Orders on weekdays before 17, shipped same dayWe are happy to help you, please don't hesitate to contact us.
Go to customer serviceCheckout using your account
Checkout as a new customer
Creating an account has many benefits:
| Type of Wine | Red |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Region | |
| Appellation | Pauillac |
| Winery | |
| Vintage | 2018 |
| Grape | , , , Petit Verdot |
| Content (Alc) | 0.75 ltr (13%) |
| Drink window | 2024 - 2055 |
Low Stock
Only 4 left
The 2018 Pontet Canet Pauillac is one of the very best vintages ever, as these wines also bear witness to the very high ratings. Very deep purple-black in color, the Pontet-Canet 2018 has fantastically expressive aromas of plum preserves, blueberries and crème de cassis notes with a hint of Chinese five spice, potpourri, licorice and chocolate mint plus a hint of smoked meat. Full, rich, super concentrated but also elegant. It has a solid base with velvety tannins with a bold freshness that wonderfully supports the fruit. It has a very long and very spicy aftertaste.
FACT: The wine is in our conditioned Wine Warehouse and if you pick up the wine you will often receive a nice discount . You will see your discount immediately when you choose 'Collect' on the checkout page. We are located in Dordrecht almost next to the A16 with plenty of parking. Click here for our address.
| Type of Wine | Red |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Region | Bordeaux |
| Appellation | Pauillac |
| Winery | Chateau Pontet-Canet |
| Grape | Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot |
| Biological certified | No |
| Natural wine | No |
| Vegan | No |
| Vintage | 2018 |
| Drinking as of | 2024 |
| Drinking till | 2055 |
| Alcohol % | 13 |
| Alcohol free/low | No |
| Content | 0.75 ltr |
| Oak aging | Yes |
| Sparkling | No |
| Dessert wine | No |
| Closure | Cork |
| Parker rating | 99 |
| James Suckling rating | 98 |
| Vinous rating | 98 |
| Tasting Profiles | Complex, Donker fruit, Droog, Houtgerijpt, Krachtig, Mineraal, Tannines |
| Drink moments | Indruk maken, Lekker luxe, Open haard |
Rating
(97 - 99)+
Release Price
NA
Drink Date
NA
Reviewed by
Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Issue Date
29th May 2020
Source
End of May 2020, The Wine Advocate
Very deep purple-black in color, the 2018 Pontet-Canet rocks up with fantastically expressive plum preserves, baked blueberries and crème de cassis notes with touches of Chinese five spice, potpourri, licorice and chocolate mint plus a hint of smoked meats. Full-bodied, rich, super-concentrated and decadent, it has a firm frame of wonderfully velvety tannins with bold freshness to back up the fruit, finishing very long and very spicy.
The Wine Advocate
RP 98
Reviewed by:
Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Release Price:
NA
Drink Date:
2023 - 2053
The 2018 Pontet-Canet is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. It was aged in 55% oak barriques and 45% amphorae. Deep garnet-purple colored, it explodes from the glass with an atomic perfume of raspberry pie, blackcurrant pastilles, rose oil and Chinese five spice, giving way to suggestions of cinnamon stick, dusty soil, pencil lead and underbrush. The rich, seductive, full-bodied palate is a hedonist's dream, delivering layer-upon-layer of black and red berry preserves with loads of fragrant accents, a beautifully firm yet plush texture and tons of freshness, finishing long with a whole firework display of exotic spices. This is pretty much out-of-the-gate delicious, but it has the backbone to evolve over three decades or more.
“We did something wrong,” Alfred Tesseron admitted to me during my visit, in reference to their lamentably small yields for 2018. “We have to say it. 2018 is not like any vintage we’ve done before. It’s unique. To us it is very special—I can say in every way. I am not proud of the quantity, but I’m proud of the wine.”
Production is down to about one-third of a normal year, at a painfully small ten hectoliters per hectare. This was largely due to the very wet, warm start to the growing season, which caused mildew to spread throughout the vineyards in Bordeaux like wildfire. Followers of Pontet-Canet will not need to be reminded that the vineyard is 100% biodynamic. This means that it is not impossible to combat disease outbreaks, but with the subtler means that are permitted, the margin for error is very, very small.
After the early-summer bloodbath in the vineyard, Pontet-Canet did everything in their power to ensure that the quality of what little remained, remained high. From practically cradling the hand-harvested grapes as they came into the winery in tiny picking bins, to hand sorting and even hand destemming, using specially designed equipment first developed and used at Tesseron’s boutique estate in Napa, Pym-Rae.
“We used only the small fermenters this year,” he went on to tell me. “No pump-overs. Very gentle extraction—very gentle pigeage. So gentle a child could do it—but we don’t use children. Not yet!” He laughed. At least he still has his sense of humor. And he’s got a very little bit to sell of a 2018 wine that is, in the end, quite extraordinary.
