Chateau Pontet Canet 2012

JAMES SUCKLING: "A wine that makes you want to drink it already. It's stylish with berries, currants, cedar and stone aromas and flavors. Full body, with very integrated tannins and a long, long finish. A small percentage of the wine is now aged in cement vats instead of oak barrels. This touches all the senses. A beauty. Made from biodynamic grapes."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Produced from an assemblage of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, this is one of the darkest wines of the vintage. The nose offers ripe dark berries, licorice, clay, minerality and fresh dark berries. Polished tannins, plush textures and layers of sweet, ripe berries fill your mouth. The suave, fresh wine ends with an expansive, rich finish in the mouth. Very successful for the vintage. This is the first year where Pontet Canet began using a percentage of amphore for the vinification. Close to 35% of the wine was vinified in the amphore tanks. The wine will be aged in 50% new, French oak barrels. The Merlot was harvested October 4 and the Cabernet Sauvignon was picked from October 11 through October 17. Alfred Tesseron is clearly on a roll."

WEINWISSER: "War ein Jahr, das selbst im Bordeaux als Herausforderung gesehen wurde. Die Widerstandskraft der Reben, die durch die konsequente biologische Bewirtschaftung gestärkt und stabilisiert wurden, zahlte sich aus: immer weniger Eingriffe im Weinberg waren nötig. Klassischer Jahrgang mit satter, dunkler Beerenfrucht und jugendlichen Gerbstoffen bei mittlerer Konzentration. Das dritte Cluster der Verkostung zeigte eindrucksvoll, wie sich die Struktur der Weine in Richtung Tiefe und Extrakt verändert hat."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "Deep garnet in color, the 2012 Pontet-Canet gives up a profound earthy/savory nose, revealing notes of tilled soil, woodsmoke, mossy tree bark, fungi and bouquet garni with a core of raspberry preserves, boysenberries and dried cherries plus a hint of warm cassis. Medium-bodied, it has a firm grainy texture and a softly spoken, savory character in the mouth, finishing with lingering oolong tea and dried herbs notes."

DECANTER: "Dense colour, superb nose of blackberry and black cherry fruit, really lovely silky texture, with all the power and elegance of a great Pauillac."

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung, intensive Dörrobstnote, reife Feigen, schwarzes Beerenkonfit unterlegt, dezente Kräuterwürze im Hintergrund. Saftig, süß, opulenter Stil, wieder nach Dörrfrüchte, schokoladige Nuancen, sehr individuell, ein starker Kontrast zu seinen Appellationskollegen."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Interesting and distinctive combination of very ripe fruit and more leafy notes. Very fluid, with marked but paper-fine tannins. Very dry on the finish but not in the least drying. Has both personality and refinement and wonderfully fine dry length."

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "This tastes jammy and very fruity, with tannins that are totally enveloped by the rich texture. Plummy and comfortable, it´s all about ripe berries and currants. Smoky flavors come from the wood aging, and contrast with the Port-like lusciousness of the wine."

WINE SPECTATOR: "Broad and fleshy, with an alluring feel to the layers of steeped plum, blackberry coulis and raspberry reduction notes, all gliding over ample but polished tannins. Loam, tobacco and warm stone accents stay in the background for now but add steady base notes to the finish. Packs in solid fruit for the vintage, with a commensurate tug of earth. Best from 2017 through 2025."

JEB DUNNUCK: "Fresh and lively aromatically, with spring flowers, sappy herbs, licorice, currant bud and earth, the 2012 is medium to full-bodied, tight, closed and focused, with fine, grippy tannin and a rock-solid finish. It lacks a touch of density and exuberance, but is an elegant, lengthy 2012 that needs 3-4 years of cellaring and will keep through 2032."