Pontet-Canet Pauillac 2015

100 points (20/20)/'Le Coup de Coeur,' La Revue du Vin de France: "The virtues of this timeless 2015 will certainly be written about for a long time to come. The palate is immense, powerful, vibrant, but also endowed with extreme suavity. A benchmark that cultivates its own style. (2018)"

98 points James Suckling: "So much floral and dark-fruit character with almonds and walnut shell. Full body and ultra-fine tannins. Powerful. Classic style with a harmony and energy. Goes on for minutes. A superb wine with great fruit. Real Bordeaux. Try in 2025. (12/27/18)"

97+ points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "Proprietor Alfred Tesseron and winemaker Jean-Michel Comme produced an absolutely stellar Pontet-Canet in 2015. Sumptuous, racy and totally inviting, the 2015 is all class. Super-ripe dark cherry, plum, spice and exotic floral notes build as the 2015 shows off its alluring personality. Even with all of its raciness, the 2015 speaks with authority and power. Fine tannins extend the persistent, highly nuanced finish. The 2015 is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot aged 50% new oak, 4% in terra cotta and 15% in neutral oak. Tasted three times. Drink: 2023-2040. (Feb 2018)"

97 points Lisa Perrotti-Brown (Wine Advocate): "Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2015 Pontet-Canet comes charging out of the glass with fantastically expressive notes of black cherry preserves, black raspberries and blackcurrant pastilles plus touches of kirsch, wilted roses, tobacco, camphor and cinnamon stick with a waft of fragrant soil. Full bodied, the palate is laden with black and red fruit layers, supported by very firm, very finely grained tannins and provocative freshness, finishing with incredible length and stunningly perfumed. Drink: 2024-2050. (May 2020)"

97 points and 'Cellar Selection,' Wine Enthusiast: "Succulent fruits, rich tannins and juicy acidity are in perfect harmony in this wine produced from biodynamic grapes. It has a rich, velvet texture and dense structure, sumptuous and already balanced and delicious. However do not be fooled, this is a serious wine for aging. Drink no earlier than 2026. Alcohol 13.5%. (Apr 2018)"

96 points Peter Moser (Falstaff): "Deep garnet with purple reflections and delicate rim brightening. Delicate herbal savouriness, a hint of liquorice, black cherry in the background, smokey underlying minerality. Powerful, juicy and sweet, perfectly embedded tannins, chocolatey touch on the finish, also pickled cherries. Long finish, certain ageing potential, but already drinkable now. (3/14/19)"

96 points International Wine Report: "The 2015 Château Pontet-Canet is yet another success from this estate. This gorgeous blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot begins with inviting aromatics of dark red cherries and blackberries which are laced with spring flowers, graphite, tobacco and spicy nuances all soaring from the glass. On the palate this is full-bodied, layerd and beautifully structured with a lovely opulent texture and remarkable overall balance. While this is already showing a ton of early appeal, it also possesses all the signs for a long, graceful evolution ahead. Drink: 2022-2038. (Mar 2018)"

95 points Jeb Dunnuck: "The 2015 Pontet Canet is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot brought up in 50% new oak, and 35% in amphora. With textbook Pauillac notes of lead pencil shavings, tobacco leaf, smoke, and licorice, as well as a core of pure crème de cassis fruit, this beautiful, full-bodied, impeccably balanced is one of the few 2015s that’s going to demand cellaring. The tannin are high, yet sweet, and like its bright acidity, nicely integrated into the wine. Forget bottles for 5-7 years and enjoy over the following three decades. I don’t put this as the level of the 2009 and 2010, but it’s still a beautiful wine. Tasted three times. Drink: 2023-2053. (11/30/17)"

95 points Jane Anson (Inside Bordeaux): "(65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc). Vibrant plum colour, followed by spiced plum on the nose, more exotic in its range of flavours and silky texture than many vintages, still powerful and in its primary fruit phase. This is a gorgeous wine, hard to argue with, showing estate character over appellation or vintage. The tannins are softer at this stage that you will find with the 2016, even the 2014, but there is so much pleasure in the glass, and it will power ahead for decades. Harvest September 18 to October 3. This was the vintage where Tesseron decided to make no more Les Hauts de Pontet, with everything going either into the first wine, or declassified, as he felt both that the vineyard had reached the level he wanted, and also that philosophically that he wanted the wine to be a true reflection of the whole vineyard. Drink: 2021-2045. Alcohol 13.5%. (9/17/21)"

95 points Panos Kakaviatos (Decanter): " Ruby with a purple rim, no second wine made starting with this vintage. More expressive and opulent aromatics than in 2014, with ripe red and black fruit. The irresistible, juicy palate with creamy texture recalls the 2010, but lacks the same tension and structure. It resembles the 2009, enjoyed over lunch after the morning vertical, but with more focus and fruit purity, including primary blackberry, plum and cassis. Long finish. Aged 50% new oak , 35% amphora. Drinking Window: 2021-2060. (Sep 2021)"