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. — 7 months ago

Bruce Leboff

9.3

Elegant and refined. A hint of mushroom and scent of forest floor. Tan is still present but gentle- good to drink now. Lovely. — 5 years ago

with David and Michael

David Nicewicz

9.3

Birth year Bordeaux and this has been excellent. Very old school nose of copious tobacco, forest floor and dark berries. Medium bodied but gaining intensity over the course of 2 h - tannins completely melted. Bricking is apparent on first pour but the color grows darker with time. Perfect bottle that is a little past it’s prime but fun to step back in time. — 5 years ago

Peter Collins

9.4

Really good. A little young but still good on the nose and light finish at the same time. Not incredibly complex but still intriguing. I could drink a LOT of this often. — 6 years ago

Ryan Vento

9.3

Tonight’s nightcap 🥃

During our stay at the hospital for the birth of our son some dear friends of ours brought my wife & I a care package. In it were all manner of goodies and treats, as well as a bottle of champagne and this scotch. They know us all too well 🤫🤷🏻‍♂️
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Caramel, creme brûlée, charred orange peels, and Christmas spice cake on the nose. Mild notes of moss on the palate with a pronounced but welcome warmth on the way down. Smooth and perfectly suitable for ending the day with. — 7 years ago

Mark Flesher

9.1

Definitely more hop influence on this one. Definitely believe the 64 IBU rating. Floral hop with a little bit of Tangerine. Nice malt but is not overpowering. Just a little sumpin sumpin on Sunday night — 8 years ago

Rebecca Fletcher

9.1

2005 vintage. Blackberry, black cherry, earth, mushroom, black olive. M acid and body. M+ intensity, round tannin, finish and complexity. — 11 years ago

Adam Jesberger

9.8

Excellent bottle. The 01 is supposedly a better vintage but im not sure when it comes to this producer. Clear, day bright, garnet and orange brick like color, medium - concentration, orange/peach rim variation, slight sediment, low viscosity. Nose: sound, moderate intensity, stewed cherries/strawberries/raspberries, floral, spicy and lots of dill pickle and slight game. A mushroom note as well. Palate: dry, med- body, stewed plums over ripe cherries/strawberries, lilies, dill, vinegar, leather, button mushrooms, game, mulch with some cedar and coconut. Very complex. Med- tannins, medium alcohol, high acid, long finish. Between the 01 and the 98 its a tough choice of which one to put in the wine cooler to store. — 12 years ago

Michael Slomer

9.6

Last bottle! Being discontinued at the restaurant — 13 years ago

Anthony De Blasi

9.5

Our (not so) little (anymore) princess her birthday so time for our yearly 2011. After having rated two previous bottles not as high as you would expect this one actually delivered. Very elegant, in balance and clearly at peak. Quite some years ahead — 8 months ago

Daniel M

9.3

Opened yesterday and 2/3rd of the bottle was left to rest. Yesterday the nose was made of tar, cigare, cedar and oaky notes. There was very little fruit. 24 hours after the same notes are still showing but I can smell some cassis, some meat juice and a tiny peppery note. This is very concentrated and intense. The palate is very well made with a very strong acid drive, some very nice matter on the sides, a great width, a plush mouthfeel, some cassis and meaty, salty touches, a great mid palate with grainy, dusty tannins that power up a very long finish that tend to expand on the rear: there is that grainy, dusty layer of tannins that carries on for a very long time, these cassis notes that bring a bit of tanginess, and some smoky, oaky notes linger for a while too. This is an aristocratic wine and my last bottle will rest for another 10 years at least. Off vintage but great bottle — 4 years ago

Mike Beltran

9.1

Decanted and really opened up in little more than half an hour. 54 years and still has vitality. There’s still some fruit but it is mixed with subtle acidity and soft tannins. A delight to drink and share with friends. Our friend was given the wine and wanted to share it. We all were quite happy.👍🍷🍷 — 5 years ago

with Joe

Seth Bechis

9.0

Wanted to like this more. A little acidic aftertaste. — 6 years ago

Kimberly Anderson

9.3

Beautiful scents of black plum and a little vanilla. On the feminine side for a Napa Cab. Precise flavors of black fruit, tobacco, leather with an under layer of smoke. Nice smooth finish — 7 years ago

with Chad

Cody Short

9.4

Best showing yet. Still needs a little more time but drinking great — 8 years ago

