WTN: Ch. Pontet-Canet 2002

Château Pontet-Canet Pauillac 5ème grand cru classé 2002 – Alc.13%, estate planted with CabSauv 70%, Merlot 25%, CabFranc and PV.

After the Leeuwin Art Series Cab 1993 which I opened earlier in the week (see TN), I thought it interesting to revert to the Bordeaux left bank, albeit a quite young example.

The nose was well developed and quite similar to the Leeuwin’s with perhaps more domination of cassis and less complexity and green edge. The palate was medium/full and somewhat up-front with extremely attractive rich cassis fruit, expressive aromatics, good depth and roundness and very soft tannins for such a young claret. The only trace of oak élevage was a slight creaminess. At this stage the flavours were still quite primary with few secondary nuances but I’m not sure that it has the structure for a long life. If I had had to guess blind, I would have been more likely to choose this one than the Leeuwin as being from the New World; but a good one; 16.5/20.
After writing this I was amused by some reviews on Cellar Tracker which reported marked tannins and oak flavours which I did not get at all.

[David M. Bueker]

After writing this I was amused by some reviews on Cellar Tracker which reported marked tannins and oak flavours which I did not get at all.

That's CellarTracker for you. The notes are so all over the place that it is often useless as a barometer (unless you follow certain tasters that you know well). One of the notes at the top of the list is a guy who drinks a ton of Napa cult cabs, so a wine like Pontet Canet is going to seem rough/tannic to him even if it comes from a year like 2003, much less 2002.

After writing this I was amused by some reviews on Cellar Tracker which reported marked tannins and oak flavours which I did not get at all.

That's CellarTracker for you. The notes are so all over the place that it is often useless as a barometer (unless you follow certain tasters that you know well). One of the notes at the top of the list is a guy who drinks a ton of Napa cult cabs, so a wine like Pontet Canet is going to seem rough/tannic to him even if it comes from a year like 2003, much less 2002.

But that's true everywhere of course (including WLDG). Unless one knows someone's tastes well, it's iffy. Even then, there is the fact that bottles show differently (and decanting differences, etc). Lastly sometimes even people with fairly similar taste profiles tasting from the same bottle can have different reactions (pretty sure that if you compared our impressions from the Bob Ross Jeebus they would be similar on most wines, but quite different on a few).

I haven't had the 2002 since Matt's release look in fall of 2005, but my memories are of a fairly typical post-2000 PC- very rich dark fruit and rather smooth/polished tannins (which would fit pretty well with Tim's impressions 6 years later), but also a fair dose of oak (though nothing like say a Monbousquet overkill). Kind of the archetypal "midmodern Medoc." But that's an old impression. Tim (whose notes I've read for years, and who would be near top of my "how seriously do you take this guy's Bdx notes" list) found less oak and tannin than some tasters. But Chris Kissack (who occasionally posts here, is very experienced in Bdx, and whose notes I respect) note from last year includes "slightly raw structure too, very tannic style coming out from beneath through the fruit in a slightly sharp fashion. Needs time. Not a lean and mean greenie at all though, lots of tannin in the finish " . Just more evidence that tasting is subjective. I have no idea if I tasted the wine today if I'd find my impressions closer to Tim's or Chris's, but I certainly wouldn't think anyone was "wrong."

Here's my note from not quite a year ago:

Chateau Pontet-Canet, Pauillac 2002
Decanted 2 1/2 hours, and needed further time in the glass to open (nose a bit funky at first). Opaque ruby. Excellent, dense, rich nose. Cherry, blackberry, cassis, tarry/leathery notes, a hint of roasted herb/tobacco, and a hint of pencil lead/mineral. Full bodied, ripe, and dense, with good tone. Needs time, perhaps another 5 years, and shouldlast last until 2020 - 2025. Quite an impressive performance from this maligned vintage, and for under $40, a very impressive value as well. Exceptional (90 - 93). [7/9/10]

A dense, ripe Pauillac, but an extremely well structure Pauillac as well. I prefer the more traditional style of Bdx, but I find PC completely satisfying in delivering both structure and fruit. A case of modernization done right Only possible complaint I've heard is that the new PC tastes like St-Julien rather than Pauillac . . . . I do want typicite in my wines, but in Bdx, chateaux style and personality is just as important.

[David M. Bueker]

I wasn't trying to imply that anyone was wrong, just that things are all over the map. In the case of the WLDG at least we have the advantage of asking a poster what they meant if a note seems at odds with our personal experiences. On CellarTracker there is not the back and forth.

Storage conditions are an important variable. My passive cellar has quite high summer temperatures up to 20°C which hasten the ageing compared to the "ideal" 12-13°. Unlike Ryan's, there was no question of my bottle needing more time to open up; it was singing loud and clear and I don't see it going on till 2025. Otherwise I recognise the same wine.

BTW I got these bottles as well as some 2004 for an extremely good price, €20-25, at a Leclerc supermarket, where the storage conditions may also have been warmer with more light than ideal.

David, didn't think you did, my comments about there not being a real "wrong" were more general.

Of course, one can actually be wrong, I have been- about brett, TCA, abv,etc and other measuable objective attributes. But while one can measure tannin levels, one can't measure perception, and other factors affect perception.

Tim,
Indeed that makes a difference. I have similar conditions, very slow seasonal swings from 50 to mid-upper 60s (10-19 celsius), and my experience is my wines probably mature a tad faster than 55 degree cellars. But they do seem to mature smoothly, and I've never had real problems.