TN: 2004 Château Pontet-Canet (France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac)

[JimHow]

• 2004 Château Pontet-Canet - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac (8/11/2010)
  Consumed this evening from magnum over about five hours. This is the first time I have had this wine in about three years, when we last drank it with Alfred Tesseron himself in Times Square at a 1994-2004 Pontet-Canet vertical tasting. This is the first vntage that Alfred went with the big glass bottles, the tissue paper, the whole whoring out to the Asian millionaires thing. Hey, why not? This wine is Mouton-like, but, then again, when has it *not* been of at least Mouton quality since 1994? This is like a 1994 Mouton Rothscild: stern, tannic, reserved, devoid of manipulation, as He Who Shall Remain Nameless pointed out in his rating of this wine. This is a Jim How kind of wine (apologies ahead of time for the third person reference, it was made to stress the point). It would be fascinating to experience a 1994-2009 Mouton/Pontet blind tasting vertical, hey, Mouton has made some great wines during that time as well. The 2004 Ponet-Canet, especially "en magnum", is still very young. It has some slightly astringent vegetal notes-- again, I'm going to assume the 2006 is going to be much better than the '04-- and it lacks the rich tar, the voluptuousness of the '03. But I am very, very pleased to have a full case of 750s in my cellar. This is going to age well for another 20-30 years or more, and will probably improve. Very solid. (92 pts.)

[dstgolf]

Jim,

Nice notes on the 2004 PC. I was in the LCBO today and was tempted to pull the plug on the last few bottles of 2001 & 2004 PC. I wasn't sure as to whether to buy it all ( 2/01,4/04 left) or just one or the other so I bought neither. Any recommendations on 01 over 04 or vice versa or both??

Danny

[robert goulet]

55 bones all day here in orlando, maybe a nice add to the cellar

[rjsussex]

I've got both the 01 and the 04 PC and my vote is with the 01, quite lovely when last sampled. I agree with Jim about a touch of greenery on the 04. But I haven't compared them.

Richard