2003 Château Pontet-Canet |
| Vintage | 2003 |  | |
| Type | Red | ||
| Producer | Château Pontet-Canet (web) | ||
| Variety | Red Bordeaux Blend | ||
| Designation | n/a | ||
| Vineyard | n/a | ||
| Country | France | ||
| Region | Bordeaux | ||
| SubRegion | Médoc | ||
| Appellation | Pauillac | ||
| UPC Code(s) | 031259016306, 031259021591, 071570014834, 087000331679, 3251092810481, 3277034946735, 3364420031059, 3419466143676, 3419466144215, 3700266210140, 3700446508128, 3700446512125, 400005871139, 639737595932, 649944053095, 714153131633, 732511091603, 802236002267, 830293001497 |
| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Drinking window: Drink between 2012 and 2029 (based on 269 user opinions) | |
| Wine Market Journal quarterly auction price: See Pontet Canet on the Wine Market Journal. |
| Community Tasting History |
Community Tasting Notes (average and median of 93 pts. in 1250 notes) | |
| Tasted by sinbinder on 5/24/2024: Drank with Grosterns. Delicious (77 views) | |
| Tasted by ShadowIII on 5/11/2024 & rated 94 points: Lovely aromatics, currants, cassis, floral notes, spice, pencil lead, still moderate tannic grip, long finish (1129 views) | |
| Tasted by paulst on 5/3/2024 & rated 90 points: 2003 had hot weather; this is still young; blackberry; evenly balanced; light depth; still developing. (1588 views) | |
| Tasted by winelover1808 on 4/14/2024 & rated 94 points: this was WOTN - had a few weeks ago with friends - each person brought a bottle - this was decanted two hours - really really pretty fruit, good tobacco and pencil lead hints but very medium+ pretty bordeaux sensibility on this. a tad more fruit driven relfecting the hotter vintage and compared to a 2018 CA cab the complexity, elegance and enjoyment on this was much higher (1973 views) | |
| Tasted by Neecies on 4/1/2024: Decanted for two hours. Dark garnet color. On the nose and palate there are secondary nuances among the dark, ripe/juicy fruits but on the human scale of maturity it has a sense of being unfinished, like a young adult who needs to quit partying and and settle down. (2562 views) | |
| Tasted by Tom’s Notes on 3/16/2024: Beautiful. The book says it is only a fifth growth but after many vintages drunk this is way better than that. Bought this bottle on release at $60. Looks like you can get it now around $125. Such a deal. Classic Bordeaux on the nose and in the mouth. Get a steak and this bottle and enjoy life. (2892 views) | |
| Tasted by sastewart on 2/29/2024 & rated 95 points: I agree with Mark1npt's note of 2/9/2024. I would only add that I purchased these as futures and stored at 55 degrees until it's trip to Naples. I think these are drinking very well and still have years to go. 95 Points (3044 views) | |
| Tasted by MRichman on 2/25/2024: Now mature, or early maturity at least...teenage-hood. Takes 20-30 minutes to open up, then good to go. Black olive, solid fruit. You can taste the heat of the vintage, but it's tamed. Stylistically this is between a modern old world and an old style new world wine. Soft structure, tons of fruit. Really solid muscular wine. Excellent. (3216 views) | |
| Tasted by Simba-wine on 2/24/2024 & rated 98 points: Weinclub Wine 9: Left Bank Hot vs. Cold Vintage Never had a better bottle than this and I love this wine for a long time. Fully on apex but no signs of fading! The fruit just popped at you but all in balance with deep minerality. The braised paliron and filet of veal was sublime but with the two wines it got even better. Slow ox’d for 4h Now - 2033 98p (2783 views) | |
| Tasted by Shugs_Claret on 2/23/2024 & rated 93 points: Lovely dark fruited nose. Cherry and cassis. Well balanced for the vintage. Ample acidity and silky tannins with some air. Still quite enjoyable after a week of slow ox. (2685 views) | |
| Tasted by hkbob on 2/11/2024 & rated 95 points: From magnum. Showed quite young still in the larger format, with a sweet nose of bing cherry, Chinese 5-spice, garrigue and a pronounced marine note. The sweetness did not follow through to the palate where the abundant fruit was quite dry, but not drying, and most of the action was on the front to mid-palate with a modest grippy finish. Paired beautifully with beef bourguignon (which itself had been constructed with a generous infusion of CdP). Excellent. (3000 views) | |
| Tasted by Mark1npt on 2/9/2024 & rated 95 points: A bottle brought to the dinner by new CT friend sastewart and spouse. Decanted for about 90 minutes then placed back into the cleaned bottle under stopper to take to the restaurant. Mild barnyard needed about an hour of the decant to blow off. Mild sediment in the bottle. This one is perfectly integrated at that point in time. Soft silky texture in the mouth. Loads of graphite and leather on the nose and the palate. A hint of barnyard remaining on the nose early on during dinner. Wonderful balance between nose and palate, acidity and soft tannins. Still plenty of time as this one still has legs to evolve its tertiary self, further, but how does it get any better than it is right now? I just love these. 95-96 for me tonight and a great evening of food and conversation with S & M! (3250 views) | |
| Tasted by Philip67 on 1/25/2024 & rated 94 points: Really nice classic Bordeaux. As a 2003 one might expect over ripe stewed fruits and perhaps over extracted but not a bit of it. This is plush, polished and beautifully balanced. Blackcurrant, blackberry and cassis, quite restrained. Medium plus body, plenty of acidity and grippy fine tannins. Some leather developing. Long and complex. Drinking now, though this is really still really in its primary youth, will be better in 5 years. (3195 views) | |
| Tasted by Vinobc on 1/22/2024 & rated 92 points: Decanted 3 hours. Plum and cherry nose, beautiful dark color. Subtle fruit flavors, very good overall. (3153 views) | |
| Tasted by alexbhurst1678 on 1/4/2024: Drank after we hung art; I think this is a stellar vintage with tremendous value to be had; compelling, tasty, nice finish, tannins are present but not overwhelming; fully support. (3447 views) | |
| Tasted by lvjohn on 12/29/2023 & rated 96 points: Outstanding with great fruit and depth of favors. Decant carefully to remove the plentiful solids. (3096 views) | |
| Tasted by EyeDoc on 12/29/2023 & rated 95 points: Great Bordeaux - still some great fruit with resolved tannins and some tertiary notes of leather. Great stuff. (2892 views) | |
| Tasted by LT98 on 12/26/2023 & rated 93 points: Decanted for one hour. Tannic when first opened but then softened with aeration and was a delightful wine. Classic Paulliac notes of lead and graphite. Great depth. (2634 views) | |
| Tasted by JoeMe on 12/24/2023 & rated 94 points: Paired with Meat Fondue on Christmas Eve. Excellent bottle of wine. The nose is a real treat right from the get go when pouring the wine into the decanter. Pencil shavings, tobacco, black berry, cherry and plum. The palate is just as nice with similar flavors. Tannins have softened, not too ripe, everything in the right place, impeccable balance. (2472 views) | |
| Tasted by thebonnydooner on 12/24/2023 & rated 93 points: Notes from second night open. Dark in colour, not much brick/ any. Lovely intense plum garnet colour. Nose is mature with wood and spice along with a little plum and currant fruit. Palate is smooth dry but the fruit is fading a little. Quite mellow at this point , delicious and still complex but losing fruit. Better last night. Drink up. (2121 views) | |
| Tasted by chitowncdpguy on 12/23/2023: Nice. The nose is very secondary but still tastes much like a young wine. Smooth and long, well balanced. (2107 views) | |
| Tasted by trumpet60201 on 12/15/2023 & rated 93 points: I had this a few days ago, along with many other excellent wines. This was surprisingly primary and juicy at 20 years of age. It had tannins remaining and will age well. It went great with our steaks. (2710 views) | |
| Tasted by jviz on 12/11/2023 & rated 92 points: Same bottle as Nutty08. Really fresh sample. Dark fruited, but bright and without any roasted notes. A compelling case for 03. (2885 views) | |
| Tasted by Nutty08 on 12/8/2023 & rated 93 points: Better than my last bottle. Showed a bit fresher, more delineation. Has a nice flint and leafy character to the now tertiary fruit. Finish is a bit hard and angular keeping this from the next level. (2799 views) | |
| Tasted by mxpbuy on 12/2/2023 & rated 93 points: 1 Hour decant. Basically the same as prior bottles over the past year or two. Nearly a teaspoon of sediment. Good food acidity with a more noticeable touch of spice from Oak I had not noticed as much in prior bottles. (2836 views) | |
| Tasted by liber on 11/26/2023 & rated 92 points: 2nd of 24, splash decanted, perfect cork and level, in essence as noted in detail in Jan 22 but now with more pronounced and layered bouquet and losing angularity on palate to reveal underlying v attractive and classy wine if in a big and extracted style for claret (ie what a Frenchman might do if trying to ape Napa), clear upside, 25+ years and best P-C I've had but I've not looked at my 2000s and have fond memories of a pretty if rather short 69. Strong F (17.5). (3217 views) | |
| Tasted by Rpfe on 11/9/2023 & rated 92 points: Double decanted 4 hours before.As expected, full bodied and bursting with fruit.A big wine from a hot weather vintage but most enjoyable nonetheless. (3332 views) | |
| Tasted by EyeDoc on 10/28/2023 & rated 96 points: inky dark purple - no real bricking. The nose is still very primary and blows great dark fruits - fresh plum dominates. Black currants, blackberries dominate on the palate. This wine has a great finish - the tannins are mouth puckering and sweet and linger for a minute at least. Absolutely delicious - pop and pour. (3325 views) | |
| Tasted by Purple Tooth on 10/19/2023 & rated 92 points: In the same vibe as the 2003 Poyferre I had the other night. A quiet humm that had me wondering when the show was going to start...It never did. Mature appearance with a tight feel...go figure. Nor here, nor there, not everywhere, but not anywhere particular. Very generic, very restrained with medium weight red fruit, ins and outs of graphite, and a nice blast of tang and pull. Every time I try one of these I say, "hmmm...I dont know...I need to try another one soon"...well??? Drink or Hold? I dont know... (3757 views) | |
| Tasted by felixp on 10/15/2023 & rated 92 points: Massive, tannic wine still closed. Quite perfumed, but hard as nails in the mouth. Try again in 5 years. Showing a lot more promise than when tasted back in 2018. (3797 views) | |
| Tasted by vesper9 on 10/8/2023 & rated 90 points: past the prime (2434 views) | |
| Tasted by TomTCam on 9/28/2023 & rated 95 points: Bold, ripe, dark fruits on the nose with hints of cedar and leather. On the palate smooth, well-integrated tannins and well-balanced acidity. Hint of cassis and cherry on the palate. (3983 views) | |
| Tasted by Tao on 9/8/2023 & rated 91 points: Bold, big, ripe dark fruits. A little coarse on the palate, translucent ruby colour! Still, a bit tannic! (4044 views) | |
| Tasted by alexbhurst1678 on 8/27/2023: Drank w Jim and Claudia; super soft cork; but the bottle was really nice; super soft tannins; hints of berry and a bit of lead and earthy tones; medium finish. (3868 views) | |
| Tasted by mxpbuy on 8/25/2023 & rated 93 points: Decanted for 3 hours. Finally softened to smoothness. Wonderful black and blue fruits with some tangy red fruits. Pencil shavings and touch of grilled meats and tar. (3408 views) | |
| Tasted by Mmunger on 8/25/2023 & rated 94 points: First bottle of Château Pontet-Canet for me. Bought this one quite a while back and have had it in my cellar. Took to dinner at a classic higher end steak restaurant along with a bottle of 2014 Peter Michael Les Pavots. Decanted for about an hour before drinking, then a couple glasses over the next couple hours. First impression was "wow". This is right up my alley and drinking in a great place right now. Classic Bourdoux blend, plenty of red fruit but not jammy. Tannins were integrated well. No heavy alcohol bite like many from the US. Will be adding more to my cellar. (3586 views) | |
| Tasted by sastewart on 8/16/2023 & rated 94 points: See my note of 1/28/22. 94 points (3054 views) | |
| Tasted by Winevestor on 8/13/2023 & rated 93 points: This is a hot vintage, but at this age it was no problem. This was fairly straight forward, but there is nothing like a well made 20 year old Bordeaux from Pauillac! I recently went to Bordeaux and went to a number of great chateaux. I tasted some lovely great wine. But..... no 20 year old wines - for the general public they are only in your cellars. And this was better drinking than any of the young wines that I actually had in Bordeaux. Deep plum, drinking beautifully and will last longer, but probably not drinking any better. Not terribly complex, but just delicious. (3551 views) | |
| Tasted by asparagus on 8/3/2023 & rated 91 points: Last 2 bottles of a case of 12. Well made, but perhaps not my style of Bdx anymore. Still, enjoyable if a bit simple. (3788 views) | |
| Tasted by billcow on 7/9/2023 & rated 90 points: Pleasant drinking. (4336 views) | |
| Tasted by Time traveller on 6/23/2023 & rated 93 points: 20 year old Bordeaux Birthday wine. One of my favorites. Enjoyed with some delicious bleu cheese and crackers. Prestine, what more could one ask for! (4189 views) | |
| Tasted by cos65 on 6/18/2023 & rated 92 points: Clear ruby with just the faintest hint of age at the rim. Light leathery aromas on opening, primary fruit dissipated. Immediately on opening this seemed to be going through a tough phase where the primary fruit all gone, and left with just some tough structure poorly balanced, but with 3 hours of air this has come together nicely, even better the next day. (4361 views) | |
| Tasted by jfolbe on 6/15/2023 & rated 95 points: Amazing. Needs 1 hr decant (4281 views) | |
| Tasted by Roentgen Ray on 6/7/2023 & rated 90 points: Cork was in great shape, solid with no leaks. The color is deep ruby tinged garnet. Smells like raw beef, strawberry, currant, a hint of wild rose, and there is some odd smokey silly putty aromas that I don't love. Tannins are structured. Acidity is moderate. (4094 views) | |
| Tasted by zimmy07 on 6/4/2023 & rated 92 points: Drinking well with a 4 hour decant. Cedar, pencil shaving, and light blue fruits. I would hold a bit longer but this is approachable. Very good wine but got the doors blown off by the 2005 PC I had a few weeks back. (4339 views) | |
| Tasted by mugginsthedog on 5/24/2023 & rated 94 points: Last from a case of 12. Every one has been better than the previous one. No sign of pruniness despite the vintage’s reputation. Round and voluptuous- scarcely seems 20 years old. (4412 views) | |
| Tasted by hcampana on 5/20/2023 & rated 90 points: Had as a mini vertical dinner tasting together with the 1995 and 2010. It was the least aromatically attractive of the three, showing lactic notes and lacking a lot of aged aromatics. The palate was denser than the 1995, with ample fruit and fine tannin that are still present, although not obtrusive. Had with Cachi and Annie. Very good wine. (3751 views) | |
| Tasted by dharrison93 on 5/17/2023 & rated 94 points: Terrific mature claret. Drank PnP with a friend for Tues BBQ. Deep brooding nose of black fruit, mocha and prune. Not terribly complex but at its apogee currently. 5-10 years lf delicious life ahead. If a date, this was a 35 year old executive taking a career break + enjoying life benefits. (4433 views) | |
| Tasted by HandmadeHomemade on 5/16/2023: Ripe for the picking if you like fruit rich and sappy and the tannins softened. Getting some tobacco, pencil shavings, oaky/earth on the finish. Fruit is pure and black. Aroma is intense, matches mouth, not getting much prune, thank goodness. Great wine, still plenty of gas in the tank. (4098 views) | |
| Tasted by mxpbuy on 5/13/2023 & rated 93 points: PnP. Drank over a couple hours. Largely consistent with my prior notes, but it did not materially improve after the first 30 mins and arguably started to fall apart a little at the end of the second hour. The heat from the vintage has made this an early maturing wine. Time to drink up over the next year or so. I can only see downside after that. (3868 views) | |
| Tasted by Goldstone on 5/11/2023 & rated 93 points: 'Welcome back Neal' Dinner (Giando, 5 Star Street, Wan Chai, Hong Kong): I bought two cases of this wine en-primeur, which I am one-third of the way through....but this one was brought by Neal. Decanted for 2 hours before serving ( I would recommend a lot longer but circumstances don't always permit).Totally opaque deep red colour. Nose is quite immediately perfumed, loads of cedar and deep almost-pastilled blackberry. Palate is really young, heavily tannic. Gorgeous depth and precision of fruit with a good rounded surround of oak. Massive resonance and reverberance inside the head on the finish. Gosh, what a finish despite a somewhat un-matured middle. I always love this. (3468 views) | |
| Tasted by The Grape Escape on 4/30/2023 & rated 94 points: Decanted for two hours and then served with hickory smoked prime beef ribs, polenta, and lemon garlic green beans. The wine was right on point. I like the 2003 Pontet Canet because it lands right where I need it for a meal. There are bigger wines out there, but if you want to land a solid left banker with a great meal, this will do it. This wine integrates with the food and does exactly what you want. It creates a great experience. (4378 views) | |
| Tasted by Vinumming & Ahhing on 4/28/2023: Less Celebrated France WIMPS #164 28th April 2023 (La Trompette, Chiswick): Very generously opened by my neighbour in replacement of the corked Gigondas. Fitting the less celebrated theme. This was splash decanted and served cool. The nose shows dark fruits and some cigar box, a little green bell pepper too. Plenty to like. I think a better bottle than at the recent 2003 horizontal. Palate has interest but there is still that 2003 slightly clipped thing. (4035 views) | |
| Tasted by CRL Stc on 4/28/2023 & rated 94 points: Beautiful wine. Tight and tannic upon opening. Cork in great shape. Decanted and opened up after 30 minutes. Seemed to hit its peak after 60 - 90 minutes, but still wonderful when we finished it at two hours. 45 second finish. Dark fruit, leather, cassis. (3819 views) | |
| Tasted by Raage on 4/22/2023 & rated 92 points: Cette bouteille goutait fort jeune: fruit prédominant, boisé flagrant, matière prometteuse mais ce n’était pas en place, la magie attendra… On peut dire que tout y est, la finesse, la maturité et l’équilibre, que ce beau bordeaux est encore trop flatteur, qu’il est luxuriant, et qu’en même temps, qq années dissiperont ce too much œnologique… Question de goût… (4250 views) | |
| Tasted by galewskj on 4/16/2023 & rated 92 points: When the wife is away... (Broders): Decanted, poured back into the bottle and drank about 2 hours later. There is moderate secondary qualities with quite a lot of forward ripe fruit. The wine is not heavy or jammy. (4404 views) | |
| Tasted by Shay.Aldriedge on 4/11/2023 & rated 94 points: One of the better older Bordeaux I’ve had in quite some time. Absolutely at peak with so many layers. It outshined an ‘03 Grand Puy Lacoste (which showed thin), ‘03 Montelena (sadly corked), and an ‘03 BV Georges de LaTour (rich/sweet). Absolutely on fire from pop, this 20yr old left bank Bordeaux showed none of the overripe/too hot characteristics of the vintage. Deep purple/black in the glass with no bricking. Full-bodied. Mocha, truffle, roasted blackberries and raspberries, graphite on the nose. Ripe (but not overly so) dark berries, plum, cassis with vanilla pipe tobacco and even some iron. Still a good bit of tannin on the finish. This shows as a “modern” style due to the warmth, but balanced. Wish I had more. Pop the corks and enjoy! (4541 views) | |
| Tasted by jmht on 4/11/2023 & rated 93 points: Decanted 3 hours. Beguiling nose of dark red fruits and earth. Palate of cassis, raspberry, spicy peppery mid palate and long finish of cassis-blackberry. Shows no evidence of heat or jammy qualities of the 03 vintage. (4259 views) | |
| Tasted by platpeeps on 3/14/2023 & rated 93 points: Fleshy, plump and fresh, this had intense cassis fruit underpinned with some firm but melting tannins. Leafy and fresh there is a delicious savoury element as the flavours develop silky black chocolate. There is a little spice and warmth, but this appeared to be effortless. What cannicule? CHP 93 pts (4857 views) | |
| Tasted by paulst on 3/14/2023 & rated 94 points: Bright raspberry-blackberry; layered and round; balanced; easy tannin; smooth coarse finish. (5011 views) | |
| Tasted by mxpbuy on 3/4/2023 & rated 94 points: 1.5 hour slow ox. Tannins still a little chewy but smooth and thick. Overripe and extracted black, blue and red fruit with smoked meats, touch of pencil shavings, and some licorice for the first time. (4498 views) | |
| Tasted by Vinumming & Ahhing on 2/16/2023 & rated 88 points: Bordeaux 2003 Horizontal (Piccolino, Exchange Square, London): On pouring there is a pencil lead and classic tobacco leaf character. As with many of the other wines, the palate does not deliver on this promise; drying and out of balance. (4970 views) | |
| Tasted by SimonG on 2/16/2023 & rated 83 points: 2003 Bordeaux @ Piccolino (Piccolino, Liverpool Street Stn, London): Dense ruby. Almost purple at the core. Like a barrel sample when opened and double decanted, three and a half hours later it has relaxed a little. Dark red fruit with some blackberry. Quite an astringency on the finish. This was better a decade ago. ** (4847 views) | |
| Tasted by Édifice on 2/4/2023 & rated 95 points: Wonderful bouquet of ripe blackberries, grilled peppers, crushed stones, undergrowth. Medium-bodied, silky palate with ripe berries with a nice acidic bite, balanced, leading to a nice finish with graphite, some sweetness, some relatively dissolved tannins. The wine is in a great spot, still fresh but with tertiary elements showing up, good from the first to the last glass. (4406 views) | |
| Tasted by Chrysostomus on 2/1/2023 & rated 94 points: Much better than the bottle I had 5 weeks ago (thanks for the comments, that "forced" me to open another one :-) Gave it 3 hours of air...Precise, Pauillac-typical nose of black berries, pencil shavings, cedar, tobacco. Nice freshness on the nose and palate. Good mix of primary and tertiary aromas. 92 pts. so far....Had to keep up about 1/3 in the bottle for 5 days (vacuumized) and it was singing on day 6. Much more tension and pressure on the palate, super perfumed nose. 94 pts.....Conclusion for me: needs a lot of air, could be a long runner in view of the hot vintage - but there seems to be certainly some bottle variation! Big difference between my 2 tested bottles. For those who are interested: Pape Clement 2003, which I had a few days ago, was a cut above (96) for me right now! (4936 views) | |
| Tasted by Good2drink on 1/21/2023 & rated 92 points: Opened for sipping Very nice (4558 views) | |
| Tasted by cdeeb on 1/15/2023 & rated 92 points: On opening great nose of weedy black fruits. Tannins are still high and a little lower than I would like. After 4 hours a little more harmonious. No real secondary flavors. Still quite primary. I think this has a long life ahead of it. Great wine that needs a lot of air before consumption at this point. (4541 views) | |
| Tasted by Philip67 on 1/9/2023 & rated 95 points: Wow! This was a surprise - it is really good. Not as full bodied as I expected given the vintage and the tendency for some chateau to overproduce in the early 2000's. It has a lovely full weight in the mouth without being overdone, this is classic Bordeaux and has the elegance you would expect of Bordeaux. Dark fruits with some tertiary leather, good acidity. Real depth, length and complexity. Drinking now but really only beginning to drink well. Will last for many years. The 1996 Pontet is gorgeous and I think this will turn out to be just as good and maybe better. (4755 views) | |
| Tasted by Winning_Wines on 1/4/2023 & rated 93 points: A bit more tannic than I remembered. Needed a solid two-hours of air to really open up, and honestly could have used more. Overall, delicious and a great accompaniment to steak dinner. The acidic is starting to creep a little high for my personal preference as a stand alone drinker, but again, great with dinner. (4870 views) | |
| Tasted by honest bob on 12/31/2022 & rated 92 points: NYE 2022/23 (Gohlis Foodies): From 75cl, perfect cork, double decanted 5 hours, which it definitely needed. Although it never really opened up fully this evening, it was a joy to drink: packed with strikingly pure cassis fruit, a silken texture, hints of complex spice flashing through every now and then before it closed up again. The trademark Pauillac pencil-lead is present, but in an unobtrusive way. The closed-ness reminds me of other 2003 GCC Médoc wines which I found roasted and disappointingly mute, but I think this vintage of Pontet-Canet still has great potential. 3-5 years before the next bottle, and/or an even longer decant next time? 92P(+) (4199 views) | |
| Tasted by JohnLI on 12/29/2022 & rated 92 points: Opened an hour or so before drinking. Deep red colour. Lovely cherry, blackberry and marzipan on the nose and palate with pencil shavings. Tannins have softened. A very enjoyable wine, however, unlike others, I’m not sure how it will improve with more time. For me, drink now to 5 years. (3972 views) | |
| Tasted by Xavier Auerbach on 12/27/2022 & rated 93 points: Fifth bottle from a full case purchased en primeur. Pristine condition, level into neck, perfect cork. Gritty sediment. Decanted for two hours. Healthy and youthful appearance; fresh and classical Pauillac nose, gravel and blackcurrants, with meaty and floral notes and a touch of spice; rounded and lively on the palate, bright and remarkably fresh for a 2003, firm but velvety tannic grip; dry but perfumed finish, salty and spicy. They clearly did well in the heat - at 20 years of age this is comfortably on its plateau of maturity, but this should easily last for another decade (or more). (4975 views) | |
| Tasted by PolarBear22 on 12/25/2022 & rated 93 points: Decanted about two hours. It was wonderful. Too busy with celebrating for notes, but what a great wine. And this was just firstnottle of a half case. (3645 views) | |
| Tasted by Nick oakwood on 12/25/2022 & rated 95 points: Brief tasting note: After 4.5 hours in the air, the fun began: perfumed nose with great ripe but not overripe floral notes, full-bodied, taste typical Paulliac (pencil!), however, the great, ripe (rather atypical) and rich fruit is repeated here in the transition to tertiary aromatics, the tannins still palpable but not dominating and super fitting with nice depth giving, acidity absolutely still there and alive. This was really a stunner. And it can still go for ages. To the filet with porcini mushrooms and truffles an absolute upside. Something like this makes me happy. (3599 views) | |
| Tasted by Chrysostomus on 12/20/2022 & rated 90 points: Beautiful nose- but that‘s the best! Light wine, no fruit, even after 4 hours. Very hard tannins that show bitter green notes. One dimensional…have to wait 5 years until popping the next cork but not much hope for improvement (4601 views) | |
| Tasted by Elpaninaro on 12/15/2022: deep red color just starting to lighten at the rim, smooth nose of blueberry with a bit of varnish, cherries, on the palate quite tasty but also quite simple with the oak just barely in check, good length, some general spice notes with time, still a bit tannic, very well balanced for a 2003 but as is the case across the board- these are creatures of their vintage and not especially detailed or distinctive, that said- for pure enjoyment (which is at least some part of this hobby, right?) the 2003 Pontet-Canet is hard to beat, it is really delicious right now and has the power to remain so for quite some time, if you are a fellow proud AFWE-er and find yourself needing a 2003- reach for this or Mouton without hesitation. ***+, now to 2030+ (3960 views) | |
| Tasted by mwellington on 12/4/2022 & rated 94 points: Agree with prior comments re 4 hour decant. At 3:15 it was still awkwardly tannic and astringent. At 4+ it felt integrated, smooth and floral. Excellent mouthfeel and long finish. Still feels like it has many years to improve - which is amazing given how good it is already. (4340 views) | |
| Tasted by aerosol on 12/2/2022 & rated 95 points: Got a glass here now and decanting for 4 hours. I strongly recommend/warn you not to even think about less time! The nose is complex with fruit and floral and hints of leather in the back. You can stick your nose in the glass and stay there and enjoy the wine. The color is youthful and legs are streaming down the glass . The palate is from heaven! There’s some agreeable tartness and it’s full of dark red cherry , tobacco , hints of cocoa and green notes and a bit of menthol, but slightly . There’s still a good amount of tannins and enough acidity to go to dinner . It’s outstanding ! (4159 views) | |
| Tasted by Shak on 11/17/2022 & rated 93 points: Dark fruit, dry, interesting old vine earthiness. (4264 views) | |
| Tasted by spineguy on 11/12/2022 & rated 94 points: Great Pauillac all around. Needed 2 hours in decanter and then was beginning to sing. At this time pnp will not do it justice. Dark stuff with tannins that are just coming around. Wish I had more. (4274 views) | |
| Tasted by Jeff Leve on 11/8/2022 & rated 94 points: Take a good cigar, dip it in dark chocolate, add a bushel of red and black currants, blackberries, cedar and lead pencil, and you have the perfume. Full-bodied, ripe, round and lush, with layers of fruit on the palate, this is fully ready-to-go. Drink from 2022-2032. (6396 views) | |
| Tasted by CHarder on 11/6/2022 & rated 93 points: This is for sure improving. Still fresh and fruity with some tannins. Need at least 1hr decant but getting there. Thknk a bit of upside to the score remains. Drink now-10yrs (4097 views) | |
| Tasted by etyc on 10/26/2022: PnP'ed. Still dark purplish (almost opaque) with not much signs of ageing, this has developed (more integrated) & come together nicely. Scents of cassis, dark-chocolate, black-berries & smoke rose from the glass without much coaxing. Tannins also seemed to have mellowed somewhat. Primarily still black-fruit driven, this had great fruit weight as well as a nice freshness that kept everything in balance/check. Long finish... Will continue to improve with more cellar age! (4935 views) | |
| Tasted by The Grape Escape on 10/25/2022 & rated 94 points: Decanted for one hour and then put back into the bottle. Enjoyed at a restaurant with a couple of friends about an hour later. Typical Pauillac cedar and pencil shavings on the nose that got more interesting over time. Very grippy tannins to start but softened in about 30-40 minutes. When this wine started hitting on all cylinders, it was beautiful. Enjoyed it with NY strip steak. Next time, I will decant for three hours and give the wine a chance to show its stuff. (4230 views) | |
| Tasted by mxpbuy on 10/23/2022 & rated 94 points: Slow Ox for 2 hours. Probably my best bottle yet. Tannins were not so thick and chewy as past samplings - far more pliable now. Black fruits with blue fruits, touches of Mocha, cedar and minerals. By the end of the bottle there was nearly a tablespoon of sediment. (4322 views) | |
| Tasted by pikemasterflash on 10/8/2022: Broken cork so I had to pour this through a screened funnel. Tons of sediment. This was quite good but it is not a 100 point wine. I paid about $52/per on release. I would say that is probably about right from '03 (4577 views) | |
| Tasted by Steynor on 10/4/2022: Tanners: An opaque purple colour accompanied by an impressive aromatic display of pure creme de cassis, high-quality oak, sweet earth and smoke. (4857 views) | |
| Tasted by absolut on 10/2/2022 & rated 93 points: Mit viel Luft zugänglicher, aber ehrlich noch zu jung... (4419 views) | |
| Tasted by dannyg on 9/11/2022 & rated 91 points: The heat in the wine has mellowed but you still get that toasty aroma, mushroom, forest floor, herbs and plenty of vanilla and oak. Nice wine but not my favorite year. (4254 views) | |
| Tasted by dera on 9/10/2022 & rated 94 points: This thing is still youthful. Very dark opaque ruby, very viscous with long thick legs in the glass. Nose has tons of earth, cedar and a touch of herbal menthol notes and forest floor. On the palate it’s completely dry with no over the top ripeness or sweetness. Cassis, blackberries, leather, dark chocolate. Nice soft tannins that still have a pleasant grip. Finish is very complex and long with a touch of smokiness. I would run out of fingers, toes and likely hair if I counted how many seconds it lasts. In my very uneducated opinion, this has recently reached close to it’s peak and will likely stay here for a long time. Good sh*t. (5258 views) | |
| Tasted by steinersing on 9/9/2022 & rated 93 points: From magnum expressive. Some cedar / eucalyptus notes reminiscent of Napa. (4667 views) | |
| Tasted by lvjohn on 9/7/2022 & rated 96 points: Outstanding and then some! Took to a nearby restaurant for anniversary celebration. Briefly decanted and then tasted. Pow! All the grace and beauty of a great Bordeaux red were on full display. Every detail was perfect. The nose had a full beautiful red fruit quality seemed to be raspberry and spice. In the mouth and explosion of those red fruits and spice. Long aftertaste. (5032 views) | |
| Tasted by jmoon on 9/3/2022 & rated 91 points: A bit flat and tired now. Tertiary old school boardeax characters emerging but lacking the fruit to support. (4969 views) | |
| Tasted by Sperls on 8/13/2022 & rated 93 points: Excellent bottle in a good spot w many years ahead. However, a note of cedar never resolved itself and kept it from being truly amazing. (5329 views) | |
