2023 Château Pontet-Canet, Pauillac, Bordeaux

Blend: 52% Cabernet Sauvignon; 39% Merlot; 6% Cabernet Franc; 3% Petit Verdot.

The wine is luminous and full of verve. The Cabernet Sauvignon’s vivid blue fruit shines brightly and the Merlot is succulent and complex. Owner Alfred Tesseron felt that this was an easy vintage. Despite the estate’s biodynamic status, the mildew didn’t really cause any problems. At 34 days’ duration and lasting until 10th October, this was Alfred’s longest ever harvest. This is confident and assured, with generosity and depth. It seems to have an open weave while also being compact and without even a hint of the slightly hedonistic character that can sometimes appear. This will be offered in a lighter 490g bottle (usually 815g), saving 30 tonnes of CO2.

Drink 2029 - 2050

Our score: 17.5/20

Berry Bros. & Rudd