A classic expression of this Château that’s still in its adolescent phase, the 2005 Château Pontet-Canet has a youthful ruby/plum hue to go with incredibly pure aromatics of cassis, graphite, crushed stone like minerality, and subtle cedar pencil notes. I love its overall purity and focus, and it’s medium to full-bodied, has ripe, yet building tannins, terrific balance, and a great finish. While it clearly offers pleasure, especially if you don’t mind some tannins, it deserves another 3-5 years of bottle age, and it should have a two decade or so prime drinking plateau.

Tasted at the Pontet-Canet vertical in London, the 2005 Château Pontet-Canet has long been one of the stars of the vintage and this might well be the best of over a dozen showings of this wine. However, do not expect ostentation on the nose. This is 2005 and like many wines of this vintage, even with considerable decanting, it remained broody and introspective on the nose, as if it is checking you out and seeing if you are worthy. Once you have been accepted, then it swings the doors open to reveal gorgeous scents of blackberry, briary and cassis fruit, perhaps a little more sous-bois than I have noticed compared to previous bottles. The palate is medium-bodied, but dense and structured—certainly a more masculine Pontet-Canet built for long-term ageing. Yet it retains marvelous freshness and vitality all the way through to the pencil-lead, quite saline finish. I suspect that the 2009 Pontet-Canet is more approachable than the 2005, so heeding Robert Parker's sage advice, afford this up to ten years in your cellar and then reap the rewards of patience. Tasted February 2016. - Neal Martin

Warm, fleshy and inviting, featuring a gush of blackberry, fig and boysenberry compote flavors that are both primal and approachable, with light anise, sweet tobacco and ganache notes filling in behind. Shows a serious, deeply buried iron and cedar spine, as the fruit is just pumping forth now.--Blind '01/'03/'05 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2017). Drink now through 2035. –JM

The wine kicks off with its cherry, leaf, and floral perfume before you dig into a big juicy mouthful of black, and red fruits, spice, cedar, and tobacco. The wine borders the corners of robust and regal in style. 1 hour of decanting is all that's needed. Drink from 2024-2045.

Gorgeous color of dark purple with reddish edges. Complex nose of blueberry boysenberry toasty vanilla oak and faints hints of fresh mint at the edges of the nose. Cassis and oak are surrounded by strong yet well-balanced juicy tannins.

Despite its core of strength and power and obvious aging ability, this is already a delicious wine, with mint aromas, ripe fruit masking the solid tannins. This estate has been on a roll for several years, and this 2005 shows why.

2005 marked the first year of biodynamic conversion at Pontet Canet. The blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Merlot was closed initially but opened with a bit of time to show a pleasant plummy fruit character and a bit of spice. At first, the wine felt awkward on the palate, with some astringency and a slightly tart edge but finished with firm tannins and structure—a wine of character that lacks at present a bit of charm. Should age well.