| Tasted by WDK on 8/1/2022 & rated 98 points: Didn't know what to think based on mixed reviews I've seen about 2003 Bdx"s, but this exceeded everyone's expectations. Color was opaque purple with bricking on the edges. Full body with ripe fruit and a firm structure. Flavors of cassis, plum, and forest floor. Long delicious finish with firm tannins and perfect level of acidity. This wine was outstanding and one of the best I've ever had. Sorry that I have no more bottles of the '03's but hope that the more recent vintages turn out this good. (6278 views) | |
| Tasted by Mark1npt on 7/30/2022 & rated 95 points: Been 18 months or so since my last bottle of this one. Decanted 2 hours at home, placed back into the bottle (after first washing the copious sediment out of the bottle). Placed back into the bottle under cork and enjoyed at the restaurant with friends over the next 2 hours. Only got better as the meal and the air time wore on.......classic Bdx profile, red fruited, aged to perfection. I doubt it gets any better from this point, but might very well take on even more tertiary characteristics. Only minimally/moderately tertiary now. Beautiful Bdx......... (7140 views) | |
| Tasted by guido23 on 7/23/2022 & rated 92 points: Fading a bit relative to my previous review (6112 views) | |
| Tasted by theharve on 7/17/2022 & rated 86 points: no fruit. wassup? hope it's bottle variation. (5936 views) | |
| Tasted by Renevin on 6/29/2022 & rated 94 points: Nez qui demeure fermé mais en bouche c est très expressif. Tout en rondeur, fruité, ample. Les tanins sont soyeux. Belle longueur. Excellent (5715 views) | |
| Tasted by EvoPeteMTL on 6/22/2022 & rated 93 points: The wine is in a beautiful phase right now. Beautiful nose. Black cherries. Melted tannins. Drink now (5477 views) | |
| Tasted by Mr T on 6/7/2022: dry cork but wine still rather young and dark with some decent tannin. Distinctly better on night 3 after drinking 1/2 on night one PNP and then corked and stuck in fridge until night 3 when softer, more open and fruit sweeter and more expressive. Certainly an excellent wine for the $60 paid in the day (5856 views) | |
| Tasted by CellarBord on 6/1/2022 & rated 94 points: Needs a good decant, showing nice character, needs a few years to soften the tannins, enjoyed much more that the 2003 Pichon Longueville Comtesse De Lalande. Drink 2024-2029. Great showing with Wagyu Beef with mushroom. (5213 views) | |
| Tasted by Force5 on 5/30/2022: Red fruited, cedary, expressive nose. Both fresh and generous. Still quite structured with air, this is still on the up-slope in its development, with years to go before peak. The first bottle of a recent purchase, this has apparently been well-stored. Good. (5333 views) | |
| Tasted by SeanPG on 5/29/2022 & rated 96 points: In it’s prime, such a clarity and precision to this wine. Bright red fruits on the nose, well balanced taste of cherry, cassis, hint of blueberry. Tannin has been largely subdued into fine, sultry tannins and a clean finish. A little bit of sediment developing now… might be worth a slow pour into the decanter. (5026 views) | |
| Tasted by Mhbeaune on 5/22/2022: Corked (5336 views) | |
| Tasted by jhw425 on 5/22/2022 & rated 91 points: Seems to be the longest lived of the 2003s. Still imposing and sturdy (4864 views) | |
| Tasted by advinm41 on 5/13/2022 & rated 94 points: Classic Paulliac! At the perfect spot now and ready for prime drinking! Aromas of cherries, plums, cassis, barnyard, truffles, cigar, violets, mocha with supple mouth coating sensation on the palate full of black fruits interlaced with cocoa, chocolate and black truffle flavors with long finish with swath of delicious tannins that make you want to take another sip. Excellent! 94 pts (5037 views) | |
| Tasted by VAGenius on 5/8/2022 & rated 97 points: Nose of red currant, rose petals, rocks, and incense notes. Ripe and strong black currant and black plum palate with red leather, dusty earth, and nice drive that powers into gravel and minerals. Finish brings nice lift followed by plush, caressing tannins, black plum, silty soil, and more gravel. This wine was singing loudly with a powerful marriage of ripe fruit and Paulliac earth. Outstanding pairing with Filet Mignon. (5021 views) | |
| Tasted by Nanda on 4/29/2022 & rated 91 points: Richly textured with full bodied, plush, plum fruit laced with tobacco, bell pepper and spice. Polished and somewhat ripe, but quite well contained and balanced. The 2003s are really holding up and showing well across LB. Drinking just right now. (5105 views) | |
| Tasted by jmoon on 4/22/2022 & rated 90 points: Good enough but quite flat and lacking interest and energy. (5556 views) | |
| Tasted by grossie on 4/18/2022 & rated 93 points: uh oh, I only have 2 more remaining! This one is delicious. Wonderful dark fruit on the nose that follows through in the mouth. Amazing length, so much hedonstic pleasure. Good structure, but nothing that I would call "firm". Ready to drink, I'm not sure it's improving but I wish I had a few more. (5398 views) | |
| Tasted by Rambadt Cellar on 4/17/2022 & rated 52 points: Vicky loves… (5103 views) | |
| Tasted by Léognan on 4/17/2022 & rated 94 points: Consistent note as last bottle in November 2021. The wine is in its ideal drinking window. Wonderful classic Pauillac (nose, palate, aftertaste), fortunately not too extracted. Could held its 94 points for about 3 to 5 years, but why wait? (5099 views) | |
| Tasted by Dsen on 4/17/2022 & rated 95 points: Decanted for 2 hours. Given the heat of the vintage the wine was well structured and balanced and in excellent shape. There are still years of improvement. Sophisticated tannins, good length and colour. (4714 views) | |
| Tasted by NarunP on 4/3/2022 & rated 93 points: 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 4% Cabernet France and 1% Petit Verdot Bricked red hue, opaque, compact rim Aromatics show that of smoke, new leather, unlit cigar, black tea leaves, black olives, with some slight underearthy smell. On the palate, this wine is dense but integrated, medium body, bone dry. Mostly black fruits of cassis, cherry, and blackberry. No trace of stewed fruits which are signs of overripeness. Lots of secondary characters here. Cigar box, graphite, gunpowder, mint. Masculine. Long and mouth cleansing aftertaste. Superb wine that expresses all that is great about Pauillac. Power, lineage, and pedigree. It took about an hour to open up and stayed at its expressing peak for about 1-1.5 hour. Went downhill afterward. I would say this wine is ready and peak now. No reason to wait. 2022-2025. 93. (5047 views) | |
| Tasted by GrigelNolla on 3/19/2022 & rated 97 points: Phenomenal left bank Bordeaux. Drinking well now and will be for years to come. Wish I had opened and left it to decant earlier, as it opened up immensely over a few hours. We finished most of it off very quick though. (5103 views) | |
| Tasted by djhammond on 3/6/2022 & rated 96 points: Consistent with my previous notes, this is a top notch wine, and until the 2008 and 2009 are ready to drink, undoubtedly the best from the estate in memory. As mentioned in other notes, it is a perfect example of some of the great left bank wines from 2003 with no sign of over extraction and with a modest alcohol level of 13%. It really needs a few hours in an open decanter to show its best. The nose is fabulous and is very typical of the year with ripe wine gum aromas of red berry fruits with vanilla and violet hints which linger. The palate has a well balanced robust spine with excellent depth. The finish is still showing some residual tannic grip which should resolve with further time. The beauty of the 2003 left bank is that they are very enjoyable at a relatively young age, but are still evolving for future drinking, and the price means you can have the best of both worlds. . (5381 views) | |
| Tasted by myofin on 3/5/2022 & rated 95 points: Decanted for 1 hour, and drank over 3 hours. The wine was beautiful: sophisticated elegance, unobtrusively supportive structure, balance across all elements. Just a hint of tannins on the back, but otherwise enticingly smooth. I was happy to open it now, and catch it at a great spot in its multi year evolution. (5234 views) | |
| Tasted by King Julien on 2/28/2022 & rated 94 points: Decanted 1 hour. (5705 views) | |
| Tasted by signotim on 2/27/2022 & rated 94 points: Beautiful wine with violets and blue fruits on the nose and palate. Great balance and nice freshness. This does not signal the extreme heat of the vintage. Light grippy tannins still present but this should really shine in another 5 years or so. Drink through 2035... maybe longer (5098 views) | |
| Tasted by d'Artagnan on 2/26/2022 & rated 90 points: Au chalet pour la fête de mon frère. Carafé deux heures, il paraît presque nouveau monde après le Pichon Lalande 1982. Bouche mûre, ronde, avec un bon fruit sucré. Pas mon millésime préféré du domaine, il fait plus 2003 que Pauillac, manquant de nuances et de finesse pour un vin de cet âge. 89-90 pts Il a certainement souffert de la comparaison. (4855 views) | |
| Tasted by g-man on 2/21/2022 & rated 90 points: Decanted for 2 hours. This is slowly maturing and is reaching early drinkability. I'm torn on this wine. There is still a heavy dose of drying tanins that partially overshadow the fruit and Im a little worried that they may outlive the fruit. I'll mske sure to hsng onto one bottle until 2033 just to see how it turns out. (5336 views) | |
| Tasted by Romol on 2/20/2022 & rated 93 points: Not decanted. Again a very good bottle. Ready to drink (but no hurry) and will stay for many years at this level. 93 pts. at the moment. (4730 views) | |
| Tasted by sastewart on 2/14/2022 & rated 94 points: Dinner at Doug and Elaine's in North Palm Beach. Opened 5 hours ahead. Tobacco and cedar along with blue and black fruits on the nose. Medium plus body with nice focus and a good balance of tannins and acid. Black and blue fruit intermixed with earth and cedar and a clean finish. Purchased as futures and stored at 55 degrees. In its drinking window...possible upside? 94+ points (5041 views) | |
| Tasted by Hendmo on 2/13/2022 & rated 94 points: Gave this one more air, with around 4hrs in the decanter before dinner. Smoothed out some of the rougher edges, with lovely pure cassis flavours and lovely silky mouthfeel. Delicious and comfortably into its early drinking window if you give it a few hours to breath. (4876 views) | |
| Tasted by Highlander on 2/12/2022: Truly Outstanding. So different from 4 years ago. Complex, Tannins integrated, this wine competes with the best. I would put this above Abru and others in that category. Tobacco, dark fruits, so well balanced. (4537 views) | |
| Tasted by pawine on 1/29/2022 & rated 92 points: Nice wine. tight at first but opened with 1 hr decanting. Dark red color. full of ripe red fruits. Not as much herbal character as in the past so I marked it down a couple of points. Still good 10+ years (5161 views) | |
| Tasted by Édifice on 1/22/2022 & rated 96 points: Fantastic bouquet of ripe blackberries, grilled peppers and undergrowth. Smooth, lush palate, ripe berries, with a nice amount of acidity leading to finish with a good balance of sweetness, saltiness, soy sauce, spiciness, Italian herbs. Goes super well with food. (5299 views) | |
| Tasted by SC OLY on 1/17/2022 & rated 93 points: It keeps getting better and better........ (5636 views) | |
| Tasted by Kris G on 1/2/2022 & rated 91 points: Pop and pour on the first evening, and that was a bad idea : closed and unbalanced. It performed better on the second try (rest was conserved in a 375 ml bottle) with more foreward fruit and better balance, but still not a great experience with not the best QPR. (5543 views) | |
| Tasted by liber on 1/1/2022 & rated 91 points: 1st of 24, opened 30 minutes, decanted 90 minutes, perfect cork and level - dark, quite dense ruby, purple rim; attractive, reasonably nuanced cassis driven bouquet, some plum and earth minerality; fullish, quite long, persistent and concentrated but tad angular and monolithic, highly extracted, coolish fruit (for 03) nicely covering grainy dry tannins, hopefully upside and 20+ years of development, just wish it had more grace. F (17.5). (5326 views) | |
| Tasted by Pdamarillas on 12/18/2021 & rated 95 points: Purchased upon release and stored in proper wine fridge. Perfect cork. Wow, drinking so amazing. Could go longer but I wouldn’t want to miss anything the way it is right now. (5235 views) | |
| Tasted by peterk on 12/13/2021 & rated 94 points: Dense, full-bodied, powerful, with a long, long finish - I made the mistake of trying to pop and pour. It was so much better after a couple of hours in the glass. This has a long life ahead of it, I think (5775 views) | |
| Tasted by Rani on 12/9/2021 & rated 92 points: Concentrated, black fruit driven with a dusty overtone. Very good stuff here but needs a lot more time - monolithic and not very interesting right now. (5660 views) | |
| Tasted by pikemasterflash on 12/6/2021: Drank over two days and pretty consistent across both. Very good but not great. Barnyard, smooth and no high alcohol heat. This is an excellent $52 wine (when I bought them), this is not a $162 wince (where I recently sold some). (5686 views) | |
| Tasted by mxpbuy on 12/4/2021 & rated 93 points: 1+ hour decant. This producer stepped up its game in the current millennium and the I'm trying to show patience with my '09s, but the '03 is a glimpse of what transcends the 20th to 21st century for this Château. Very smooth. Modern Left Bank, but still very Old Word compared to Napa. (5248 views) | |
| Tasted by RickyT12 on 11/27/2021 & rated 94 points: Decanted 3 hours Classic pontet Cherry, leather, dusty boot. A weight is a bit light, but still drinking well and has quite a few years left. Probably peaking in 5-8 years. Good texture. Tannins are starting to calm down. Great showing. Acid medium, weight medium minus. (4962 views) | |
| Tasted by SonOfBarolo on 11/20/2021 & rated 94 points: Just as good as the 05 I tried if not slightly better balanced/less ripe somehow, love the cassis/blackcurrant. (5148 views) | |
| Tasted by Slics on 11/19/2021 & rated 92 points: Quite enjoyable but not that different from 2017 note. (4973 views) | |
| Tasted by rashcar on 11/15/2021 & rated 96 points: This 2003 PC is singing right now! Decanted for 2 hours back in the bottle for one more hour. Nose or perfume layer then dark berries and earth. Finish was delicious and sensational. Last about 20 seconds. Balanced and ready! (5993 views) | |
| Tasted by Léognan on 11/13/2021 & rated 94 points: Château Pontet-Canet Pauillac GGC 2003 13% alc. P&P bei zunächst 14°, dann offene Flasche während 4 Stunden langsam auf 17° erwärmt Farbe: warmes Bordeauxrot, fast ohne Alterstöne, ganz leichter Wasserrand Nase: überaus zurückhaltend, auf réglisse, Cassis, Dörrpflaume Gaumen: réglisse, Cassis, Amarenakirsche und Dörrpflaume, Partagas, Sattelleder, ganz leicht Stall und Waldboden, sehr gut eingebundene, aber durchaus noch merkbare Tannine, alles trägt in einen sehr langen Abgang auf Amarenakirsche, Sattelleder, Schwarzbrot und Lebkuchenwürze, auch etwas Steinmehl. Die gut stützende Säure verspricht durchaus noch einige Jahre auf diesem Niveau. 93/94 Punkte (nichts von den so störenden Medizinalnoten der letzten Flasche im März 2020. Wunderbar zu Omelette mit frischen Steinpilzen, genauso wie zuvor Château Olivier blanc GCC Pessac-Léognan 2015 zur Crevettenvorspeise. Dieser PC 2003 ist nun wieder auf dem Niveau der Flaschen, die nach 2016 getrunken wurden, im idealen Trinkfenster, das noch 5 Jahre oder länger bleiben könnte. Allerdings - jahrgangstypisch? - nicht ganz Pauillac, aber sehr fein) P.S. Den Wein würde ich nicht über 17/18° erwärmen. Am besten bei 17° (5639 views) | |
| Tasted by 83Vintage on 10/29/2021 & rated 93 points: Consistent with other notes. Nice wine. (5670 views) | |
| Tasted by La Sprezzatura on 10/28/2021 & rated 95 points: Tasted alongside L‘Eglise Clinet 2003 and Pape Clement 2011. Decanted for 2 hours. Evolved extremely over time in the glass and decanter. At the beginning there were red, yet ripe fruits on the nose, red currants and cherries. in the background sensible tertiary aromas such as leather and licorice. also some „farm“ aromas present, but not dominant at all. Very pleasant to drink. I would say the wine is in a great spot right now, very much entered the drinking window. On the palate high acidity, creamy, nice drinkflow, you can sense that this is a high quality wine, everything works together nicely. precise, light-footed, fresh, yet grippy. complex and long. Good value for the price. Was better and more round compared to the Eglise Clinet 2003 and Pape Clement 2011. Buy. 95P (5575 views) | |
| Tasted by dannyg on 10/25/2021 & rated 94 points: Plenty of black fruits, cedar, sweet prunes, hint of spice, and mouthful of great structured wine that can easily last another 10+ years. Decant at least 2h before serving. (4234 views) | |
| Tasted by popopdrops on 10/22/2021 & rated 91 points: Magnum, dekantert. Noe for tøff dag 1, bedre og bedre dag 2 og 4. (4429 views) | |
| Tasted by slulkin on 10/18/2021 & rated 93 points: My one and only bottle of this which I have held to celebrate our son's HS graduation last year. Paired wonderfully with grilled ribeyes and vegetables. Last glass was even better on day 2. I think HENDMO's 10/2021 note summed it up very nicely. Though I would add I decanted for 2 hours prior to serving. "Deep concentrated ruby colour, which is Rich nose of cassis, slightly roasted plums, licorice, a hint of graphite and vanilla. Palate is well balanced with rich dark fruits, a deep seam of graphite and some gentle spices. Finish is subtle at first, but builds nicely into a lovely, classy, and mineral infused finish, framed by slightly dusty but well integrated tannins." (6069 views) | |
| Tasted by bnqwallace on 10/16/2021 & rated 93 points: I first tried this vintage in 2009 and have drunk it regularly ever since. At first it was fruit forward and delicious but recently it has been displaying the characteristics of the hot vintage more and its heat and alcohol is still to calm down. Personally in time I think it will come round and become a fantastic wine but this will require patience. EDIT I left half the bottle vacuumed for the next night and I felt it improved significantly with the heat blowing off reassuring me it has a long life ahead. (5348 views) | |
| Tasted by Hendmo on 10/10/2021 & rated 93 points: From Coravin, with just 1/2 hr in the glass to open up a bit. Deep concentrated ruby colour, which looks much younger than the 2003 Malescot by comparison (which is also excellent BTW, just more floral and mature). Rich nose of cassis, slightly roasted plums, licorice, a hint of graphite and vanilla. Palate is well balanced with rich dark fruits, a deep seam of graphite and some gentle spices. Finish is subtle at first, but builds nicely into a lovely, classy, and mineral infused finish, framed by slightly dusty but well integrated tannins. Clearly a classic left bank in terms of flavours, and on the younger side but ready to drink. Very nice indeed. (5592 views) | |
| Tasted by Purple Tooth on 10/6/2021 & rated 91 points: This is my second unpleasant meeting with this wine in a year or so....I cant recall this wine ever feeling so tired. I wonder if this is an issue from a particular case, or the evolution of the wine itself. Tonight, it's a far cry from Pauillac and more along the lines of a St. Emilion from a modestly rated year. This is troublesome....Hmmm.... (6397 views) | |
| Tasted by Papies on 10/2/2021 & rated 92 points: Decanted for a good hour and needed. Haven’t had this for 8 years ( Papies 92) and was a great to cross paths with it once again now almost 20 years old. The 2003 vintage is present in the soft singe on the fruit but this is a great 2003 and made with a soft hand and thus maintains an elegance and freshness usually lacking from often burnt 2003s. Very good 92. For the lovers of the what causes high alcohol in modern wines , ie is it Global Warming or excessive Fruit selection this wine tips the scales to the fruit selection as this is 12.9% alc in a year that was probably the hottest ever in Bordeaux. (6022 views) | |
| Tasted by Apollo5710 on 9/26/2021 & rated 91 points: Not sure what to make of this - initially it seemed closed and diluted. We decanted and waited 1-2 hours, at which point it showed some damp earth and graphite, mint, and dark fruit, but fairly unimpressive in the mouth - not very rich or concentrated, yet also not very nuanced or complex, fairly unmemorable. It did, however, pick-up some weight and expressiveness at the 6-7 hour mark, adding some spice, licorice, and depth. It showed its best the next day, with about 15-16 hours of air, where it gained notable weight and richness, with a seamless, delicate texture (though still not particularly expressive). Based on the many other notes posted here I'd say this was an off-bottle, perhaps? (5640 views) | |
| Tasted by kmforster on 9/25/2021 & rated 92 points: Decanted almost two hours. Notes pretty consistent with the last bottle - classic Pauillac nose, though slightly reticent today; medium weight; good finish. The cork would’ve lasted forever, and if I had more of this, I would stash it away and try to forget about it to see if any tertiary magic appears later in its life. (5187 views) | |
| Tasted by absolut on 9/25/2021 & rated 93 points: perfekt, in schöner Trinkreife (5890 views) | |
| Tasted by dannyg on 9/15/2021 & rated 95 points: This wine was showing beautifully. Concentrated, complex, black fruits, black cherry, cedar box, chocolates (lots of it), sweet spice like cardamon, vanilla. Evolving well. Not a great year but Alfred makes a great wine despite the climate with whatever grapes he has. Keep as long as you live! (5437 views) | |
| Tasted by bottlewasher on 9/14/2021 & rated 89 points: Brett? Color is tremendous. Tannins soft. Would love to see this wine made in a clean cellar (5859 views) | |
| Tasted by PPalerme on 9/10/2021 & rated 95 points: Decant for 4 hours+ and still improved during the evening. Great wine. (5333 views) | |
| Tasted by ThompsonandFrench on 8/27/2021 & rated 93 points: First of a dozen. Tried alongside the 01 and 07 in a mini vertical at Boodles. This was the best of the three vintages (although 01 was furthest into its drinking window) after a two hour decant. The most varied and complete range of tastes of the three. This has further to evolve - try next bottle in 2023. (5734 views) | |
| Tasted by Smoky86 on 8/11/2021 & rated 93 points: Quite “shy” in the beginning, needs some air time to open up. Thereafter, notes of dark fruits, leather, tobacco and some mint. Very balanced. Tannins are certainly still noticeable but soft. Should continue to cruise for years at this level. (6306 views) | |
| Tasted by jmoon on 8/9/2021: Normally a big fan of this wine, loved it when it was young and fruit driven. Had 1/2 bottle under coravin two weeks ago, was fresh and deep and showing well. Drank the rest tonight, a bit tired. My theory is that coravin doesn’t work as claimed due to slow ox as consistently I’ve found wines to be tired and flabby when it’s been a while (1-6 weeks) under coravin. Interested to hear any other experiences. (6561 views) | |
| Tasted by gsomers on 8/9/2021 & rated 93 points: Had this a few weeks ago and reading through other notes, now realize we did not allow a long enough decant. An hour was not enough to bring out the big bang others here found. Our experience could be best described as excellent, but not outstanding. Will try it again in the future using the knowledge gleaned here. 93 (6608 views) | |
| Tasted by sastewart on 8/5/2021 flawed bottle: Corked! (6129 views) | |
| Tasted by ANWW89 on 7/11/2021 & rated 93 points: Good bottle of wine. i agree with the other reviews that you dont get all the downsides of the scorching heat of the 03 vintage in this. classic pauillac - pencil lead, tobacco, and deep concentrated fruit. Restrained and austere in a classic bordeaux sense. Despite its age it was still closed on opening and was better on the second day. Will see how this ages but i reckon it will only get better (6335 views) | |
| Tasted by djhammond on 6/27/2021 & rated 96 points: This continues to improve, and until the 2008 and 2009 are ready to crack open, it is by far the best Pontet Canet drinking at present, and still one of the real bargains in the marketplace. For anyone who has knocked the vintage as a whole they should begin to taste the left bank wines from the year and start eating their words. Nothing is overccooked in this wine and it has all the hallmarks of a top notch Bordeaux. The nose is bursting with ripe red berry fruits with vanilla hints and is lingering. For myself the depth and complexity on the palate are the highlights of the wine and coupled with a perfect balance and a good tannic spine. The finish has settled over the last year and is lengthy, but still does not quite match the rest of the experience with a residual sourness at the tail-end. That said it is a fabulous wine and needs roughly two to three hours in the decanter to come alive. 96+ (6734 views) | |
| Tasted by Goldstone on 6/24/2021 & rated 93 points: Dinner with Herald & Teni (Our House, Hong Kong): Decanted for 5 hours then re-bottled for several more before serving. Still predominantly purple-red colour, almost completely opaque. Nose is profoundly deep, dark black and red fresh cherry fruit with kirsch, black shoe polish, red ink, tar, very primary and much more so than previous bottles I have drank. Warm cedar roof shingles in the sunshine. Palate is really, deep, rich, belly filling, lots of new oak but quite well integrated, still pronounced tannin that needs more time to soften. Seems to have gone into a sulky phase although it’s class just shines through. Gets sweeter with very extended time in the glass. I love it and can now see this going strong for 20 more years. (4356 views) | |
| Tasted by Winning_Wines on 6/21/2021 & rated 96 points: This is all of 96 points if not more. Decanted for 2-hours. I didn’t taste right away, but the aromas were utterly sensational. Instantly I get pencil lead, cassis, red currant, bright raspberry, and hints of spiced vanilla. The palate showed much of the same, but revealed a balance and grace that would impress Bacchus himself. This is really coming into its own and held strong on day two. Unfortunately, there won’t be any left to see how day three might be :) (6384 views) | |
| Tasted by Mapka1 on 6/14/2021 & rated 96 points: Wow what an excellent bottle. Decanted 3 hrs and enjoyed thoroughly. Berry fruit forward and smooth with little pencil and leather. Long finish. So impressed just purchased 6 more. :) (6767 views) | |
| Tasted by pikemasterflash on 6/6/2021: Profound disappointment given the professional reviews. This was flat, musty and feels like it was well past its prime. I saved the final glass from the bottle to cook with... (6518 views) | |
| Tasted by bordeauxman777 on 6/5/2021 & rated 96 points: Stunning! Nearly at it's peak with some tannins unresolved, this wine will drink well for another 20+ years. Pop and pour, the mouthfeel and seamless elegance are the hallmark here. This is a full body wine, yet it is light on its feet. Cedar wood, dark fruit, new leather and pure acidity and all that only after 10 minutes since we popped the cork. Magical! Next day note - the wine seems to be closing down with time. After 3 hours in a bottle, it became tight and tannic. I believe this will live another 30-40 years. Immortal wine in the making? (5867 views) | |
| Tasted by Richard.schmit on 5/24/2021 & rated 96 points: decanted 4 hrs in advance. perfect color. intens nose with lots of dark fruit and licorice. full body with lots of different dark fruit flavors. long finish. well balanced on low acidity. should last for another 5-10 years. was last bottle so have to wait some years for the 2010 comes into play. look forward. (6342 views) | |
| Tasted by Poka Street on 5/24/2021: RP 95+ (5982 views) | |
| Tasted by spineguy on 5/22/2021 & rated 94 points: Definitely needs a good hour in decanter. (5464 views) | |
| Tasted by sbartonde6+2 on 5/20/2021 & rated 88 points: Dégustation décevante. Nez typiquement Bordeaux mais monolithique avec une note de clou de girofle hyper dominante. Le fruit est écrasé et ça manque cruellement de complexité. On peut parfois se demander si certains vins de Bordeaux sont bien de 1er vin ou un produit contenant plus de vins de presse. Je suis vraiment très dubitatif. Grosse déception. (5626 views) | |
| Tasted by DCHawkeye on 5/2/2021 & rated 94 points: Popped'n poured at the house of friends to celebrate Greek Easter with them and accompany a leg of lamb - this was a perfect pairing. (As an ex-gf once said, God created lamb to go with Pauillac. Throwing off quite a bit of sediment, so with filtering into a decanter from that perspective. Still lots of life left, but I'll finish off the last of my case long before these are over the hill. (6627 views) | |
| Tasted by Romol on 5/2/2021 & rated 93 points: Decanted 2 hours. Again a very nice bottle. Ready to drink but no hurry. 93 pts. at the moment. (6099 views) | |
| Tasted by thebonnydooner on 4/24/2021 & rated 94 points: First of three bought en primeur. Right on opening this was lovely. Nice dark plum centre with garnet rim. Colour does not show an 18 year old wine. Not overly expressive on the nose, but nice sweet dark fruits, plum, dark cherry and currant with a whiff of earthy notes. Palate is nicely structured with softish currant and dark plum fruit, juicy tannins and fine dry tannins. This drinks really nicely - very well balanced and complete. Does not come across as too ripe or oaked to me (and I prefer leaner wines). On first blush, really good. Delicious. (6151 views) | |
| Tasted by honest bob on 4/18/2021: From 75cl, perfect cork, decanted 3 hours. Barely budged even after another 2 hours in big glasses. This is a big, bruising, monolithic, ultra-modern-styled, rich, squeaky-textured, black(currant/berry), tannic monster, too-proudly raised in New French Oak. Smells like that kinda wine, tastes like that kinda wine—think Remelluri/Remirez de Ganuza rather than Latour/Lafite/Lynch. As others have remarked, it looks/smells/tastes a lot younger than its age. Definitely an "impressive" 2003 Médoc, but that doesn't mean it's actually enjoyable. Perhaps all it needs is another 10 years, or perhaps someone who seriously likes this style to drink it. NR (6439 views) | |
| Tasted by etyc on 4/15/2021: Decanted for ~6-hrs (in Voss btl), this was still tightly coiled when poured. Seemed to have barely aged... Started opening up in glass gradually - loads of black-fruits/cherries with bits of cedar/graphite/tar, this was definitely more power (than elegance) on the palate at this juncture (of 18-yrs!). Great structure for it to last for years to come! (6531 views) | |
| Tasted by Ibetian on 4/14/2021 & rated 94 points: Popped and poured. Not for the first time on serving a 2003 Bordeaux (the other time was a Leo B), someone with a fine palate asked, “What is this, it’s terrific!” Some folks have criticed this hot vintage as overripe, stewed or, that dreaded phrase for traditional Bordeaux fans, Napa-like. But my experience from the top wines has been simple: they are just very tasty wines. (6269 views) | |
| Tasted by Eric Becker on 4/10/2021: A lovely wine. Quite translucent, but still a dark colour without bricking. On the nose it cannot belie the vintage and hits you with a melange of sweet, jammy dark fruits and vanilla, not complex, but nicely delineated. In the mouth the wine starts only medium-bodied, but boasts an elegant texture, sound acidity and beautifully sweet aromatics. It has retained a healthy structure and I guess the wine would have fleshed out and shown more nuances, if we had given it more than just 30 minutes for decant and 30 minutes for drinking. However, we were too thirsty and the Pontet Canet was too accommodative. (6002 views) | |
| Tasted by dbg on 4/9/2021: Another excellent bottle, similar to the last. (5715 views) | |
| Tasted by popopdrops on 4/8/2021 & rated 92 points: Fra magnum. Dekantert. Starter meget pen, mye frukt, men noe lite tanniner og syre. Vidunderlig nese. Super også gag 2! (5125 views) | |
| Tasted by Dale M on 4/5/2021 & rated 94 points: Decanted 3 hrs. Echoing my note from 2012, same impression of atypical Bordeaux due to the scorching heat but no way does this come across as a new world Cabernet. Stating the obvious, loads of ripe black cherry fruit and some cedar shavings. The freshness of the wine really stands out, surprisingly so. Very respectable grip and coverage. In a great zone and should hold this way for at least another decade, probably two. (5960 views) | |
| Tasted by overkloud on 4/3/2021 & rated 94 points: This is my third and last half bottle of this wine. Yet this is the best bottle I have had of the three that I purchased almost a decade ago. It doesn't have the deficiency of the lack of acidity of previous bottles. It has ample red and black fruit notes on the nose and palate. It is complete and complex in the mouth. A very delicous wine. (4869 views) | |
| Tasted by randyjc on 3/17/2021 & rated 95 points: This was an exceptional wine blind-tasted alongside an '03 Chateau Pavie. The nose had a rich depth to it, savory and slightly earthy. Cedar and blackberry or black raspberry. “Smells like Bordeaux.” In the mouth, it is dark fruit and spicy with a vivid acidity, particularly given its age. There is a slight vegetal taste, especially on the finish, tending a bit toward spoiled. Despite how that sounds, it was a bit endearing. There is some cassis, a bit of pure and precise red fruit on the mid-palate. Other flavors were of espresso and cedar. There is sweetness on the finish. Quite a lovely experience. Right in its drinking window but with a lengthy life ahead. Well, not this bottle. (6889 views) | |
