Jeroen Koenen

9.4

After 2 years of cellartime, this still shows wonderfully bright and fresh. Floral scents, crème de cassis, touch of peppery spice.
Great drinking right now, and through the next decade. — a month ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

I’ve had a number of PC 96’s over time, none quite this good. The fill line & cork perfect. Very little sediment. Some bottle neck tannin burn. For me, Pontet Canet didn’t really hit its consistent, quality stride until 2005. Doesn’t mean they didn’t make a few beauties before then. Pontet Canet is proof that the 1855 Bordeaux Classification needs to be redone. Unlikely it will in my lifetime.

This 96 maybe just short of its precipice. Stylistically a little better than 94.

The nose reminds me of everything I love about older Bordeaux. Dark core of currants/cassis. Ripe, floral; blackberries, dark, baked cherries, sweet, black plum, poached/strawberries, raspberries, hints of baked rhubarb & blueberries, mixed berry cola. Sweet forest floor w/ leaves, sweet mushrooms, sweet led pencil shavings, steeped tea w/ hints of fruit, charcoal, dry tobacco/leather, some dry herbs, withering dark, red flowers, red roses with violets.

The palate is also everything I love about older Bordeaux. Dark core of currants/cassis. Ripe, floral; blackberries, dark, baked cherries, sweet, black plum, poached/strawberries, raspberries, hints of baked rhubarb & blueberries, mixed berry cola/red vines. Everything I understood the first time standing in the estate vineyard of Pichon Baron. Tasting limestone, dry river stone, dark, rich soils with dry leaves, dry stems. In fact, I’ve tasted vineyards soils everywhere I have been in every world wine region. Basically, everywhere in the wine world that has reliance. Many multiple times. Sweet graphite, steeped tea w/ hints of dark fruit, understated, layered baking spices-clove, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanillin, dark cocoa, dark exotic spices, some anise to black licorice, charcoal, dry tobacco with ash/leather, some dry herbs-safe/bay leaf, limestone, dry river stone, dry crushed rocks, dark, rich, earth with dry leaves, dry topsoils, dry stems, withering/dry dark, red flowers, red roses with violets, excellent, rainfall acidity with an extremely well balanced/structured/tensioned, great length and an elegant finish that lasts minutes and falls nicely on dry earth and dark spices.

A very, very slow roll with my Ribcap. Definitely better with the steak than on its own.

This bottle tells me this 96 has plenty of good drinking ahead, another 8-10 yrs+.

ABV is 13%. Disappointing it ever changed. — 5 months ago

Pooneet K

9.1

Surprisingly delicious at 10 years of age. Wonderful ripe Napa jelly fruit. Surprisingly good acid, the tannins have receded but still provide some structure. Rarely drink Napa merlot but this is compelling. Certainly somewhat biased by the fact that I worked on this vineyard in 2011. Nice pairing with skirt steak on the grill. — 4 years ago

Wil Chow

8.9

Representin' B-Town in the house
Junior Mafia, mad flavor
Uh, uh, yeah, aight...kinda works? 😝 it’s got that juicy, juicy fruit, but maybe more like the crystalline clarity of a jolly rancher. Black cherry, a little red fruit jelly, touch of grassiness and some bright ass notes. Love it — 5 years ago

Dimes

8.9

Tbh good but idk how it’s a 9.5 — 6 years ago

Kyle Eubank

9.2

Ruby's Red from Peach Creek Vineyards on College Station TX, is a delicious chocolate wine that tastes like a melted Tootsie roll. Perfect for desert! — 7 years ago

with Stacy

Daniel Bloom

9.4

Now that’s a “Super Tuscan” of another color! Wild, deep black cherry schnapps and mint/chocolate nose. Masserta huh.? Decanted this btl 3 hrs. following suit of others.( maybe didn’t need 3 on account of age)Silky smooth with fine tannins and acidity built in like tuck and roll upholstery. Corinthian “leather “ anyone? There have been many, many touted ST’s that pale before this.
After some time in the glass, some very Tuscan, red earththyness peeks through. Lovely stuff indeed. Perfect for a Wednesday all day Ragu w meatballs.
Thanks @FassSelections
Day 2, Licorice oomph, bigger acidic/tannin presence , all in balance. Darker…if possible. — 5 months ago

