Pontet Canet 2009 Case (1.5Lx6)

100 WA / 100 JD / 100 RP / 98+ JS

Deep garnet colored, the 2009 Pontet-Canet is a little shut down to begin, but with coaxing this baby is soon firing on all cylinders with a full-throttle nose of chocolate-covered cherries, crème de cassis, boysenberries and spice cake plus tons of kirsch and cranberry sauce sparks and a beautiful undercurrent of emerging tertiary characters: cigar box, sandalwood, chargrill, truffles and cast iron pan. Full-bodied, rich, multilayered and completely seductive, the palate is charged with incredible energy, with a firm backbone of velvety tannins and seamless freshness providing solid grounding and promising a very long life ahead. It finishes with an incredible display of epically long-lasting flavor fireworks. Wow! - LPB, Wine Advocate March 2019

It's no surprise that proprietor Alfred Tesseron has produced a possibly perfect 2009. He's been on a roll since 1994, and no other producer has done more work in the vineyard than Tesseron, who has moved to 100% bio-dynamic farming, reduced yields drastically, and instituted a draconian selection process. This vineyard, which sits on the high plateau of Pauillac adjacent to Mouton Rothschild, has produced a 2009 of extraordinary intensity and purity. It is outrageously concentrated, with silky tannin (the sweetest I have ever tasted in a Pontet-Canet as well as the highest measured), an opaque purple color, and copious notes of graphite, cassis, licorice, and subtle smoke and forest floor. Full-bodied and unctuously textured with striking purity and definition, it is a wine of colossal weight as well as elegance (in itself a poster boy for this paradox in 2009). This brilliant Pauillac requires a decade of cellaring despite its voluptuous texture. It should evolve for 50-75 years. - Robert Parker

A wine I’ve been lucky enough to have numerous times since release, the 2009 Pontet Canet is one of those magical efforts that wine lovers encounter far too infrequently. From one of the greatest vintages for the region ever, this deep, saturated purple-colored effort offers an incredible bouquet of crème de cassis, blackcurrants, lead pencil shavings, damp earth, and graphite. This gives way to a full-bodied, powerful Pauillac that carries a massive amount of sweet fruit yet stays light and beautifully balanced on the palate. With ripe, sweet tannin, an expansive texture, and awesome mid-palate depth, as well as incredible purity, freshness, and delineation, it’s as good as wine gets and can be enjoyed anytime over the coming 4-5 decades. Hats off to proprietor Alfred Tesseron and the team at Pontet Canet! - Jeb Dunnuck

This is very sexy on the nose with black truffles, blackberries, blackcurrants, and dark chocolate. Plums too. Full bodied, with an amazing depth of fruit and super silky and intense tannins. This wine has a fabulous clarity and class. Superb. Try after 2022. - James Suckling

Tasted blind as a vintage comparison at the Valandraud vertical, the 2009 Pontet-Canet is a wine that I have tasted several times throughout the year. Here, it is clearly bestowed a very powerful and intense bouquet with raspberry jam, boysenberry, graphite and cold, wet limestone aromas - very well defined and focused, the oak seamlessly integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, crisp acidity, in a funny way more like a 2010 towards the finish thanks to its structure. It still feels quite backward and with much more to give, a sense of coiled up energy conveyed upon the extremely persistent finish. It remains a deeply impressive Pauillac with decades ahead of it. Tasted December 2016. - Neal Martin, Wine Advocate