Les Hauts de Pontet 2009

Deep purple with a tight rim, this bottle exudes the aroma of black cherries, blackberries, cherries, graphite, liquorice and vanilla. The Pauillac tannins are tamed and become delicate. The bottle is simple, supple and round with fruit and excellent precision and freshness. There are fewer tertiary tones than we expected, and the ripeness and elegance of 2009 may have made this second wine even more approachable, given the age-worthy character of Pontet Canet. Its First Wine gets a full RP 100 and points to this second wine's worthiness. Score is CT91.

Using younger vines from Pontet-Canet's 78 hectares of vineyards adjoining those of Mouton Rothschild, this 2009 is made from Cabernet Sauvignon (63%), Merlot (32%) and Cabernet Franc (5%).

Berry Brothers wrote, 'Château Pontet-Canet is a large Pauillac estate that can trace its origins back to 1725 when Jean-François Pontet gave his name to the estate he had acquired. However, the wine was not château-bottled until 1972. In 1975 the property was sold to Guy Tesseron, of the Tesseron family, one of the finest exponents of luxury, very old, aged Cognacs (Cognac Tesseron).

The Tesserons also own Château Lafon-Rochet in St-Estephe. Today, Château Pontet-Canet is owned and run by Alfred and Michel Tesseron.

The Tesserons have vastly improved the quality of the Pontet-Canet wines, which are now full-bodied and packed with ripe, chewy, black fruits and finely integrated tannins. In addition, the wines possess marvellous ageing potential.