96

Antonio Galloni

Vinous

The 2005 Pontet-Canet is a heady, exotic wine. Inky dark fruit, mocha, chocolate, licorice, spice and tobacco are front and center. Readers will find an unabashedly opulent, full-throttle 2005 with quite a bit more oak influence and overall extraction than is the norm these days. Even so, the 2005 is a young, young wine with a bright future. This is one sexy Pauillac, that's for sure. 04/2021

95

Stephen Tanzer

Vinous

Good full ruby-red. Complex, enticing aromas of black raspberry, licorice, minerals, bitter chocolate, lead pencil and pungent cedar; just this side of exotic. Wonderfully silky, sweet and thick, with a powerful minerality framing the currant, graphite and spice flavors. This boasts superb inner-mouth energy and great length, with the full, ripe tannins totally enrobed by the wine's mid-palate richness. Mai 2008

97

Neal Martin

Robert Parker/Wine Advocate

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. 07/2016

97

Jeb Dunnuck

Jeb Dunnuck

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. 04/2024

95

Jean-Marc Quarin

Jean-Marc Quarin

Non décanté. Couleur sombre, intense et légèrement évoluée. Nez moyennement aromatique, au fruité mûr, subtil, puis plus complexe à l'agitation. Bouche moelleuse et juteuse de part en part. Le vin caresse le palais, savoureux, puis plus sèveux et long en finale, avec beaucoup de goût. C'est très bon. 10/2020