Any recent notes on 99 Pontet Canet?

[Jenise]

Just found five bottles in the cellar yesterday that I didn't remember I had. Need a drinking-well-now aged Bordeaux of some dimension to give a friend as a birthday gift--this would be perfect if it's on form.

[David M. Bueker]

Our friend the Wine Doctor seems to think it's drinking well now.

I don't know that I've had this since release, but I'd guess it is drinking well and probably shouldn't be cellared a long time. I think most 99s are drinking well, and I think very few are candidates for long term aging. I think PC started moving towards modernity in style with the 1994s, and few 1999s (and even fewer modern styled ones) ever seemed to really shut down.

[Jenise]

What I thought, thanks for confirming Dale and David. I'm putting a bow on it!

[David M. Bueker]

I'm putting a bow on it!

Not a ring?

[Jenise]

I'm putting a bow on it!

Not a ring?

Different song.

This TN dates from over two years ago and you can see that I was not enthused. BY now it may be singing better or.....

Château Pontet-Canet – 5ème grand cru Pauillac - 1999 – Alc. 13%

1999 is considered a goodish vintage in the Médoc in a lighter bodied vein than “great” years but I have found other 99s which are drinking beautifully; this one was more austere in style than many.

The accompanying food, lamb and mashed vegetables with a Mediterranean accent, was not ideal for this Médoc and really called for a more generous Southern wine with a lot of Syrah and Mourvèdre like the Mas Jullien about which I enthused a few days ago. My comments should be taken in that context and I found that I appreciated the wine better some distance from mouthfuls of food.

C: Quite dense red with no bricking.
N: Red and dark fruit with some black currant together with hints of mint and cigar.
P: Medium/full bodied with fruit still present but receding without yet much secondary development of flavours but playing interesting variations on the aromas from the nose and showing class with marked and somewhat angular tannic structure with reasonable length. I am not sure where this wine is going; it could dry out and become more angular; 15.5+ now with this food pairing. (Oct 2008)

Let us know how it is now performing, if you open one.

[Jenise]

Let us know how it is now performing, if you open one.

Hmmmm...I think I better--I already gave a bottle away and if it's disappointing I better arm myself! Thanks for the note, Tim.