Description
The summer was marked by a beneficial drought, which is always a great asset for wine quality. Veraison began under dry conditions, with temperatures in line with the decade’s averages. In this seasonal dryness, water stress gradually set in, leading to the destruction of herbaceous aromas and the synthesis of fruity aromas.
At the end of August, an unstable sky reappeared and persisted until the end of the harvest. They made a happy choice in risk-taking to harvest ripe grapes that paid off. Patience guided their every move, giving priority to observing and listening to the vineyard. They took the time to wait for optimal ripeness, giving this
vintage every chance to become a beautiful "Grand Vin".
Blend: 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc
This wine does not include the Trump-era blanket 10% tariffs. We hope these will be resolved by the time the wines are shippable in the fall of 2027. If they are still in place, customers will have the option to pay the additional tariff or keep their wines stored temperature controlled free of charge in France.
>This wine does not include the blanket 10% tariff imposed in April 2025. When the wines are shippable in fall of 2027, customers will have the option to pay any tariff in place at the time or to keep their wines stored in a temperature-controlled facility free of charge in France.
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Such an outstanding wine from Pontet this year. Ripe blackcurrant and dark chocolate, very expressive, open and scented on the nose. Concentrated, smooth and so satisfying on the palate, great texture and energy straight away - lifted but there’s power here, this isn't a weak wine at all. Wonderful finesse and texture with a long length. This is very complete and satisfying and really justifies the decisions made in the vineyard this year - late harvesting starting on October 4th when many were finishing. Juicy, fresh acidity combines with ripe tannins and lovely purity. Very accomplished - a great Bordeaux and Pauillac. 1% Cabernet Franc completes the blend. Ageing 50% new barrels, 15% one year old barrels, 35% concrete amphoras.
Barrel Sample: 97 -
Jeb Dunnuck
The 2024 Château Pontet-Canet is deep purple-hued and delivers beautiful aromas of black and blue fruits, violets, graphite, sweet tobacco, and damp earth. Based on 52% Cabernet Sauvignon and 43% Merlot, with the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, it was harvested between September 26 and October 11 and is aging 14 to 16 months in 50% new barrels, 35% amphora, and 15% once-used wood. Medium-bodied and seamless on the palate, it has pure, polished tannins, integrated acidity, and outstanding length. The alcohol is 13.1% with a pH of 3.8.
Barrel Sample: 94-96+ -
James Suckling
A light but juicy wine that's fresh and fluid, with good depth of blue fruit and violets, a medium body and nicely reactive tannins. Crunchy, with a delicate mid-palate and firm, chalky tannins. Long, balanced and pristine finish. This will show early appeal. 52% cabernet sauvignon, 43% merlot, 4% petit verdot and 1% cabernet franc.
Barrel Sample: 95-96 -
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2024 Pontet-Canet underlines the fact that daring to harvest late paid dividends in this challenging vintage, wafting from the glass with aromas of cassis, black raspberries and plums mingled with accents of rose petals, licorice and exotic spices. Medium to full-bodied, deep and integrated, with mid-palate density that's all too rare this year, it's layered, suave and seamless, concluding with a long, sapid finish. Picking began on September 26 and concluded on October 11, with the heart of the estate's old-vine Cabernet Sauvignon coming in between the seventh and the ninth, well after many châteaux had finished their harvest. Greater reactivity during the season means that Pontet-Canet's vineyards are gaining in vigor, while in the winery, a lighter touch with extraction, systematic climate control and a wholesale refinement of the estate's cooperage choices have brought new harmony and sensuality to this estate's wines. That has combined with a willingness to take risks with harvest dates to deliver what is clearly one of the wines of the vintage. The blend is roughly half Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with the balance Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc.
Barrel Sample: 94-96 -
Vinous
The 2024 Pontet-Canet is one of the most elegant wines I have tasted here in some time, as in a long time. Brisk acids and beams of tannin shape a mid-weight, classically built Pontet-Canet unlike any I have tasted. The 2024 is not an obvious wine, it does not have the opulence of most recent years, rather it is a wine that impresses with its energy, tension and class. Floral, spice and mineral notes stain the palate in this vibrant, beautifully sculpted Pontet-Canet. The 2024 is seriously impressive, but it is also less immediate than what was once the norm because of a shift towards a style that favors greater energy and vibrancy than in the recent past. The evolution here is going to be fascinating to follow in the coming years. Tasted three times. –Antonio Galloni
Barrel Sample: 94-96
