Pontet-Canet Pauillac 2017

97 points/'Le Coup de Coeur,' La Revue du Vin de France: "In a style reminiscent of the great Burgundy wines, 2017 is also a textured wine, with a touch of powder and a very fine grain. Long and slender, but so persistent. (2021)"

96 points Lisa Perrotti-Brown (Wine Advocate): "Composed of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, the medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2017 Pontet-Canet gives up beautifully fragrant notes of rosehip tea, lilacs, cinnamon stick, cloves, dried leaves and underbrush with a core of kirsch, raspberry coulis, warm plums and red and black currants plus a waft of pencil shavings. Medium-bodied, the palate is refreshing, minerally and wonderfully elegant with a well-played texture of approachable, plush tannins and a long, fragrant finish. Beautiful. Aging took place in 50% new and 15% in second fill barrels and the remaining 35% in amphorae for 16 months, much of the material for which came from the soil at Pontet-Canet! Drink: 2021-2048. (3/16/20)"

96 points James Suckling: "This has ethereal transparency to it with a fresh, red-berry and cherry nose. Terra-cotta and dried-flower notes. Plums, too. Quite complex. The palate has a very detailed tannin texture with attractive cassis and blueberries that hold very long, fresh and pure. Fruity and fresh. Try from 2023. (12/14/19)"

96 points Wine Enthusiast: "The perfume intensity of this wine is remarkable. Firm yet velvety at the same time, the tannins are the prelude to the pure, opulent blackberry fruits and balanced acidity. The lines of the wine are clear and direct, a true promise for aging. Drink from 2024. Alcohol 13.5%. (Mar 2020)"

96 points Lisa Perrotti-Brown (The Wine Independent): "A blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot, the 2017 Pontet-Canet is deep garnet-purple colored. It skips out of the glass with youthful notes of black raspberries, fresh blackcurrants, and Morello cherries, plus touches of iris petals, forest floor, and crushed rocks. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is laden with vibrant black and red fruit layers, framed by ripe, velvety tannins and gorgeous freshness, finishing long and fragrant. This is such a pretty wine! Drink: 2023-2048. (6/15/22)"

95 points Decanter: "Pontet-Canet has had organic and biodynamic certification since 2010. The 2017 vintage saw new methods of grape sorting and destemming introduced, and a new electricity-free vat house. Aged half in new oak, 10%-15% in second-fill barrels and 30%-40% in concrete amphorae. Georgie Hindle: Red cherries, raspberries, blackcurrants – perfumed and scented. Effortless charm while still being a powerful wine. I love this! Has that vein of freshness from start to finish. Lovely precision and definition. Vincenzo Arnese: Graphite, smokiness and minerality brighten up the aromas. Very inviting, full bodied wine. Notes of black olives and cloves on the finish. Andy Howard MW: Voluptuous style with dark and red cherry fruit, good concentration, freshened by appealing acidity and a mineral undertow. Intriguing spice notes to finish. Tannins a little drying but plenty to enjoy here. Drinking Window: 2022-2046. (2/25/22)"

95 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "A gorgeous, alluring Pauillac, the 2017 Pontet-Canet is racy and exceptionally polished, with floral top notes that bring out the natural brightness of the red-toned fruit. Super-silky tannins add to the wine's immediacy and sheer allure. The 2017 was the first wine made with the new sorting table. About half the fruit was destemmed by hand. As always, visiting Pontet-Canet is like stepping back into another time, a time in which wines were made much more manually than they are today. Here that means manual punch downs and pump overs, with no electricity. Harvest ran from September 18 through October 4. The blend is 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. Aging was done 50% in new oak, 35% in amphora and 15% in one year-old oak. Tasted three times. Drink: 2025-2047. (Mar 2020)"

95 points (17.5/20) Bettane & Desseauve Guide (2019).

94 points Wine Spectator: "[$120 list] Very tight, with notes of wet stone, plum pit and chalky minerality leading the way, backed by an ample core of steeped currant, blackberry and black cherry fruit waiting to unfurl. The finish smolders with cast iron details. Should round into form with cellaring. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Best from 2024 through 2040. (3/31/20)"

94 points Jane Anson (Inside Bordeaux): "(64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc). A classic 2017, more sculpted but less powerful than the 2014, 2015, 2016. This has elegance and finesse, needs time to be coaxed out of the glass to reveal a complex mix of blue and red fruits, and a lovely brush of Pauillac graphite, eucalyptus, black tea and pencil lead. Harvest September 18 to October 4. The frost of 2017 impacted Pontet Canet less than most places, only affecting the north-facing cooler parts of the vineyard. Drink: 2021-2035. (9/17/21)"

94 points Peter Moser (Falstaff): "Dark ruby garnet, opaque core, violet reflections, delicate watery rim. Delicate floral nuances of cassis and blackberry jam, candied orange zest, dried rosehip and tobacco, needs air. Complex, full-bodied, dark berry fruit, delicate fruit sweetness, ripe tannins, freshly structured, mineral, similarly light-bodied as 2013, - at the moment somewhat in the direction of a longer hibernation, as young, great wines like to do before they have gone through adolescence and presented themselves as young men - will make a safe career in the future as an elegant food companion. (2025 -2040) (1/12/22)"

94 points Jeff Leve (The Wine Cellar Insider): "The first vintage with the new fermentation vats when the estate began destemming by hand. Bright, fresh, crisp, and crunchy, this is a return to classicism. Here, you find notes of spearmint, currants, crushed rocks, lead pencil, and red fruits. Medium/full-bodied, with a bite to the fruit on the palate and in the finish, give this a few more years in the cellar and it could soften and fill out as it develops additional complexities. One of the most successful wines of the vintage, the wine blends 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. 13% ABV. Drink from 2030-2055. (Jul 2022)"