Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

Pontet Canet tasting and dinner with Alfred Tesseron.

2016 is such a beautifully, ripe and elegant vintage. The 16 stands tall from the other vintages we tasted.

The body is rich, bold and thick. Beautiful dark fruits of ripe, ruby; blackberries, plum, dark cherries, strawberries and amazing blue fruits shine as it sit on the palate. There is more balance in the 16...fruits and earth. Saddle-wood, tobacco, leather, dry soil, dry & moist clay, dry stone, rich dark earth, lead pencil, bright, fresh, red, blue, dark flowers with violets. Very nice acidity with a beautiful finish.

Don’t even touch a bottle for 15 plus years. This nice now but, you will only be cheating yourself out of a very special wine 15 plus years from now.

Photos of; Clyde and Alfred at the bar, their Amphora style cement tanks they ferment part of each vintage now, road signs of the good neighbors they keep and Chateau Pontet Canet. — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

When it comes to my B-day, there is only one fit, an old Pichon Lalande with my Ribeye. As a lover of Bordeaux, these two are my favorite pairing. It’s a very slow walk to the finishline. A small bite of steak and a sip of 89 Pichon Lalande. Then, repeat until finished. I had some concerns about this bottle. A slightly slippery and crumbling cork. The first sip was not bad, but not what you want or are expecting. After some time in the decanter, it really started to shine. On the nose; ripe, ruby, floral cassis, blackberries, dark sweet & sour cherries, baked strawberries, blue fruit hues, dry cranberries, baked rhubarb, saddlewood, soft, used leather, bay leaf, touch of sage, hint of spearmint, eucalyptus, vanilla, cinnamon, crushed dry crushed rock powder, black turned earth, dry brown soil with clay, tobacco leaf and perfumed red florals with violets. The body is full, round and silky. Tannins are well resolved at around 80%. The texture, length, tension and length are in a sweet spot. The fruits are ripe, ruby & expressively floral. Blackberries, dark sweet & sour cherries, baked strawberries, blue fruit hues, dry cranberries, baked rhubarb, saddlewood, soft, used leather, bay leaf, touch of sage, hint of spearmint, eucalyptus, vanilla, cinnamon, crushed dry crushed rock powder, black turned earth, dry brown soil with clay, scorched earth, tobacco leaf and perfumed red florals with violets. The acidity is just a little off but still nice. The finish is divided nearly equally in fruit, earth, florals and herbaceous. It’s very enjoyable but falls just a little short in longer, lingering length. This bottle had good storage, not great. Even so, still has another three to five years ahead. A bottle with excellent storage has another five years beyond this one. Photos of; the backside of Pichon Lalande, angled terrace view of their vines right next to Latour, my steak & twice baked potato (so good) and CEO Nicolas Glumineau. — 7 years ago

Matt

9.0

Really nice and pleasant blend. Young and a bit cranky but rewarding with some air. Dark black fruits, fennel seed, turned wet earth, coffee, cedar, cocoa, tobacco, and dried flowers. Enjoyed the acid that balanced the forward but fine clay-like tannins. — 9 years ago

Will Anderson

9.3

Great chilled!!! — 9 years ago

George Chen

9.3

Always the sweet taste of the iron-rich clay in the wines of Petrus which separates them from anyone else. It's that unique mouth feel as graceful and rich as finest Vicuña and sings siren songs on the tongue. — 9 years ago

Mark Flesher

9.4

Ready to rock and roll. Blackberry and red clay on the nose. Entry of black cherry and cola with acidic character. Middle is dark, smoky, leather, more blackberry and hint of cocoa. Still finishes with a young semi sweet baking chocolate and Rutherford dust! Black pepper finish is unmistakable with a ton of black fruit, and plenty of life left. Dang. — 6 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.3

Straw gold. Distinct and vibrant in the glass. Notes of sweet lemon, stone, white flowers, clay dust and a little ginger spice. Rich in the mouth. Long finish coats the palate. Very nice. Needs more time on its side to gain some complexity. — 7 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.3

Light gold. Silky in the glass. Textbook Raveneau nose with notes of light apricot, lime blossom, white clay, honey and brown spice. Round and vibrant in the mouth. Long finish. Still young but the vintage remains approachable at age 13. Two bottles paired well with our Oysters Rockefeller course for a group. — 7 years ago

Natalie Griffin

9.0

medium berries — 8 years ago

Jon Ebsworth

9.4

Well worth the wait. Lovely balance. With wood pigeon. — 9 years ago

Luke Frost

9.5

A personal favourite. Untouchable. — 9 years ago

with Jen

Matt

9.2

Cool site Garnacha grown on clay limestone (unusual for Priorat). Meaty, flesh, leathery, earthy, spices, dried roses, citrus peel. Deeply layered and would be a blast with age. — 9 years ago

Matt Street

9.2

Awesome loved this — 6 years ago

Martinez

8.9

Softly aromatic, ripe strawberry, clay, tobacco, nice acidity — 7 years ago

John Miller

9.2

Full bodied, earthy pinot. Tart and crisp with and round and buttery finish. Fantastic. — 7 years ago

Jeroen Koenen

9.1

Lovely wine.
Nice nose, laidback and relaxed, soft earthy palate, black tea, olives, clay, dark fruit, tannines all integrated. — 7 years ago

Tony Capone

9.5

This was a tuff year, with lots of rain and cool summer. Cassis, blackberries, with an intense dark Ruby color. Lots of minerals, clay, evergreen notes, smooth tannins. A little bit of vanilla on the finish. Great bottle for "Technical Year". — 8 years ago

JJ Lumia

9.3

#KWN Wine 3. From the get-go, clearly had some age to it. Exhibits initial cherry fruit, which immediately falls into the background. Secondary flavors of leather, forest floor and clay quickly overtake the palate. A Smoky finish with hints of eucalyptus. Opened up nicely over a couple of hours. Magical. — 9 years ago

John L

9.0

Complex dark fruit, leather and clay-gravel. Pairs well with grilled lamb steak. — 9 years ago

Christine Havens

9.2

'Les Picasses' lies along a riverbank on a fairly steep slope that is primarily alluvial clay overlaying chalk and limestone. The vines are over 50 years old and the site is known to produce wines with fabulous purity and minerality. As such the Olga Raffault 'Les Picasses' Chinon 1989 has had time to mellow, the aromas are quite lovely—lavender, game, worn leather, a touch of barnyard, and cellar dust. There is a throaty, sensual wildness to this wine, punctuated by a vein of bright acidity and minerals. Everything I love in Loire Valley Cab Franc. — 10 years ago