2011 Pontet Canet

[Comte Flaneur]

I vividly remember being ever so impressed by this at our pre lunch tasting during our visit to Pontet Canet in May 2015, when we tasted the 11 against the 12, 13 and 14.

On returning to London, I immediately purchased a case of 12 and this is bottle #1 out of the case.

Bright and young looking with red and plummy fruit with hints of new oak. On the palate, ripe fruit, smooth and svelte but with pleasing grippiness, modern and controlled, nice mouthfeel and finishes well. Exudes class it is pristine and clean with no sweaty or bretty aromas as you had for example in vintages from the 1990s like the 1996. Blind you would be hard pressed to tell where this comes from…it does not have much identifiable Pauillac typicity. It has a somewhat aloof and clinical persona. Overall I like this wine, from what has become seen to be a pretty average vintage, which is drinking well and should drink well in the years ahead. Not sure that I love it, more than merely liking it, and I am not sure whether it will improve or merely evolve.

[Nicklasss]

I had the 2009 at my 50 th birthday on January 13th, Still need to report.

A complex and not so easy subject.

[JimHow]

I'm intrigued by the words: "Blind you would be hard pressed to tell where this comes from…it does not have much identifiable Pauillac typicity. It has a somewhat aloof and clinical persona." Followed by: "Overall I like this wine...."

As we all know, this was produced during an almost pathological period of precision in winemaking at Pontet Canet. Was jean-Michel Comme a net positive or a net negative at Pontet Canet?

[jckba]

That’s an interesting question and I have to think that in the long run, it will yield positive results but I am also unwilling to buy further vintages in the name of science until that is known.

Tasting post ‘03 Pontet Canet generally poses more questions than answers and when it comes to 5th growth Pauillac; I’d much rather buy and cellar Lynch Bages or GPL.

[Comte Flaneur]

Yes this chateau is an enigma. I kept six of these and put the other six up for sale. After drinking this one I think it is the right decision.

You do feel that the precision engineering to banish all the faults takes away from the personality of the wine. Would I rather drink this or the 1996? I am not sure.

I got on better with the 2011 than the 2003 and 2004 (both of which I sold) the 2005 which is brutal right now (after showing brilliantly I thought at the chateau in 2015) but still hanging on to these - four left.

I tried the 2010 last year which I thought was very impressive in a modern opaque kind of way. I have cases of the 2009 (which Alex likes and Parker rated 100), 2012 and 2019 and a few bottles of the 2015.

Plus half dozen 2000s, about ten 2001s which I loved when I first tried it but less sure about these two now. Plus a couple of 96s from the old regime. So heavily invested still in Alfred.

[Comte Flaneur]

Got to say I am liking this a lot on day two, definitely a good wine and a good Pontet Canet experience.