Published: Mar 31, 2021
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
98
Drinking Window
2028 - 2058
From: Bordeaux 2018: Not Back in Black (Mar 2021)
When I tasted the 2018 Pontet-Canet in barrel I described it as a "freak of nature." The 2018 is more than that, it is a freak of nature. Made from yields of just ten hectoliters per hectare, the 2018 possesses off the charts richness, phenomenal balance and head-spinning intensity. Crushed red berries, flowers, mint, cedar and rose petal saturate the palate in a Pauillac of breath-taking richness. The silkiest of tannins frame the phenomenally pure, long finish. This is a towering achievement from the Tesseron family and former Technical Director Jean-Michel Comme, who together spearheaded biodynamic farming in Bordeaux and built the present-day estate around a philosophy of non-interventionalist winemaking. In 2018, grapes were crushed solely by hand. Because of the tiny yields, the entire production was vinified in Pontet-Canet's new smaller concrete vats. All winemaking was done manually, without the aid of external temperature control or electricity. Put in another way, if Lalou Bize-Leroy made Bordeaux, it would taste like this.
- By Antonio Galloni on March 2021
(96-99)
From: Bordeaux 2018: Back in Black (Apr 2019)
The 2018 Pontet-Canet is a freak of nature. Dark, rich and explosive, the 2018 possesses off the charts richness and concentration, much of it coming from tiny yields of just ten hectoliters per hectare, or one third of a normal crop. The 2018 soars out of the glass with stunning aromatic intensity and depth. Black cherry, gravel, grilled herbs, leather, lavender and menthol stain the palate. Dense and hedonistically ripe, the 2018 is a stunningly beautiful wine. The grapes were crushed by hand. Because of the tiny yields, the entire production was vinified in Pontet-Canet's new smaller concrete vats. All winemaking was done manually, without the aid of external temperature control or electricity. The 2018 is aging in a combination of 55% new oak and 45% terra cotta amphora. Quite simply, I have never tasted anything like it.
- By Antonio Galloni on April 2019
“I can’t say I really understood the vintage. At the end of the day, I lost 2/3rds of the crop for my boss,” Technical Director Jean-Michel Comme told me with an understandably somber tone when I visited him at Pontet-Canet. Yields were just 11 hectoliters per hectare as opposed to the 30-35 that are more typical. “The effects of mildew were just devastating. On July 14th we were fine, but that weekend was dramatic. By July 16, we had lost 30% of the Merlots,” Comme elaborated. “All of the grapes were whole cluster pressed. Because of the small crop, we were able to vinify the entire production in our new concrete tanks, using no electricity or electric power, just manual pumpovers. The 2018 is aging in 55% new oak and 45% terra cotta amphora, in other words more amphora than typical and no used oak.”
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
Sign in to unlock professional wine reviews from world-renowned critics
Pontet-Canet is a wine producer based in Pauillac, Bordeaux. The estate is known for its high quality red wines, made mainly from Cabernet Sauvignon, and is classified as a fifth growth (Cinquième Cru) in the official Bordeaux wine classification of 1855.
The history of Pontet-Canet dates back to the early 18th century, when the estate was founded. In 1705, the vineyard was founded by Jean-François de Pontet, an important figure in the Bordeaux wine industry. He expanded the vineyard and built a castle, from which the estate takes its name. At the end of the 18th century, the property came into the hands of the Canet family and became known as 'Château Pontet-Canet'. The Canet family was instrumental in developing the estate's vineyards and winemaking practices. In 1855, when Emperor Napoleon III ordered the classification of Bordeaux wines for the Exposition Universelle de Paris, Pontet-Canet was classified as a fifth grow (Cinquième Cru) in the official Bordeaux wine classification of 1855. This classification recognized the historical reputation of the estate and the quality of its wines. In the 20th century, the Cruse family, wine merchants from Bordeaux, acquired Pontet-Canet. The Cruse family has made significant improvements to the estate and winemaking processes. In the mid-2000s, Pontet-Canet underwent a remarkable transformation. The estate, led by owner Alfred Tesseron (later owner of Tesseron Estate), embraced biodynamic farming practices. This marked a major shift towards organic and sustainable viticulture, avoiding synthetic chemicals and emphasizing the holistic relationship between the vineyard, the soil and the environment.
Pontet-Canet's vineyards cover approximately 81 hectares (200 acres) of prime Pauillac terroir. The vineyard is planted with a high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon (usually around 65-70%), as well as Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.
The winemaking process at Pontet-Canet involves a combination of traditional and modern techniques. The grapes are harvested and sorted by hand, with fermentation taking place in temperature-controlled wooden barrels. The wine is then aged in French oak barrels, usually for 16 to 20 months, depending on the vintage. Pontet-Canet wines are known for their deep color, concentrated fruit flavors and a structure that allows them to age gracefully. They often exhibit a balance between power and elegance, with fine tannins and complex aromas. It is believed that the estate's commitment to biodynamic farming has contributed to the purity and expression of the terroir in their wines.
