TN 03 Pontet Canet

Warning: infanticide report

Chateau Pontet-Canet, Pauillac Cabernet Sauvignon (65%) - Merlot (30%) - Cabernet Franc (4%) - Petit Verdot (1%)

With great anticipation, we opened a bottle of our ?03 Pontet Canet; which we have held in the cellar for over a year now. Decanted, and allowed to breathe for 45 minutes before tasting. Served with a penne pasta adorned with a meat and vegetable (squash) sauce.

The wine is dark purple, opaque, but not cloudy.

The first, and most distinctive, impression is the nose. Rich and full with aromas of earth, tobacco, chocolate, and red fruit (raspberry, currant). Oak is noticeable, but very much in balance. The nose never failed, even after being open considerable time. Probably one of the most remarkable and satisfying noses on any wine we?ve ever tasted.

The palate is surprisingly more approachable than expected. There are tannins present, but sweet. Full mouth-feel, with a medium finish. The flavor more subdued than what the nose would suggest. Acids are balanced when eating, but noticeable after the meal is finished.

Overall impression is that the wine still needs a couple years in the cellar to soften the tannins and to develop the flavors. But even young the wine is powerful and rich, and holds the promise of getting even better. We'll wait another year before trying again - and I'm already looking forward to that occassion.

The wine is readily available from any number of retailers (wine searcher will show you) but the price continues to climb. We bought a half case in the spring of '06 for $60 / bottle. Another half case in January of '07 for $70 (figuring the average at $65 was acceptable). The price now is up to $75. As the wine gains accolades, and the '05 vintage pushes prices even higher, I'd recommend getting this wine before the price goes higher yet.

I suspect the fact that this comes from the extremely hot 2003 vintage has a lot to do with why this wine drinks fairly well now. The climate in 2003 in Bordeaux was more like that in the medium to warmer regions of California than what is typical for a good to great year in Bordeaux. The location of Pontet -Canet is very good - it is a neighbor of Mouton-Rothschild. It is a very large vineyard, and the wine has been sent around the world for a long time. I can remember when it was one of the most likely to be found classified Bordeauxs in small US liquor stores that carried little imported wine. The price was right at just a few US$ per bottle, there was plenty of it, and it was exported by a major company - perhaps B&G. For many years it was nothing very special and tended to have hard tannins. The 1975 was so tannic and acid when young that few would want to drink it for many years. Even in more ripe years than 1975, Pontet-Canet had more tannin and acid when young than many people liked. From sometime in the 1990s to the present this wine seems to have been much better made and several more recent vintages are rated well by many. I had the 1961 several years ago. It was a very good wine, but by no means was it one of the top wines of that famous vintage.