4 | Wine | Pauillac

"This is a stunning, pure, classic Pontet-Canet. Deep purple to the rim with a glorious nose of scorched earth, black currant jam, smoke, licorice, and roasted meats, it is full-bodied, incredibly powerful, dense, with low acidity but high tannin, broad-shouldered, and savory." -Robert Parker

"Very pretty aromas of crushed fruit, with raspberry and blackberry character. Full-bodied, yet fine and silky, with a long, delicious finish. Very balanced red. I can't remember tasting a better Lynch-Moussas."

"Aromas of blackberries, unsmoked cigar tobacco and cedar/sagebrush jump from the glass of this dense purple-hued Pauillac. Full-bodied with more depth and richness than usual as well as moderate tannins, this potential sleeper of the vintage offers 15-20 years of aging potential. Moreover, it is modestly priced. Purchasers should give it 4-5 years of cellaring and enjoy it over the following two decades."-Robert Parker

"An amazing wine in every sense, this classic, full-bodied Pauillac is the quintessential Pontet Canet from proprietor Alfred Tesseron, who continues to reduce yields and farms his vineyards biodynamically – a rarity in Bordeaux. Black as a moonless night, the 2009 Pontet Canet offers up notes of incense, graphite, smoke, licorice, creme de cassis and blackberries. A wine of irrefutable purity, laser-like precision, colossal weight and richness, and sensational freshness, this is a tour de force in winemaking that is capable of lasting 50 or more years. The tannins are elevated, but they are sweet and beautifully integrated as are the acidity, wood and alcohol (which must be in excess of 14%). This vineyard, which is situated on the high plateau of Pauillac adjacent to Mouton Rothschild, appears to have done everything perfectly in 2009. This cuvee should shut down in the cellar and re-open in a decade or more. Anticipated maturity: 2025-2075."-Robert Parker

"This enormously endowed, modern day classic is a legend in the making. ...The 2006 is a wine to stockpile, especially for those in their thirties and forties as it needs another decade to reach maturity, after which it should keep for 30+ years. This vineyard, just south of Mouton Rothschild, has produced an opaque bluish/purple-colored 2006 with an extraordinarily pure nose of graphite, charcoal, sweet creme de cassis, and a hint of scorched earth. Incredible concentration, stunning richness, and a 60-second finish result in a wine that transcends the vintage as well as this estate’s 1855 classification." Reviewed by Robert Parker, 95+ pts.

"One of the best efforts from this estate since the 1982, this wine remains fairly priced. It exhibits ripe blue and black fruits, a dense plum/purple color, good acidity buttressing a remarkably rich, fleshy, sumptuous texture, and oodles of smoky black currant and blueberry fruit. Ripe, heady and rich, this wine will probably benefit from 2-5 years of cellaring despite its precociousness and keep for two decades." -Robert Parker

"Dense purple, with classic notes of cedar and lead pencil shavings as well as gobs of back currants and licorice, the wine has a full-bodied mouthfeel with fabulous precision and density. It also possesses a long, silky finish with moderately high tannins, but they are ripe and well-integrated. The wood is clearly pushed to the background in this dense, full-bodied Pauillac, which should drink beautifully for 30+ years." -Robert Parker

This wine was named #93 of Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2012.

"Tight and backward, this has dense, almost chewy layers of fig, currant and plum cake behind a very solid wall of cedar, roasted vanilla and charcoal notes. There's serious grip on the finish, with an iron edge that won't quit."

"A magnificent sleeper of the vintage, the 2008 Duhart Milon is the shrewd consumer’s wine to purchase by the case as prices do not yet reflect its qualitative resurgence. Composed of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon and 27% Merlot that came in at 13.09% alcohol, it is a surprisingly intense effort displaying a marvelous texture, plenty of black currant, licorice, unsmoked cigar tobacco and earthy characteristics, a full-bodied mouthfeel and stunning purity as well as density. Enjoy this top-notch 2008 over the next 20-25 years." Reviewed by Robert Parker.

"A classic Pauillac as well as a sleeper of the vintage, the 2008 is even better from bottle than I predicted from cask. It boasts a dense purple color along with an impressive display of black currants, licorice, forest floor and graphite, medium to full body, a hefty personality, plenty of pure, sweet fruit, an enticing texture and a long finish with supple tannins. It is ideal for drinking now and over the next 15+ years." Reviewed by Robert Parker.