| Tasted by dkwins on 3/13/2021 & rated 91 points: Good, not great. Heavy sediment and appealing nose, but unremarkable. Drank the first glass an hour after decanting, but no improvement 3 hours later on the second glass. (6177 views) | |
| Tasted by Francophile1 on 3/6/2021 & rated 92 points: This is finally mature and drinking great now. High sediment levels so be sure to decant. 1-2 hours of air also let’s it fully open up. Wonderful Pauillac nose. Slightly abrupt finish. There has always been something slightly imbalanced with this vintage of this wine. Could it be the heat wave in 2003 affecting the acitdity? Nevertheless, I would never say no to a glass of this wine. (6041 views) | |
| Tasted by Klugi Wine on 2/15/2021 & rated 94 points: This Pontet even picked up some speed over the last few years when I tasted it last. Classic Paulliac nose with black cassis, cedar, pencil shavings, some blood and umami. The palate is quite challenging with strong, but fine tannins and noticeable acidity. It's just slowly entering maturity, but I guess it needs another 5 years for full maturity. Great wine in the making, can be enjoyed at least over the next 2 decades. (7160 views) | |
| Tasted by matlee89 on 2/12/2021 & rated 94 points: Best of my bottles so far. Still not quite my style due to the vintage ripeness, but when served a little cooler (15 to 18 degrees), was more focused and pure, bringing out the qualities i enjoy more in my wines. (6895 views) | |
| Tasted by jfolbe on 2/5/2021 & rated 95 points: Truly remarkable flavor. Opened up after decanting and slowly reaching room temp.unfortunately wife is a guppy so it went too fast. Still has another 5-10 years of enjoyment. (6541 views) | |
| Tasted by Birddog29 on 1/30/2021 & rated 94 points: Really good. Totally in its prime...hope you waited (6549 views) | |
| Tasted by asparagus on 1/26/2021 & rated 93 points: This was WoTN of an admittedly very humble flight. Yet this was just a delicious Bordeaux. Pencil lead, cassis, cherries... a sheer delight! (6672 views) | |
| Tasted by Édifice on 1/23/2021 & rated 95 points: Bouquet of ripe blackberries, grilled peppers, eucalyptus, rubber and underbrush. Smooth and lush palate, improving over three nights but already very open the first night, juicy, ripe dark berries, spicy and toasty elements, enough freshness, not overly complex, but with impressive depth and length, making it extremely pleasurable to drink while not super-intellectual. This is the best bottle yet of this wine, in a great spot, likely to evolve further. (6047 views) | |
| Tasted by dbg on 1/18/2021: I keep working my way through this case because it’s been drinking well and I have doubts about it developing true aged Bordeaux complexity. So when I’m in the mood for a modern-ish big ripe wine that remains well-balanced, this is a go-to. Cellared since release, perfect cork and fill. Dark red to rim. Opens within 30 minutes to show a nose of dark fruits, smoke, tar, oak. Full body, modern, glossy ripe fruit with decent balance, not much complexity, long finish. Just what was needed tonight, excellent. (6583 views) | |
| Tasted by Radboy on 1/16/2021 & rated 95 points: Fabulous wine. (6172 views) | |
| Tasted by hawkeye194223 on 1/10/2021 & rated 94 points: Really impressive. Decanted for two-hours and felt that was sufficient. I had the 05 about a year ago and feel this is really close, but not quite as good. (6277 views) | |
| Tasted by Mark1npt on 1/5/2021 & rated 93 points: Nice dark garnet in the glass, no real bricking or lightening around the edges yet.....some florals and potting soil on the nose......still strong fruited but clearly in some secondary stage. Not yet near tertiary....beautifully integrated acidity with fine, refined tannins blending beautifully with our pheasant in a Moroccan spiced sauce.....very nice combination! (7827 views) | |
| Tasted by AGELVIS on 1/5/2021 & rated 91 points: One hour double decant. Deep dark purple magenta color. Porcini mushroom, balsamic note, violets, date, and subtle potting soil on the nose. Smooth, tongue drying palate, with astringent, lingering acidity. Soft tannins on the medium long finish. (6929 views) | |
| Tasted by Philippe_C on 1/3/2021 & rated 93 points: Nice nose of cedar, fresh black berries... Ripe black fruit, nice silky tannin. (6443 views) | |
| Tasted by Xavier Auerbach on 1/1/2021 & rated 93 points: Fourth bottle from a full case purchased en primeur. Pristine, perfect level and cork. Smoky and spicy nose, sea shells, black fruit; rich and creamy but fresh palate, ripe cassis fruit, soft acidity, lots of dry extract, fleshy tannins; very good resonance and length. Completely ready. Just what I needed on a cold day... (6548 views) | |
| Tasted by davidandrose on 12/25/2020 & rated 91 points: 30 minutes after opening this has a classic Bordeaux nose of earth, tea and aged wood. On the palate it’s softer than my last bottle earlier this year with cerise, red cherry and fine herbs. More mature and less complex than my last bottle; definitely behind Montelena Estate in this evenings battle of 2003’s, but still very enjoyable. Would have been better paired with food rather than appetizers as was the case tonite. (5538 views) | |
| Tasted by Battersea James on 12/25/2020 & rated 93 points: Decanted for around 3 hours. Nose of black fruit, tobacco and leather. Took on a slightly sweeter tone with time. On the palate, cassis and cedar although the fruit is fairly muted. Very powerful but beautifully balanced by the acidity which actually makes it quite fresh. Tannins are integrating nicely but still present. Good length. Drinking really well now with a good decant but suspect this will drink well for the next decade at least. (5282 views) | |
| Tasted by djs on 12/25/2020 flawed bottle: Corked (5446 views) | |
| Tasted by Moonie on 12/23/2020 & rated 92 points: Much better than the 03 Pichon Lalande I had about a month ago. Less overt fruit and a little better depth. It's still young, though, and needs time to bring forth the tertiary elements that are so desired. No problem drinking it now with a three-four hour decant, especially if you're more inclined to liking California Cabernet. Still, another 3-5 years in the bottle have got to help. Really a good effort in this vintage. (5568 views) | |
| Tasted by dbkitc on 12/22/2020 & rated 94 points: Far and away the best ‘03 Bordeaux I have tasted. Very deep garnet color that is opaque in the center and youthful at the rim. The nose is full of ripe fruit and tobacco. While robust it is still squarely Bordeaux. The palate is full and balanced - youthfully exuberant. Mineral finish that lasts and lasts. Should hold a while. (94) (5752 views) | |
| Tasted by TexasBob on 12/18/2020 & rated 92 points: Gorgeous purple-violet. Unbelieveably aromatic nose of sweet plums and assorted red fruits and a general Christmassy vibe. Notes of Plums and plumskin dominate With mixed red fruits. It’s a bit more watery than I expected but with a serious tannic grip in the finish. The fruit is still quite primary lo these 18 years later. It also has a Christmas poupourri vibe; maybe it’s vinosomatic. It’s a wonderful wine. (5524 views) | |
| Tasted by UlfSall on 12/15/2020: Give away (6002 views) | |
| Tasted by cos65 on 12/11/2020: sb Tasted blind my first thought was a 2004 Napa cab Ripe and hot with still rustic tannins, but drinking better than previously. (5800 views) | |
| Tasted by Fruitsrouges on 12/6/2020 & rated 94 points: Outstanding Pauillac entering its maturity plateau and drinking superbly after 90mn decant following 6hrs of sediment settling in bottle. Youthful complex Pauillac aromas and flavors of black currant, black cherry, violet, mint pencil lead, and cedar. Aromas and flavors are intense and harmoniously balanced by full body and long finish. High tannins are very fine and well integrated providing subtle grip. Structure and fruit concentrate promise further complexity as tertiary elements evolve and tannins become become silky, I would guess in 2 - 5 years depending on personal style preference. With over a case of this, I am going to taste at least 1/year going forward! (5804 views) | |
| Tasted by Life At Your Leisure 🍷 on 12/6/2020 & rated 96 points: Dark ruby color turning violet rust at the rim with a reflective edge. The nose gives off earthy leather and dried herbs on black fruits. The palate is full-bodied, powerful and youthful showing vibrant acidity that carries the ripe blackberry and cassis followed by secondary notes of cola, tobacco, leather and vanilla on toasted oak. This is really drinking well right now and finishes long and heightened with fleshy, gripping tannins. Drink now until 2043. 96+ (6489 views) | |
| Tasted by lvjohn on 11/29/2020 & rated 94 points: Drinking very nicely now. Be sure to carefully decant or filter this wine because it is loaded with nasty tasting solids. Tastes of dark cherries, spices, and a bit of earth. Great mouthfeel and aftertaste. Drank over two days with better impressions the second. (6113 views) | |
| Tasted by shifter on 11/19/2020 & rated 91 points: Decant to remove sediment. Followed over a couple of hours, but it started to open up rather quickly. Lovely floral nose with some black fruit. Very soft tannins. This is in a quality drinking window although I'm sure it has many years left and may continue to improve. (6573 views) | |
| Tasted by djhammond on 11/13/2020 & rated 96 points: Consistent in its delivery, this is for myself the best example of the estate drinking at present; (I am eagerly awaiting the nesr perfect and perfect 2008 and 2009 respectively to be ready for consumption,). This is up there with the more illustrious Paulliacs and indeed outperforms the majority. It has a wonderful nose packed full of ripe fruit with floral wafts, and the aromas linger and linger. The palate possesses excellent depth and balance, with a tannic backbone to remind you of its origin. The finish is very good, but does not quite match the rest of the experience, being on the shorter side and losing depth towards the end. As this continues to develop it is needing less time in the decanter but at present a couple of hours is beneficial. (6330 views) | |
| Tasted by Lars1974 on 11/9/2020 & rated 94 points: Brilliant right now. Drank it together with the Palmer 1986 and this one had the (very thin) edge. (6463 views) | |
| Tasted by Dako on 11/9/2020 & rated 93 points: A bit bigger of a Bordeaux than expected but suppose indicative of the vintage but an absolute stunner with a gorgeous floral nose as well as on the palate. (6311 views) | |
| Tasted by Bomb Cellar on 11/7/2020 & rated 92 points: Vibrant and still young. (5763 views) | |
| Tasted by Kevnzworld on 10/29/2020 & rated 94 points: Tasted blind. Immediately identified 2003 Bordeaux .2 hr decant A good balanced Bordeaux, that has the ripe fruit of a warm year. The tannin has mellowed and interestingly reminded us of the flavors we tasted recently in the 2009. (6148 views) | |
| Tasted by g-man on 10/25/2020 flawed bottle: First of 3 bought on release. Major disappointment, corked badly with heavy wet newspaper. (6039 views) | |
| Tasted by Brett Pitt on 10/23/2020 & rated 93 points: Still young, will further improve, I guess (2045 views) | |
| Tasted by dbg on 10/10/2020: Cellared since release, perfect cork and fill. Dark red to rim. Potent nose of dark fruits, smoke, tar, oak. Full body, modern, glossy ripe fruit with decent balance, not much complexity, long finish. Very good-excellent. (6226 views) | |
| Tasted by popopdrops on 9/22/2020 & rated 91 points: Fra magnum. Ikke dekantert. Meget pen likevel. Herlig. Dag 2- stadig meget pen, mulig noe lukket. Dag 3 - mulig syren overstyrer frukt. Dag 4 - frukten kommer, syre ok. tanniner ok, stadig pen. (5457 views) | |
| Tasted by absolut on 9/19/2020 & rated 92 points: Nach 2-3 Stunden Belüftung Tannine recht gut integriert, Dunkelbeerig, mittlerer Körper, gute Länge. Keine Eile... (7217 views) | |
| Tasted by mxpbuy on 9/12/2020 & rated 93 points: 2.5 hour decant and put back in bottle and served 1 hour later. Still gritty tannins from attack through finish, gobs of overripe black fruits, some cigar box and vanilla Oak. Not touching this again for a least a few more years as it needs more time. Such a different experience from some years ago when it was sill very young. (6806 views) | |
| Tasted by lvjohn on 8/18/2020 & rated 95 points: Still evolving and improving. Tasted great! Lots of red fruit flavors here with floral, fruity, and slightly spicy nose. Excellent mouthfeel and long aftertaste. Drank over three nights with similar impressions. (7737 views) | |
| Tasted by dbg on 8/16/2020: Cellared since release, perfect cork and fill. Dark red to rim. Powerful nose, full body, modern, glossy ripe fruit but not showing as much alcohol as the last bottle (not sure why) so more enjoyable. Excellent. (7095 views) | |
| Tasted by misterstarre on 8/15/2020 & rated 90 points: Dark red to purple. Dark fruit, a bit of mesquite, some cedar, tobacco leaf. A little hot. (6787 views) | |
| Tasted by havoc315 on 8/15/2020 & rated 87 points: Fully body but not really a standout... long finish, good alcohol, but flavor slightly flat for an aged Bordeaux (6340 views) | |
| Tasted by ubercuvee on 8/9/2020: Still pretty young and monolithic, not sure it’ll ever develop much complexity but there aren’t any overripe raisiny notes found in worse 03s (6575 views) | |
| Tasted by rwstorer on 8/2/2020 & rated 93 points: Similar note to previous. Pot and let air for 30 minutes. Beautiful wine and drinking is a pleasure. (6207 views) | |
| Tasted by shifter on 7/29/2020 & rated 92 points: Double decant 3 hours before serving and decided to recork as it was already open. Drinking very smooth right now. A bit of viscosity on initial pour. Clings to the glass. Surprisingly did not pair well with a charcoal grilled Prime NY Strip steak and garlic mashed potatoes. (6046 views) | |
| Tasted by HOS on 7/27/2020 & rated 95 points: Last of my 03s. Decanted for 1/2 hour and drank over an hour. Initially some alcohol burn which faded into classic Ponet Candy taste. Still great but fading a little since my last bottle. (6269 views) | |
| Tasted by Burgundynick on 7/25/2020 & rated 93 points: #wotn drinking superbly wonderful #pauillac and at less than £100 @harrogatewines an absolute bargain for this wine. 93 points (6481 views) | |
| Tasted by Romol on 7/24/2020 & rated 93 points: Decanted 2 hours. Again a very good bottle. Ready to drink and it still has many years left. 93 pts. (6047 views) | |
| Tasted by peternelson on 7/18/2020: Another one I waited too long to write my notes for. Can't remember much except that it was showing really well. Drinking really well for the hot 2003 vintage. Not overblown or too big but with just the right concentration and some good age right now on it. I think I guessed St. Estephe 2005. Hiro's house. (6147 views) | |
| Tasted by Diane (LI) on 7/18/2020: Mostly roasted fruit and tannins, although there is some bright cherry fruit on the finish. It feels as if this wine needs more time. (6150 views) | |
| Tasted by bordeauxman777 on 7/18/2020 & rated 95 points: Pure and elegant. Two hours of decanting - this is wine for a special occasion. Elegant and complex, the soft mouthfeel is beautiful. Has it reached its peak? (5879 views) | |
| Tasted by asparagus on 7/14/2020 & rated 92 points: consistent with my previous note, but showing a touch less complexity still showing well, mind. (6562 views) | |
| Tasted by Mark1npt on 6/20/2020 & rated 96 points: WOTN, to me......decanted 2-3 hours before we started in, on it. It is in an absolutley perfect drinking window right now. It has a beautiful blackberry/briar/graphite nose, but it's not overpowering or even it's strength. The texture and the taste is the force here. In perfect balance is the soft red/black fruit, the matching soft integrated feathery tannins, the beautiful receding acidity, what is not to like? For me, I can't imagine this wine drinks any better. Toward the end of the bottle 4-5 hours later the fruit is lightening and thinning just a tad but that in no way detracts from the beauty or the score of this wine. (8507 views) | |
| Tasted by Handy1 on 6/5/2020 & rated 93 points: Decanted an hour. Nose of cassis, cedar slight menthol. Tastes like red fruit spectrum some spice no hint of over ripeness tannins still present but not obtrusive. Finished medium length. Overall ready to enjoy! Quite good (6832 views) | |
| Tasted by Buntingwest on 6/1/2020 & rated 95 points: Classic Left Bank. Decanted for a little more than one hour. Earthy undertones, mushrooms, cigar box and old world spices. Nice structure with a nice level of acid. Wonderfully drawn out finish. You could hold longer, but the wine is really drinking well now. Check out @west_coast_wino on Instagram for more great recommendations, reviews and stories. (7025 views) | |
| Tasted by grossie on 5/12/2020 & rated 93 points: Beautiful big wine. Seems ready now, won't be hurt with a little more age. (7920 views) | |
| Tasted by Philip67 on 5/11/2020 & rated 93 points: Smooth and refined, with the big structure of the vintage but in no way overdone. Lovely blackcurrant and cassis. Drinking quite nicely now, though still young - score will improve. (7677 views) | |
| Tasted by Romol on 5/3/2020 & rated 93 points: Decanted 2 hours. Ready to drink 2 hours in the decanter were perfect. No hurry it still has many years left. A very good buy. 93 pts at the moment. (7289 views) | |
| Tasted by davidandrose on 4/26/2020 & rated 93 points: Notes are 90 minutes after decanting. Earthy nose with musty, mature fruit. Wine hits the palate with a dusty note and medium plus weight, showing elegance and maturity. Components are nicely woven together and this wine is in a the heart of its drinking window. Certainly good for another 2 to 3 years but I see no upside to waiting if you’ve only got 1-2 bottles remaining. I’ll enjoy my final bottle later this year. (7252 views) | |
| Tasted by edckim on 4/25/2020 & rated 95 points: Rich and powerful cassis notes with leather and bark playing off rosemary and sage traces sequences to graphite, mineral elements extending into a prolonged drawn out finish with no end in sight (2835 views) | |
| Tasted by nywine68 on 4/21/2020 & rated 93 points: Drinking beautifully right now. Fine tannins give this a solid structure and there is a nice zing of acidity to keep this fresh. No signs of the heat wave in this wine. No elevated signs of alcohol. Cassis, eucalyptus and a hint of licorice and chocolate on the finish. The structure will give this at least another 10 years of graceful aging. No signs of secondary development yet. (7195 views) | |
| Tasted by absolut on 4/18/2020 & rated 93 points: Dunkelbeerig, vollreif aber nicht zu schwer. Braucht etwas Luft, am Beginn der Trinkreife. Schöner mittlerer Körper mit sehr langem Abgang. (6743 views) | |
| Tasted by dbg on 4/10/2020: Cellared since release, perfect cork and fill. Past bottles have been up and down. Opened this in response to some recent talk about the heat in 2003 and ripeness levels and scorched character. This is dark red to the rim. It’s not flabby - plenty of acid and tannin. And the flavor profile is not so much of over- or under-ripe fruit but more of a predominance of alcohol (despite a label ABV of only 13%), licorice, tar, smoke and roasted notes that have pushed what should be the fruit components into the background. Dramatic, sure. Fun under the right circumstances. Excellent if you’re in the mood for a cocktail wine. But tough to drink more than a glass. And not close to the classic definition of Bordeaux. (6226 views) | |
| Tasted by Jeff Leve on 4/10/2020 & rated 94 points: With a smoky tint, licorice, mint, burnt embers, cassis and a touch of oak to open the nose, the wine gets started. Full-bodied, round, fat and rich, with a blast of sweet, ripe, cocoa and dark chocolate dusted, crisp dark red and black fruits with a hint of dried herbs in the finish. With time, the texture became even more opulent. This is drinking great today. There is no touch of heat, jam or overripe ripe characteristics in the wine. Decanted for an hour, (which is all it needs) this is fully ready to go. (7891 views) | |
| Tasted by Comte Flaneur on 4/9/2020 & rated 87 points: Bright lively, heady entry, classy with vibrant, zippy red fruits, cherries, pomegranates, cassis, kirsch, with a touch of cedar and impression of super ripeness. The bright pure red fruit is a signature from this estate in the early 2000s. On the palate, however, it is somewhat bare, ungenerous, harsh and unripe. The finish is better, but medium. It tastes quite alcoholic but it only says 13% on the label. A wine which feels conflicted and ill at ease, it lacks harmony and balance. Day two it was slightly better with some tar and licorice notes. But like all the 2003 Bordeaux - and there are no exceptions that I have encountered - it lacks the balance, harmony and equilibrium of fine Bordeaux. A success by the standards of this troubled vintage, which is more a reflection of the shortcomings of this vintage than the intrinsic merits of this wine. (6593 views) | |
| Tasted by Julian Marshall on 4/7/2020 & rated 90 points: This was decanted five hours before tasting - and it really needed more. Cigar box and cassis on the nose, much deeper than the others. On the palate, much bigger and denser than Brane 00 and SM 01 - this is a heavyweight: rich, thick and jammy cassis, unfurling slowly on the tongue, with hints of liquorice and leather, perhaps more forest fruits in the middle section, then a reasonably long finish. Much more reticent than the last bottle tried. The comparison with Sociando-Mallet 01 and Brane-Cantenac 00 did it no favours whatsoever. I'm not unduly worried, it just needs longer on the basis of this bottle, but that suits me fine. (6315 views) | |
| Tasted by djhammond on 3/29/2020 & rated 96 points: In spite of the deteactors, I love the 2003 vintage for its left bank wines. For myself this is the best Pontet-Canet drinking, and it is now in its prime drinking window. It has the typical opulent nose of the year, and it is rich with wine gum aromas of cherry, blackcurrant and plum. On the palate you are reminded you are drinking a Paulliac, with a good tannic bite, but everything is seamless and silky smooth in the mouth. There is great depth and balance on the finish, but I do find it on the shorter side. I have no problem in consuming my remaining stock at a leisurely pace over the next decade. (6584 views) | |
| Tasted by tbabes on 3/28/2020 & rated 90 points: The fill was into the neck and the cork was pristine; popped and poured. Purple core turning to deep garnet at the rim. Notes of blackberry, creme de cassis, and hints of earth. Medium bodied, with a somewhat stern structure, plenty of fruit; not showing all it has to offer. I should have read my last note; this needs double decanting at least a few hours in advance. (6230 views) | |
| Tasted by Central Coast Sharon on 3/22/2020 & rated 93 points: Even though this is an off year for Bordeaux, this wine is drinking fine - and has some distance to go. Lovely rich, deep red color, with dark berry nose. Smooth on the palate with all the deliciousness a fine Bordeaux should bring. Some tannin/bitterness on the finish was detected the second day the bottle was open. We did not decant, as recommended by others and will do so later - when we drink the rest. No better time to drink our fine wine! (6232 views) | |
| Tasted by Mark1npt on 3/7/2020 & rated 95 points: Slightest of garnet edge in the glass as you swirl, still dark ruby center. Nose of briar, graphite and lifted perfumed red/black fruit. At 1-2 hours in, there is some nice weight/strength to the fruit with modrate acidity and tannins indicating this wine has a ways to go! Yay! There is a lot of cherry early and mid, and faint strawberry in the background. Maybe a little chalky quality? The fruit early on has a slight tart quality on the very back end. I'd say a 93 early on. 3-5 hours in and it's a soft, aged BDX with still bright red fruit and acidity, briar, more pencil shavings and a nice feathery fruit/acid ending. This has many more years to go but with the right decant is a lot of fun right now. Final grade, because of class, and the fun ride.....95. (8227 views) | |
| Tasted by olracx62 on 3/6/2020 & rated 93 points: typical first class Bordeaux/Pauillac which shows a dark red color denying its age and a complex nose of tertiary scents, basically underbrush and roasted coffee, with some fruit left. At the palate, consistent with the nose, a lot of finesse and complexity with tannins still alive and a roudness that pleasantly fills the mouth, with some hints of balsamic herbes. A great bottle with some years ahead in its best drinking window. In a toughtful evening with coronavirus news rolling over (6277 views) | |
| Tasted by jmoon on 2/28/2020 & rated 93 points: Realiably delicious, but lacked the length you’d hope for. (6907 views) | |
| Tasted by Anchun on 2/22/2020 & rated 93 points: Drank within 24 hours. Initially decanted the wine for two hours and paired it with onglet steak and Bordeaux butter - great match. First evening, the wine was big with lots of (very) ripe dark plum, creme de cassis, forest floor, licorice and a hint of truffles, low acidity, and extravagant richness. It was almost a bit new world. First evening 92. Second evening, more refined and balanced and moved to 93 - the new world touch was gone. It probably means that the wine still gains from cellaring. I will only revisit when it turned +20 years old. (6647 views) | |
| Tasted by Mhbeaune on 2/21/2020 & rated 89 points: 4 hours decant. 21c. Maybe just a touch too. Warm. Great nose when decanting. No fruit in the mouth , interesting pencil shaving etec but a touch dry. Maybe typical of the hot dry vintage. Finish a touch dry. Think i will drink up BUT slightly cooler at a normal 18c (6775 views) | |
| Tasted by tb76 on 2/15/2020: Drank over two days, night one was still tight with fresh red fruit playing a dominant role, vacuum pump and stored overnight in wine fridge...second night wine completely unfolded, dark fruit, pencil, integrated and balanced, medium long finish...92-93 (6406 views) | |
| Tasted by Dave Canada on 2/13/2020 & rated 92 points: Decanted 45min. This is in a good plasce and while you could wait a bit more...I am not sure that this is going to get a whole lot better. Fruit is certainly riper than the average Bordeaux vintage pre-2005 but still well balanced and not "roasted" by any means. Some pretty flowers, cedar, leather, and pencil lead. Finish is medium (6655 views) | |
| Tasted by Brian Glas on 1/31/2020 & rated 94 points: Classic Bordeaux. Pencil lead. Fine grained tannins. Floral notes. Very persistent. Medium plus finish (6698 views) | |
| Tasted by JayP on 1/26/2020 & rated 90 points: Delicious. Drink now and for year or two (6653 views) | |
| Tasted by spineguy on 1/26/2020: Even after an hour in a decanter still quite tight. Lots of good stuff going on but needs more time. I will give my others at least a few years and possibly more decanter time. (6394 views) | |
| Tasted by matlee89 on 1/25/2020 & rated 93 points: Better than previous bottle. Strong nose, super length. Clear signs of the 2003 vintage. Some may not enjoy the degree of ripeness but this bottle was pretty well balanced and starting to come around. (6257 views) | |
| Tasted by dbg on 1/13/2020: Cellared since release, perfect cork and fill. Pop 'n pour, opens over an hour. Dark red to rim. Forward nose of black fruits, some tar and oak with a touch of alcoholic heat. Full body, tons of ripe fruit, some mild roasted character, good balance, not flabby, tannins on the back end are less prominent than 2 years ago, long finish. No signs of tertiary complexity yet. Excellent but is showing a bit of roasted character that I didn’t notice, despite looking for it, in earlier bottles. (6892 views) | |
| Tasted by Édifice on 1/11/2020 & rated 94 points: Bouquet masked partially by eucalyptus and rubbery notes with stewed fruits and vanilla underneath. Great palate with ripe fruit balanced by nice acidity. Finish with medium length, on the second night more refined, but still a bit drying. Great with food, without it is a tiny bit too much on the oaky, woody side on the finish. Still a great wine in its early prime. Still benefits from a good amount of air. Should be good for another 5-10 years. Towards the end of second night moved to 95, so I assume a small upside. (6484 views) | |
| Tasted by vfccpa123 on 1/3/2020 & rated 93 points: What a nice wine to start the new year with. Had this with dinner at friends house. Worked wonderfully with our food. A lot of classic components of this style of Bordeaux. My favorites are the chocolate notes that come through along with the woodsy/forest floor notes in the wine. Wish I had a lot more of this. (5323 views) | |
| Tasted by Vinogan(s) on 1/3/2020 & rated 93 points: Deep and soft, chocolate, really well assembled, balanced, long, slight orange, red and some black fruit (6736 views) | |
| Tasted by Kris G on 12/28/2019 & rated 93 points: This wine is now in a perfect spot to consume. The fruit is fresh and perfectly ripe. The balance in this very soft wine is perfect. Smoke, red fruits, a touch of black fruits, chocolate and some grilled impressions. This very refined and precise wine possesses a very long middle part. (6341 views) | |
| Tasted by Maphill01 on 12/27/2019: Cassis and ripe blackberries. Some notes of chocolate, cigar box and forest floor. Smooth tannins produce a great mouthfeel and a silky finish. A bit of a modern take, but unmistakably Bordeaux. Perfect with ribeye. (6205 views) | |
| Tasted by rlu on 12/25/2019 & rated 90 points: Still youngish! for me, no hurry. mouth-filling, no signs of maturity, elegant dark fruit, will hold at least for another 5 years, probably 10. (6016 views) | |
| Tasted by lvjohn on 12/23/2019 & rated 92 points: Nice fruit flavors especially dark cherry notes plus a bit of spice. This seems to be a nice but ultimately not great wine. (6219 views) | |
| Tasted by tbabes on 12/16/2019 & rated 91 points: The fill was into the neck and the cork was sound; popped poured and consumed over the course of two hours with dinner. This bottle was more reserved than previous examples, with notes of cassis, crushed stones, and hints of truffle. Medium bodied, with good depth and focus, but a bit stern in texture. This bottle would have benefited from several hours in a decanter. (6570 views) | |
| Tasted by wineismylife on 11/30/2019 & rated 93 points: WIML93 Tasted non blind. Opened and served immediately. Followed over about two hours. Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of lavender, currants and plums. Flavors of cassis, black cherries, black licorice and black raspberries. Bright acidity, medium to firm tannin, full bodied. Drink or hold. (7049 views) | |
| Tasted by J o e on 11/19/2019 & rated 94 points: 13% ABV. With little coaxing, the 2003 Pontet Canet gives off aromas of cassis, licorice, herbs, leather and smoke. It is medium- to full-bodied in the mouth, with copious black fruits, earth, minerals and very fine tannin. The latter is readily apparent on the long finish, but should subside with a few more years in the cellar. Perhaps a touch riper than some earlier vintages like 1996 and 2000, but still unmistakably Pauillac, and a very fine one at that! Drink now and over the next 10-15 years. 94. (7350 views) | |
| Tasted by mjf@ulkner on 11/16/2019 & rated 94 points: Red currant, plum fruit. Ripeness characteristic of the vintage. Nice graphite and tobacco note on the finish. Still very young and energetic- plenty of substance here to merit further aging. (6674 views) | |
| Tasted by DCHawkeye on 11/11/2019 & rated 93 points: Popped'n poured, with dinner at friends. Still young, but in its early dining window. Full-bodied, beautiful color and flavor. Likely would have shown even better with an hour or two decant. (7001 views) | |
| Tasted by etyc on 11/6/2019: Dinner @ Jade Palace with ex-colleagues. Getting into the "zone"... Very much fruit-driven, this has become much more enjoyable with hints of maturity tinge of secondary development. No sign of stewed fruit (w/ drying tannins) syndrome which has plagued a number of '03 Bords. Can't wait to see how this develops further as it marches towards its twin-decade window. (7097 views) | |
| Tasted by beatles on 10/30/2019 & rated 93 points: Dry, chalky, typical nose - firm structure, full fruit - and we did manage to guess Bordeaux Left Bank right on, albeit guessing younger; concentrated with blackberries, tobacco galore, no excessive heat showing, surprisingly good, this one. #ÅretsRet#PlutoPrivate (7640 views) | |
| Tasted by DCHawkeye on 10/28/2019 & rated 93 points: Decanted prior to dinner out with friends, and in a good place, although it improve throughout dinner. Would have been even better with an hour or two decant. (6922 views) | |
| Tasted by CHarder on 10/27/2019 & rated 93 points: With a 1hr decant this was stunning. Really nice. Will potentially still improve over next 3-5 years. (6429 views) | |
| Tasted by grossie on 10/24/2019 & rated 93 points: Gorgeous but still might improve with time. Drank better the 2nd night. Rich, medium weight, a bit mineral and tobacco. Long smooth finish. Decant for a couple of hours or wait a couple of years. Not wrong to drink this now. (6893 views) | |
| Tasted by overkloud on 10/11/2019 & rated 91 points: Awesome nose of black currant, mushroom, chocolate, vanilla, and smoked pepper. It jumped right out from bottle. Wine is in dark ruby color, very concentrated. On palate it was austere at first and became smooth and round in 45 mins. It lacks a bit of acidity at the end to finish the wine where it turned flat. I think it's a typical 03 left bank. (6911 views) | |
