The 2010 Pontet-Canet, a Bordeaux Blend from the Pauillac region of Bordeaux, France, represents a noteworthy vintage from the renowned producer Pontet-Canet. This red wine, bottled with a cork closure and an alcohol content of 14.5%, has garnered significant acclaim from wine critics, signifying its exceptional quality and potential for long-term aging.
James Suckling awarded this wine a perfect score of 100, praising its "incredible" aromas of blueberry, minerals, dried flowers, and stones. He highlighted its "incredibly integrated" flavors of blackberry, licorice, and minerals, noting the "amazing transparency" of the wine that showcases its unique terroir. Suckling emphasized the wine's "wonderful purity" and "seamless" quality, recommending consumption after 2018.
John Sweeney, from JJ Buckley, gave the wine a near-perfect score of 99, remarking on the 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot blend, with 35-year-old vines farmed biodynamically. He described the wine as having a "very complex and intriguing nose" of black fruits, tobacco, and graphite, with a palate that boasts "notes of blackberry, cassis, and fresh cracked pepper" and a "broad silky texture." Sweeney suggested a drinking window from 2020 to 2040.
Wine Spectator's review, with a score of 97, noted the wine's combination of "power and precision," with flavors of roasted fig, blackberry, and black currant, wrapped in roasted apple wood and sandalwood, finishing with "a great tug of scorched earth."
Wine Enthusiast also rated the wine at 98, describing it as "dense" yet "handsome," balancing complex tannins with pure black currant fruits. The wine's "generous, full and rich feel" and "deceptive simplicity" were highlighted as markers of its greatness.
Jeb Dunnuck, who scored the wine 98+, compared it to the 2009 vintage, describing the 2010 as "reserved and classic in style," with notes of cassis, cedarwood, lead pencil shavings, and tobacco. He predicted the wine's longevity, suggesting it could last 50 years.
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate also awarded a perfect score of 100, praising its "very deep garnet color" and a nose that "explodes with a vast array of black fruit preserves and savory nuances." The palate was described as "completely filled with black fruits, exotic spices, and earthy nuances," with a "firm foundation of ripe, grainy tannins and bold freshness."
Overall, the 2010 Pontet-Canet is celebrated for its complexity, depth, and longevity, making it a standout vintage with exceptional reviews from multiple critics.