Randall Brater

8.9

Light with hints of tart and sharp raspberries. Just a little bit of earth. Ok, better with food and cheese than by itself. — 9 years ago

Mo Hassankhani

9.5

I love this wine! It is always so balanced. Extremely smooth with very little tannins showing, being so young. A wine that never disappoints no matter the vintage. — 10 years ago

Mark Eastom

9.4

Holding up nicely! Bit of menthol, a little fruit hanging on and notes of tobacco. Silky tannin and a touch of orange rind on the palate. — 11 years ago

with Alexis and Anabel

Astrid Lewis

10

1947. Can't actually believe I have rated this in my lifetime. Although it had a significant amount of leakage and oxidisation, it was still bright, still had bags of fruit, tannins, acidity. What am incredibly generous wine to open to celebrate our new little company. Thx guys xxx — 12 years ago

with Pierpaolo and Chris

Brian Durand

9.7

A little dessert anyone!! — 14 years ago

Sagee Aran

8.9

A medium body, bright red in color. Pleasant nose, mild. On the palate spices and bright red fruits.
Was a little off balance, maybe the specific bottle. — 9 months ago

Tom Garland

9.2

1/2 hour decant (some fine sediment). A remarkable still dark purplish garnet with some bricking. On the nose: dark fruit, wet forest floor, anise, little tobacco, and some spearmint. Taste: creamy, lush wine with little bit of dried cherry, currants, planting soil, crushed stone, and a minty espresso medium plus finish. YUM! Still holding on at 27 years young. — 2 years ago

with Brenda

Jay Kline

9.3

This bottle was a lovely gift from our friend Tim who visited Omaha this past Spring. Our only instructions were to enjoy it together with food; challenge accepted! While I have experienced many wines produced by Foillard, this was my first with his “Cote du Py”. The wine pours a deep ruby color; slightly hazy in the glass. On the nose, at least initially, there are signs of some Brett giving a barnyard characteristic but that sort of blows off (or at least becomes less obvious) with cherries, earth, blackened poblano, underripe plum, and purple Sweet Tarts taking a more central role. On the palate, it’s mostly dark cherry and blackberries showing very little in the way of evolution. Medium+ acid, medium- tannin. The finish was super long. I was really impressed how young this wine was coming across; hardly an indication of anything that would indicate ten years of age. Yet more proof that Beaujolais can cellar quite gracefully. We loved how this paired with grilled rack of lamb and a light salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, garbanzo beans, mozzarella and prosciutto. Grazie Tim! — 5 years ago

Kimberly Anderson

8.9

A little past it’s prime, but still lovely. Red fruit and leather aromas. Light in body with red fruit, little cedar, tobacco with a nice finish. Revisited an hour after opening and it was finally starting to unfurl! More depth mid-palate. — 6 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.5

Last night in MT at the lake. Gave this several hours of air. Nice dark tawny color. Vibrant in the glass. The nose is great right away and stayed on point through the evening. Notes of black cherries, warm raspberries, old cedar, some plums and a little leather saddle. Rich and silky in the mouth. Velvet glove. Long finish. Great wine. — 7 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.4

Tasted blind. Tawny color, translucent with amber rims. Notes of black cherry, cedar, some spice and a little barnyard floor. Sweet fruit in the mouth, with tannins fully resolved. Guessed 1955 Calon Segur. Perfect looking bottle, the cork revealed this bottle was reconditioned by the Chateau in 2000. — 8 years ago

Peter Lutz

9.1

What can I say? I love a granache. — 10 years ago

Deni

9.4

Absolutely amazing. Lots of good brett. Balanced and delicious. Great dark fruit aromas and flavors. So smooth. Medium high tannins and acidity. Perfect silky texture. A little funk on the nose and palate (positive). Aroma and flavors are out of this world. Leather bag full of cherries and raspberries. Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault and Carmenere. Complex. Delicious 13.5% abv — 10 years ago

Cory Fierro

9.3

Decided now would be a good time to try out out the 2013 Prisoner. While not as good as the 2011 the structure is different, showing a ton of black pepper and balsamic on the nose with a little bit of violet flowers, and a very lovely, elegant finish. Big bold red and black fruits give way to a lush, black peppery back end. The finish is shorter than expected but still nice. This is still a good wine, just not as good as previous vintages. — 12 years ago

Mark Geller

9.2

Pleasantly surprised how good this was. Dark with more than a hint of sweet fruit up front but little to no mouthfeel and nothing on the end. — 12 years ago