Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of days. Solid on Day 1 but even better on Day 2. The 2011 “Elivette” pours a deep garnet/purple color with an opaque core; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of ripe and tart black fruits: cassis, blackberries, black cherry, purple flowers, tobacco, Poblano pepper, cocoa and fine baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. Yet another example of the 2011 vintage in Napa proving it’s better than originally advertised. This still has a long life ahead. Drink now through 2041. Bottle No. 12026 — a month ago

Kelley Raymond

9.1

A little jammy - needs air and time — 24 days ago

Heather Robinson

8.9

We have this at Bravo - nice and bold but goes well with restaurant dishes — a month ago

Charlie Tapp

9.3

Dark fruit, iodine, red candy and espresso. — 4 months ago

Brian S

9.1

This wine was an absolute beast, it's more like 16.5 abv but was still in control you could taste fruit, had deeper notes but balanced. Not my style but a glass will make me happy. — 17 days ago

Tom Casagrande

9.4

These are recalled impressions, not contemporaneous notes, from two nights ago, when the family council of elders met for a steak/wine pairing event at my brother Angelo’s house.

Another consensus favorite, the ‘16 version is stellar. So deep, but with that elusive (for Zin) old-world sense of balance, structure, and restraint. Paired beautifully with both kinds of steaks — a month ago

with Dan and Angelo

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

I’ve had a number of PC 96’s over time, none quite this good. The fill line & cork perfect. Very little sediment. Some bottle neck tannin burn. For me, Pontet Canet didn’t really hit its consistent, quality stride until 2005. Doesn’t mean they didn’t make a few beauties before then. Pontet Canet is proof that the 1855 Bordeaux Classification needs to be redone. Unlikely it will in my lifetime.

This 96 maybe just short of its precipice. Stylistically a little better than 94.

The nose reminds me of everything I love about older Bordeaux. Dark core of currants/cassis. Ripe, floral; blackberries, dark, baked cherries, sweet, black plum, poached/strawberries, raspberries, hints of baked rhubarb & blueberries, mixed berry cola. Sweet forest floor w/ leaves, sweet mushrooms, sweet led pencil shavings, steeped tea w/ hints of fruit, charcoal, dry tobacco/leather, some dry herbs, withering dark, red flowers, red roses with violets.

The palate is also everything I love about older Bordeaux. Dark core of currants/cassis. Ripe, floral; blackberries, dark, baked cherries, sweet, black plum, poached/strawberries, raspberries, hints of baked rhubarb & blueberries, mixed berry cola/red vines. Everything I understood the first time standing in the estate vineyard of Pichon Baron. Tasting limestone, dry river stone, dark, rich soils with dry leaves, dry stems. In fact, I’ve tasted vineyards soils everywhere I have been in every world wine region. Basically, everywhere in the wine world that has reliance. Many multiple times. Sweet graphite, steeped tea w/ hints of dark fruit, understated, layered baking spices-clove, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanillin, dark cocoa, dark exotic spices, some anise to black licorice, charcoal, dry tobacco with ash/leather, some dry herbs-safe/bay leaf, limestone, dry river stone, dry crushed rocks, dark, rich, earth with dry leaves, dry topsoils, dry stems, withering/dry dark, red flowers, red roses with violets, excellent, rainfall acidity with an extremely well balanced/structured/tensioned, great length and an elegant finish that lasts minutes and falls nicely on dry earth and dark spices.

A very, very slow roll with my Ribcap. Definitely better with the steak than on its own.

This bottle tells me this 96 has plenty of good drinking ahead, another 8-10 yrs+.

ABV is 13%. Disappointing it ever changed. — 13 days ago

Jerry Raphael

9.5

Well, here we are two years later, back at the same BYOB for New Year’s Eve with the same wine. I figured 35 years was enough—it was time to drink it.
Same treatment as in 2024: opened and decanted, then poured about two hours later. This time the nose offered noticeably more—cedar, a touch of vegetal character, and dark berries. On the palate, dark berries again took the lead. The finish was good, but at the very end it seemed to stop just a bit short but still giving it a 95. At Anthony’s — a month ago

Andrew Eddy

9.3

Superb. New Year’s Eve 2025.  — a month ago

with Lisa

Jay Kline

9.3

Presented to me, double-blind. The wine pours a deep garnet color with an opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears, and some signs of light sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with a mix of ripe and desiccated, mostly dark fruits: cassis, black cherry, plum, mixed brambles, old leather, pipe tobacco, pencil shavings, and fine baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin (that is mostly integrated) and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long.

Initial conclusions: this could be a Cabernet-based Bordeaux blend, Tempranillo (or based blend) or Grenache-based blend from France, Spain or the United States. I feel like this leans more towards its fruit than its structure, even though it is a fairly well balanced wine in both regards. As a result, I am calling this a Cabernet-based Bordeaux blend from the United States, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain from a producer like Dunn, 2006. Shiiiiiit. To be honest, I’m not terribly surprised since this is Cos and from a warm vintage no less. Drinking well now and should through 2050+. — 25 days ago