2009 Pontet-Canet, Pauillac

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. (RP)

A quick check in on a living legend a week ago - there's still no doubt that 2009 Pontet-Canet is a special, reference-point wine in Bordeaux. Among a table of some of the most seasoned professionals, negociants, and winemakers, the bottle we had was emptied very quickly. Deep and brooding still at this young age, it is loaded with copious red/black fruits, extremely fine grain tannin, and a finish that easily passes a minute. Certainly a rival for the First Growths in a vintage like 2009, it will continue to be a wine that is a must-have for any collector for a few decades to come.