The 2018 Pontet Canet Pauillac is one of the very best vintages ever, as these wines also bear witness to the very high ratings. Very deep purple-black in color, the Pontet-Canet 2018 has fantastically expressive aromas of plum preserves, blueberries and crème de cassis notes with a hint of Chinese five spice, potpourri, licorice and chocolate mint plus a hint of smoked meat. Full, rich, super concentrated but also elegant. It has a solid base with velvety tannins with a bold freshness that wonderfully supports the fruit. It has a very long and very spicy aftertaste.
FACT: The wine is in our conditioned Wine Warehouse and if you pick up the wine you will often receive a nice discount . You will see your discount immediately when you choose 'Collect' on the checkout page. We are located in Dordrecht almost next to the A16 with plenty of parking. Click here for our address.
| Type of Wine | Red |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Region | Bordeaux |
| Appellation | Pauillac |
| Winery | Chateau Pontet-Canet |
| Grape | Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot |
| Biological certified | No |
| Natural wine | No |
| Vegan | No |
| Vintage | 2018 |
| Drinking as of | 2024 |
| Drinking till | 2055 |
| Alcohol % | 13 |
| Alcohol free/low | No |
| Content | 0.75 ltr |
| Oak aging | Yes |
| Sparkling | No |
| Dessert wine | No |
| Closure | Cork |
| Parker rating | 99 |
| James Suckling rating | 98 |
| Vinous rating | 98 |
| Tasting Profiles | Complex, Donker fruit, Droog, Houtgerijpt, Krachtig, Mineraal, Tannines |
| Drink moments | Indruk maken, Lekker luxe, Open haard |
Rating
(97 - 99)+
Release Price
NA
Drink Date
NA
Reviewed by
Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Issue Date
29th May 2020
Source
End of May 2020, The Wine Advocate
Very deep purple-black in color, the 2018 Pontet-Canet rocks up with fantastically expressive plum preserves, baked blueberries and crème de cassis notes with touches of Chinese five spice, potpourri, licorice and chocolate mint plus a hint of smoked meats. Full-bodied, rich, super-concentrated and decadent, it has a firm frame of wonderfully velvety tannins with bold freshness to back up the fruit, finishing very long and very spicy.
The Wine Advocate
RP 98
Reviewed by:
Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Release Price:
NA
Drink Date:
2023 - 2053
The 2018 Pontet-Canet is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. It was aged in 55% oak barriques and 45% amphorae. Deep garnet-purple colored, it explodes from the glass with an atomic perfume of raspberry pie, blackcurrant pastilles, rose oil and Chinese five spice, giving way to suggestions of cinnamon stick, dusty soil, pencil lead and underbrush. The rich, seductive, full-bodied palate is a hedonist's dream, delivering layer-upon-layer of black and red berry preserves with loads of fragrant accents, a beautifully firm yet plush texture and tons of freshness, finishing long with a whole firework display of exotic spices. This is pretty much out-of-the-gate delicious, but it has the backbone to evolve over three decades or more.
“We did something wrong,” Alfred Tesseron admitted to me during my visit, in reference to their lamentably small yields for 2018. “We have to say it. 2018 is not like any vintage we’ve done before. It’s unique. To us it is very special—I can say in every way. I am not proud of the quantity, but I’m proud of the wine.”
Production is down to about one-third of a normal year, at a painfully small ten hectoliters per hectare. This was largely due to the very wet, warm start to the growing season, which caused mildew to spread throughout the vineyards in Bordeaux like wildfire. Followers of Pontet-Canet will not need to be reminded that the vineyard is 100% biodynamic. This means that it is not impossible to combat disease outbreaks, but with the subtler means that are permitted, the margin for error is very, very small.
After the early-summer bloodbath in the vineyard, Pontet-Canet did everything in their power to ensure that the quality of what little remained, remained high. From practically cradling the hand-harvested grapes as they came into the winery in tiny picking bins, to hand sorting and even hand destemming, using specially designed equipment first developed and used at Tesseron’s boutique estate in Napa, Pym-Rae.
“We used only the small fermenters this year,” he went on to tell me. “No pump-overs. Very gentle extraction—very gentle pigeage. So gentle a child could do it—but we don’t use children. Not yet!” He laughed. At least he still has his sense of humor. And he’s got a very little bit to sell of a 2018 wine that is, in the end, quite extraordinary.
