(94-96 points) Produced from an assemblage of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, this is one of the darkest wines of the vintage. The nose offers ripe dark berries, licorice, clay, minerality and fresh dark berries. Polished tannins, plush textures and layers of sweet, ripe berries fill your mouth. The suave, fresh wine ends with an expansive, rich finish in the mouth. Very successful for the vintage. This is the first year where Pontet Canet began using a percentage of amphore for the vinification. Close to 35% of the wine was vinified in the amphore tanks. The wine will be aged in 50% new, French oak barrels. The Merlot was harvested October 4 and the Cabernet Sauvignon was picked from October 11 through October 17. Alfred Tesseron is clearly on a roll. Read more at:https://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/wine-tasting-note/?vintage=2012&wine=Chateau%20Pontet-Canet

(NM94-96 points) What is a primeur report without one of Pauillac’s most dynamic estate? I made the trip through the rain to taste their 2012. A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot and 30% Merlot, the latter was cropped from 4th October and the Cabernet Sauvignon from 11th October, finishing six days later. The 50% of the crop once aged in new oak and one-year old barrels are now matured in concrete vats whilst 35% of the crop is aged in clay amphora quarried from their own vineyard. There is certainly great purity and terroir expression on the nose: blackberry, briary and background scents of fresh raspberry and cold stone. The definition is very impressive. The palate is interesting – quite different from the previous vintages. I love the tannins here – very fine but lending the Pontet-Canet great backbone It is utterly harmonious but I feel more understated, perhaps more controlled than recent vintages. The finish is much more introspective – a Pauillac politely informing you to go away and wait before bottling before making any judgement! This is a divine Pontet Canet - very succinct.

What an expressive nose! Plump, fruit driven, juicy cherry, blackberry, ripe cassis and rose stem. The opposite of the 2011, this is round and suave, albeit with not quite as long a finish. A juicy, bright palate with high alcohol and full body, some oak derived coffee tones, with burgeoning touches of earth. The first vintage with 35% ageing in concrete amphorae.

This shows incredible decadence and opulence for the vintage with dried meat, black berry, blueberries and hints of mushroom. Full body, very polished silky tannins and a chewy finish. Lots of richness for the vintage. Persistent palate. This was aged 35% in cement eggs for 12 months. Better in 2018.

This impeccably run, biodynamically farmed estate of Alfred Tesseron goes from strength to strength. The 2012 triumphs once again with its notes of dark plum, blackcurrant, licorice and almost a hint of truffle, its full-bodied, supple tannins, and beautiful, expensive mouthfeel. Complex and deep, this dense ruby/purple-colored wine may not be at the level of the 2009 or 2010, but it is a successful wine in this vintage, and a significant wine in 2012. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2035. - Robert M. Parker, Jr.

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. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown

93+ A wine of real class, pedigree and distinction, the 2012 Pontet-Canet is absolutely gorgeous. The flavors are beautifully nuanced and delineated throughout. Bright floral notes add lift and sensuality. The 2012 is decidedly understated next to some other recent vintages, but the magic of this site simply won't be denied. This is another sublime wine from proprietor Alfred Tesseron.

This tastes jammy and very fruity, with tannins that are totally enveloped by the rich texture. Plummy and comfortable, it’s all about ripe berries and currants. Smoky flavors come from the wood aging, and contrast with the Port-like lusciousness of the wine.

This tastes jammy and very fruity, with tannins that are totally enveloped by the rich texture. Plummy and comfortable, it's all about ripe berries and currants. Smoky flavors come from the wood aging, and contrast with the Port-like lusciousness of the wine. ROGER VOSS

Broad and fleshy, with an alluring feel to the layers of steeped plum, blackberry coulis and raspberry reduction notes, all gliding over ample but polished tannins. Loam, tobacco and warm stone accents stay in the background for now but add steady base notes to the finish. Packs in solid fruit for the vintage, with a commensurate tug of earth. Best from 2017 through 2025.

Rich tawny plum, full of warmth in colour. We asked for a 2nd bottle of this wine during the tasting, so I should warn you there might be variation, and it was not the most successful in the lineup. This was the year that they stopped having the wine entirely aged in barrel (a mix of new and one year old). Instead they brought in 100 amphoras for 35% of the production, 900l in size and made from the clay of Pontet Canet. It clearly makes a difference to the expression, and there is a beautifully nuanced, finessed feel to the raspberry, black cherry and cassis fruits, studded with saffron and sage and still gently held in place by Pauillac tannins. It makes for an interesting study in a vertical but this is not the vintage that I would most recommend to people trying to understand why Pontet Canet reaches the heights that it does. Harvest October 4 to 11.

Fresh and lively aromatically, with spring flowers, sappy herbs, licorice, currant bud and earth, the 2012 is medium to full-bodied, tight, closed and focused, with fine, grippy tannin and a rock-solid finish. It lacks a touch of density and exuberance, but is an elegant, lengthy 2012 that needs 3-4 years of cellaring and will keep through 2032.