| Tasted by davergny on 10/10/2019 & rated 94 points: No real detailed notes, as I was enjoying this too much with my perfectly cooked ribeye! Classic Pauillac to me--lovely fruit, graphite, not heavy and some ripe tannins poking around. Not fully mature but in a very good place now. Can't wait to try again! (6876 views) | |
| Tasted by RusisWine on 9/23/2019: Delicious pre-op bottle! (7560 views) | |
| Tasted by sdr on 9/6/2019 & rated 90 points: Just slightly roasted. Concentrated. But inelegant for Bordeaux and a bit of horse. Not for me, others might like it better. (5852 views) | |
| Tasted by Ibetian on 9/5/2019 flawed bottle: Slightly corked (7926 views) | |
| Tasted by Roentgen Ray on 8/29/2019 & rated 92 points: Deep dark purple color. Tasting note after opened for 24 hours with cork replaced. Big and concentrated. Complex with dark fruit and cassis. Dusty tannins and sandalwood on the 45 second finish. Still pretty fresh. (7711 views) | |
| Tasted by MRichman on 8/16/2019: Big, bold and ready to drink. Lots of dark, full, tobacco fruit. Actually not a lot of complexity, subtlety. But fruit is mature and drinking well. Solid, very good. (7509 views) | |
| Tasted by Ibetian on 8/16/2019 flawed bottle: Mildly corked. (7616 views) | |
| Tasted by DCHawkeye on 8/11/2019 & rated 93 points: Opened an hour or two before dinner (though no decant), and singing from the get-go. Would have been even better with a 2 hour decant, but this was another outstanding '03 Northern Medoc, and a quintessential Pauillac. (7564 views) | |
| Tasted by matlee89 on 8/10/2019 & rated 91 points: Needs time to settle done. Very ripe tones still present in spite of close to two hour decant. Might be a function of the hot vintage. (7050 views) | |
| Tasted by Radboy on 8/10/2019 & rated 95 points: Fabulous wine! (6866 views) | |
| Tasted by kmforster on 8/10/2019 & rated 93 points: Decanted about 90 mins and it drank well throughout dinner. Classic Pauillac nose, medium weight and nice finish, but not long enough to score higher. (6630 views) | |
| Tasted by Purple Tooth on 8/9/2019 & rated 92 points: Meh....Just okay this time. Seemed a bit out of character and out of balance compared to the 2003 Poyferre...Bottle variation keeps me dreaming of the wine that was....or the wines that were. Chasing the Dragon! . Drink again soon....TBC (7458 views) | |
| Tasted by shutto1992@gmail.com on 8/3/2019 & rated 94 points: Opened bottle 2 hours in advance and decanted 1 hour before serving. Excellent now but will hold for 5 years before next bottle. (6825 views) | |
| Tasted by theRealPepe on 7/21/2019 & rated 95 points: Beautiful dark red color. Gorgeous nose of cassis, cedar, graphite, cigarbox and plum. Palate keeps changing but elements of dark fruits, mineral, cedar and cigarbox intermingle. Tannins seemed to show up more as we drank, but still a great young wine, just a delicious wine. Outstanding. Wine was decanted approximately 45 minutes to drinking. (7311 views) | |
| Tasted by NostraBacchus on 7/13/2019 & rated 95 points: Another beautiful bottle of this big outperformer in this freakishly hot year. Super typical notes of Bordeaux funk, cassis, plum, minerality, earth, some balsamic notes of cedar, cigar box, tobacco, graphite, also some graphite. It‘s full-bodied, dense and powerful, with excellent mid-palate persistence and still medium-high tannin that is very good quality, especially considering the vintage. Lower medium acidity. Very good length. A big, powerful and broad-shouldered Pontet-Canet that will be a lot of fun to drink over the next 5-10 years. Very impressive, especially for the year. (7850 views) | |
| Tasted by davidandrose on 7/3/2019: Not decanted, first notes follow an hour of airing in the bottle. Definitive bordeaux nose with leather, pencil shavings, crushed stone and earth swirled around ripe, dark fruit. Fine-grained tannins leave a dusty finish to a wine whose components are well integrated. Is a very approachable and enjoyable wine entering the heart of its window. (7168 views) | |
| Tasted by figged on 6/21/2019 & rated 94 points: Lovely, drinking really well now. I think it will continue to develop over the next 5 years but I will not hesittate to open another at the drop of a hat. (7491 views) | |
| Tasted by djhammond on 6/14/2019 & rated 96 points: Consistent in its delivery, this is nudging towards its prime drinking window, and without doubt is by far the best example of the estate drinking at present with only the 1996 coming near to it. However, it still has development ahead of it, but is a wonderful drink now with a couple of hours in the decanter. The nose is full of ripe fruit and is all about plum, cherry and blackcurrant, and has that opulence of aromas which is typical of 2003. However, on the palate the wine is unmistakably a Paulliac with robust tannin and a steeliness. Depth and balance in the mouth are both excellent, and the finish is 30 seconds plus, but it still needs to shrug off a little residual sourness. (8117 views) | |
| Tasted by PMJak11 on 6/8/2019 & rated 96 points: 45+ minute decant. Dark red color. Has that great barnyard nose I love with meat and spice elements too. There is an interesting tartness when it first hits your tongue, which isn’t good or bad, just different and maybe out of place. Nice balance of cherry fruit and smoke. Medium plus finish. I really enjoyed this!! (7419 views) | |
| Tasted by hiker_guy on 6/3/2019: DRC tasting group, my contribution. Showed well. Still young and a little tannic but lots of life ahead of this one. (7519 views) | |
| Tasted by Schiffy on 5/29/2019 & rated 95 points: After five and half years later, this wine has gained more weight and complexity. Still must decant for an hour and you are rewarded with a wonderfully balanced Bordeaux that has rich but restrained blackberry fruit with notes of tar, licorice, forest floor and cassis. Terrifically complex and fun to drink watching it change in the glass over a few hours. (7786 views) | |
| Tasted by cos65 on 5/24/2019: Finally hitting its stride The initial over ripeness and heat have integrated well. Leathery gamey curranty fruit Prime drinking window starting I think (6902 views) | |
| Tasted by Gen NY on 5/21/2019 & rated 95 points: Drank at BLT celebrating my sons 16th birthday who also is a 2003 vintage. We’ve already drunk the 6 pack of Phelan-Segur at his prior birthdays. (which we enjoyed very much) I am glad to say that my previous bottle was a fluke. This was beautiful. The color is mesmerizingly clear and nuanced despite handling in the (taxi) cab on the way to dinner. It is still young with good structure and acid. The fruit is ripe but not jammy. The blackberry, currant and plum flavors work in concert but have not melded. The oak provides a nice shading but is not intrusive. I think it has room to develop and plan to hold the remaining bottles for my sons 18th, 21st and 25th birthdays. It was a budgetary stretch at the time but I am very pleased to have laid down good Bordeaux and Port upon the birth of each child. (7437 views) | |
| Tasted by Mjladha on 5/18/2019 & rated 94 points: Very very nice after a 3+ hour decant. Blackcurrants, chocolate, good acid. Not at all the hot unstructured stuff that some 2003s can sometimes be. Drank after a white burgundy (Francois jobard meursault-charmes 1990) and a red one (Joseph drouhin volnay 1990). Time to learn about burgundy as well! (7042 views) | |
| Tasted by thalver on 5/12/2019 & rated 94 points: Very nice. Very left bank. Very Bordeaux. The heat of the vintage doesn't seem to have left this wine drinking as anything other than Bordeaux. In a good spot with very nice balance . Finish goes on and on. 94ish (7007 views) | |
| Tasted by portman63 on 5/11/2019 & rated 93 points: Pleasantly surprised that this showed as a traditional Pauillac wine. There were lots of black currants and blackberries with just a bit of black earth, but mostly subdued fruit with fine tannins. I kept some of the bottle gassed for a 2nd night which showed just as well. So while I think it is delicious now, it will show well for another 10+ years. I just wanted to check out a bottle from a hot vintage before finding too late that the fruit was gone. (6909 views) | |
| Tasted by Radboy on 5/11/2019 & rated 95 points: Freaking fabulous! (6619 views) | |
| Tasted by kanjimoti on 5/10/2019 & rated 92 points: Open an hour now and the '03 Pontet Canet is singing. The nose is a tad oaky but there are wonderful aromas of milk chocolate, cedar, minerals, black fruit, and an overall impression of a high quality Bordeaux. I could easily confuse this '03 Pauillac with a Napa cabernet or merlot with it's fleshy, warm-vintage, round nose. The palate is less fleshy, surprisingly more linear than the nose would lead me to expect. In the mouth there's moderate concentration, smooth tannins, and a fairly long finish. One more note on the nose; what balance! For a vintage that saw Texas-like heat, the fruit here is precise and still in very good shape. The '03 Pontet Canet is ready to drink now. In fact, I'd say it's in it's prime today and will be for another 5-6 years. While this is really good I was expecting a wee bit more punch and filling on the palate. Drink no later than Spring, 2026. (6790 views) | |
| Tasted by Mark1npt on 4/13/2019 & rated 94 points: Wonderful fruit....black and blue. Nose of pencil shavings and black fruit. Full mouthfeel, mild to moderate astringency remaining with a touch of wood. Perfectly integrated acidity. We probably drank it a little early but, eh, I have plenty of them! (8826 views) | |
| Tasted by MC2 Wines on 3/17/2019: Another big birthday - the 5-0 (Rezza Trattoria e Pizza Romana): A bit on the young side, but seemed to open up in the decanter and I'd say certainly very approachable at this age. Somehow wasn't quite as interesting as the Gravelly Meadow - I think perhaps because while there is fruit here it is more muted whereas there there was lovely bright fruit in addition to some of the other flavors. This was enjoyable though. (8586 views) | |
| Tasted by drmarclevine on 3/16/2019 & rated 91 points: Decanted two hours and evolved nicely over that time. Dark red cherry, cherry wood, library leather, and green leaves on the nose. Bright red berries in a still-assertive tannic structure in the mouth. Drank more balanced than I expected given the hot vintage. Hoping for more nuanced secondary characteristics with a bit more bottle age. Fine to drink now if you like things on the primary side. More will require patience. Great pairing with braised lamb stew, which rounded-out the structure in a harmonious way. (7682 views) | |
| Tasted by Peck on 3/16/2019 & rated 95 points: Very good Just beginning to show P (7630 views) | |
| Tasted by Romol on 3/8/2019 & rated 93 points: Decanted 2 hours. Again a very good bottle. Still has a lot of life left. At the moment it needs at least 1-2 hours of air to really shine. 93 pts (7656 views) | |
| Tasted by Rowchan on 3/6/2019 & rated 92 points: Clear, burgundy red colour with white rim, sparse slow-moving tears Clean, med- intensity, with aromas of black and red fruit, kalamatas, and a hint of marmite Dry, med body, med tannins, med- acidity, med alcohol, with further taste of red cherry, chocolate, slight cinnamon, some black pepper, beef jerky, and featuring a long wonderful finish. Still some good years on this one. (5627 views) | |
| Tasted by djs on 2/28/2019 & rated 92 points: Give this another 4-5 years to be really great. (7981 views) | |
| Tasted by brihprivat on 2/24/2019 & rated 95 points: Pontet Canet 2003 is Simply delicious. In a perfect spot right now, with both secondary notes, mature tannins and lots of fruit still. Extremely well-balanced In such a hot vintage (7280 views) | |
| Tasted by Vertigo on 2/10/2019 & rated 93 points: Dark cherries, red currant, plum, green bell peper, cedar, smoke. Tannins still present with medium acidity. I found it very balanced for such a hot vintage. Good to drink now but still plenty of life left. (7480 views) | |
| Tasted by SARED on 2/3/2019 & rated 91 points: 91-92. ripe black raspberry, dark rosewood, chocolate, black tea (7989 views) | |
| Tasted by Xavier Auerbach on 2/2/2019 & rated 93 points: Clos des Réas / Pontet-Canet tasting-cum-lunch (Restaurant Bak, Amsterdam, NL): Beautifully expressive, sweet fruit but also has elegance, line and length, tannins are ripe, hint of spice, excellent persistence. An outstanding performance in this challenging vintage. (7938 views) | |
| Tasted by dvansteenderen on 2/2/2019 & rated 93 points: 2000-2011 Pontet Canet. First wine of the second flight. Very good given the difficult '03 vintage. Very open nose, but enough balance and minerality to balance out the ripeness of the hot 2003 summer! (7086 views) | |
| Tasted by Édifice on 1/5/2019 & rated 93 points: Classic bordeaux. Round, smooth, with a bit of acidity and warmth sticking out, not fully entirely integrated and harmonious. Tannins are resolved but lack a bit finesse. Still a solid, enjoyable wine. (8186 views) | |
| Tasted by Nutty08 on 1/1/2019 flawed bottle: Lightly corked! Seemed like an awesome bottle underneath too. Of course my last one. (8056 views) | |
| Tasted by IvanLi on 12/27/2018 & rated 95 points: As a historically fifth growth and the product of a somewhat questionable vintage the 2003 Pontet Canet meets and surpasses the highest of expectations. First of all, the wine drinks very young, almost youthful. Yes, you can drink it now, but you can wait another 5 or even 10 years, and you won't be disappointed. Secondly, this wine epitomizes power and ripeness paired with elegance. It just covers your mouth, gums and teeth with layers of silky, perfectly ripe, juicy, sappy, almost opulent fruit. Yet the wine retains moderate alcohol level as well as all the elegance in the world. With 30 minutes in the decanter it opens up to a world of ripe blackcurrants, black cherries, moist earth, forest floor, graphite, lead pencil and even hints of bitter sweet black chocolate. There are pronounced notes of eucalyptus and mint as well. The wine is meaty, yet drinks so beautifully, delivering freshness and opulence in almost an equal measure. The final score of 95 points feels almost conservative but this one will surely get into the 97point zone within another 5 years. (7983 views) | |
| Tasted by bonedoc on 12/26/2018: All ‘03’s, double decanted and drank over 3 hours. Pavie : lighter in body, ripe fruit, but a short finish. Disappointing compared to the other 2 wines. 91 Ducru Beaucaillou: ripe, forward, round, medium finish. 93 Pontet canet : darker profile, a touch of spice, longer finish. 93 (7464 views) | |
| Tasted by Klugi Wine on 12/24/2018 & rated 93 points: Tannins have mellowed out over the past 5 years. Now full ripe with good cassis, some truffles and pencil shavings. Still a good structure for this abnormal vintage. Does not reach the heights of 05 or 10 but still one of the top wines of the Vintage. I would drink it over the next decade. (7348 views) | |
| Tasted by DCHawkeye on 12/22/2018 & rated 94 points: With beef short ribs. Still young and big, but drinking very well now with a couple hour (minimum) decant. Just a great nose - almost beefy. (6665 views) | |
| Tasted by DCHawkeye on 12/7/2018 & rated 93 points: Second bottle of the case, and certainly helped by a three hour decant (as well as by steak for dinner), this smelled "beefy" on opening. That blew off and it opened up quite nicely by dinner, but this is still one of the younger '03s. I would think a 2 to 3 hour decant is probably a minimum for one of these. I would think this still had considerable upside. Judging by the '03, it may be 2025 before the '05 Pontet is ready to go. (7763 views) | |
| Tasted by jaumealaska on 12/2/2018 & rated 95 points: One if the top wines of the night. Opened 3 hours before drinking along with the 2000 and several other top California and Bordeaux wines (Seavey Pahlmeyer Ducru). Perfumed nose of modest forest floor spice box and cassis. Body was fleshy with moderate tannins and great balance. Drinking well and no sign of decline. Long finish. (8035 views) | |
| Tasted by Corsica131 on 11/27/2018 & rated 96 points: Full bodied, fragrent. Excellent. (8321 views) | |
| Tasted by robmatic on 11/25/2018 & rated 91 points: Drinking very nicely, but still plenty of structure to keep it going for a very long time.Clean, ripe, extracted. (8247 views) | |
| Tasted by BordeauxNut on 11/25/2018 & rated 92 points: A solid 2003 that's full of life. Dark fruit and oaky chocolate and a little cigar box. Very good if a little boring, frankly. Seems to have the materials to keep. I plan to hold tight several years before trying another, hoping something a little more interesting comes out the other end... Tasted next to the 2000 Haut Bages Liberal, I preferred the HBL as it was far more developed on the nose and overall, more interesting. Admittedly, I was in the minority. (8297 views) | |
| Tasted by grossie on 11/25/2018 & rated 93 points: Drinking great. No over-ripe characteristics despite being a 2003 wine. Lovely and will improve (7321 views) | |
| Tasted by broadband013 on 11/22/2018 & rated 93 points: Typique, bon, long, puissant, délicieux! (7195 views) | |
| Tasted by DCHawkeye on 11/11/2018 & rated 92 points: Part of a dinner line-up that included a trio of '03 Northern Medoc - Pontet Canet, Cos d'Estournel, and Calon Segur. First bottle of the case, and still quite young. Opened the bottle a couple hours before dinner, but a full decant for those same several hours would have been much more beneficial. No sense at all of the vintage heat and I think this will be another outstanding '03 from the Northern Medoc. (7911 views) | |
| Tasted by Tree512 on 10/13/2018 & rated 95 points: Loads of ripe fruit, lots of tannins, and surprisingly good balance. Tastes like Pauillac. (8708 views) | |
| Tasted by NostraBacchus on 10/4/2018 & rated 94 points: One of my best bottles so far. Dark balsamic notes of cedar, cigar box, cassis, black cherries, smoke and also some graphite minerality. Full-bodied, dense and classic, with medium+ tannin and medium- acidity and very good length. A great classic Pauillac with an extra levele of fruit and drinking beautifully now and for the next 5-8 years. (9311 views) | |
| Tasted by J o e on 10/2/2018 & rated 93 points: Dense, deep red. Notes of cassis, leather, melted fudge and a whiff of burning embers make up the aromatic profile of the 2003 Pontet Canet. Medium- to full-bodied, with ripe black cherries, graphite, bitter chocolate and tobacco on the palate, adequate acidity and good length. This bears more than a passing resemblance to some of the better 1990 Pauillacs — think Grand Puy Lacoste, Lynch Bages, etc. While it can be enjoyed now, this already delicious vintage of Pontet Canet will only get better with a few more years in the cellar. 93+. (8864 views) | |
| Tasted by SGoenophile on 9/26/2018 & rated 94 points: Dinner at Second Floor, American Club. Deep purple. Soft tannins, quite smooth. Full bodied wine, well balanced. Bold and quite rich. This is showing really well for an under-rated vintage. Have tasted 2003 Bordeaux super seconds thrice in the past month and all have exceeded my initial expectations. (8911 views) | |
| Tasted by Philippe_C on 9/21/2018 & rated 97 points: WOW, super refined nose of cigar box, tobacco, cedar wood and loads of black cassis... Very very dark cold black fruit, almost iron cold, super silky tannin, finish of 45 seconds, great great wine!!! (9280 views) | |
| Tasted by DonWinspear on 9/21/2018 & rated 94 points: Inky dark, and not really showing any signs of bricking around the meniscus. The nose is moderate with notes of cassis, forest floor, cocoa. The palate is, shall I say, yummy in that beautiful old world style. Blackberry, mocha, maybe blueberry as well. All wrapped up in a wine with tannins that are still indicating more years in the cellar are possible. The finish is long and balanced with no roughness at all. (7764 views) | |
| Tasted by Ben Christiansen on 9/20/2018: From Alfred Tesseron - they didn't think they would make a great vintage because of the heat. He was very unsure of it at first. "In people's minds around the world heat means great wine and so it sold. But when tasting the wine there is freshness and I think its fun for people to have in their collection at home and we ask ourselves why it has that freshness? And he believes that its how they work the soil - not use grass killer and cause the roots to drive deep." And that is the cause of the freshness. (7821 views) | |
| Tasted by SommJourney05 on 9/20/2018 & rated 93 points: Medium ruby fading to garnet at rim. A surprisingly youthful nose that displays black cherry, black berry, lead pencil, forest floor, anise and cigar box. On the palate the black fruit strikes first and fades into a lovely spice and earthy finish. The tannins are still there, but they have integrated nicely and make for a nice round and supple mouth feel. A very pleasing finish makes for a great wine. (7541 views) | |
| Tasted by Julian Marshall on 9/20/2018 & rated 93 points: It started badly: although I opened it in the morning, I didn't decant, which was a mistake. At first, the nose was cramped, with a lot of liquorice and the fruit was not burnt, but over-concentrated and rather pinched. "Typical bloody 2003", I thought. After a few hours, however, something much better emerged. The nose opened, with the usual Pauillac notes of cigar box and blackcurrant, the fruit shed its shackles and although ripe, became a much more typical display of thick, blackcurrant jammy Pauillac. So ultimately one of the best Pontet-Canets I've had. I think it needs at least another five years, maybe more, with a long life ahead. (7729 views) | |
| Tasted by Rieslingfan on 9/12/2018: Believe it or not, this was really good, and pretty much ripe vintage, classic Bordeaux. It was not a 2003 caricature. I would never suspect it as California, as it leaned more towards the cassis end of the fruit spectrum, and it had that dusty/cedary element coming through that I never taste in modern California wine. The fruit/tannin balance was very good, and there was zero heat. It was delicious with my steak! Seems to have years left in the tank. I am glad to have several more bottles. (8612 views) | |
| Tasted by SGoenophile on 9/11/2018 & rated 94 points: Dinner at Fan Tong, HK. Deep purple. Smooth, velvety soft tannins. A big wine, full bodied. Well balanced. Surprising ripeness of fruit for an unheralded vintage. (8177 views) | |
| Tasted by felixp on 9/10/2018 & rated 88 points: not doing it for me, I suspect (and hope) this is still much too young. Masses of ripe fruit and cassis, not a lot of structure. I would have guessed this to be a decent cab from the Yarra Valley. I'll hold my remaining 10 bottles for another decade in the hopes that this might develop into something a whole lot better. (8425 views) | |
| Tasted by Zweder on 9/3/2018 & rated 96 points: Weekly tasting group RWP #301: 6 great and completely different flights. (@ VD): Beautiful and rustic bouquet, creamy dark and red berries as well as some pleasant barnyard. On the palate beautiful dark berries, vanilla, sweet spices, chocolate, beautifully fresh acidity and tannin with still a lovely and firm bite and pleasant bitterness in the finish. After the vintage was revealed, I was especially impressed by the good freshness. Great wine with still a great future. Pity I don’t own any bottles. (7846 views) | |
| Tasted by aagrawal on 8/21/2018 flawed bottle: Bordeaux Wine Dinner (Wine Kitchen, SF): This has some VA and is disjointed and not very enjoyable, thin through the midpalate, short finish. I’ve had this 4 years ago and loved it, so I’m calling this bottle flawed, though it’s not clear that it is. (9304 views) | |
| Tasted by Highlander on 8/21/2018: The big ripe fruit make this seem (almost) like a new world cab. Very smooth, on the sweeter side, massive fruit on the palate. Fully integrated tannins with a 45 minute decant. Perfect color. I would agree with others that the tertiary flavors are not work or are well concealed. Very much enjoyed this, but would have NEVER guessed where it was from. (8464 views) | |
| Tasted by bonedoc on 8/15/2018: A bit big and ripe, I suspect typical of the vintage. Drank well after 1 hour decant. Drink w decant or hold ? 5 years. (8605 views) | |
| Tasted by WineTally on 8/4/2018: 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, plus Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. from 81 ha of ~45 yr vines on deep gravel with clay and limestone soils. [Note Pontet-Canet started its biodynamic practice in 2004 and was certified since 2010 so this vintage just predated its pioneering development among top growths in Bordeaux.] 13% Abv. 25,000 cases. Proprietors: Alfred Tesseron & Family Director: Jean-Michel Comme A(ccuray)=2: Deep ruby. Ripe, dense, jammy. B(alance)=2: High extract, low acidity, resolving tannin. C(omplexity)=2: Dark berries, leather, licorice, tobacco. D(epth)=2: Weighty mouthfeel. Full length and finish. Wine Tally Score [2,2,2,2] = 8/10 This has everything contemporary critics love, but it lacks vibrancy and sophistication to make it truly enticing. For story-telling label graphics, see: [https://www.facebook.com/WineTally/] [https://www.instagram.com/WineTally/] (8654 views) | |
| Tasted by Quiet Lion on 7/17/2018 & rated 95 points: Decanted one hour. Best 2003 I've tasted and showing at peak. This is a classic Pauillac with the ripeness of a hot year but full and balanced. Alluring nose of tobacco, herbs, mountain flowers and perfume. Full and delicious on the palate with some primary fruit remaining but secondary notes in full bloom with earth, tobacco, leather, and a hint of coffee. (10161 views) | |
| Tasted by HeavyPourWine on 7/14/2018 & rated 94 points: good amount of sediment. decanted for 4 hrs. paired with various blood sausage and duck cooked on the grill. nose was intense typical pleasant Bordeaux. Palate...just ridiculously good..very smooth easy to drink. Amazing Fantastic smooth wine. really good! Glad I have another bottle of this. Brad - heavypourwine.com (8677 views) | |
| Tasted by Romol on 7/7/2018 & rated 93 points: Decanted 2 hours. Very good bottle. Ready to drink with enough air. But no hurry the 2003 Pontet Canet still has many years left. 93+ pts. (9309 views) | |
| Tasted by Radboy on 7/6/2018 & rated 94 points: Better with a decent decant. (9018 views) | |
| Tasted by HandmadeHomemade on 7/5/2018: Banging juice. Lots of currant, wet leather, fermented tobacco leaf, green herbs, and oak. Lots left to go around, this is still very, very youthful here, but getting some secondary aromas, O suppose that's the vintage talking. Overall, very happy to drink this, and will be searching out more, as I think this is a hell of a value, especially for such a hot year. (8606 views) | |
| Tasted by Blackbeard. on 6/30/2018 & rated 95 points: This wine is big and rich, needs at least 4-5 hours in the decanter today to really show its potential. Should be a great wine in 5-10 years, but too young for my palate today. Based on this, i will not open my 2005 for a very long time. (6420 views) | |
| Tasted by acheng on 6/17/2018 & rated 92 points: Decant for 4 to 5 hours. Black dark fruit still in the primary spectrum of the Pauillac framework. Thought the 03 should be earlier drinking but this one once again can use even more time for it to really shine. (8930 views) | |
| Tasted by garymiller737@gmail.com on 4/22/2018 & rated 94 points: Beautiful saturated ruby color. This is a text book Pauillac. Lots of black fruit, lead pencil, cassis and vanilla on the evolving nose. With about an hour in the decanter the aromas were complex and compelling with earth and smoke emerging. The palate is beautiful with lots of similar flavor characteristics , medium plus body, gorgeous fully integrated tannins and medium acidity. This is the second bottle I taste from a 1/2 case purchased on release and this once again refutes the reputation of 2003 as being a "cooked" or overripe vintage. Drink now or keep for your children in a cold cellar! (10113 views) | |
| Tasted by amateur62 on 4/20/2018 & rated 94 points: Decanted for more than an hour. Young, fresh and concentrated, on the nose intense with lot of black currant, tobacco and ethereal, on the palate dense and long, present tannins. Very modern style and a result of the hot vintage, but still very coherent and very good, early drinking window, will last for many years. 93-95+. (9253 views) | |
| Tasted by Mark1npt on 4/19/2018 & rated 96 points: 92 on opening.....94 two hours later.......96 four hours later.....starts out a tart light weight cherry on opening. Two hours in with dinner, a ribeye, it gains weight and dark berry fruit. Tannins tame and turn into velour.....tobacco leaf grows over another two hours along with weight in the glass and on the palate. This is one impressive bottle of wine and certainly has some good years left ahead of it with a gorgeous amount of acidity. My only bottle but I might look to gain a few more should they come along. (10057 views) | |
| Tasted by TokyoOldBoy on 4/14/2018 & rated 98 points: Absolutely outstanding! Decanted for 3 hours prior to drinking. Perfectly balanced with soft velvety tannins. The best 2003 I have drunk to date. This will continue to evolve, but drinking so well now. (9297 views) | |
| Tasted by deverett on 4/14/2018 & rated 93 points: Medium bodied, tannins still quite firm and unresolved. Pencil lead, tobacco leaf, some cranberry tartness with plummy and olive undertones. Hoping the tannins soften a little more in time, still went really well with slow cooked lamb and Mediterranean spiced pearl cous cous. (8897 views) | |
| Tasted by maaike2 on 4/14/2018 & rated 92 points: Five hours in decanter. Fruit, a little earthiness, a touch of smoke, very soft tannins, a teaser right now. Will it indeed develop like 1982? I doubt, we will see. (7894 views) | |
| Tasted by dbg on 4/13/2018: Cellared since release, perfect cork and fill. Takes about an hour to open up. Tonight, the 2003 Pontet Canet does have a strong streak of tannins that get a bit gritty on the back end but it’s far from drying out. It’s nowhere near approaching mature complexity but it’s a bit more open than my last bottle 2.5 years ago. Still plenty of fruit, not over-ripe or roasted, full bodied. I’m half way through the case and would say I’m still expecting it to develop into something more. Very good on opening, reaches excellence after 60-90 minutes. (8236 views) | |
| Tasted by djhammond on 4/11/2018 & rated 96 points: The third time consuming this wine, and it is delivering every time. Out and out the best Pontet Canet drinking, it is a wonderful wine. The nose is beautifully perfumed with blackcurrent, plum, and dark cherry which continues on the palate. The tannin has continued to sweeten and there is a perfect balance with between fruit and tannin with lengthy finish. This has actually improved over the last 9 months, and I would venture to say this has reached its peak but with the structure to stay here here for a decade plus. It does benefit from a couple of hours in the decanter. 96+ (8411 views) | |
| Tasted by Nanda on 3/31/2018 & rated 90 points: Ripe fruit (though not at all roasted) with new oak influence in the polished palate and lightly toasty notes. Tannins are quite supple. Not very nuanced nor showing much Pauillac character. Tasty and fun, but not classic by any means. (8567 views) | |
| Tasted by AWBryce on 3/23/2018: Ripe brooding nose, dark and rich, woody, tannin, cough syrup long finish. Medium finish (8159 views) | |
| Tasted by Mascarello59 on 3/22/2018 & rated 94 points: BYOB Bordeaux/Burgundy flights (Local wine club): Cassis nose, young and primary fruit still. Tight still, with some earth notes, but with elegant fruit and a good future. Lots of tannin. Classic and intense at the same time.Great balanced finish as well. Would hold another 5-10 years to allow it to reach its potential. Shared no 1 of the flight of 6. 93-95p. (8471 views) | |
| Tasted by appel54 on 3/22/2018 & rated 93 points: Vinröd i färgen Örtigt men ändå packad med frukt, träigt, fet frukt Torrt, stramt, tydliga tanniner, en viss syra. Jag hittade inte riktigt samma stalliga toner i den här flaskan som den tidigare. Jag kan dock ännu en gång konstatera att jag verkligen uppskattar Pontet Canets viner. (7999 views) | |
| Tasted by Eric on 3/17/2018: 2003 Bordeaux at 15 years courtesy of Mark Taylor; 3/17/2018-3/18/2018 (Atlanta, GA): A very shy nose with the faintest whiff of mustiness that did blow off quickly. Tight, tight, tight, mineral and very closed. Incredible structure, tart, not much pleasure right now. Just extremely mineral with almost painfully pure notes of sour cherry. Correctly guessed as Pontet-Canet. Ranked 5 out of 6. Let it sleep! (9812 views) | |
| Tasted by nm10 on 3/16/2018 & rated 93 points: Dark red in colour. Cassis, blueberries, and cedar wood. Great after a 60 minute decant, but started to fade as the evening went on. Ready to drink now. (8226 views) | |
| Tasted by rashcar on 3/10/2018 & rated 94 points: Had it last night. 3 hours decanting and drank over next three hours. Great overall starting with nose of dark fruit and earth. Good texture and long coating finish. Will improve and drink well for next ten years. (8230 views) | |
| Tasted by MikeCW on 3/10/2018 & rated 93 points: Popped and poured and sat in the glass for an hour before trying. Still some tannins so I would decant this for a few hours or wait a few more years. Really nice wine, loads of graphite. Very silky. Perfect match with lamb shank. (7902 views) | |
| Tasted by Tannic Monster on 3/10/2018 & rated 93 points: This vintage is ready to drink now. This is surprisingly fruit forward with black cherry, raspberry, and fresh tobacco on the nose. It is full bodied with soft and supple tannins and a silky finish. It is a really good but not great Bordeaux but still a pleasure to drink. It was, unfortunately, competing with an incredible Spanish gem which didn't allow it to shine like it should have. (8079 views) | |