Michael Drapkin

8.9

Fine bubbles. Medium Bodied. Pink Friut. Fermentation notes—toast, butter, tootsie roll. Mouth filling smoothly textured. Spicy. Smokey. — 3 years ago

Jay Kline

9.1

Pulled from my cellar, popped and poured and presented double-blind to the group. In the glass, the wine appears a deep garnet with a translucent core, a slightly orange rim and some signs of fine sediment on the glass. On the nose, the wine is mature with initial notes of Tootsie Roll and old leather bound books. However after about 40min in the glass, the nose brightens up and begins to show more varietal characteristics: cherries, desiccated flowers, fennel, damp earth, leather and espresso. On the palate, the wine is bone dry and the tannin’s are still quite firm. Acid is medium+ and the finish is long. Alcohol is medium. A very lovely mature wine! Guesses were all in Italy but further north in Piemonte (Barbaresco mostly) and much, much younger with most settling on late 90’s. I don’t drink a lot of modern wines from Antinori but this was quite the charmer with 41 years of age on it. If anyone has any well stored examples, drink now with about 40min of air. That being said, there is enough life for these to soldier on for another 5-10 but this is very clearly in the twilight of its life. Something else of note: the cork was extracted completely intact. It was one of those cute little stubby ones more typical of the time. — 4 years ago

Lindsay Evans

9.4

Smells and tastes like a tootsie roll. Also tried the Chocolat Almond which was the same with an almond extract after taste. Preferred the regular — 5 years ago

LM Segal

9.4

Bloody good, classically built Brunello. Ready to roll with a short decant. Shout out to #bouludmontreal for doing all they can to survive the 🧟‍♂️ apocalypse! Amazing next-level takeout. — 6 years ago

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.8

The 2016 Chateau Climens is a head-turning blend made by the talented Bérénice Lurton, who has managed this property since 1992. 100% Semillon, this golden hued wine shows an exotic aromatic display, offering apricot jelly, pineapple upside down cake, butterscotch and shades of toasted hazelnut the all mingle together on the nose. Showing a glorious combination of tension and viscosity, the 2016 Climens shows incredible length and elegance despite its obvious power. Rich lemon creme brulee, vanilla cream, and orange marmalade flavors combine with a bright sense of minerality and a light salinity. The seamless quality of the wine is remarkable. Simply glorious now in its youth, this scintillating new release will have an exceedingly long life in the cellar. Drink 2026-2050- 98 — 6 years ago

Nophakhit Khositchaiphithak

9.5

My second time drinking this vintage. The first time I had a small sip and absolute love it. This time I decided to have the whole bottle. It was gorgeous. Herbal, dried fruits and elegant like grass jelly. — 5 months ago

Ted

9.2

Same restaurant almost a year later. New vintage. Delicious. Ready to roll. — 2 years ago

with Jeni

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.5

Liquid jelly aromas of grapefruit and nectarine. Spice and gorgeous aromas. Floral. So complex. Just an insane nose. 9.5. or 9.6 nose. Very harmonious and lovely sweet pink grapefruit. Great acids. So complete. Long. Amazing. So harmonious and soothing. Amazing fruit. The extra skin contact gives this another dimension of complexity. — 4 years ago

Daron Watson

9.5

dark fruit, tobacco, cigar box, pencil shavings,

gobs of juicy fruit, bay leaf and bell pepper finish

over time fruit leans to roll ups, as well as including dried prunes and dates — 4 years ago

Esteban Rodas

9.2

Smells of cherry and dark berries, tastes like a cornucopia of berries without being overly sweet. Super approachable but packs a flavor punch. — 5 years ago

Boris Mathiszik

8.9

Solid Syrah, perfect pairing for the lamp we had for our fourth course. — 6 years ago

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.4

The 2017 Chateau Coutet is a beautiful wine that is needing a bit more time in the bottle to gain complexity. Aromatically intense, the wine shows good range from honey and nutmeg infused creme brûlée tones that combine with lighter wet stone and brandy soaked pear aromas that take shape in the glass. Flavors of vanilla cream and butterscotch with apricot jelly accents highlight this gorgeous wine. The palate has great tension and verve, revealing a silky mouthfeel. The exceedingly long finish lingers long on the tongue. Give this beautiful wine a few years in the cellar prior to enjoying. Drink 2022-2040- 94 — 6 years ago

Bonnie Chu

9.0

Fun for life! So much jelly clogs the drink hole tho — 7 years ago