Pontet Canet 2012

Easy and round and sating smooth and gouleyant with sufficient freshness - just. Very plush and round and easy. Lots of freshness. Highly distinctive. Rather dry and sudden on the end but really lovely on the way there. Gorgeous start and middle. I'm worried only by the finish. All texture and first two thirds of the experience.

Black fruits dominate both nose and palate lots of cassis and black cherry. The mid palate is rich with sweet ripe fruit lots of concentration the fruits underpinned by coffee beans and liquorice. The tannins although firm feel ripe and there is bilberry freshness at the back brightening the finish. 2020-35

Winemaker Jean-Michel Cosme concedes that the vicissitudes of the vintage made it harderto use organic and biodynamic practices, but seems happy with the result. This is a stepdown from recent stellar vintages, but it's still a dense, if oaky red, with a mixture of leafy,minty and slightly over-ripe flavours. The oak needs to integrate here, but the firm tanninsshould soften in barrel and bottle.Drink: 2022-30

A softer, less powerful and less prodigiously endowed Pontet Canet, the 2012 exhibits notes of creme de cassis and new barrique vanillin followed by a medium-bodied, elegant wine with sweeter tannin (and less of it) than is found in the great vintages that immediately precede it. The 2012 is certainly outstanding and, in fact, many readers may prefer it to the blockbuster, out-of-this-world, over-sized 2010, 2009 and 2008. Medium-bodied, pure and expressive, this classic Pauillac should only require 5-6 years of cellaring. It should drink well for two decades thereafter. No one will confuse the 2012 Pontet Canet with the 2008, 2009 or 2010, but proprietor Alfred Tesseron has turned in another high level performance in this more challenging vintage (especially true in the Medoc).

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.

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.