| Tasted by Ibetian on 3/4/2018 & rated 95 points: This is really drinking well from 375. Classic Pauillac nose and palate. No roasted notes whatsoever, but plenty of ripe, delectable fruit. (8581 views) | |
| Tasted by davidandrose on 3/2/2018 flawed bottle: First accessed Dec16 via coravin, rated 93 then but it’s hollow and empty today. Death via coravin (8202 views) | |
| Tasted by chitowncdpguy on 2/14/2018: Did not decant, but should have decanted for sediment. Opened and drank over about 3.5 hours. The first 90 minutes it seemed fairly harsh, but mellowed out with air. Gorgeous nose throughout the time. Smoke, cigar box, dark fruit. Very smooth now and well balanced. Robust. And probably a little better with food. (Served with beef tenderloin). (8283 views) | |
| Tasted by HOS on 2/8/2018 & rated 95 points: Opening and started drinking after 30 min. Nose of dust, taste of currant, green pepper, espresso, dark chocolate. Full bodied, long 20 second finish. Just great. Long life ahead. (8700 views) | |
| Tasted by rashcar on 2/7/2018 & rated 95 points: PNP and drank for next three hours. Dark ruby with good texture and slow very healthy legs! Traditional Bordeaux nose consists of ripe dark fruits, earth, wet stones and sexy spice. Unbelievable and satisfying taste it coats your mouth with delicious flavors for good 60 seconds. So glad I got few more bottles. Don't wait enjoy now and for next 10 years. (8659 views) | |
| Tasted by auhead on 2/5/2018 & rated 94 points: This is ready for prime time with a decant of an hour or two. There is a very fine balance to the fruit, tannins and acidity which permit the flavors to expand upon tasting. Some leather, tobacco, and blackcurrant flavors with hints of mint. It doesn't have the strong shoe polish/medicinal notes which I dislike about some west bank Bordeaux. This will keep and possibly improve for many years but is delicious now. Wonderful to accompany a meal featuring Osso Bucco. (8681 views) | |
| Tasted by Gen NY on 2/4/2018 & rated 87 points: I don’t know if this is because of bottle variation or the passage of 5 months, but this wine seemed closed down. It had some of what I previously described but none of the pleasure. The finish was bitter. it was decanted for 3.5 hours in a double Decanter but never came around. Served next to a 1996 de Pez, it seemed quite inferior. Given the current auction price, its tempting to sell the rest. (8062 views) | |
| Tasted by appel54 on 1/14/2018 & rated 93 points: Vinröd färg, tät kärna Grön paprika, stall, skitigt, jord, väldigt mycket bdx näsa Oerhört torr och sträv, väldigt bra längd och intensitet. En väldigt härlig frukt även i munnen. Ett högklassigt vin. Tyvärr har det väl börjat sticka lite väl mycket i pris. (7692 views) | |
| Tasted by JayP on 1/8/2018 & rated 88 points: Nice but a bit disappointing - one hour of decanting may not have been enough judging by the bright red ruby colour (9564 views) | |
| Tasted by hawkeye54 on 12/25/2017 & rated 95 points: PNP and drank over three hours. Classic Bordeaux aromas jump from the glass. Rich black fruits, full bodied and resolved tannins. This didn't have any noticeable roasted or balsamic notes as the last time I tasted it. They did seem to be in the background and integrated into the wine for a more rounded experience overall. I would say this is just coming into prime drinking window. Will wait another year or so to try again. Delicious! (8760 views) | |
| Tasted by cgrimes on 12/21/2017: Dark ruby color. No appreciable bricking. Nose of blackberry, cassis, some pencil shavings. Slight Brett. Similar on the palate with good depth of fruit, some wet stone and a medium tannic finish. Drinking well now but will continue to develop. Nice wine. (9199 views) | |
| Tasted by DrinkBordeaux on 11/16/2017 & rated 94 points: Vintage Bordeaux out of OWC tasting (Wine Watch, Fort Lauderdale, Florida): When I last tasted this wine in 2015, I said that I wouldn't open another bottle until 2017. So has anything changed? It is definitely more open for business, and has exhibited some noticeable evolution. Still has a dark ruby color. The nose showed off black currant, blackberry, smoke, mineral, cigar box, and espresso. Good weight and polish on the palate. The tannins need some softening and fading. A fresh, lingering finish with good minerality. It's still on its way up, but should peak nicely in 5-10 years, which it should then plateau for many years. (10987 views) | |
| Tasted by Goldstone on 10/7/2017: Lamma Island - Boat Trip and Long Saturday Lunch (Rainbow Restaurant, Sok Kwu Wan, First St,, Lamma Island, Hong Kong): Two magnums popped and poured into small glasses in a hot outdoor Cantonese seafood restaurant. I only had half a glass because I really like this wine in the right setting but even a 75cl bottle needs a 4hr decant to my taste. Some sense that this may have gone into a more closed stage of its evolution but that may just have been the format and the circumstances. Not fair to score it. (11871 views) | |
| Tasted by Cikgoo on 9/22/2017 & rated 95 points: Super pauillac showing power and rich concentrated tannins (8488 views) | |
| Tasted by ledocq on 9/17/2017: Not quite ready yet, but soon. Took about 3 hours to start flexing its muscles. (11471 views) | |
| Tasted by blanquito on 9/11/2017: From 375ml... Haven't had this in a year or two, and this continues to evolve slowly. It isn't hard or shut down, it's just that the flavors are still quite primary with lots of grapey notes showing, along with blueberry, mocha, and lavender. The palate is fairly soft and texturally appealing with nice concentration and good acids. There are still lots of soft, fleshy tannins too. Today, this is pleasant and eschews the pitfalls of the torrid 2003 vintage, but it comes across as a bit simple and easy going. I remain optimistic that this will get better with more cellar time and that more gravitas emerges. Given this, I won't touch a 750ml for at least another 4-5 years from now. (11317 views) | |
| Tasted by spineguy on 9/10/2017 & rated 94 points: Decanted for 1.25 hours and this was just enough, perhaps more would have been better. Refined Pauillac nose with reserved but sturdy notes of darker fruits. Medium body with tannins beginning to integrate into the fruit and very well balanced. Graphite, currents, and black fruit on the palate. Nice layers. Well constructed. Just beginning to hit its drinking window. Still has at least a decade of drinkability, possibly 2. (10775 views) | |
| Tasted by Gen NY on 9/5/2017 & rated 94 points: Excellent bottle of wine. The Cab just sings itself right out of the bottle. After a 30 - 40 min decant, we could no longer wait. Nose is driven by dried blackberries, wet stone and some flower petals. Taste is clean, delineated and starting to get intetesting with a nice balance of fruit and clean Forrest flavors. This has the stuffing to go 10 more years but why wait, it's delicious! (10075 views) | |
| Tasted by black sheep 2130 on 9/3/2017 & rated 93 points: Wonderful subtle nose of fruit and velvet from the first opening. Decanted two hours before steak dinner. Luscious taste with mouth filling berries and currants. Great smooth finish. (8961 views) | |
| Tasted by Mr T on 8/19/2017: great nose and still drinking and looking dark and young and not at all roasted. wine was a bit frustrating as it felt like an engine that would not quite kick over and start. Maybe as simple as needed a decant (9377 views) | |
| Tasted by khmark7 on 8/18/2017 & rated 92 points: Classic aromatics & modern complexity. Really good stuff with steak. Drinking well now. (8926 views) | |
| Tasted by djhammond on 8/16/2017 & rated 96 points: Firmly in its prime window, this is the best Pontet Canet drinking at present (bearing in mind I've yet to crack open the 2000 and 2006). It is also a consistent performer. It has an intensely perfumed nose of blackcurrent, plum and black cherry, and is silky on the palate with sweet softened tannins. There is still enough tannin left to remind you what you are consuming and indeed the lengthy finish has a slightly tannic grip. An excellent wine from an excellent vintage for the left bank. (9429 views) | |
| Tasted by wurzel68 on 8/13/2017 & rated 94 points: Rote Johannisbeere, Sauerkirsche, Waldbeeren, dazu erdige Noten und Graphit, am Gaumen Massen an feinem Tannin, eleganter Wein mit langem, geschliffenem, von Kirschfrucht, Schoko und Pfeffer bestimmten Abgang. (9193 views) | |
| Tasted by storhaug78 on 8/7/2017 & rated 93 points: Ruby color, with starting garnett at rim. Med + intensity on the nose, blackcurrant and cedar. Med acidity, black berries and cedar also in the mouth. Med tannins and long finish. A very well balanced Pontet Canet that should still last for years, but drinking very well right now. (8930 views) | |
| Tasted by Life At Your Leisure 🍷 on 8/7/2017 & rated 96 points: Tasted blind. Dark garnet color turning rust at the rim with a transparent edge. The nose elegantly gives off smoked meat, black fruits, and incense. The palate shows a medium-to-full body with a silky texture. Flavors of black currants, dark chocolate, meat, espresso, and graphite notes. The sheer elegance at the way this wine executes all the way to a spicy, lifted finish is commendable. Drink now until 2028. (9742 views) | |
| Tasted by rocknroller on 7/23/2017 & rated 92 points: So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodnight: A Night to Remember (Capitalle Grille, Mpls, MN): Very dark red/purple color. 2 hr decant, drank 1 glass over an hour. This, along with the '03 Leoville Poyferre, came at the end of a long series of pretty remarkable wines, and they probably didn't get the attention they deserved. Nonetheless, they were both very good. The Pontet Canet is by far the most youthful of the flight and the group tonight. Still, it is quite good already and shows good promise with patience. Had this been on the front end of a four hour evening I think we would have seen further progression in glass. Espresso, cedar, cassis, black cherry, tart, very nice structure, primary and youthful. (10098 views) | |
| Tasted by chablis28 on 7/23/2017 & rated 91 points: Just barely entering its drinking window but a intersesting example non the less. Decanted for 2 hours then back in the btl. Pulled cork at venue upon arrival. Dark, almost opaque garnet center with bright red edges. Started drinking in earnest about 2 hours in. Aromas of tobacco and lightly smoky dark fruit. Dark fruit and tobacco carry over to the plate along with dark chocolate, cedar and mineral. Really quite enjoyable but I suspect this will really rock from 2023+. A little grippy on the finish currently. Best with food. (9893 views) | |
| Tasted by achasd on 7/22/2017 & rated 92 points: The 2003's are drinking well now. This had a nice balance, structure. Light nose. Needs to air for an hour or so. Don't expect it to improve much. (9017 views) | |
| Tasted by Jeff Leve on 7/22/2017 & rated 95 points: I love the early accessibility of the vintage. The wine already shows notes of tobacco, dark, red fruits, forest floor, cigar box and a dab of truffle. The tannins are soft, smooth and feel great, as the ripe, berries lubricate your palate. The blackberry and cassis finish sticks with you adding more earth, smoke and tobacco along the way. The wine was decanted about 45 minutes to 1 hour before serving, which was just fine. 2003 is not the vintage of the century. I am not sure who claimed it was. But whoever uttered those words was wrong. But there are several truly great wines from the vintage, most of which come from the Northern Medoc. 2003 is the first vintage in the modern, Tesseron era where the vineyard started to shine. (10890 views) | |
| Tasted by rlu on 7/13/2017: a joy to drink now. still youngish dark red color and fruit, very elegant, almost no signs of maturity. no hurry. (9522 views) | |
| Tasted by Burgnick on 6/29/2017 & rated 92 points: Decent wine. Purple fruit, dark currant, and oak on the nose. Palate is lush, round and ripe. (9765 views) | |
| Tasted by Simply Wine on 6/28/2017 & rated 93 points: Excellent wine but still a bit young to show its full potential. Revisit in 2-3yrs. (9558 views) | |
| Tasted by Slics on 5/21/2017 & rated 91 points: Dark fruit, smoke and toasty oak with good acid, me body and med tannin. Drinking fine now but could maybe benefit from a few more years to bring out more complexity? (10635 views) | |
| Tasted by Paul D on 5/3/2017: Chateau Pontet-Canet Dinner (La Trompette, Chiswick): Nose is ripe with slightly baked red fruits. Full bodied on the palate, dense, rich red fruits, touch of earth, only moderate acidity which make it a bit hard work and the tannins are a touch furry on the medium/good length finish. **1/2 (11613 views) | |
| Tasted by jcgarcia on 4/22/2017 & rated 90 points: Decanted for 2 hours. Drank w grilled ribeye and bernaise. Medium to full body. Dark fruit plummy. A. BIt if lead pencil but not as much as I'd like. A bit of leather. (10672 views) | |
| Tasted by Tannic Monster on 4/17/2017 & rated 95 points: This is in a perfect place but has years left to evolve. This drinks like a much better vintage an da much more expensive Bordeaux. Everything you would ask for is here: rich silky mouth feel, lovely bouquet with dark earth and bright fruits, and a distinctive black cherry finish. Just a delicious treat. (10672 views) | |
| Tasted by jonnyoro on 4/16/2017 & rated 96 points: Evolving nicely... again, nose perfumed of lavender, cedar, anise, coffee... integrated now more than ever... plum, blueberry, anise, a little bittersweet chocolate... full bodied, sweet ripe tannins. Not overly ripe nor cloying. Ultra long on the finish. Just delicious. (10725 views) | |
| Tasted by Ibetian on 4/9/2017 & rated 94 points: From 375. Drinking beautifully now from 375, just delicious! (10067 views) | |
| Tasted by bon vivant on 4/8/2017: Fair amount of sediment, this went into a magnum decanter. Started off with strong overripe fruit aromas and surmaturite flavors. Almost new world when compared to the 2004 we had SBS which had much more classic aromatic profile. Went through fairly rapid change and started to hit the mark at about 2 hrs and continued to improve for another 2 at which point it put on much stronger mid palate, much more old world flavors. It all got wrapped up with a much more structured disposition with a very long and impressive finish. Built for long hall. Beautiful wine. (9249 views) | |
| Tasted by FransS on 4/8/2017 & rated 90 points: A sound and deep colour, a generous bouquet not showing the heat of '03, round, fleshy, polished, not heavy, two days later showing some minerality, but still not showing a real complexity. Not bad at all, absolutely not cooked, but I want more, let's taste the wine again. (8921 views) | |
| Tasted by J3r0me H@n on 4/6/2017 & rated 93 points: Needs a lot of air to flesh out and become enjoyable. Very layered and not as modern/fruit forward as I had expect. Lots of terroir and savory notes with good amounts of acid at first until the dark sweet berry flavors open up underneath. Still lots of tannins on the finish. Still needs at least 5 to 7 more years to reach drinking window and should be drinkable for 15+ years still. (9320 views) | |
| Tasted by TGLeroy on 4/1/2017 & rated 94 points: Opened for 3 hrs. Dark with no bricking. More gravel and terroir on the nose than fruit, soft round tannins, well balanced, but substantial, an absolute pleasure to drink! (9011 views) | |
| Tasted by TD2Irish on 3/30/2017 & rated 94 points: Decanted for 2hours and took to a blind tasting, many rated it #1. 2003 still has great fruit, drinks younger than its 14 years and is very international in style. Secondary's of leather, cedar and terroir present but not dominating the fruit. (9063 views) | |
| Tasted by Burgundy Al on 3/15/2017: Very oaky, very ripe. Not a personal favorite. (9987 views) | |
| Tasted by Arch57 on 3/14/2017 & rated 94 points: Even though I have a few more 2005 and 2009's in my cellar my only other experience with this legendary wine was a 2004 that I only rated a 90 so it was with some anticipation that I decided to do a Coravin taste-off with a 2003 Lynch Bages during the Blizzard of 2017. We sampled these and I just labeled the glasses A/B for my wife Paula and it was very, very difficult to tell the two wines apart. I am really enjoying using the Coravin because with just the two of us it would be wasteful to open 2 well aged Paulliac's that I had in my cellar since 2006. I pulled 6 oz. out of each bottle and we each got 3 oz. pours and went back and forth while the wind and snow howled outside. A bit of cheese and crackers accompanied the initial tasting. What I've been doing in these Coravin "taste-offs" is sample both and pick a winner and send the loser back to the cellar. Well tonight both wines were so incredibly close to each other it was like splitting hairs. I let both sit in a Reidel glass for 1 1/2 hours to breathe before tasting. Both had classic nose of aged Claret and I won't bore you with details as most of us know what it means. The LB was a bit more masculine and stronger so we decide to send it to the cellar not because it "lost" but because a few more years in the dark would do it some good. The PC was opened and enjoyed over the evening with and after dinner. Both wines showed very well tonight in their prime drinking window and I feel very fortunate indeed that we both had good careers that allow us to cellar fine Bordeaux and enjoy them 11 years later. The PC had a long, long finish and it did remind me of the 2001 and 2004 Mondavi Reserves I've had in the past so it seems that Robert did in fact create California wines in the mold of the finest Bordeaux. I look forward to my single 2005 and two 2009's in the cellar at some time down the road. (10091 views) | |
| Tasted by Yagil on 3/9/2017 & rated 92 points: Wine-Neun evening (at Arnoldo's): dark translucent red-purple good rich fruity secondary & tertiary aromas with toasted oak-barrel hints full body, firm tannins, good & balanced acidity, very good harmony, rich chocolate flavors, good structured, lean complexity, medium length finish & aftertaste. (9918 views) | |
| Tasted by duchamp on 3/7/2017 & rated 94 points: Dark ruby, highly perfumed nose of black fruit, crème de cassis, licorice, graphite and hints of mocha and truffle, lean, dark and still rather tight on the attack with gripping acidity, bright dark fruit and dusty tannins, finish is long with dark berry fruit, mineral streaks, wood, blueberry, and on and on I agree with #JMOON, 2003 may be an underrated vintage, this Pauillac shows no signs of excessive heat and is as fresh as any 15 year old claret I've tasted Final thoughts: From where Pauillac prices sit today, $60 a bottle just doesn't seem fathomable, even in ten years ago dollars, should have bought more, the story of my life... (9840 views) | |
| Tasted by Xavier Auerbach on 3/4/2017 & rated 93 points: A private tasting and dinner (at home): Also from a case bought en primeur, but brought by one of the participants tonight. Tasted blind. We did not know this was Pontet-Canet 2003 too. The difference was marked, the score was the same. Very energetic, smooth and velvety, lovely freshness, gravel, wonderful ripe blackcurrants, slightly meaty, powerful but elegant, deeper and fuller than the other bottle, fierce but velvety tannins, good length. (10472 views) | |
| Tasted by Xavier Auerbach on 3/4/2017 & rated 93 points: A private tasting and dinner (at home): Second, pristine bottle from a case purchased en primeur. Wonderfully fresh and elegant, energetic, powerful but not at all heat-influenced, spices and blackcurrants, firm but ripe tannins, pure and transparent, lovely length. (9746 views) | |
| Tasted by jmoon on 2/24/2017 & rated 94 points: Splash decant. Gorgeous purity of fruit, classic Pauillac. Grrrat to drink now as soft tannins and ripe dark fruit , but will evolve for years. Many of these 2003s are really showing great form now, and we're possibly underrated (9518 views) | |
| Tasted by Philippe_C on 2/22/2017 & rated 93 points: Still incredibly dark and young , loads of blackberries, boite a cigares... very young taste ripe black berries with loads of ripe tannins, but tannic structure still present... very classic bordeaux wait min 5 more years!! (9819 views) | |
| Tasted by Xavier Auerbach on 2/19/2017 & rated 93 points: Pristine bottle, first from a case purchased en primeur. Decanted for three hours. Very youthful and energetic, almost completely primary, a classic Pauillac, much more transparent and cool than I had anticipated, floral and fresh, well balanced, blackcurrants and a touch of fresh beef, the powerful tannins are ripe and velvety but still pack a punch on the back palate, clean flavours, very good length. A very successful 2003 - a thirty to forty year wine. (9357 views) | |
| Tasted by nm10 on 2/17/2017 & rated 95 points: Tons of cassis, followed by charcoal and tobacco. Still purple in the glass, this was a wonderfully complex wine after a 90 minute decant. The finish lingers on and on... Plenty of life left here. I wouldn't be afraid to drink the next bottle ten years from now. (8817 views) | |
| Tasted by SeaSmoke on 1/28/2017 & rated 93 points: Decanted for 90 minutes. On the nose cassis, tobacco, boysenberry, and hints of blue fruit. On the palate cassis, spice and blackberry. Medium to long finish. (9626 views) | |
| Tasted by Ibetian on 1/25/2017 & rated 94 points: From 375, popped and poured. Best bottle of this yet. Impression is similar to my April 2016 note, but the restraint I saw then is gone; its open and ready for business from 375. Based on my experience with this wine, I'd guess the 750s will get here in another year or two. This has really evolved well, better than I expected a few years ago. It offers plenty of ripe fruit but beautiful balance. It will never be the worlds most complex wine, but it offers enough to reward quiet contemplation. (9769 views) | |
| Tasted by asparagus on 1/22/2017 & rated 93 points: beguiling. this bottle was still quite primary. unmistakably bordeaux from a hot year. but the estate nailed it. ripe yet elegant - not clunky like several other 03s. excellent already, but will get better - i suspect not by very much though (9305 views) | |
| Tasted by EricLi on 1/17/2017 & rated 90 points: Coravined a glass. Failed to open after 5 hours. It did gave away a hint of its future greatness at the end. There is no rush to consume. (9509 views) | |
| Tasted by Yagil on 1/5/2017 & rated 91 points: quality & mature wines tasting event (my home): too jammy and somewhat oxidised - beyond peak already? 24 hours later: fully aerated, typical Pontet-Canet of a good and warm vintage (9929 views) | |
| Tasted by Nojomoschwa on 1/2/2017 & rated 95 points: This is just a superb Pauillac – undoubtedly one of the stars of a tricky vintage. One of the better semi-mature BDXs I've had to-date. If you see it for a decent price, go for it. If you already have some, by all means open some now, but it's got stuffing to go for a while yet. (9144 views) | |
| Tasted by Nanda on 12/25/2016 & rated 92 points: With Prime Rib on Christmas. A crowd pleader while also offering some nuance and complexity. The fruit is rich but not over-ripe with cedar, spice, toast and herbs intermixed. Good concentration and length. Still in it's early drinking window.. (9337 views) | |
| Tasted by indiscriminate palate on 12/22/2016: Quite young and tight still, with a strong tannic core that persisted through the finish. Red fruit, cedar, and spice. Full bodied with good acidity. Fun to check in, but still a baby. I'm looking forward to enjoying these in another 5-10 years. (8936 views) | |
| Tasted by HOS on 12/21/2016 & rated 94 points: Decanted for an hour and it continued to develop while drinking. Currant, stone, herbs, with a hint of barnyard. Long finish, tannins have integrated, medium bodied. We've been drinking a bottle every 6 - 9 months and this isn't anywhere near done. (9467 views) | |
| Tasted by djhammond on 12/16/2016 & rated 96 points: This has evolved rapidly from a year ago and is approaching its peak. It has a deep intense nose of blackcurrent and plum. This fruit continues on the palate, and the tannin is resolved but still firm enough to give the wine some masculinity whilst keeping a fruity balance and complexity. A good firm finish with the only criticism that the finish lacks a little depth. This does seem more advanced than the other 2003 left bankers, but this is the best Pontet Canet I have tasted and could even improve a little. The 2003 left bankers are fast becoming my favourite recent vintage. (9585 views) | |
| Tasted by davidandrose on 12/11/2016 & rated 93 points: Coravin sample from a bottle purchased upon release. Red fruit, leather, cigar box and pencil shavings on the nose. Palate shows nice and typical bordeaux red fruit, fine-grained tannins seem well-integrated and help the finish linger, though the wine overall is softer mid-palate than I'd expect. Will decant and drink the balance of this CV'd bottle during early '17 to better understand the drinking window. (9391 views) | |
| Tasted by theharve on 12/7/2016 & rated 95 points: WOW1 Am glad I bought the '03s on release. Nothing roasted or hot about the ones tasted recently. Classic, balanced, great fruit, fine tannins, silky on the palate. Much pleasure ahead if i can age as successfully as the '03s, a maligned and underrated vintage. (9499 views) | |
| Tasted by texanoblues on 12/6/2016 & rated 93 points: Red/magenta with nearly black core. Open and expressive on the nose and palate with: black cherry, plum, cassis, and cigar box. Extremely rich and opulent on the mid palate. Not overly acidic or tannic. Alcohol in check at 13%. A little short on the finish but smooth. Very nice bottle. Full of life and in no rush to drink. (9701 views) | |
| Tasted by Romol on 11/21/2016 & rated 93 points: Not decanted. Consumed over 2 nights. Very good wine. 93 pts. (9772 views) | |
| Tasted by jkoenen on 11/19/2016 & rated 93 points: Dark cherry, soft tannines, mocha, so accessible and easy to love. Beautiful! (2169 views) | |
| Tasted by Yagil on 11/16/2016 & rated 93 points: Coravin tasting -opaque dark red-purple -rich almost flamboyant cassis oak -med- acidity, med+ weight, ripe but not overly roasted cassis fruit and oak -still a fruit bomb without a lot of maturation but retains some decent balance, expect this to be better in 5-10+ years (9601 views) | |
| Tasted by garymiller737@gmail.com on 11/12/2016 & rated 94 points: Deep ruby color with only a slight lightening at the rim. Evolved nose of candied black fruits- blackberry, cassis and even blueberry, baking spice and vanilla. Medium plus body with plenty of acidity and nice integrated tannin. Lots of black fruit, vanilla and some pain grille on the palate. The finish is definitely long. This is a great and fresh wine from a vintage that has a reputation of being flabby and/or over extracted- certainly not the case here. I would probably drink up as the wine seems fully mature and it was a very hot vintage, but who knows..... PS- I visited the winery last summer and they are obsessed with bio- dynamics. Not sure I understood everything, but the proof is in the glass. (9476 views) | |
| Tasted by felixp on 11/1/2016 & rated 89 points: not for me this one. Rather beautifully made, as you would expect, but really has nothing exciting about it. Plum, cedar and graphite, good length, but simply no excitement at all. Might get better with age, I will bury my remaining bottles for a decade and live in hope. (10294 views) | |
| Tasted by erwing on 10/30/2016 & rated 93 points: Silky tannins, currant, blackberry, toasted oak, very well balanced and a very tasty wine. Does not need to be in the cellar longer in my opinion. (9474 views) | |
| Tasted by unrelenting on 10/21/2016 & rated 95 points: still a baby (9635 views) | |
| Tasted by walkerjfw on 10/20/2016 & rated 94 points: Wine Spectator, NY Wine Experience Grand Tasting...more wines than time...shorter notes (NY City): At NY Wine Experieince. Fun to taste the wine with Alfred Tesseron, having met Noe at a tasting earlier in the year. One of my favorite Bordeaux vintners, first time trying the 03 vintage. Bright and dense purple color. Nose of red fruits, graphite, cedar, tobacco. Palate showed black currants, cassis, licorice, pine notes...classic Paulliac. Rich mouthfeel and long finish. Really incredible wine, tannins are resolved and fine. Still leaning to the primary side, showing a long life ahead. Great now, will have another 15+ years ahead of it (10079 views) | |
| Tasted by Yagil on 10/15/2016 & rated 93 points: Coravin tasting -opaque dark red-purple -rich almost flamboyant cassis oak -med- acidity, med+ weight, ripe but not overly roasted cassis fruit and oak -still a fruit bomb without a lot of maturation but retains some decent balance, expect this to be better in 5-10+ years (8597 views) | |
| Tasted by Jeff Leve on 10/12/2016 & rated 95 points: I love this wine. It's a Pauillac of pure pleasure. With a potent nose of cassis, tobacco, boysenberry, hints of blue fruit and a shot of truffle, the wine wants you to get to know it. And you do as soon as it hits your palate with its luxurious textures and sweet, ripe cassis, spice and blackberry. I really like how this is developing. And it should only get better from here. The wine was decanted about 45 minutes to 1 hour before serving. It shows best with some cellar chill left in it. (13051 views) | |
| Tasted by lvjohn on 10/12/2016 & rated 95 points: Similar comments as the previous bottle from our cellar. Great stuff! (9833 views) | |
| Tasted by MarkMich on 10/2/2016 & rated 93 points: Brought to dinner at Trio with friends. Another great showing. (10099 views) | |
| Tasted by Loekkeboe on 9/30/2016 & rated 93 points: Very concentrated and appears young. Needs time - or maybe its just not my cup of tea.... (9708 views) | |
| Tasted by tomlee on 9/25/2016 & rated 94 points: Violet in color. 13% ABV. Absolutely fantastic nose of red fruits, leather and cigar box. Medium body with perfect acidity. Lush and silky on the palate. The wine is incredibly powerful and concentrated. Flavors of currants, cassis, lead and black licorice. The finish is exceptionally long with silky tannins. This wine has none of the flabby, roasted characteristics many associate with the '03 vintage. On top of that this is unmistakably Bordeaux and any comparisons to Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon miss the mark. It should drink well for another decade. (10169 views) | |
| Tasted by Tim Heaton on 9/22/2016: My last of 6, and kind of confirms what I have seen all along. Absolutely love the nose, but the palate just doesn't stack up to the same level. It's easy to be seduced by this one, but the mid-palate suffers from an overall lack of structure. Good, toward very good, but that's it, for me. 13,0% abv. Drink or hold. Aerated to decanter for 90 minutes, served non-blind at Les Nomades (highest marks!) (10058 views) | |
| Tasted by lvjohn on 9/18/2016 & rated 95 points: Not sure when we've last enjoyed a wine this good. OMG! We decanted it and let it rest for a few minutes only. There were significant solid left in the bottle. Everything is happening beautifully now. Great red fruit flavors with spices. The nose is incredibly fragrant and sweet smelling. The after taste is long and compelling. Fantastic complexity from the first taste to the last. (10020 views) | |
| Tasted by ephorn on 8/20/2016 & rated 92 points: Tight nose and palate at first. After an hour the nose opened. Tannins are still fairly aggressive. Palate remained austere up to the 2 hour mark when wine was finished. Very good but not up to my expectations. (10759 views) | |
| Tasted by gsquireh on 7/23/2016 & rated 93 points: Drinkable with decanting and drinking lovely. Decant for 3 hour minimum and you will be rewarded. What a value! (11553 views) | |
| Tasted by dannyg on 7/17/2016: - Ruby color. It's in total harmony with a full body. Polished texture with a long finish - A delicious rounded wine that does not show until 6+ hour decanting or more. Structured wine with fine grainy tannins, not too dry, copious amounts of fruits and restrained acidity that balances the tannins. Marvellous. Had with good medium rare steak. (12116 views) | |
| Tasted by King JR on 7/15/2016 & rated 92 points: Very smooth. Pretty consistent compared to my 2010 review. Nose still a bit reticent - took a while. Decanted two hours and drank over the next two - eventually nice fruit emerged - pretty typical Pauillac. No bricking at all - seems like this could last a lot longer, and maybe even drinking it a bit early. But, very enjoyable. Tonight, it paled a bit relative to the '06 Casanova di Neri (Tenuta Nuova) which was absolutely rocking! (11464 views) | |
| Tasted by Romol on 6/5/2016 & rated 93 points: Decanted 2 hours. Again really nice. Ready to drink and it will only get better. 93-94 pts. (13243 views) | |
| Tasted by hkbob on 6/4/2016 & rated 95 points: Midnight purple. A intoxicating nose of cassis, blackberry, blueberry, mineral and a hint of cinnamon. Full, round and ripe without being overtly sweet or pruny - just glorious fruit with wonderful polish and impeccable balance. This wine was made for food. A perfect match with dry aged top sirloin. Miles to go but so enjoyable already. Superb. (12631 views) | |
| Tasted by Nanda on 6/4/2016 & rated 94 points: Slow oxed for 6 hours and consumed over the next 3-4 hours. Gorgeous aromatics of cassis, pencil lead, bell pepper, tobacco leaf, and cigar ash. So much good stuff going on. On the palate the fruit is round but by no means hot/roasted. Good lift and precision from medium acid. The tannins are suave early in the night but more brawny and biting with time. Great precision and complexity here. Will be better with 5-10 years. Who says '03 BDX from 'modern' producers can't age? (12126 views) | |
