Chateau Pontet Canet 2000, Pauillac
Deep purple core, tight ruby rim. Intense bouquet of ripe, mixed black fruit and animal tones. Notes of black truffle developing, damp earth. Palate is full with a mixture of red and black fruit, cedar and sous-bois Surprsingly not the big type; there is some subtle and yet insistent grip on the finish. Defintely it had been a very tannic wine, but these are now softening. Probably the best to drink now, or just hold on for another 2 years. RP94, JS94, WS92,Decanter 95. You don’t need scores, do you?
95 points Decanter
Intense, focused, cedary nose. Super-ripe and sumptuous, highly concentrated, but has spice and vigour to counter the fruit. Massive, pungent; full of life and nuance. Long, vibrant finish. Drink from 2012. (19 points) (11/2010)
94 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Upgraded in score over my original rating, which was several points lower, Alfred Tesseron has done a remarkable job since 1994 with Pontet-Canet, which has been hitting first-growth levels since 2003. But the 2000 also shows exceptionally well. In need of another decade of cellaring, this dense purple wine has a classic nose of incense, charcoal, creme de cassis, and subtle new oak. Full-bodied, powerful, still very tannic, and shockingly backward, this is a big, rich wine that has put on weight and seems to need more time than I originally predicted. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2035+. (94+) (6/2010)
92 points Wine Spectator
A lovely lead-in of singed cedar and vanilla notes gives way to slightly taut, racy red and black currant fruit flavors that drive nicely through an iron-edged finish. Rather sleek and tightly focused, relying more on minerality than power.—2000 Bordeaux blind retrospective (December 2015). Drink now through 2023. (JM, Web-2016)