Published: Mar 31, 2021
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
98
Drinking Window
2028 - 2058
From: Bordeaux 2018: Not Back in Black (Mar 2021)
When I tasted the 2018 Pontet-Canet in barrel I described it as a "freak of nature." The 2018 is more than that, it is a freak of nature. Made from yields of just ten hectoliters per hectare, the 2018 possesses off the charts richness, phenomenal balance and head-spinning intensity. Crushed red berries, flowers, mint, cedar and rose petal saturate the palate in a Pauillac of breath-taking richness. The silkiest of tannins frame the phenomenally pure, long finish. This is a towering achievement from the Tesseron family and former Technical Director Jean-Michel Comme, who together spearheaded biodynamic farming in Bordeaux and built the present-day estate around a philosophy of non-interventionalist winemaking. In 2018, grapes were crushed solely by hand. Because of the tiny yields, the entire production was vinified in Pontet-Canet's new smaller concrete vats. All winemaking was done manually, without the aid of external temperature control or electricity. Put in another way, if Lalou Bize-Leroy made Bordeaux, it would taste like this.
- By Antonio Galloni on March 2021
(96-99)
From: Bordeaux 2018: Back in Black (Apr 2019)
The 2018 Pontet-Canet is a freak of nature. Dark, rich and explosive, the 2018 possesses off the charts richness and concentration, much of it coming from tiny yields of just ten hectoliters per hectare, or one third of a normal crop. The 2018 soars out of the glass with stunning aromatic intensity and depth. Black cherry, gravel, grilled herbs, leather, lavender and menthol stain the palate. Dense and hedonistically ripe, the 2018 is a stunningly beautiful wine. The grapes were crushed by hand. Because of the tiny yields, the entire production was vinified in Pontet-Canet's new smaller concrete vats. All winemaking was done manually, without the aid of external temperature control or electricity. The 2018 is aging in a combination of 55% new oak and 45% terra cotta amphora. Quite simply, I have never tasted anything like it.
- By Antonio Galloni on April 2019
“I can’t say I really understood the vintage. At the end of the day, I lost 2/3rds of the crop for my boss,” Technical Director Jean-Michel Comme told me with an understandably somber tone when I visited him at Pontet-Canet. Yields were just 11 hectoliters per hectare as opposed to the 30-35 that are more typical. “The effects of mildew were just devastating. On July 14th we were fine, but that weekend was dramatic. By July 16, we had lost 30% of the Merlots,” Comme elaborated. “All of the grapes were whole cluster pressed. Because of the small crop, we were able to vinify the entire production in our new concrete tanks, using no electricity or electric power, just manual pumpovers. The 2018 is aging in 55% new oak and 45% terra cotta amphora, in other words more amphora than typical and no used oak.”
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
Sign in to unlock professional wine reviews from world-renowned critics
Pontet-Canet is a wine producer based in Pauillac, Bordeaux. The estate is known for its high quality red wines, made mainly from Cabernet Sauvignon, and is classified as a fifth growth (Cinquième Cru) in the official Bordeaux wine classification of 1855.
The history of Pontet-Canet dates back to the early 18th century, when the estate was founded. In 1705, the vineyard was founded by Jean-François de Pontet, an important figure in the Bordeaux wine industry. He expanded the vineyard and built a castle, from which the estate takes its name. At the end of the 18th century, the property came into the hands of the Canet family and became known as 'Château Pontet-Canet'. The Canet family was instrumental in developing the estate's vineyards and winemaking practices. In 1855, when Emperor Napoleon III ordered the classification of Bordeaux wines for the Exposition Universelle de Paris, Pontet-Canet was classified as a fifth grow (Cinquième Cru) in the official Bordeaux wine classification of 1855. This classification recognized the historical reputation of the estate and the quality of its wines. In the 20th century, the Cruse family, wine merchants from Bordeaux, acquired Pontet-Canet. The Cruse family has made significant improvements to the estate and winemaking processes. In the mid-2000s, Pontet-Canet underwent a remarkable transformation. The estate, led by owner Alfred Tesseron (later owner of Tesseron Estate), embraced biodynamic farming practices. This marked a major shift towards organic and sustainable viticulture, avoiding synthetic chemicals and emphasizing the holistic relationship between the vineyard, the soil and the environment.
Pontet-Canet's vineyards cover approximately 81 hectares (200 acres) of prime Pauillac terroir. The vineyard is planted with a high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon (usually around 65-70%), as well as Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.
The winemaking process at Pontet-Canet involves a combination of traditional and modern techniques. The grapes are harvested and sorted by hand, with fermentation taking place in temperature-controlled wooden barrels. The wine is then aged in French oak barrels, usually for 16 to 20 months, depending on the vintage. Pontet-Canet wines are known for their deep color, concentrated fruit flavors and a structure that allows them to age gracefully. They often exhibit a balance between power and elegance, with fine tannins and complex aromas. It is believed that the estate's commitment to biodynamic farming has contributed to the purity and expression of the terroir in their wines.