| Tasted by salil on 5/27/2016 & rated 91 points: I've had a few bottles of 2003 Bordeaux recently that have defied the stereotype of '03s being clumsy, jammy, and overripe, and this is another to add to the list. It's certainly a ripe wine with plenty of plummy and dark berried fruit at its core, but there's also a savoury earthiness beneath, and a bright herbal, eucalyptus-like note on the nose that adds a fresh, high toned edge to the aromatics. The palate is very well balanced with enough acidity to give it a sense of lightness and freshness on the palate, and a long, savoury finish. Very impressive. (11894 views) | |
| Tasted by indiscriminate palate on 5/27/2016 & rated 92 points: This is coming along beautifully. Nose of cherries, herbs, mint, perhaps chocolate. Surprisingly lithe on the palate. Very nice acidity and medium-plus tannin that is just starting to yield. Plenty of life ahead of it. Next day: still fairly primary, with plenty of tannin showing. A few years to go until it hits the beginning of its drinking window. (10888 views) | |
| Tasted by texanoblues on 5/12/2016 & rated 94 points: Dark red/magenta and clear in the glass. Cherry, raspberry, cassis, red licorice, and cedar on the nose and palate. Juicy, perfectly ripe fruit. Silky tannins and mouth-watering acidity. Vibrant and electric with medium concentration. Open and expressive now. 94-95pts. (10748 views) | |
| Tasted by jcgarcia on 5/3/2016 & rated 91 points: Medium to full bodied. Rich mouthfeel. Mouth-drying tanins. Black fruit. Pencil lead. Leather. (10508 views) | |
| Tasted by danhenry11 on 4/30/2016 & rated 94 points: 2003 so very forward, but not over the top. Some acid to help balance things out. If you tasted this blind you would be forgiven for mistaking this for California. Still some life left here, only drawback is that there's not a ton of earthiness, my favorite bordeaux trait. Not clasic, but very good. (10125 views) | |
| Tasted by Cote d'Or on 4/23/2016: 3rd Annual Wilson School Auction Tasting: Decanted 5 hrs -opaque dark red-purple -rich almost flamboyant cassis oak -med- acidity, med+ weight, ripe but not overly roasted cassis fruit and oak -still a fruit bomb without a lot of maturation but retains some decent balance, expect this to be better in 5-10+ years (10696 views) | |
| Tasted by Romol on 4/22/2016 & rated 93 points: Really nice wine. Ready to drink and it will only get better. 93-94 pts. (10122 views) | |
| Tasted by hawkeye54 on 4/17/2016 & rated 95 points: PNP. Ready to go. Beautiful aromas jump from the glass. Rich, ripe fruit. Still fresh, but I get some of the roasted/balsamic notes others have mentioned. (10131 views) | |
| Tasted by Dehrmann on 4/16/2016 & rated 93 points: Inky black color, lush, oaky, blackberry nose, toasty, plump, luscious, with subtle tannins, long finish...make sure to open early! (9542 views) | |
| Tasted by Ibetian on 4/11/2016 & rated 93 points: From 375, popped and poured. Good dark purple color. Nice, but somewhat restrained nose of red and black cherries, red and purple plums. Plums and cassis on palate. Smooth, on its early drinking plateau. Not a profound or tremendously complex wine, but highly enjoyable with plenty of life and positive evolution ahead. Drinking very well now, but likely better in a couple of years. Granted, 2003 can be somewhat uneven, but this wine, Leoville Barton and other have no roasted or overripe notes at all. This is a pleasure to drink. (10164 views) | |
| Tasted by NostraBacchus on 4/2/2016 & rated 93 points: A very beautiful showing! Similar to my last bottle in December 2013, but even more expressive. Full of dark fruit, balsamic notes, with pretty soft tannin and still nice acidity for the vintage. Went really well with the Irish roast beef with vegetables and potato gratin. (93+) (10511 views) | |
| Tasted by ledocq on 4/1/2016: Reminded me, again, of why I drink wine. This isn't just a pleasant-tasting wine -- it's deep. The aromas are complex, and the way it hits the tastebuds over the course of a few hours is vivid and surprising. Young and delicious. (10099 views) | |
| Tasted by VAGenius on 3/29/2016 & rated 92 points: Nose of spice box, currant, anise, and tobacco leaf. Earth-driven palate with loads of minerals, red fruits, and vanilla bean. Smoky finish with oak, dried currant, and black soil. (4160 views) | |
| Tasted by Miceri on 3/27/2016 & rated 93 points: Dark red; lovely deep blackcurrant nose; nice smooth and dark, good balance, supporting tannins, if anything a bit dry in the end; excellent (9854 views) | |
| Tasted by Alex H on 3/18/2016 & rated 88 points: Ripe sappy red black cherries and currants. Sumptuous and satisfying. Well balanced. Just get primary on fruit (10991 views) | |
| Tasted by sunnylea57 on 3/6/2016 & rated 93 points: No decant or slow ox. Drinking beautifully right out of the gate. Heady nose and a perfectly evolved palate. Black currant, graphite, cocoa powder, bramble. Dusty, soft tannins. Good acidity. Everything in balance. (10579 views) | |
| Tasted by Goldstone on 3/5/2016 & rated 93 points: Shoe Dinner with Tomasso Malani (Crown Wine Cellars, 18 Deep Water Bay Drive, Shouson Hill, Hong Kong): Three bottles decanted 4 hours before drinking over grilled Angus tenderloin and alongside Ch. Talbot 1996. Semi-opaque deep ruby red colour. Nose is still the classic black linear machine-ground slab thing with maybe some natural liguorice stick, dried star anise and blackcurrant pastille if you really want to project. Palate is an immediate fireworks of resonance and reverberance followed - like a strange back-to-front day- by deep bellyfilling black and red berry fruit. This is in a bit of an extracted bruiser stage of adolescence and has lost some of its earlier refinement......but I'm guessing that more age will bring the refinement back. It has certainly been a thrill to follow this wine on its development from its birth in such a unique year. 93+ but beaten by the Ch. Talbot 1996 on the night. (10469 views) | |
| Tasted by pavel_p on 2/25/2016 & rated 92 points: Poured into decanter and drank over 2h. 6 months after my last bottle this shows a wonderfully deep Bordeaux nose with sous bois, earth, spices and dark fruit. Less convincing on the palate, where this bottle shows much more evolved than the last one from the same case, as the palate start to be dominated by leather and tobacco over the slightly fading fruit. While the fine to medium tannins seem to say hold for another year or two, the fruit says drink now. Overall don't see upside from here (11074 views) | |
| Tasted by Purple Tooth on 2/24/2016 & rated 94 points: This bottle was not in the drinking window, it has stepped in through the door and its in the house! Just gorgeous with shining earthiness and tobacco, with lush fruit. Everything about this wine is so not BS 2003 here say, and oh so...well.....Bordeaux! Drink or Hold...You will not be disappointed. Parker hit this one on the head and I did not see it coming 7/8 years ago...Another validation that 2003's are maturing fast. Now if I could get my 2005's to drink this good in 2 years...Right? Probably not... (11346 views) | |
| Tasted by abiosys on 2/22/2016 & rated 92 points: Decanted 3 hours and then... A huge nose of tobacco, cassis and flowers is followed by a hammer of a palate. Powerful in every way. There is a sweet core of fruit, but the exterior is loaded with structure, earth and tobacco. Like..!! (10599 views) | |
| Tasted by SteveVermeer on 2/20/2016 & rated 93 points: Excellent bottle of Bordeaux, great with the steak we ate it with. Good nose with a slight touch of dust. Nice fruit with a firm backbone of acidity. Probably improve for the next 5 years and then be good for at least 10 more. (9694 views) | |
| Tasted by Grinner on 2/13/2016 & rated 93 points: After a 3 hour double decant, this has a more open nose than my last in 11/13. Cassis, graphite, blackberry, mocha, leather, and earth go on and on. Tannins are mellow. A classic left bank wine, now-2028. (10130 views) | |
| Tasted by Jeffrey Silver on 1/31/2016 & rated 92 points: Opened this wine along with a 2003 Cos D'Estournel. Decanted for 3hrs this week me shows great promise but isn't open today. It's still an infant where as the Cos was open for buisness. There is hint of green pepper and chocolate cake. Very tight but you certainly get the taste of leather and burnt toast. The wine is balanced but it's tannis need to shed off. The wine has very bright future but don't think of opening another for 7-10yrs. I have couple Magnums that I wouldn't touch for another decade or more. (10331 views) | |
| Tasted by Radboy on 1/30/2016 & rated 95 points: Classic Bordeaux. (10084 views) | |
| Tasted by SeaSmoke on 1/26/2016 & rated 93 points: Decanted for 45 minutes. On the nose cassis, tobacco, boysenberry, and hints of blue fruit are evident. On the palate cassis, spice and blackberry. Medium to long finish. This wine is drinking beautifully. Will wait 2 years or so before I try another. (10694 views) | |
| Tasted by MWiking on 1/19/2016 & rated 93 points: Det av kvällens viner jag druckit flera gånger tidigare och nu tycker jag inte det riktigt håller ihop, det spretar lite mer än jag hoppades men vet inte om det är det man ska fokusera på eller om man ska fokusera på att det ändå är jävligt gott ändå. 93-94 (10923 views) | |
| Tasted by HOS on 1/16/2016 & rated 95 points: This is why we like Bordeaux. Opened for 2 hours prior to drinking and then drank over another 2 hours. The wine continued to evolve during drinking ending up with the most amazing silky mouth feel. Cedar, graphite, currant. Perfectly integrated, medium bodied, long finish. I suggest a decant still and has may years ahead. (10443 views) | |
| Tasted by Stefanos T. on 1/7/2016 & rated 94 points: Typical Pauillac reaching the plateau of maturity with aromas of cedar wood, cigar box, a little barnyard and black forest fruit. Well balanced on the palate, flavorful and savoury with still some tannin to shed. A pleasure to drink. (10699 views) | |
| Tasted by Yiannis on 1/6/2016 & rated 95 points: Archetypical Pauillac with cedar (cigar box), graphite (pencil shavings), cassis, red and dark cherries and spice. Very clean, almost no animal notes here. Medium-bodied with soft tannins, vibrant fruit and perfect balance. The tell tale heat of the 2003 vintage is fully hidden here. Long aftertaste. A great combination of elegance and power. Drinks nicely with a potential for further aging. (10382 views) | |
| Tasted by Ripotz on 1/4/2016 & rated 93 points: well rounded by now - just pour and enjoy (10205 views) | |
| Tasted by Radboy on 12/27/2015 & rated 95 points: This is splendid. The nose is perfumed with a sweetness of cassis fruit that carries through to the finish. Well balanced tannins suggesting to me that this is starting to peak but will continue to add secondary and tertiary flavor notes over the coming years. This is one of those wines that will taste great for years. (9867 views) | |
| Tasted by rlu on 12/26/2015 & rated 90 points: Opened an hour before consumption, very nice smell of herbs in the nose, still young black berry fruit on the palate, however rather short of a finish. I expected more. (9850 views) | |
| Tasted by Metroplex on 12/26/2015 & rated 90 points: When first opened the 2003 seemed a bit lifeless as if all that was predicted about this Bordeaux vintage had come to fruition. Even the reasonable decant didn't seem to breath much life back into it. Disappointing from such a great Chateau. So the remaining halve left in the bottle was vacu pumped and set to one side. When revisited two days later it was like a different wine. The fruit was back but also an intense chocolate flavour. The tannin was firm but rounded. Maybe there is still life in the 03's yet? (9643 views) | |
| Tasted by phynes on 12/20/2015 & rated 95 points: Drank the 2003 and 2000 PC side by side at Roux-at-the-Landau in London. Both are exceptional wines and while I scored both 95 points I had a very slight preference for the 2000. The 2003 was rich and creamy and tasted of burnt cassis, coffee, cigar smoke truffle and caramel. The 2000 with similar but if anything slightly more powerful. Both are drinking very well and should have another ten years at their peak, with the 2000 probably lasting a few years longer. (9777 views) | |
| Tasted by Adrian Wood on 12/18/2015 & rated 95 points: BYO lunch brief notes - tasted with L. Poyferre 2003. This was the standout wine and rather obliterated its St Julien neighbour. Very much with Jeff Leve on rating this wine. Nose of menthol then cassis, graphite, tobacco. Intense and complex. Palate had evident tannins but these were fine grained and chocolatey. Nice acidity balanced by a prodigious depth of cassis fruit and allspice. This has the structure and above all the balance and depth to go developing for the next 10 -15 years. Lovely now but not at its peak. Great Pauillac and a riposte to thise who have dismissed this vintage. (9968 views) | |
| Tasted by dbg on 12/13/2015: Cellared since release. Drinking really well but still no tertiary complexity. Excellent but hopefully destined for greater complexity in years ahead. (10049 views) | |
| Tasted by Ibetian on 12/5/2015 flawed bottle: Corked (10257 views) | |
| Tasted by CMN on 12/3/2015: Nose of intermingled red and purple fruits. The palate is incredibly silky, showing gobs of boysenberry and cassis, along with some mild spice. Incredibly well balanced with med+ acid. A long life ahead but already a delight and my WOTN. (10279 views) | |
| Tasted by Markus IWC on 11/16/2015 & rated 91 points: Ung, fruktig, mognadstoner, svart vinbär, röd frukt, mycket tanniner, halvtorr, fyllig, svarta vinbär, mörk frukt, hög alkohol, syltig. Kvällens favorit i mina ögon, den varma årgången kommer fram i balanserad fruktighet, inte så knastertorr och stängd som flera av de andra 2003:orna. (5254 views) | |
| Tasted by Craig C on 11/15/2015 & rated 88 points: Very hot year. Seems a bit unbalanced to be very good / great. Touch of green on the palate (10568 views) | |
| Tasted by rossi.wine on 11/7/2015 & rated 92 points: Vertical tasting of Pontet Canet 2003-2012. Slight discolouration around the rim, very dark core still. On the nose sweet and ripe fruit, but not cooked or stewed, just a little bit soapy in comparison. Notes of tobacco and spices as well. Quite open and ready on the palate despite firm and drying tannins, sweet, good acidity and a bit hot. Lacking a bit of persistence. 91-93 (10483 views) | |
| Tasted by bonedoc on 11/7/2015 & rated 93 points: Very good, sweet ripe red and blue fruits, low acid and tannin - not a lot of structure, certainly a ripe wine in style. (10313 views) | |
| Tasted by Marc S on 11/2/2015 & rated 91 points: - Ruby color with medium forming legs. It's balanced and has flavours of raspberry and strawberry with a medium/full body. Silky texture with a medium finish - Pretty good. Bottle of Pauillac. (10493 views) | |
| Tasted by Thoughtful on 10/12/2015 & rated 93 points: Similar note as before deep,well balance,young. But this does not seem to have the same depth or intensity as previous bottle. I suspect I've changed! (10428 views) | |
| Tasted by mitiman2003 on 9/26/2015 & rated 91 points: Dark purple, medium body. Aroma of plums, black currants, & tobacco. Balanced, with somewhat restrained flavor of plums, figs, & a hint of tobacco. Lingering finish. Very good, if typical, left bank Bordeaux. (10799 views) | |
| Tasted by pavel_p on 9/23/2015 & rated 92 points: Interesting revisiting the 03 Pontet Canet after almost 2 years. I always thought this was very good but not quite as good as the 03 Duhart Milon. That may well be but looks like this wine will last significantly longer. Unlike the Duhart which is now all about elegance and balance with secondary flavors dominating, the Pontet Canet is still drinking fairly youthful with juicy dark berries and earthy flavors. Fine to medium tannins. Drinking very well now but for my taste still 1-2 years to peak. 92-93 (11431 views) | |
| Tasted by Mr T on 9/16/2015: Very tasty and well balanced...pretty wine (11097 views) | |
| Tasted by Chris on 9/12/2015 & rated 95 points: Fantastic. 3 hour decant brought out a lovely aroma and a nice color on pour. Great combo of fine tannins and fruits. This was a transcendent wine for me. I loved it. (10372 views) | |
| Tasted by phynes on 9/4/2015 & rated 94 points: One of the best 03's I have tasted and makes me think this vintage may still deliver in time. This still has years left and is not yet at its peak. Burnt cassis, smoke, tobacco and coffee to the fore. 95+ over time. (10810 views) | |
| Tasted by jonanator on 8/28/2015 & rated 95 points: From DM. Absolutely lovely. This was the highlight of the night and probably one of the best wines I have had this year. In a great place right now. So much depth in this wine. Finish lasts for a minute. The perfumed nose was full of dark berries and a hint of spice. (10682 views) | |
| Tasted by PC73 on 8/27/2015 & rated 92 points: Tasted at the chateau. Starting to mellow in colour. Oak still noticeable on the nose. Savoury flavours on the palate. Decent. (10696 views) | |
| Tasted by MarkMich on 8/16/2015 & rated 93 points: Very nice bottle but improved with time in the decanter. I think his will get better with time in the bottle and wish I had more than the 6 I have left. (10576 views) | |
| Tasted by dannyg on 8/13/2015 & rated 95 points: - Ruby color with a medium/full body. Satin-Like texture with a long finish - Needs greater than2h decant before the wine appears to mature. Great wine with copious fruits strong tannin backbone and nice all over mouth feeling. (10913 views) | |
| Tasted by rlove on 8/12/2015 & rated 92 points: Deep purple. Blackberry, coffee, and earth on the rich nose. Mocha and dark berries in the mouth. This is a big wine from a hot vintage, but nice acidity, secondary flavors, and fine tannins really bring this home. Threw an absurd amount of sediment for a 12-year old Bordeaux. Drink now through 2023. (10239 views) | |
| Tasted by andreask888 on 8/11/2015: This one continues to please at this point in time. on the nose a sweet smokey cassis, that comes through on the palate as well, with balanced tannins and only short decanting necessary. (10211 views) | |
| Tasted by FransS on 8/9/2015 & rated 93 points: The wine didn't show (but that will come) the cedar, so I thought it was a st. estèphe (Montrose). No signs of the hot 2003 vintage in this wine, so I also missed the vintage and went back to '96. I do not care, 'cause I have a six-bottle case that will give lots pleasure in the years to come. Still young this wine can evolve for a decade. (9898 views) | |
| Tasted by blanquito on 8/6/2015: Restrained nose of cassis with hints of licorice, menthol and a fresh note of lavender. Still has a deep, dark color. Quite bright on the palate, with a bit of roast. Tangy finish, classy, seamless. (9989 views) | |
| Tasted by Francophile1 on 7/31/2015 & rated 93 points: Wanted to check in on this wine to see where it is on its evolution journey. A few observations, the nose is somewhat muted, but I love the concentrated licorice, cedar, and spice that was coaxed from the glass. You just have to dig for it. Once you find it, it has a great nose. Love the licorice! The nose reminds me of a less noble version of the '86 Mouton that I had 2 years ago, which tells me this wine has more life ahead of it (despite the controversy surrounding the '03 vintage). On the finish, it has smooth, round, and patially resolved tannins. A little leaner on the finish for a Pauillac from the '03 vintage. I was hoping for a little more fat in the mouth for this baby Mouton. Will be fun to check back in on this wine in 3-5 years. (10096 views) | |
| Tasted by WoodieBayArea on 7/28/2015: taking to Riverbed closing dinner tonight, notes to follow... (10511 views) | |
| Tasted by HOS on 7/27/2015 & rated 94 points: Opened for 1 hour and then decanted for 1/2 hour before drinking. This has a wonderful nose of graphite, blue fruits, sour cherry. On the palate it is all earth with mushroom, sage, aus jus. Very smooth, full bodied, long finish. Nice acidity on the finish though a little weakness after two hours make me wonder about the future but I expect the backbone to carry it though. Definite improvement from 1 1/2 years ago from our last bottle. (10439 views) | |
| Tasted by mikeharris on 7/25/2015 & rated 95 points: Opened up with a 2.5 hour decant. A deep blood red ruby color. This bad boy opens up to dark fruit bomb with cigar box on the nose. On the palate there is absolutely amazing balance. Tannins are integrated wonderfully. The fruit bomb continues with a burst of plum cherry, cassis and blueberry. It's wonderfully full bodied and drinks almost like a viscous elixir that concludes with a great long finish. This is drinking fabulous today but I am sure will continue to impress into the future. (9726 views) | |
| Tasted by Goldstone on 7/25/2015 & rated 93 points: Dinner at Tosca (Tosca Restaurant, Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Hong Kong): Decanted for 4.5 hours before taking to the restaurant. It is still a teeth-staining dense and thick red-purple colour. The nose just jumped out of the glass and filled the room........ deep, deep, rich essence of St. Julien with superb fruit concentration and purity....as if a Michelin chef had created the perfect blackcurrant pastille....lots of graphite, really linear in the perfectly machined black slab way. Palate has become more rounded since I last drank it. Very extracted but not in a bad way ( I generally don't like extracted wines), mouth-coating in texture and sensation, still lots of new oak and the tannin on the finish is quite austere with the same 'black slab' sensation as the nose. This has become a younger, more structured and more serious wine in the recent times I have drank it and I think that something extremely good will emerge over the next 5 years or so. A triumph for the vintage. (10436 views) | |
| Tasted by absolut on 7/15/2015 & rated 93 points: Kommt langsam in ideale Trinkreife; nach 4 Std. Belüftung wirklich schön integrierte Tannine. Wahnsinns-Nase, Dunkle Beeren, Struktur und natürlich tolle Länge. Moderne Stilistik. Unbedingt riesiges Glas nehmen! Ging mit Riedel Somm. Bordeaux sehr gut. (10559 views) | |
| Tasted by MRichman on 6/17/2015: Black fruit, tar, charred oak. Smoky with solid, strong fruit. Long finish with bitter black walnut and fine tannin. A strong, yet suave wine. Still young, but enjoyable. When this blossoms it will be a blockbuster. (11025 views) | |
| Tasted by r.o.man on 6/14/2015 & rated 94 points: Very elegant with quite a future ahead. Opened two hours before drinking and left in the bottle. Enjoyed after bottle of Croix de Beaucaillou 2005, which was very interesting, but Pontet Canet was simply a different class. Very focused but restraint, stylish with calm energy. Great definition of cabernet fruit and merlot flesh. One to be remembered. (10698 views) | |
| Tasted by JayP on 6/7/2015 & rated 88 points: Really interesting how this wine tasted and also interesting looking at recent tasting notes. It was quite warm, berry, fruit with touch of tannin to start, bit not complex; then an hour later it had got a lot more multi-dimensionable and interesting; maybe nicer but that s personal. And than another hour later it had gone 'flat'.. Not sure what to conclude other than maybe drink early! (11045 views) | |
| Tasted by Dehrmann on 6/7/2015 & rated 92 points: Dark red full bodied (10681 views) | |
| Tasted by Ibetian on 6/2/2015 & rated 93 points: From 375, splash decanted, enjoyed with cheese and crackers after dinner. Rich, ripe, modern style, but very tasty. Not classic, but simply very enjoyable. (11099 views) | |
| Tasted by stinkycook on 5/31/2015: Approachable now, but not mind blowing. After 1-2 hrs in the glass it opened up a bit more. (10097 views) | |
| Tasted by bestdamncab on 5/16/2015 & rated 92 points: Bordeaux Confidential USA, nose of cassis, currants, no plum, more red than black fruit here, more of the same on the palate, lovely, open , ready to enjoy, medium body, no downside just not up to its peers today, the 2006 and 2009, long finish. (10430 views) | |
| Tasted by RajivAyyangar on 5/16/2015 & rated 83 points: Bordeaux Confidential SF (SF): (2nd bottle) Slightly cloudy, dull, medium concentration dark ruby-garnet. The nose has slight oxidization (bruised apple / acetaldehyde). Baked, plummy fruit (ripe to overripe). Some dark fruit character. In the mouth, it is fairly well balanced, but a bit warm and low in flavor concentration. It tastes prematurely aged, like maybe a 20 year old wine, instead of a 12-year old wine. The fruit quality isn’t my favorite. Score: Between 8 and 8.5 (11643 views) | |
| Tasted by RajivAyyangar on 5/16/2015 flawed bottle: Bordeaux Confidential SF (SF): Slightly cloudy, dull sheen. Moderate-plus concentration, dark ruby with some garnet - showing age. A bit of noticeable sediment. On the nose, this smells like… fish. And it’s flawed - oxidized. (11237 views) | |
| Tasted by Eric Guido on 5/14/2015 & rated 91 points: The nose was, at first, dark and brooding, but it came to life with time in the glass to reveal dried red fruits, balsamic tones, dark soil and minerals with a hint of undergrowth. On the palate, it was unbelievably smooth, with medium-bodied textures giving way to ripe red fruits and a hint of sweet herbs. The finish showed remnants of tannic grip with notes of cherry liquor and red licorice, yet a slight lingering heat detracted to a small degree. (10617 views) | |
| Tasted by Ary on 4/26/2015 & rated 95 points: Three bottles Bordeaux 2003 (Restaurant van Baerle, Amsterdam): Outstanding wine, hedonistic style. A fighter, less well-behaved than Latour 2003 beside the PC tonight. Highly concentrated with well-delineated notes as cherry liquor and all kinds of berries. Wait another 8 years or enjoy the luscious power now. 95+ points for now. (8006 views) | |
| Tasted by premiercruclasse on 4/25/2015 & rated 93 points: Consumed at Sierra Briganti. Pop and pour, long and powerful but very smooth with sweet oak tannin. Drinking well but I think it is too early. I will open the next bottle in 5 years. (5260 views) | |
| Tasted by Goldstone on 4/25/2015 & rated 95 points: Dinner with Friends (Crown Wine Cellars, 18 Deep Water Bay Drive, Shouson Hill, Hong Kong): Decanted for 4+ hours before serving. An incredibly rich and seductive purple-red colour....still very youthful. Nose is just WOW!.....perfect pencil lead and black fruit precision......I have to say precision again.....lots of high notes......wonderful. Palate is very accessible fresh acidic attack and a great balance balance of black/red fruit followed by a thunderous resonance inside the head which is totally captivating and lasts forever. Serious stuff and with tons of room for further improvement. The best showing of this wine since I bought it en primeur. There is no over-ripeness here despite the uncommonly hot vintage..........it has to be the wine of the vintage. (11675 views) | |
| Tasted by asparagus on 4/12/2015 & rated 93 points: Oh my, what a nose and smooth of . Cherries and red fruits, graphite with a hint of leather/cigar box. Tannins were present but not obstrusive. A beautiful, balanced left bank bordeaux. I could not tell that it was an '03. Drinking beautifully well now and this should only improve. (11598 views) | |
| Tasted by Claret & CdP Gang on 4/12/2015 & rated 93 points: Color: dark red Nose: elegant, reserved Palate: medium bodied, silky, delicious Rating: 93 (11141 views) | |
| Tasted by vancouvermatt on 4/11/2015 & rated 91 points: Drank from a half bottle... Still very young, tannins were almost fully integrated, I didn't find this coarse at all. Notes of vanilla, cedar, cassis, tar and blue fruits. Maybe my bottle was holding back? (11033 views) | |
| Tasted by Ericpe on 3/24/2015 & rated 97 points: Just really fantastic tonight. (12852 views) | |
| Tasted by wihong on 3/19/2015 & rated 91 points: Color: Inky purple with amber hue, slight brick rim, very long legs. Aroma: Hawthorn, anise, graphite, tropical fruit, juicy cherry, floral, violet and anise. Taste: Palate entry: Juicy, cherry and citrusy. Mid-palate: Supple, gritty tannin, alcoholic, citrusy, graphite and mint. Finish: Alcohol, oak, floral, banana peel and sweet cherry. Lots of acid and tannin, still have quite few years ahead. (12002 views) | |
| Tasted by Nutty08 on 3/13/2015 & rated 92 points: A little reserved, but with a plummy fruit core with flint and spice notes. Quite tannic on the finish and very coarse--maybe the only place where the '03 vintage shows through. Still, forward on the palate and enjoyable, if without the expected depth. Was hoping for a bit more polish and nuance. Will hold my remaining bottles a bit as it's a little burly at the moment. (11224 views) | |
| Tasted by jctra on 3/7/2015 & rated 94 points: Wow, what a great Pauillac from a not so hype vintage. Great balance, everything is here to build the howl, nothing stands out. Great fruit, cassis, cedar, vanilla, coffee, ... Drink today or in 10 years. (11117 views) | |
| Tasted by Vertigo on 3/2/2015 & rated 92 points: Not overpowering considering that it was a very hot vintage. Leather, black current and dark chocolate. (11725 views) | |
| Tasted by pikemasterflash on 2/28/2015 & rated 92 points: Smooth and plummy. The downside however was that I woke up with a ripping headache the next day. (10877 views) | |
| Tasted by paulst on 2/25/2015 & rated 90 points: Still young and green; good body with developing blackberry. (11254 views) | |
| Tasted by Ludi on 2/9/2015 & rated 95 points: Granato cupo. Potenza ed eleganza al naso, con descrittori classici del C.S., dal mirtillo al legno di cedro, sandalo, spezie dolci, menta, cenere. Bocca intensa, avvincente, grande freschezza, lunghissimo nel finale (11366 views) | |
| Tasted by DrinkBordeaux on 2/5/2015 & rated 93 points: Dark ruby color. Initially closed nose, but after 1 hour decant, showed black cherry, raspberry, smoke, mineral, and dark chocolate. Concentrated, polished, smooth, and full-bodied, this was equally pleasing on the palate. Round tannins that still need some integration. Medium-plus finish. It seems like this wine was holding back all night, but the potential is obvious. I probably won't open another bottle until 2017. (11224 views) | |
| Tasted by guido23 on 2/4/2015 & rated 93 points: WOW, very powerful! Pencil shavings on the nose, classic Pauillac on the palate with a lingering finish that comes in waves. At first it was quite gentle but after a 1-hour+ decant it became more intense - both the flavors and the finish. Not to be melodramatic, but the tannins gained strength over time like a storm over the gulf - but always remained well balanced. Loved this wine and it will keep getting better for quite some time! Drank this in honor of a recently departed friend, Reggie, whom I never met in person but who introduced me to other friends and created tremendous opportunities for my food and wine consumption abroad. RIP. (10940 views) | |
| Tasted by Jeff Leve on 2/3/2015 & rated 94 points: This is really nice juice! With just 30 minutes of air, the wine softened, opened up its earthy, black cherry, cassis and cigar box charms, leaving you with a soft, silky finish. (12545 views) | |
| Tasted by benny on 1/25/2015 & rated 95 points: One hour decant. Dank over two hours. Superb drinking now. Muted tannins. Fruit and acidity balanced. Full bodied. (11267 views) | |
| Tasted by Thoughtful on 1/9/2015 & rated 95 points: Stored in a cold cellar since release. Advantage? Stll very young. Deep,rich,smooth,elegant,lovely balance,fruit,a touch of new world from summer heat. Years of life ahead. Interesting to see how developes. Drank over 2 days- different but equally impressive.. (11236 views) | |
| Tasted by galewskj on 1/3/2015 & rated 92 points: 90 minute decant and drank this over about 3 hours. Although it showed well, it seemed too young for my palate. Still all about the fruit (raspberry, black currant), with some good complexity lending support in the background. If I owned any, I'd pop one in 2018 or so. (11289 views) | |
| Tasted by 3daywinereview.com on 1/2/2015 & rated 93 points: Lunch Offline (Joe's House, Minneapolis): Showing well and has plenty of years ahead. Gravel, some funk, minerals, blueberries and oak. Medium plus finish. Nice wine. (11617 views) | |
| Tasted by rocknroller on 1/2/2015 & rated 92 points: Friday Afternoon Delight (Joe's Place, Mpls, Mn): Very dark red/purple color. 90 minutes decant, drank 1 glass over 3 hours. There's a nice perfume on the front end with damp earth, cassis, graphite, some red fruits. The palate is full bodied, deep, cassis, black raspberry, plenty of tannin that is moderately firm, and gravelly mineral finish. Very good, still fairly primary still but should improve over the next 5+ years. I'd give this 3-5yrs for optimum drinking. 92+(+)pts. (11585 views) | |
| Tasted by aagrawal on 12/29/2014 & rated 95 points: Coravin 12/29/14: Deep ruby color with very little bricking appropriate for age, on the darker side; nose is primary with superb intensity, red and black fruit with excellent density, slight charcoal and slight smoky, even slight minerality, with swirling develops slight bell pepper, thyme; palate is full bodied, fabulous acidity throughout so the wine feels refreshing even while the fruit is ripe and dense, blackberry, cleans up through the midpalate (fruit dips into the background a tad, acidity more prominent) into the very polished and elegant medium-long finish. This is a stellar Pauillac with fabulous complexity on the nose and palate and showing both traditional old world character (green, bell pepper, thyme, balanced acidity), sense of place (some minerality and charcoal/lead characteristic of Pauillac), and vintage (great ripe fruit without being overbearing). It is still quite primary and has the structure (tannin, intensity, balance, and depth) to develop over decades, though a treat to drink even now. A stellar buy even at it's current $80-120. 94-96++ now, plenty of potential to grow to >96. Will try my next in 5 years. 1/6/15: Similar to when first opened. Shows great promise for the future. (11402 views) | |
