2000 Château Pontet-Canet (France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Posted: Wed Nov 29, 2017 11:11 pm
Popped one of these last night 'cuz it was Tuesday, and I ain’t gettin' any younger.
Also found this note of Jim's on this wine from 2010, when the wine was still barely an adolescent. The Deep Purple reference caught my eye given Ian's recent post:
Black night it's not right,
I don't feel so bright,
I don't care to sit tight.
Maybe I'll find on the way down the line
that I'm free, free to be me.
Black night is a long way from home.
Deep Purple lyrics come to mind as I sip this inky purple Alfred Tesseron effort, like a boisterous young doberman puppy from one of the truly great Bordeaux vintages. I'm going to rank the 2000 Branaire a hair ahead of this wine because, while THAT wine was a combination of elegance and power, THIS wine is a combination of power and elegance. While that wine appealingly had no rough edges, this wine appealingly had rough edges. This was more tannic, but the black fruit was more pronounced, the cassis was more present. The other wine was one Robert Parker point more "complete" than this wine. Nonetheless, this Pontet-Canet is a stunner, and, like the Branaire, it displays what seems to be a 2000 vintage pattern that is evolving that it is "great-to-drink-now-and-for-at-least-the-next-twenty-years...." An outstanding, inky, rugged Pauillac.
- 2000 Château Pontet-Canet - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac (11/29/2017)
Cellared since release, perfect cork and fill. Seems a bit tired on opening with reticent nose, more tannins than fruit, but after an hour in the glass it starts to open and continues to improve. Cassis, tobacco and earth on nose, medium-full body, some complexity, good balance, medium finish. Has years to go and likely to improve as it becomes more complex, but not a fruit-forward wine. Excellent.
Also found this note of Jim's on this wine from 2010, when the wine was still barely an adolescent. The Deep Purple reference caught my eye given Ian's recent post:
Black night it's not right,
I don't feel so bright,
I don't care to sit tight.
Maybe I'll find on the way down the line
that I'm free, free to be me.
Black night is a long way from home.
Deep Purple lyrics come to mind as I sip this inky purple Alfred Tesseron effort, like a boisterous young doberman puppy from one of the truly great Bordeaux vintages. I'm going to rank the 2000 Branaire a hair ahead of this wine because, while THAT wine was a combination of elegance and power, THIS wine is a combination of power and elegance. While that wine appealingly had no rough edges, this wine appealingly had rough edges. This was more tannic, but the black fruit was more pronounced, the cassis was more present. The other wine was one Robert Parker point more "complete" than this wine. Nonetheless, this Pontet-Canet is a stunner, and, like the Branaire, it displays what seems to be a 2000 vintage pattern that is evolving that it is "great-to-drink-now-and-for-at-least-the-next-twenty-years...." An outstanding, inky, rugged Pauillac.