minerality and finish. It’s set for a glorious ageing.
£278 / Case£46.33 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: Immediate
2010 Chateau Lafite Rothschild Premier Cru Classe, Pauillac 1x600cl
£6,950 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: Immediate 2021 Chateau Pontet-Canet 5eme Cru Classe, Pauillac 6x75cl
“The 2021 is the most classically Pauillac Pontet-Canet I have tasted in modern times. Medium in body, with striking aromatic presence, the 2021 screams with character. Grilled herbs, incense,... leather, lavender and plum open with a bit of coaxing, all framed by beams of tannin and bright, salivating acids that give the wine shape and real sense of direction. There's a bit more Petit Verdot in this year's blend, and that comes through in the wine's intensely savory profile. Aging is 50% in new wood, 35% in amphora and 15% in one year-old barrels. The 2021 was impressive all three times I tasted it”
93-95, Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com
£445 / Case£74.17 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: Immediate
2025 Chateau Beaumont Haut Medoc Cru Bourgeois 6x75cl
“The 2025 Beaumont was cropped at just 25 hl/ha. It has a very lifted and perfumed, fruity nose that oddly reminds me of a low SO2 wine, and I don't mean that negatively (noted on second and third... sample bottles). There is very attractive purity. The palate is medium-bodied with fine but firm tannins, well-judged acidity and a light patina of new oak that will be absorbed with time. Very "pencil box", almost Pauillac-like on the finish. A couple of years in bottle and you will have a fine Beaumont on your hands. Lovely length on the aftertaste too! Just 12.9% alcohol.”
90-92 pts., Neal Martin, vinous.com
£60 / Case£10 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: En Primeur
2009 Les Carruades de Lafite Pauillac 12x75cl
£2,400 / Case£200 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: Immediate 2022 Chateau Pontet-Canet 5eme Cru Classe, Pauillac 6x75cl
“The 2022 Pontet-Canet is a blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot, aging 50% in new oak barrels, 35% in amphoras, and 15% in used barrels. Deep... garnet-purple in color, it needs considerable swirling and coaxing to reveal aromas of damp earth, fragrant soil, crushed rocks, and underbrush, giving way to a profound core of blackcurrant cordial, juicy black plums, and fresh blackberries. The full-bodied palate is laden with nuanced black fruits, slowly releasing earthy and mineral-laced flavors, framed by firm, ripe, grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing on a lingering fragrant earth note. Talk about tasting the place! This is Pauillac in all its powerful, energetic glory.”
97-99 pts., Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent (May 2023)
£538 / Case£89.67 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: En Primeur
2021 Chateau Pontet-Canet 5eme Cru Classe, Pauillac 6x75cl
“The 2021 is the most classically Pauillac Pontet-Canet I have tasted in modern times. Medium in body, with striking aromatic presence, the 2021 screams with character. Grilled herbs, incense,... leather, lavender and plum open with a bit of coaxing, all framed by beams of tannin and bright, salivating acids that give the wine shape and real sense of direction. There's a bit more Petit Verdot in this year's blend, and that comes through in the wine's intensely savory profile. Aging is 50% in new wood, 35% in amphora and 15% in one year-old barrels. The 2021 was impressive all three times I tasted it”
93-95, Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com
£445 / Case£74.17 / BottleDuty Status: In BondAvailability: En Primeur