| Tasted by Purple Tooth on 12/21/2014 & rated 94 points: The 750's are not as advanced as the 375's that are drinking so great! This fleshy wine has a ton of potential and its best years are coming in about 3 years. Graphite, pencil, barnyard, and fruit slinky! Don't listen to all the stereotyping of the 03 vintage...Check for yourself. (11275 views) | |
| Tasted by pakabear on 12/14/2014 flawed bottle: Corked unfortunately, common occurrence with this wine (11523 views) | |
| Tasted by Philippe_C on 12/13/2014 & rated 93 points: Medium nose of black cassis, cedar wood, mushrooms... tannins are present, forest wood, black fruit, nice acidity, seems closed at the moment 93+/100 (11066 views) | |
| Tasted by FamilyLarsson on 12/12/2014 & rated 95 points: Som vanligt otroligt bra! Se noteringar 2014-08-30 (11342 views) | |
| Tasted by peternelson on 12/10/2014: Lovely classic rich, cacao bean, cassis, and blackberry and tar notes; harmonious, a bit weighty. Brian and Jen's. (11522 views) | |
| Tasted by Hazevedo on 12/8/2014 & rated 89 points: - Brick color. (11162 views) | |
| Tasted by Vinophiliac559 on 11/30/2014 & rated 95 points: 95+ (8459 views) | |
| Tasted by bengti on 11/18/2014 & rated 94 points: Ginsberg and Chan Pontet Canet Tasting (Hong Kong): A deep and bold wine with the colour to match. Lovely nose of berries spice leather chocolate liqueur and meats. Powerful structure and lasting finish. A hint of flint and gravel but not detracting. (12629 views) | |
| Tasted by ledocq on 11/15/2014 & rated 95 points: Fantastic. Drank this with my father and my girlfriend, the former of whom has had exactly zero classified Bordeaux and the latter of whom has had, uh, more than one. Without me even saying anything, both raved about this. Right out of the bottle, it was complex and lovely and it stayed that way for the 27 seconds (that's what it felt like) it took us to finish the bottle. An evolving flavor with every sip. If 2003 is this good, I can't imagine what the 2010 is like -- does it just make your head explode? (11748 views) | |
| Tasted by MWiking on 11/9/2014 & rated 95 points: Detta vin blir bara bättre och bättre. Jag älskar den här moderna stilen på Bordeaux och börjar mer och mer tro att det är Paulliac och inte St Julien som är mitt favoritdistrikt. vinet kan ligga ett par år till tycker jag, kommer utecklas mer och bli ändå bättre 95> (11719 views) | |
| Tasted by Patrik H on 11/8/2014 & rated 94 points: Deep red On the nose, cedar, Steel, graphite, black currant, a certain "coldness" in the presentation. On the palate, Plum, matured cherry in a mixture of black currant and lead. Long finish (12062 views) | |
| Tasted by Nutty08 on 10/29/2014 & rated 92 points: From 375ml and 5yrs from my last bottle. Pop and pour. Immediately open, but became more aromatic over 1-2hrs. Cedar spice and black currants on the nose. Palate is mostly red fruit with some dark fruit mixed in, quite plump on the attack. Very coarse drying tannins on the back end into the finish, which is long but not necessarily complex. One of the better '03's as the fruit has no character of over ripeness, though the coarseness and prominence of the tannins in relation to the fruit gives me pause about the long term future of this wine. Should be fine for at least 10yrs though. (12322 views) | |
| Tasted by Purple Tooth on 10/19/2014 & rated 95 points: This wine has reminded me to be patient. I have always enlisted the discipline of waiting for 10 years before opening a promising bottle of Bordeaux, but curiosity gets the best of me. An attention demanding nose of cold graphite and steel, with seriously snobbish elegance. The appearance is very polished, with a syrupy, yet transparent core, that behaves like mercury in the glass. The flavor profile was one of sweet plum and ripe cherries wrapped in sandalwood, with the graphite component buzzing in the front and in the back. The finish was quite long, with grip that became stronger with air, suggesting long life ahead. Very elegant and a brilliant Paulliac. I hope that Bordeaux doesn't abandon this classic style of wine making and give way to the bigger wines it has been producing in the recent years.. This wine has come a LONG way in a year. I feel it has bloomed, but it has much more to give. By the way, this was a little 375! (12640 views) | |
| Tasted by PFra on 10/13/2014 & rated 93 points: Medium purple with some translucency at the rim, but no bricking. The nose jumps out with dark fruit and scorched earth. On the palate it's muscular and dark in the fruits, black and dark berry. The tannins are chalky and fairly potent but not offputting, and there's some graphite mineral. There's a hint of sweetness to the fruit but it's pretty sturdy now. There's upside to cellaring. (12071 views) | |
| Tasted by Diane (LI) on 10/5/2014: Stupendous. An abundance of fruit, tannins are softening, and drinking beautifully. Possibly the best 2003 I've had. I will say it drank great right away, and about 90 minutes later started closing up. A glass will be saved for tomorrow. (12124 views) | |
| Tasted by wagonwine on 10/4/2014: 4 Wedding celebration pour. Quite a treat. Terroir shines. (7661 views) | |
| Tasted by andreask888 on 9/21/2014 & rated 93 points: Improved significantly after 1.5 hours decanting...may be best right out of the bottle...may be best after 3 hours...worth experimenting, as chocolate and leather tones were very nice; went well with cheese and rasberry/anise jam. The anise brought out the smokey sweet of the wine. (12619 views) | |
| Tasted by FamilyLarsson on 9/18/2014 & rated 96 points: Som vanligt otroligt bra! Se noteringar 2014-08-30 (12750 views) | |
| Tasted by Jeff Leve on 9/18/2014 & rated 95 points: With an hour in the decanter, the wine popped with all its chocolate covered fruits, earth, black cherry, cassis, and cigar box. The wine is lush, full bodied and concentrated. The tannins are soft. Complexity and character are in full force in this one, young Skywalker. (13419 views) | |
| Tasted by WoodieBayArea on 9/7/2014 & rated 93 points: had after couples golf, perfect cab blend for such an occasion, very bordeaux like in profile, nose jumped out of the decanter right away, a little shy on the palate on the PnP, but after a 90 min double decant and four hours in the bottles this was screaming… elegant cedar and subtle spice in balance with some kind of fruit / sweetness, very bordeaux and very good, Andy commented several times during dinner how nice it was, had along side a great bottle of Girardin Corton Charlie '04 (12519 views) | |
| Tasted by scott w on 9/7/2014 & rated 93 points: Black fruit cigar box mild tannin leather medium finish, solid wine. (11787 views) | |
| Tasted by mxpbuy on 9/6/2014 & rated 91 points: Shockingly smooth, rounded and buttery/creamy. Malo? Actually a tad too much roundness as it left the fruit a little flabby and took a point off for me. (11361 views) | |
| Tasted by cos65 on 9/2/2014: Dinner with an out of town guest? (Pasha 1604): Very confusing wine. Still deep purple. Still a lot of ripe primary fruit, but then hollows out and finish dries out a bit. This was so delicious in early tastings; is it aging awkwardly/prematurely, or just in a dumb phase? I'd just hold off other bottles for now. (13003 views) | |
| Tasted by FamilyLarsson on 8/30/2014 & rated 96 points: Mörk ren mogen frukt, mineral, tobak, cigarrlåda och lite våta jordiga toner. En otroligt koncentrerad smak med mogen massiv frukt med körsbär, svarta vinbär och björnbär, bra tryck i tanninerna, tydligt mineralitet, underbar syra. Detta är verkligen ett vin med otrolig koncentration och komplexitet i en lite modernare Bordeauxstil. Men satan va gott!!! (11929 views) | |
| Tasted by asparagus on 8/15/2014 & rated 92 points: Developing secondary characteristics. A real treat that should get better with age. (12218 views) | |
| Tasted by chatters on 8/3/2014: Sunday Lunch at Wayne's (Redfern, Sydney): Medium plus intensity aromas of biscuit, warmed bricks, toast, black fruit, quite spicy, spirituous, cedar, slight pencil shavings. In the mouth the wine is juicy and the rather dense black fruit has a very slight sourness to it. The tannins are drying but talc textured. With time the fruit loses it's sourness and becomes more compoted with more spicy elements joining it. Hmm (11348 views) | |
| Tasted by Ibetian on 7/20/2014: From 750, popped and poured. Slightly disappointing. This is ready from 375, but I think another year or two would help from 750 or larger formats. (12679 views) | |
| Tasted by johnh1001 on 7/13/2014 & rated 91 points: Lunch with Alfred at the Chateau. Very ripe dark fruit and smoke/cigar box on the nose. More narrow and ripe than the 2000. This is modern in style. (12654 views) | |
| Tasted by AWBryce on 7/13/2014 & rated 93 points: Big wine. Sweet liqourice, cedar notes. Tannic, needs a lot of time, but will improve quite a bit. (12259 views) | |
| Tasted by chitowncdpguy on 7/12/2014: Awesome! I have to say though that this was way better with food, by itself it showed a little heat that detracted from the overall experience. This threw a LOT of sediment - should have decanted for sediment. Classic pauillac - cigar box and lots of black currant, very nicely balanced and not showing a lot of tannin. In a great place for drinking now. (12185 views) | |
| Tasted by Ibetian on 6/25/2014 & rated 92 points: From 375. Popped and poured. Nice nose of slightly roasted red and black fruit. Rich, modern style, plus marked by the heat of the vintage. Clean, though not especially long finish. Nice wine, but I'll start to drink up my 375s, and I doubt this will make old bones. (12918 views) | |
| Tasted by CarguyGM on 5/31/2014 & rated 94 points: Opened up after 1 hour decant ,very soft on the palate ! (12617 views) | |
| Tasted by Collector1855 on 5/28/2014 & rated 92 points: Pontet Canet vertical 2000-2010: Very dark ruby with even darker core. Nose of toast, torrefaction, smoke and and alcohol but no overripe or cooked aromas. On the palate a bit hot and alcoholic but still bearable from a balance perspective. No over ripeness here either which is commendable. This is well done for the difficult 2003 vintage and pleasant to drink. Medium length. (14098 views) | |
| Tasted by blanquito on 5/7/2014 & rated 90 points: Starts off good, a little sweet, a little hot, but mostly shows fleshly cabernet fruit and pretty good tangy depth. With air, it grows richer, lifted, hotter, and takes on a distinctive bouquet of Californian syrah. This isn't a bad thing per se, but is indubitably unusual for a Pauillac. The smells morph from licorice, to caramelly oak, to fresh herbs. An interesting and modern bouquet. The palate is weaker, still good, but lacking gravitas, it tastes a bit like a New World merlot: fleshly, slightly roasted, soft. I've now had this wine 3-4 times and it has opened up and deepened considerably since I last had it in 2010, in fact it's drinking well now. I'd say, early maturity tonight, and it doesn't seem likely to make old bones. I suppose this could improve over the next 5-10 years perhaps, but on the whole the vintage shows in rendering a precocious, modern-styled claret. 90-91 pts. (13498 views) | |
| Tasted by andreask888 on 5/4/2014 & rated 94 points: This wine opened up beautifully to reveal notes of red fruit, tabacco with leather. this wine had good grip on the palate with a steady, ever changing finish. The bottle went too fast among friends; it will interesting to see this wine after 2-3 hours of decanting and a slower consumption. (12910 views) | |
| Tasted by Goldstone on 4/5/2014 & rated 94 points: My Birthday Dinner (Crown Wine Cellars, 18 Deep Water Bay Drive, Shouson Hill, Hong Kong): Deep purple-red opaque colour just starting to lighten at its edges. Nose is fantastic, volupturous sweaty fruit and some graphite-character linearity. Palate is sharp, precise, gorgeously fresh and alluring blackberry fruit. Refreshing.....which is a surprising word in the context of the vintage. It has lost its previous jamminess and this is its best ever showing for me. Hard to fault. Gosh! 94+ (11558 views) | |
| Tasted by kenthargis on 3/29/2014 & rated 92 points: This developed very well over the course of three hours. Fortunately didn't exhibit any of the raisiny notes one sometimes gets from that vintage. Good fruit, notes of cassis, some leather, black fruits. Went great with lamb chops. (13825 views) | |
| Tasted by Chris on 3/23/2014 & rated 94 points: This was fabulous. Intense red color on open with a lively fruit aroma balanced with depth and weight in the mouth. After a 3 hour decant the aroma intensified into a gorgeous fragrance of blackberries. Deep colored wine had a wonderful mix of wood, terroir and fruit. Maybe even some currants in there. This was one of my best bordeaux experiences. (12976 views) | |
| Tasted by Jeff Leve on 3/17/2014 & rated 95 points: The best showing ever for this wine. I am not sure of it was the perfect bottle, flawless cork, or the right amount of decanting, about an hour, but this bottle rocked me! Ruby in color, with blackberry liqueur, cassis, earth, stone, burnt wood and barbecue aromatics never let up. The palate was bathed in luxurious, plush blackberries, boysenberry and dark chocolate, which moves to fresh cassis flavors in the finish. This note is being written after close to 5 hours in the glass and it's still as good or better than the first sip. For a Pauillac of this quality, this is a steal in the marketplace. (14771 views) | |
| Tasted by mukden on 3/13/2014 & rated 92 points: YES. Very nice, but seems young. Deep purple and good balance between softish tannins, fruit and slightly subdued acidity. Just seems like a very nice glass to have with a slightly fatty ribeye steak. But this will keep for a good few more years. No, real secondary development in nose. (13366 views) | |
| Tasted by Noeyedeer on 3/10/2014 & rated 93 points: Decanted 3 hours prior to drinking, the nose was subtle and a little subdued. However, the taste was redolent with cassis and an amalgam of ripe red/blue berries. The wine was well-rounded, containing nicely balancing tannins. Nothing appeared to be superfluous, redundant or out of place. This bottle was a joy to drink. Sadly, just two left now. (13569 views) | |
| Tasted by pikemasterflash on 3/9/2014 & rated 94 points: Excellent. My buddy Ralph Sands started drinking his 375mls of these a couple of years back so I knew I wouldn't be waiting much longer for my 750mls. Smooth, fruity and delicious. If anything I would say there was quite a bit of sediment in the bottle and the cork was slightly raised. Second best of the '03s I have had (Leoville Barton is better). (12165 views) | |
| Tasted by HowardNZ on 3/9/2014 & rated 92 points: Pontet-Canet Vertical: Deep purple/red, the deepest of the first flight of four. The nose is straight primary fruits, both black and red berries: blackberry, blackcurrants, red and black cherries. There are also notes of liquorice, tobacco and florals (violets?). On palate, very primary, a lot of lush fruit, a huge structure and massive, palate coating concentration. Dense with big, grippy tannins, perhaps a little rustic. Red berry flavours with earth, tobacco and some savoury elements. Very ripe, but, to me, not surmaturite. Redeemed somewhat by some freshness, provided by the acids, that is not present in a lot of 2003 Bordeaux. Perhaps a little short. However, I am still not sure whether and how exactly this will come together. I would hold for 10+ years. At present, 92. Alfred discussed the super-hot 2003 vintage and described this as his Mediterranean style Pontet-Canet. He described the freshness here as not stereotypical 2003 and attributed it to deep rooted vines, biodynamic practices and work in the vineyard. He said that the 2003 was for drinking now or in the next 10 years. (12628 views) | |
| Tasted by WKC on 3/8/2014 & rated 93 points: Great berry and floral aromas, good structure in the palate and silky tannins. Hot weather vintage seems to have produced a wine that is drinking very nicely. Can't wait to see how the 06 vintage will compare. (11955 views) | |
| Tasted by wineotim on 2/12/2014 & rated 93 points: Well my previous bottle was opened in late ’09, which I scored a 95 for its fresh, youthful, dense, textures and flavors. This bottle is mature, elegant, with soft tannins, full-bodied and voluptuous, long legs, with flavors of currant, black berry, and pomegranate. Some earth, leather, and cherry aromas. Perfect acidity, finishes long with a graphite/mineral edge. Easily identified as Bordeaux. I would be hard pressed to tell the difference between the ’03, 04. & ’07 at this point. I will start drinking my later vintages of Pontet Canet this year, I like them young and tight. (13469 views) | |
| Tasted by Drankard on 1/30/2014 & rated 91 points: This is a wine that led me to explore French wines. What a better way to transition from California cabs into France than a bottle of 2003 Bordeaux. I could still taste this wine on release. Black impenetrable color, huge, thick nose, incredibly dense wine. A real powerhouse with such balance and length. I struggled with wine tonight as it was half the wine I tasted long ago. Decanted for 3 hrs. At first, I thought it was still closed down as the fruit was fairly muted not as bright or pretty as I expected and it seemed quite evolved with notes of leather and the tannins seem to be fully integrated. Very expressive on the nose with dark berry fruit and whiff of tobacco, cassis, cedar and smoke. On the palate it does not show any overripe fruit except for a slight roasted note on the finish. Great balance and polish with dark plum fruit but comes up short on the finish. Lacks grip and acidity. This leaves me scratching my head on what to do with my remaining bottles. The 2003 Duhart Milon was sooo much more impressive than the Pontet Canet. (13872 views) | |
| Tasted by Ibetian on 1/29/2014 & rated 94 points: From 375, popped and poured. No detailed note, but clearly a high-quality wine that is ready to drink from 375. (12879 views) | |
| Tasted by J&KK on 1/17/2014 flawed bottle: No idea how, but it was corked. Purchased at reputable vendor in Geneva, Switzerland 2 years ago. Stored appropriately since then and drank in Geneva. Distinct defect on the nose and palate. Disappointing. (13650 views) | |
| Tasted by theusualsuspect on 1/13/2014 & rated 94 points: Just a splendid beautifully polished cassisy Bordeaux. Raises an interesting point that I infrequently confront. Is the wine that won the tasting really the one you would prefer to drink? This wine is not up to the 2000 or the 2005, which was the star for me at the UGC tasting. Recently tried the 2000. But my thought is that even if the 2000 and 2005 were at their peak. easily showing better than the 2003 in a comparative tasting, the next night were I to drink one of the three, I just might choose the 2003. There is a purity and perfection in this wine that is really striking to me. (14059 views) | |
| Tasted by TightLettuce on 12/31/2013 & rated 96 points: Drank incredible right out of the bottle, everything I expect a pontet to taste like and then some. Reminded me of the 2009 I had not long ago, but without the extreme linger and potency. 96-97 points any day for this amazing wine. That is unless Charlie Carnes has something to say about it! (13475 views) | |
| Tasted by rwatkin on 12/26/2013 & rated 93 points: This has really improved since i first tasted it in 2012. Lush fruit on midpalate that is underpinned by a noticeable supporting weight. Tannin and acidity balance this quite nicely Gorgeous wine to drink now, but might improve a bit, gaining complexity if you wait. Classic Pauillac tastes of cassis and pencil lead. (12618 views) | |
| Tasted by SMagowan on 12/25/2013 & rated 93 points: Rich black currants, hints of rich earth, mocha and sweet pipe tobacco. A lovely wine. (11716 views) | |
| Tasted by rlu on 12/25/2013 & rated 90 points: Impressive cassis in the nose right after opening the bottle. Young fruit, still. Present tannins. A bit short of a finish. Definitely too young. Next bottle not before 2016. (12216 views) | |
| Tasted by peterk on 12/23/2013 & rated 94 points: As before, crushed berries, cassis, sandy, silky, long finish. Can't help cruising through this case... (12431 views) | |
| Tasted by Jeff Leve on 12/18/2013 & rated 94 points: The first truly outstanding wine produced since Alfred Tesseron took over managing the estate. Soft, smooth tannins pair perfectly with the tobacco, cassis, earth, smoke and blackberry profile, leaving the tasters with the desire for sip after sip of this beauty. (13789 views) | |
| Tasted by peternelson on 12/15/2013 & rated 91 points: EWG Conrad's: Huge, monolithic, coffee grounds, extracted; big tannins, fun, but too 4 square and clumsy. (12159 views) | |
| Tasted by Schiffy on 12/11/2013 & rated 93 points: After two hours of decanting, this Bordeaux opens up to a rich, fruit forward wine with notes of graphite, cedar and earth. Seamlessly integrated, this is an excellent wine that has soft tannins and a long finish with grass and earth tones. Nicely complex and likely to get better with age. (12605 views) | |
| Tasted by Papies on 12/6/2013 & rated 92 points: From half bottle and with 20 mins decanting this time round. Very un 2003 in a nice way. Balanced, mild and elegant wine and the only short coming is that it lacks a bit of weight especially on the mid palate but let that not spoil the day. Pretty solid wine. 92 (12234 views) | |
| Tasted by NostraBacchus on 12/1/2013 & rated 93 points: The last bottle (May 2013) left me a little confused. So I had to follow up on this. PnP: Opaque purple color. Beautiful nose of mainly dark fruit, cassis/black currant, blueberries, some plums, some flowers, cedar wood and also some sweet spices. On the palate, it's mainly about dark fruit again with siginificant cassis, blue and blackberries, but also some mineral notes (lead pencil) and a touch of balsamic notes and some vegetal hints. It's full-bodied and dense but very elegant (especially considering the vintage), there is medium-high tannin (a touch dry) and medium+ acidity providing some freshness and structure. Very long finish, but with a touch of heat. Nevertheless, this is a very beautiful and classy Pauillac that combines robust fruit with a serious structure and enough acidity to balance everything. I'm glad I still have a few bottles, this was a much better showing than the one in May. (12695 views) | |
| Tasted by Ridgerunner on 12/1/2013 & rated 92 points: way to young but still incredibly impressive (12260 views) | |
| Tasted by jgkost on 11/27/2013 & rated 91 points: Similar to last bottle but with all taken up a notch... But just a bit. (11932 views) | |
| Tasted by HOS on 11/26/2013 & rated 92 points: Opened 3 hours prior to drinking. Currant, roasted herbs, au jus. Medium body, good finish, tannins were present but not over powering. This seems to be coming out of a bad phase but hasn't reached the heights of a few years ago. Hopefully it will continue to improve as we have most of the case left and I was looking forward to it become a great wine. (12470 views) | |
| Tasted by THA on 11/26/2013: Consistent with my prior note from a month ago. (11797 views) | |
| Tasted by vinole on 11/22/2013 & rated 92 points: Pontet Canet Tasting with Alfred Tesseron and Jack's Birthday Dinner (Palm Beach Gardens, FL): Full minus body and medium minus acidity with black cherry and currant fruit upfront and blackberry at the back end. Tannins were still firm despite one hour of decanting. Fruit forward and ripe for Bordeaux, with less earth, graphite, and cedar than would normally get from other vintages. Alfred Tesseron suggested drinking now through the next 5-7 years, after which he expects a slow decline. For my taste, I will personally wait another 2-3 years before opening my bottles as I found the tannins need more time to resolve. (12337 views) | |
| Tasted by Zweder on 11/21/2013 & rated 94 points: Monthly tasting club "The Tasting Club"; Pauillac (@RvdG): One tasting note for both the 2003 and 2004. Beautiful bouquet with dark forest fruits, graphite, cedar, tobacco and licorice. In the bouquet the 2003 showed a little more sweetness. On the palate the 2003 was the most concentrated with beautiful dark fruit juice, sweet spices, firm but good acidity and still youthful and round tannin. The 2004 was just a little leaner and elegant and also very juicy. The bitterness showed a bit more and the finish was a bit shorter compared to the 2003. Both wines are still in their youth. My scores are not extremely high, possibly because the wines needed more air time. 2003 - 94, 2004 - 92. (12268 views) | |
| Tasted by Nanda on 11/17/2013: Wine Flock - Platnick Intro Retro of Bordeaux Magnums (Larsa's Mediterranean Restaurant - Skokie, IL): Tasted double blind and out of magnum. Nose of red fruit, cedar, herb has some ripeness and richness. Rocking palate has medium-to-full body, rich, polished fruit. Herbs, cedar and mineral add complexity. Still young and un-evolved. Balance is there for a long life. Low to mid 90s. Group #5, my #4. (11512 views) | |
| Tasted by up4wine on 11/17/2013 & rated 94 points: Drank all at the 60th B-day. Decanted for 3 hours before the dinner. This wine showed wonderful floral notes early on. Then there was spice and anise and a little cinnamon, later. All this on a solid fruit foundation that did not waver. The finish was exceedingly long. Among the best Bordeaux's I have had. (12176 views) | |
| Tasted by Yagil on 11/12/2013 & rated 93 points: Great 2003 Bordeaux (Wine Road Tel-Aviv): colour: dark red-black nose: rich developed ripe fruity aromas palate: full bodied, grip tannins, savoury & chocolate flavours, long quality finish. (12150 views) | |
| Tasted by Klugi Wine on 11/9/2013 & rated 93 points: This wine is still in its infant stages. It was decanted for 1 hour and enjoyed over the next 5 hours. The bouquet is dominated by red fruit, minerality and some graphit. The palate is pretty rich and still dominated by youthful, fine tannins and a little heat. Altogether this wine needs a couple more years to peak, where it should get an even higher score. Had this wine with flank steak topped with white truffles and potatoe gratin. (11659 views) | |
| Tasted by Tim Heaton on 11/5/2013: consistent with the 5 prior bottles, getting better and better. Should peak in 3-4 years and remain there for some time. 13,0% abv (13669 views) | |
| Tasted by Grinner on 11/3/2013 & rated 92 points: 17th Annual Lyon 10 Year Retrospective (The Lyon's Tree House): This didn't quite have the effusive nose of some here, but makes up for it with great depth/ layers of cassis, black cherry, pencil, tar, and earth. Very muscular and loads of time. 92 on day 2. (12523 views) | |
| Tasted by dbg on 11/2/2013: Mostly Bordeaux, starring '82 GPL, '75 LLC and '88 Climens (Mr. and Mrs. Vino's): Stored since release, perfect fill and cork. Loved this wine immediately after release but a bottle in 2010 was hot and alcoholic, not showing much fruit. Time to revisit at age 10. Dark red/purple with minimal lightening at rim. Dark berries and cassis with some road tar on the nose, but there's that alcoholic heat. Medium to full bodied on the palate, ripe fruits, more California than Bordeaux, no real complexity, and would benefit from more acid and less alcohol in the balance department. Four hours in a decanter reduced the impression of alcohol but otherwise this didn't develop much. Better than the bottle 3 years ago. I'll wait another 5 years to open the next one and hope it will develop more interest over time but right now this is no more than very good. (12303 views) | |
| Tasted by DSWebster on 10/27/2013 & rated 95 points: I'm so glad that I gave this plenty of time in the decanter. Opened at about 3pm and initially seemed completely closed. decanted for three hours before returning to the bottle and recorking. opened again at the dinner table at about 9pm and it had opened up beautifully. It had everyone at the table completely spellbound with its fresh black berry aromas and flavours. graphite like tannins, beautifully structured with prodigious length and with loads of life left in it yet. I look forward to another bottle of this in a year or two. (12096 views) | |
| Tasted by pakabear on 10/27/2013 & rated 93 points: This bottle was no where near ready, unlike my last bottle... Great extraction but the tannins where still very apparent making me wish I had waited at a min. 5 years to open it. Unlike many '03's it wasn't overly sweet for the region, very true to form but a big wine. Wish I had a case. (11647 views) | |
| Tasted by smorris291 on 10/16/2013 & rated 93 points: Smoke, tobacco and cassis on the palate. I know it was from a warmer year, but there was still enough acidity to keep this in balance. Long, long, long finish. Really delicious. (12527 views) | |
| Tasted by mas66 on 10/13/2013 & rated 92 points: Mørk farve trods 10 år Skovbund, kamfer, mørke bær og peber i duften Gode tanniner, lang eftersmag, ret meget syre i forhold til frugt. På sigt vil der være for meget syre i forhold til frugt for at være i optimal balance (12008 views) | |
| Tasted by Zweder on 10/11/2013 & rated 96 points: Occasional dinner group; Bordeaux 2003 plus some extras.: I just reread my tasting note of May 2012 and today's note is about the same: Intense black fruits and luxurious. The only thing that contradicts my previous note is that tonight I had the impression - although a beauty already - this wine will improve with more cellar time… A great beauty with perfect acidity and beautifully ripe and powerful tannin. For now 96 and I wonder what the score could be around 2020. Possibly 98+? (12531 views) | |
| Tasted by Strikermax on 10/11/2013 & rated 94 points: Mooie, klassieke neus met cassis, ceder, grafiet. Ingetogen, goede frisheid, prachtige balans voor het jaar. Goed geïntegreerde tannines. mediumlang. (11851 views) | |
| Tasted by sterin on 10/11/2013: Drinking well now after a 4 hour decant. (11826 views) | |
| Tasted by THA on 10/9/2013: Really drinking well now. Early maturity has yielded a soft, round wine with nice flesh. Great purity with a red-fruit core layered under excellent Pauillac aromas and flavors. Recommended. (12451 views) | |
| Tasted by Roentgen Ray on 9/26/2013 & rated 92 points: Very inky graphite dark purple. Dusty graphite, cassis, tannic,,,it is medium bodied, and acidic. (caveat, popped and poured, this is an out of bottle reaction,this will change but I won't update my note, and don't judge me harshly, I'm a busy guy, will post update if I can!) (12358 views) | |
| Tasted by rmcnees on 9/21/2013 & rated 92 points: Dark inky purple, full-bodied, dense and concentrated with layers of complex fruits - black currant, black berry and black raspberry with a layer of cassis, smoke, cigar box and toasty oak on a firm but approachable lingering tannin finish. (11904 views) | |
| Tasted by Cheungtp on 9/20/2013 & rated 94 points: Always a pleasant drinking experience with the 2003 PC. Dark purple hue, ruby rim, sexy long legs. Refreshing bouquet of autumn leaf, anise, pencil shavings, ripe currants, menthol and licorice. Dense, concentrated, rich palate with tobacco leaf, blueberry, truffle, bitter cocoa, and minty spice, excellent balance. Slightly dry tannins, though fine and chewy, with aftertaste of cigar smoke, jam and spice from the long finish, just a tinnie bit of heat at the end. (12246 views) | |
| Tasted by Jhcwine on 9/14/2013 & rated 92 points: Nose - Initially closed then opened abit. 92. Palette - As above, but not as open. 91. (12529 views) | |
| Tasted by MarkMich on 9/7/2013 & rated 93 points: Pulled for Jim's B-Day. Great Pauillac. I have had this several times and it is improving with time. Slate, wet granite and red cherries on the nose. I could smell this for hours. (12350 views) | |
| Tasted by jgkost on 8/24/2013 & rated 91 points: Wonderful wine with good fruit and tannins but strangely unremarkable... (12774 views) | |
| Tasted by cubswinws on 8/20/2013 & rated 92 points: Nose is a bit reticent buts opens over time. Nice round fruit profile without any heat buts lacks the finish and length of the better vintages. Still an enjoyable wine that I doubt will improve much more over time. (13300 views) | |
| Tasted by Todd French on 8/3/2013: In an attempt to prove to my lovely wife that not all French wines are, in her words, 'poop and dirt', we opened this beautiful Bordeaux. Still a baby, but in a great primary stage. It's a big, big wine in terms of flavor profile, but not a heavy, super silky mouthfeel as you would expect from such a flavor profile, so I'm attributing that to its balance of tannins and acid. Many CA cabs that she enjoys have the big fruit profile but also are quite full bodied, likely because they don't have the strong acid of a wine such as this. The finish is incredibly long already, and very clean. Red and blue fruits dominate, but overall this is one of those wines that you simply know is very well made because of its balance, and you wish you had many more to watch progress over the years. I have little experience with '03 Bordeaux, and no more in my cellar, but it seems like the better houses had no problem dealing with the heat wave of the vintage, or, at least this house. I had no pruned, stewed fruit factors with the fruit, which is what I'd expect from a heat wave vintage like '03, and in fact, the fruit was remarkably fresh and bright. Alcohol is only 13%, so I assume they may have picked a bit early? Great wine, and I'm very happy to have some '04 and '05 in the cellar - but it will be some years before I can enjoy them. (13435 views) | |
