Chateau Pontet-Canet 2025

A blend of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot that weighs in at 13.3% alcohol, the 2025 Pontet-Canet is one of the finest wines this estate has produced. Wafting from the glass with aromas of sweet cassis, wild berries and plums mingled with notions of violet and burning embers, it's full-bodied, ample and velvety, with a degree of structural polish and sensuality that is rare in the Médoc, ripe acids and a long, penetrating finish. Over the last handful of years, technical director Mathieu Bessonnet and his team have revitalized Pontet-Canet's vineyards with well-timed soil work and precise phytosanitary treatments; and since 2023, the careful use of "pieds de cuve" in the winery, along with early blending, more refined barrel choices and cooler temperatures in the chai—plus more precise bottling practices—have conspired to take this estate to new heights of quality and consistency. In 2025, the team formed lower-than-usual "ponts" (whereby the canopies of adjacent vines are braided together in an arch) to retain denser foliage to protect the fruiting zone from sunshine, and they waited to pick late in pursuit of full maturity in Cabernet Sauvignon, finishing on September 23. The result is one of the wines of the vintage.

Very dark garnet-ruby color, opaque core, violet highlights, slight lightening at the rim. Delicate notes of candied violets, black cherries, a hint of nougat, an inviting aroma of fine woods, multifaceted bouquet. Juicy, elegant, ripe cherries, refined sweetness from the extract, ripe and silky tannins, fresh structure, mineral notes, blackberry jam on the finish, harmonious and refined style

A precise and elegant wine, with a perfect balance between fruit and refined tannins, offering a gentle and seductive mouthfeel. It is a medium-bodied wine with delightful fruit, a smooth character, and an overall sense of smoothness and refinement. However, it is a structured wine.

The 2025 Pontet-Canet is a wine of exquisite class. Silky, aromatic, and vibrant, the 2025 is pure delicacy. Crushed red and purple fruit, lavender, rose petals, and a subtle hint of spice blend together beautifully. Pontet-Canet is one of the most refined and sublimely beautiful wines of the year. It may prove to be even better than my rating suggests. Tasted twice. A. Galloni

Inky but vivid bright plum colour, tannins at the front of the mouth, a ton of energy, if reserved at this early stage. Expect graphite and crayon, lovely lift and floral Cabernet Sauvignon character; low yields like much of Pauillac and small berries ensuring the tannins are plentiful. Walks the line of fresh and juicy flavours alongside a brooding concentrated architecture, huge ageing potential with cold ash and gunsmoke nuance. Although there was some rain at end of June and July, this was still a dry vintage, and vineyard work including braiding the vines for shade and applying chamomile as sunscreen, so they coped better than in 2022 overall. Harvest September 2 to 23, indigenous yeasts that are specific to the vintage, 40% new oak, 35% clay amphoras, 15% one year old barrels. Extended maceration, low SO2 with zero added until after fermentation.