It was a year of unusual weather. The 2010 Bordeaux vintage got off to a late start after an especially frigid winter. A wet June gave way to a hot and particularly arid summer, just the right conditions to concentrate the grapes. Cool, damp nights at the start of Fall helped bolster acidity, creating a nicely balanced vintage despite lower yields.
The 2010 Pontet-Canet is a classic Pauillac with a captivating blackcurrant liqueur, rose petals, and violet aroma. It is a brooding crimson in color, thinning slightly toward the edge. The wine is intense and complex while retaining a sense of elegance that prevents it from feeling heavy or tiring. This Bordeaux shows notes of fig, blackberry, cherry, and currant on the palate. The long, satisfying finish brings flavors of leather and tobacco. A tertiary note of earthy mushrooms is faint but unmistakably present.
Offering remarkable depth and complexity, the 2010 vintage of Pontet-Canet might be one of the great wines of this century. I've tasted a good share of Premier Cru Bordeaux, and this wine offers serious competition to the five legendary estates. I look forward to tasting this wine again alongside the 2019 vintage in another decade.