| Tasted by AllRed on 7/14/2013 & rated 89 points: Sunday Brown Bag Tasting: 2003 Bordeaux (Mike & Judi's): Initially quite reticent, eventually displays notes of red fruit with a forest floor undertone, though very, very subtle. Currants, blackberries and dark fruit later on. Flavors of red fruit and currants, spices and roasted herbs with coffee notes emerging with time. My #5, Domino's #1 Group #3, 48 pts (14228 views) | |
| Tasted by King JR on 7/11/2013 & rated 92 points: Very nice bottle. Still seemed a bit young, but quite smooth. Hint of mocha/vanilla trying to come out from under the fruit and firm structure. This tasting does not confirm that the 03"s are on their way out. Held it's own amongst other 1999 Burgundy's and 2000 Bordeaux. (13209 views) | |
| Tasted by MQuentel@web.de on 7/5/2013 & rated 93 points: This Pontet Canet 03 has pure and secuctive bouquet. Taste it blind and you wouldn't think of a classical Bordeaux. Blueberries, blueberry-yoghurt, etheral, dried dates. Very smooth with a silky surface and soft tannins. Blueberries, Blackberry jam, a touch of mint, Milky Way (chocolate), arabic spices and dates. Medium Body with a good finish. Now a very hedonistic, but not typical Bordeaux Grand Cru. (13768 views) | |
| Tasted by MikeZ on 7/3/2013 & rated 95 points: best bottle I have had to date--really beginning to show well (12698 views) | |
| Tasted by kstoddard on 7/3/2013: Blind Night (Kevin): Off bottle considering the past few I've had (13180 views) | |
| Tasted by macker100 on 6/30/2013 & rated 92 points: 2003 Bordeaux Horizontal (San Antonio, TX): Could not keep to its stablemates Lynch Bages or d'Armailhac. Sweet candied black fruit on nose, with xmas cake, licorice. Palate is full bodied, with plenty of glycerine and spice. Great finish. Others at table had much more favorable view. Great wine, just a big style. (13125 views) | |
| Tasted by pavel_p on 6/30/2013 & rated 93 points: Had to try a bottle given the ongoing controversy on the 03 Bdx vintage and particularly the split opinions on the Pontet Canet here. Poured into decanter and took a few sips over the first 2h before drinking with a Wagyu steak at home. This wine evolves considerably during the evening. Dark garnet with purple reflections, initially red then increasingly dark fruit and spices on the nose. Was going to agree with the early maturity comments until about the 2h mark. The wine was showing plenty of earth and leather with a fairly muted fruit, more like a St. Julien than Pauillac, fine to medium tannins, a bit on the rough and less refined side, some dark chocolate on the finish. Later however the dark fruit kicks-in and the tannins soften, unfortunately I am also getting some heat now on the mid palate. Medium plus finish. Nice, even though the Duhart is the superior 03 Pauillac in my eyes. Very good match with a steak. Give it a 2h decant if you open now, and I do not think that this is anywhere close to decline. PS: Rest of bottle as usual out of a small PET bottle on day 2. After another hour in the glass, this is showing further improvement. Now with a complex and profound nose with deep dark fruit, and unfortunately a touch of heat, goes into an incredibly juicy palate with a toasted / coffee note and a long and intense finish. Not as lush as the Duhart 03 but with a very nice balance and structure. 93+. Hold or long decant if drinking now. (13431 views) | |
| Tasted by Champagneinhand on 6/28/2013 & rated 93 points: This was compared with several 2003 Bdx. It was tasted side by side with Pichon-Baron and Giscours. The wine was a deep purple in the glass with concentrated clear ring and no bricking. this looked more fined than the P-B and most likely was thinned with egg whites. It had a great nose of cassis, dark plums black raspberry among other fruits. Some dark cherry was also mixed in with these fruits. Graphite, scorched earth and a touch of spice box. Chewy tannins and acid gave this a nice mouth coating feel. I think this edged the P-B, but neither could be really enjoyed at proper temperature so very hard to give a proper rating, though I think it easily hit 93 with some more potential with time. It had sweet tannins on the long finish. Great wine. So much potential with the secondary nuances just coming out to play. (13078 views) | |
| Tasted by BordeauxTiger on 6/26/2013 & rated 97 points: Really spectacular. Cloudy garnet color. Gorgeous bouquet of flowers (mostly violet and some roses), dark spices, and a little bit of vanilla, all wrapped around a faint but tell-tale core of cassis and raisins. Taste was super-smooth and polished--I agree wholeheartedly with whoever said the '03 vintage was aging quickly: this bottle is case in point. It drinks a lot like several (much) older vintages of Bordeaux I've tried lately (two St. Julien in particular). Balance is superb; some other flavors that stand out are leather and a little bit of blackberry. It seems like this wine is hitting its stride -- earlier reviews haven't been very encouraging. I didn't know what to expect when I opened it but found everything I'd hoped for. So glad I've got more. For how this bottle is drinking, its current market price seems more than reasonable for anyone looking to pick some up now. (12489 views) | |
| Tasted by Loren Sonkin on 6/22/2013 & rated 94 points: Some wines with the neighbors; 6/22/2013-6/24/2013 (My home): Like many 03's, this is ageing pretty quickly. Certainly still not on the downside, it tastes mature and if given blind, I would have guessed an older Bordeaux. It is in a great place right now, but I am drinking my 03's before 00's. Ruby in color. The nose has cassis, some dried cherries, leather, and tea leaves. On the palate, there is a layered complexity which is very nice. Slightly drying tannins. Long finish. With air, this did come back and revive a bit. I really enjoyed it, but I need to start drinking more of my 03's. (12653 views) | |
| Tasted by Ary on 6/21/2013 & rated 92 points: Left Bank Bordeaux 2003 (semi blind) (Amsterdam Wijn Antiquariaat): Different opinions on this wine. Some say it might dry out, missing balance. Concentrated and powerful palate ("big and brawny") with pebbles, graphite and kirsch tones, followed by load of chewy tannins. (12672 views) | |
| Tasted by Zingrrl on 6/19/2013 & rated 93 points: Soft light berries and dust. Great mouthfeel. Light cherry, cocoa and a bit of tar. Love this wine. (12427 views) | |
| Tasted by Cheungtp on 6/18/2013 & rated 95 points: It brings a smile to the face every time drinking this wine. Rich, lush mouth feel, filled with dark fruits, lead pencil shaving, anise, vanilla, cocoa and cigar smoke on the nose and the palate. Wonderfully balanced, with sweet tannins, and long finish. Surely will bring much enjoyment in the years to come. (12502 views) | |
| Tasted by Jeff Leve on 6/11/2013 & rated 94 points: Tobacco, earth, smoke, cassis, fennel and blackberry aromas pop with little effort. On the palate, the wine is rich, concentrated, powerful and balanced. There is a softness and polish to the tannins. Unlike many wines from this unique vintage, the wine is maturing at a reasonable pace, which should allow for years of positive evolution. (13339 views) | |
| Tasted by Harry Cantrell on 6/2/2013 & rated 91 points: Shy nose that opened somewhat with airing. Touch of Elmer's glue, spices. Taste rich, mouthfilling, asian spices. Young. With a plus. (12663 views) | |
| Tasted by dfontana on 5/27/2013 & rated 93 points: The wine looks Purple colored. The legs are Slow. It smells like Mushroom, Bark, and Lead Pencil. Looked for the cassis, found it but thought it understated not overstated. Does not detract from the wine at all. Probably early, and needs food, but a delightful wine deserving the scores and accolades. Nice finish as well. (13380 views) | |
| Tasted by Ludi on 5/27/2013 & rated 94 points: Rubino scurissimo. Il naso evoca mirtillo, ribes nero, mora, cuoio, tabacco dolce, cannella, chiodo di garofano, menta, note ematiche. Bocca austera, potentemente tannica, di enorme equlibrio fresco sapido e grandissima beva. Lunghezza impressionante (12545 views) | |
| Tasted by NostraBacchus on 5/18/2013: At the beginning I just tasted right away. Medium-opaque purple color. Barely any signs of age towards the rim. Slightly muted nose of plums, cassis, blackberries and blueberries, slightly flowery, vegetal notes, cedar wood. Full body with some medium-low acidity and medium but soft tannins. Extremely long finish. With some air, it started to get more difficult. There were more and more "oxidized" notes coming up. Dominant alcohol note, the aromatic complexity started to disappear. I sincerely hope this was a "bad" bottle... because I have quite a few more bottles. RP rates it 95 points. If this is not a bad bottle, it looks like it will start falling apart at some point (like quite a few of the 2003 Bordeaux). I couldn't rate this bottle. (14070 views) | |
| Tasted by cbbrown3 on 5/12/2013 & rated 95 points: The wine is a fairly dark ruby to purple color. The intoxicating nose has cassis, cigar box, mint, dried herbs, minerals, warm baking spices, vanilla, well worn leather, and a bit of earthiness. This is a wine you can sit and smell for hours and "almost" be satisfied. This has medium body, fairly solid tannins, and very nice acidity. The palate features spicy fruit with touches of oak, dried herbs, and some subtle earthiness. The finish is extremely long and full of fruit, spice, and some oak, which is noticeable but not obtrusive. This is still very young but with some air, it rounded into shape very nicely. I decanted my bottle about two hours. (13676 views) | |
| Tasted by Tim Heaton on 5/11/2013: Aerated to decanter 1 hr, served non-blind. Consistent with prior bottles, and showing as well as any I've had since release. The next several years should be even better as some tertiary attributes begin to take hold. (12973 views) | |
| Tasted by igaf on 5/7/2013: Dark ruby. Quite fruity, clean nose with currants, some vanilla and dark chocolate. Med+ body. Dark fruit with some acidity on the palate, cassis and cocoa, relatively well-balanced. Quite tannic aftertaste with similar flavours. Long. (11888 views) | |
| Tasted by peterk on 4/27/2013 & rated 94 points: crushed berries and cassis, sandy, with silky tannins and a lovely, lingering finish. (13568 views) | |
| Tasted by HOS on 4/14/2013: Opened for an hour and then poured and tasted. Immediately decanted for the 15 minutes before dinner. With dinner, it was thin with muted fruit. Over the next 2 hours it started to open up with leather, dark fruits, good backbone and decent finish. Medium bodied. I didn't decant based on a review here which was totally useless for this bottle. My previous tasting note was from 2009 and this hasn't changed all that much other than the tannins starting to integrate. I think this is a baby still and needs a 3-4 hour decant if drinking now. Not rating this. (13942 views) | |
| Tasted by majamke on 4/13/2013 & rated 94 points: Explodes from the glass with aromas of lead pencil shavings, gravel, cedar and char-grilled red capsicum. Showing barely any hint of age, despite its 10 years. The palate has a wonderful depth with crème de cassis and cigar box flavours supported by fine tannins that are integrating nicely. Lovely line with a resolved finish that is all class. Hot vintage? I wouldn't have picked it from this wine. (13196 views) | |
| Tasted by edjBoca on 4/12/2013 & rated 91 points: I think this is still early to be drinking this. It does open up with a 3 hour decant and Venturi treatment, but that is what it needs at this point. Pencil lead on the nose. Good bright currant flavors and a nice finish. (13006 views) | |
| Tasted by tbabes on 4/7/2013 & rated 96 points: A great wine that is drinking wonderfully at present. Notes of casis, licorice and gravel, with hints of chocolate and tobacco. Medium to full bodied, with a round texture, wonderful depth and balance, with great focus and grip on the long and complex finish. (13391 views) | |
| Tasted by cadamson on 3/24/2013 & rated 92 points: Young, though in the drinking window IMO. Vintage characteristic is there with strong, dark fruit. However, still has some pretty nice balance and secondary notes that make it interesting. Well made. While there is lots of time ahead on this, I can not see it ever becoming truly outstanding. (13473 views) | |
| Tasted by LSussman on 3/23/2013 & rated 93 points: Dark purple with a typical bdx nose of leather graphite with a little fruit. Well integrated tannins permitted very enjoyable drinking now. Great with veal chops and friends. (13310 views) | |
| Tasted by KeithAkers on 3/10/2013: Vinetasters-2003 Bordeaux (Holiday Inn, Niles IL): This bottle just wasn't giving up much. The tannins were thrashing on the palate as well. I even tried it at the end of the tasting and it was still tight as a rock. This was my no.10 based on it not being a fully flawed bottle. (12524 views) | |
| Tasted by Jeff Leve on 3/9/2013 & rated 94 points: Beautiful, deep ruby in color, 60 minutes in the decanter brought out the tobacco, cassis, chocolate, blackberry, cigar box and earthy, aromatic bouquet display. Concentrated, full bodied, deep and round in the mouth, the long finish is packed with juicy ripe, cassis and mocha. There is little bit of roughness to the otherwise, polished tannins. This is drinking in its adolescent stage on its 10th birthday. Another 3-5 years will add a lot more nuance and complexity. Give it a few more after that and it should reach full maturity. The first great vintage from Alfred Tesseron is the precursor to 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2010! They are on a roll! (14446 views) | |
| Tasted by SimonK on 3/9/2013 & rated 97 points: Nose: Black cherries, mint, clover Palate: Strong tannin structure, black cherries, blackthorn, black pepper, carambola Still very young n: schwarzkirsche minze nelke g: starkes tanningerüst, schwarzkische, schlehe, pfeffer, karmambola noch sehr jung (12304 views) | |
| Tasted by ctjared on 3/7/2013: Drinking spectacularly. Dark fruit on silky tannins. Gorgeous nose. (13712 views) | |
| Tasted by grafstrb on 2/23/2013: Popped and poured. Dark Nose. Red fruits, with good acidity on the palate. Doesn't taste advanced for its age, as do many other '03 Bordeauxs. Nice wine. Hold. (12424 views) | |
| Tasted by aegerter on 2/21/2013 & rated 96 points: The 2003 is starting to drink very well! Exceptional Balance and Purity of Fruit and Wood! Represents one of Bordeaux's best values. (14352 views) | |
| Tasted by GlöckliWein on 2/6/2013 & rated 98 points: AGAIN !° This is great STUFF ! melting away like the sweetest "choclate" in your mouth" very dense and thick "juice" almost like a Montrose 1990 but more rebellish ! and not this complex to be fair ;-) but Wow this is a BORDEAUX which makes so much music in your mouth 98 / 100 Points more to come ?? may be this is not the oNE wihich make it more than 10 year´s because it could than fade a little so it is NOW the time to start this drinking and enjoying ;-) (16034 views) | |
| Tasted by Jhcwine on 2/5/2013 & rated 91 points: Not impressed with this vintage. (14034 views) | |
| Tasted by FamilyLarsson on 1/31/2013 & rated 95 points: En kryddig doft av mörk frukt, tobak, ceder och nyans av jord. En fantastiskt koncentrerad smak av frukt och rejäla tanniner. I frukten hittar man både vinbär, körsbär och björnbär. Otroligt lång och balanserat eftersmak trots att vinet är på tok för ungt. (14087 views) | |
| Tasted by godx on 1/21/2013 & rated 90 points: La Commanderie de Bordeaux à Vancouver - 2003 Left Bank Dinner (Bistro Pastis): Compared to the others in this flight, this nose is the most polished with the most noticeable oak as well. Slightly warmer nose. Very tight on the palate but also very well balanced. This needs the most time of all the wines tonight but also possibly has the most potential. Excellent. 90+ (11917 views) | |
| Tasted by MattTM on 1/21/2013: Commanderie de Bordeaux: 2003 Left Bank Dinner (Pastis - Vancouver, BC): Quite restrained at this time on the nose, showing lead pencil shavings, cedar, rich black cherry, black plum, earth, fresh mint, and spicy black pepper. Lots or red cherry on the palate, along with graphite, cedar, black plum, and leather. High acidity with dusty drying tannins. Medium length finish ending on notes of tart red cherry and lead pencil. This was quite closed and tightly wound, but opened slightly and hinted at it's future after some time in the glass. The palate was more accessible than the nose, showing great balance with plenty of stuffing. At present day the Clerc Milon was the star of the flight, but there's no doubt that this will be the winner with some bottle time. Let these rest another 5 years at least. Fantastic (15448 views) | |
| Tasted by Zweder on 1/14/2013 & rated 95 points: Weekly tasting group #058; Bordeaux left bank 2001, 2002 and 2003. (@ VD): This is one comparative note for the 2001, 2002 and 2003. In color the 2001 is the most transparent and the 2003 the most dark. In the bouquet all three vintages are almost the same. Very classical with cassis and other dark forest fruits, graphite (lead pencil) and luxurious oak with a beautiful toast. On the palate the 2001 shows good dark fruits, smoke, sweet spices, some chocolate and beautiful oak. Also a beautiful balance between acidity and sweetness and soft tannin. All mentioned for the 2001 also goes for the 2002, but there is a little more extraction. Also more creaminess, coffee and finesse. The 2003 is a category of its own. Enormously concentrated, luxurious cedar, sweet spices, chocolate and intense luxurious juice, finesse and complexity. All three wines will improve with some more ageing. The 2001 will probably be at its best between 2016 and 2018. The 2002 between 2017 and 2020 and the 2003 between 2019 and 2025+. Wihout any doubt the best flight of the evening and I scored the wines as follows: 2001 - 91. 2002 - 92 and 2003 - 95+ (12113 views) | |
| Tasted by rickspicks on 1/7/2013 & rated 94 points: Lovely nose of ripe, rich dark berry/cassis, plum, earth, oak and spice. Seems like a mix of classic bordeaux and a big Napa cab. You can sense that the wine will be powerful and with good depth of flavor. Flavors match the nose and while still mostly primary, there is just a hint of leather and tobacco. Full bodied and concentrated with a smooth, rich texture. Big, slightly acidic, grippy structure and a long, fruity, acidic finish. This is still just a youngster, it clearly will both improve over the next several years and have a long life. This could turn out to be quite spectacular. (14486 views) | |
| Tasted by JustDrinkIt on 1/1/2013 & rated 91 points: Aerated for 3 hrs in a Decanter prior to drinking with Roast Goose Dark red cherry in color. The aromas were not very noticeable; a hint of red plums and some vanilla, red plums and dark red cherries were the predominant fruit flavors combined with smooth tannin which may need a few more years to completely resolve. As others have noted for a warm year it was not that fruit forward. I did not detect any development of secondary flavors, but IMO the wine is a little unbalance with more noticeable acid than fruit or tannin. My wife like it very much, maybe because of the price tag!!!, Enjoyable enough and it did go very well with the red meat fatty Goose. 91-93 (14164 views) | |
| Tasted by Redguy on 12/31/2012 & rated 93 points: Slow oxed for 10 hours... could have used some additional decanting. Very Bordeaux in nature but quite modern with its forward and inviting aromas and flavors of black currants, dark cherries, tobacco, wet soil, and spices. Great rocky minerality as well. Full bodied with very good concentration but this retains some elegance and precision. Very good acidity and grippy structure bodes well for years of evolution even though this is well fleshed out already. Served with grilled prime rib (along with many other wines). Seemed to fully flower at the end of the meal, with the last glass being the best. For current consumption, drink after a long decant for maximum effect. Outstanding and a versitile style of Bordeaux. (13966 views) | |
| Tasted by Goldstone on 12/26/2012 & rated 90 points: Boxing Day Long Lunch at Top Deck, Aberdeen Marina, Hong Kong (Top Deck, Jumbo Floating Restaurant, Aberdeen Marina, Hong Kong): Decanted for 2 hours. Colour has brightened a lot in the past year to be deep ruby red semi-translucent today. Nose remains rather truculent: good depth of black fruit but only hints of the complexity that lurks broodingly in the background.....but at the moment it compares similarly to the Silver Oak 2003 we drank alongside it. The palate has developed from a year ago to reveal very attractive Californian-style Bordeaux fruit power on the black/red end of the spectrum and some hearty oak yet still quintessentially French because of the still-unintegrated tannic frame. Some length and tight-wound resonance that suggests greater things will emerge in the coming years. I suspect that this will way outlive most wines of the vintage but it still needs a 2-3years in the cellar before it starts to show its full potential charm. Everyone preferred the Silver Oak 2003 on the day because of its unpretentious easy-drinking charm.....but I did wave the flag valiantly for this wine (I brought both). (14789 views) | |
| Tasted by SMagowan on 12/25/2012 & rated 93 points: Nice purple color and a nose of cassis, dark berries and a light hint of smoke. It had a long, long finish. Decanted for 2.5 hours and it was well worth the decant. This is an excellent wine and should continue to offer fine drinking through 2027. (13582 views) | |
| Tasted by Margauxguy on 12/25/2012 & rated 93 points: Nice, balanced, developing. Lots of structure with tannins, and not super ripe fruit (I expect from a 2003). Delightful, cranberry, dark cherry. Needs more time, but drinkable now, with a long decant. (12986 views) | |
| Tasted by ntdavis1 on 12/10/2012 & rated 94 points: Drinking very well but still too young - couldn't resist thought since there are still 5 more bottles. Unless you have the opportunity to compare over the next 10 years, save it. Very fruit forward for the region but not surprising given the vintage. Has so much weight and the opportunity for the sweet hedonistic fruit to further integrate with the tannis. Think it will be in it's prime in 6-7 years, but still so enjoyable now for those with a knack for giving in on ageable Bordeaux. (14424 views) | |
| Tasted by Cheungtp on 12/7/2012 & rated 95 points: The one I had the day before at company dinner was so good that I had to open one of my own and enjoy it with buddies. Opened and drank over the next 3 hours. Sexy full bodied gem, dark purple. Fresh oak on the nose, chocolate, fresh grass, vanilla, spice and meaty. Soft on the palate, black currants, sweet berries, cigar box, fresh oak, tannic yet overall structure is superb and well balanced. The wine evolved brilliantly over the course of the night, gained some weight, and chewy. What a treat! Seriously gonna get more of this awesome 2003! (14375 views) | |
| Tasted by Cheungtp on 12/7/2012 & rated 95 points: Sexy, midnight dark purple color, close to full body. Attractive floral, berries, creme, spice and vanilla on the nose. The wine is so rich, with taste of tobacco, crushed sugar, lead pencil, wood, bacon. Great finish lasting over 30 secs. Tannin is still strong, but it's beautifully balanced and really drinking quite well now, can totally age and be enjoyed for 10-20 years. (13853 views) | |
| Tasted by asparagus on 12/7/2012 & rated 92 points: Had this at Bistro Du Vin. Wife had beef cheek and I had lamb shank.I mis-ordered at first - asked for a lamb skank. Oooops. On the nose - cherries, cherries, cherries. Not overpowering mind, but unmistakable. As the hours passed, there was another smell that came to the fore. Could not identify it and neither could the wife, but it was altogether pleasant. On the tongue - cherries as well, ginger!!, spice, lemongrass. Was amazing with the soft braised fatty beef. Finish was suprisingl short though. (13811 views) | |
| Tasted by Wine Canuck on 12/5/2012 & rated 94 points: This was a black hole for the first hour in the decanter, then some nice earth and coffee bean aromas came though along with tobacco, graphite, and cassis. Just starting to open up now, but I would guess that optimal drinking is still 5 - 8 years away. It's worth noting that Pontet Canet did manage to avoid any substantial overripeness in this hot vintage. I didn't get any raisin or prune notes which are quite a turn off for me. 94 Points today and will easily be classic when fully mature. (13844 views) | |
| Tasted by DonalOB on 11/30/2012 & rated 93 points: Christmas Party. Good value - I'd like to see this in a couple of years. (12126 views) | |
| Tasted by Jeff Leve on 11/24/2012 & rated 95 points: With an hour of decanting, tobacco, earth, cassis, blackberries and spice scents were all over the place. Soft, refined and polished tannins and a lush, cassis filled finish can be enjoyed today, or aged for another decade or two. (14532 views) | |
| Tasted by d'Artagnan on 11/23/2012 & rated 92 points: Souper Bordeaux 2000-2003 Une bouche exotique, riche et ronde, certainement un 2003, le seul vin ou l'alcool ressort un peu en finale.. Plus moderne de style, moins profond, un beau vin, qui souffre de la comparaison avec les autres. 92 pts (13721 views) | |
| Tasted by JOJ on 11/2/2012 & rated 92 points: Interesting, atypical nose of cranberry, bing cherry, and blueberry, with strong notes of tobacco leaf, flowers, wet earth, and limestone. Palate of raspberry and red fruit, with notes of bittersweet chocolate and mineral. Still very tannic and structured, but starting to come out of its shell. (14381 views) | |
| Tasted by dcwino on 11/1/2012 & rated 96 points: The 03 Bordeaux dinner at RIS in DC (RIS Restaurant, Washington DC): Wine No. 5 - Expressive nose, blackberries, cassis, lead pencil, black pepper and cedar. Big scale wine. Excellent concentration and structure. Guessed Cos. (16180 views) | |
| Tasted by beezer6 on 10/20/2012 & rated 92 points: Saturday Tasting Group (Knightsbridge Wine Shop (Northbrook, IL)): Darker sexy and racy. Cherries, rocky fruit. So young and great minerality. Still excellent grip on the palate. Purple plums, dark chocolate. Lots of New World styling. Very Pontet Canet qualities. Still holding really strong. This will go for decades more. Barely showing age. (15247 views) | |
| Tasted by cubswinws on 10/14/2012 & rated 92 points: Popped and poured. Not giving up much initially. Nice nose and short finish. Opened up nicely over 4-5 hours but still not the depth I would expect. This wine needs a bit more time and is a nice vintage but doubt it will ever have the depth of the 2005 or 2009. (14771 views) | |
| Tasted by Jeff Leve on 10/10/2012 & rated 94 points: Popped and poured, which was fine. But 30 minutes of air would probably have allowed the wine to open a bit more. Still, there was no denying the beautiful, ripe, clean blast of cassis and blackberries, with earth, tobacco, cigar box and gravel aromatics. Full bodied, rich, ripe, round and concentrated, the wine ends with a long wave of sweet blackberries, cocoa and cassis. You can drink this now, or in 5, 10 or 25 years. It's a delicious expression of 2003 Pauillac. (16154 views) | |
| Tasted by et-in-arcadia-ego on 9/21/2012 & rated 94 points: Not decanted and consumed over several hours with charcuterie and lamb dishes. Restrained nose , coaxing needed to develop lovely bouquet of mainly primary aromas. Mouthfeel is round and precise and full. Overall impression of great wine not yet ready. Despite being already very nice to taste, I will not try another one before several years. I am confident something great awaits down this long necessary sleep. (15805 views) | |
| Tasted by theusualsuspect on 9/20/2012 & rated 92 points: This wine is just beginning to come out of its shell. I note a note on a vertical of Pontet Canet on these threads. Done many in my time, but always thought wines in a vertical are in such different stages of development that it is a crapshoot. I think the 2001 scored highest in that tasting. Guess which one was most ready to drink. This wine is - and I think I've never said this about a Paulliac - is exquisite - without yet fully expressing itself, it has exquisite mouth feel, just rests perfectly balanced upon the palate. Cassisy notes, but not much more forthcoming. This is on its way to be a truly great Pontet Canet. (15721 views) | |
| Tasted by Papies on 9/19/2012 & rated 92 points: 2000-2009 vertical of Chateau Pontet-Canet, with Alfred Tesseron (Roberson Wine, South Ken, London): The colour does not speak of 2003 and in general the wine has none overdone elements so common in the heat wave vintage. Alfred Tesseron said he is very proud that they managed to keep that elegance in such a hot vintage. A hint of oak on the nose, has a little bit of the 2003 sweetness, but true to form of PC is not overripe or over extracted and still very fresh. Good tannin, no harshness. A touch reserved at this age but not austere and has a pretty good life ahead of it. On the young side for sure. 92 (17294 views) | |
| Tasted by RayOB on 9/18/2012 & rated 93 points: Pontet Canet Dinner (Texture London): The hot summer really shows with lots of fruit on the nose. This really is drinking well now. (16220 views) | |
| Tasted by davidandrose on 9/9/2012 & rated 94 points: Decanted and allowed to sit for an hour, then consumed over 3 hours. Nose of leather, dried flowers. very old wood and pencil. Really nice approach/mouthfeel - just impeccably balanced, obviously bordeaux.; dark fruits, more leather. This should continue to evolve for some time but its quite the "coming out" party today! (16753 views) | |
| Tasted by DNeamand on 9/1/2012 & rated 94 points: Exceptional wine. On the nose was a rich chocolate. The mouth feel was rich dark ripe fruit with a smooth medium finish (16186 views) | |
| Tasted by jonnyoro on 8/12/2012 & rated 96 points: Seriously a complete wine; the bouquet alone is intoxicating...drinks great now but will last forever... Rich, balanced fruit, tannin, minerality- ripe for Bordeaux but not overly so... A generous wine that is classy as hell... (17011 views) | |
| Tasted by DarinC on 8/12/2012 & rated 92 points: Decanted 1.5hrs and drank the following two. Very intense aromatics that filled the cellar with dark fruits and plums with warm spices. Full-bodied, dense, and very ripe. Very modern, and reminds me of a ripe Howell Mountain. Really big mid-palate mostly filled with black berry fruits, plums, licorice, baking spices and minerals. Plush, ripe tannins on the medium+ finish. It really gained complexity as the night went on, so I'd recommend at least a 2hr decant. (16601 views) | |
| Tasted by Motz on 8/2/2012 & rated 97 points: WOW!!! The English language lacks sufficient superlatives to describe this wine. The nose is beautiful, the color charming, the concentration outstanding, the complexity mind-bending. I agree with Arcturus, Wink and others below regarding the balance, completeness, and palate-coating quality of the finish which does not quit. This is a blockbuster in all the best possible ways. I understand how this wine could be construed as 'ripe' but certainly not 'overripe'. Nothing in this offering is pruny, stewy, flabby or overly sweet. I drank it next to a 1996 d'Armailhac which was rustically overpowering by comparison, though still amazingly good. Drank it over two days. It improved noticably by the second day. Let it breath for a couple of hours then drink it as slowly as possible for maximum enjoyment over the next day or two. This wine has a long and promising future. (19353 views) | |
| Tasted by Tim Heaton on 7/27/2012: Consistent notes. Aerate to decanter 5 hours, return to bottle, served 2 hours later. Wildly complex nose that only seems to gain intensity and complexity with each glass, yet, the palate, while creamy and balanced, seems only average or average+ in terms of complexity. I suspect this needs a great deal more time if it's going to show all it has. Enjoyable now, but will likely improve with bottle rest. 13,0% abv, drink thru 2024. (17262 views) | |
| Tasted by MikeZ on 7/26/2012 & rated 96 points: With multiple hours of air this wine is just spectacular. A monster wine-blue black color with layers and layers of fruit on the palate. Picked up some crushed stone on the nose. Palate coating. I think good upside potential in the '03. (17644 views) | |
| Tasted by Arcturus on 7/14/2012 & rated 95 points: 95- 3 hour decant. The nose has developed nicely into a dried floral bouquet with waves of black cherry, black currant and stone. Hearty mid palate and a boat load of tannins that powers the long finish. Great showing- drink now but the bouquet will continue to evolve into a classic. (17685 views) | |
| Tasted by rwatkin on 7/6/2012 & rated 90 points: This very tasty Pauillac highlights the shortcomings of the vintage. Still a huge fruity midpalate but it is not balanced by tannin and acidity on the finish...but it tastes so good (17176 views) | |
| Tasted by Wink on 7/3/2012 & rated 94 points: Dark clear garnet. Earthy nose of leather, dust, currant, blackberry, and vanilla. Ripe full palate of blackberry, black cherry, cassis, graphite, and minerals. Excellent length. Focused acidity. Sweet tannins. Silky texture. Wonderful balance. This opulent Pauillac is drinking well now, but is structured to cellar long term. It keeps you reaching for the glass. (17436 views) | |
| Tasted by tp096255 on 7/1/2012 & rated 85 points: --- COLOR: Deep garnet with medium garnet rim. NOTE: Tasted the 2000, 2003 and 2004 side by side. This is best of the three, but still not very impressed. Nose is nice with raspberry reduction sauce, cinnamon, nutmeg and then tar and leather. A nice typical Bordeaux nose with good balance. The mouth is medium-weight, and the baking spices take center stage until the red fruits show up, some more raspberry and fresh pomagranate, nice minerality. No opulence or glycerin though, and that makes it pretty austere. That austerity just barrels on through to the finish, where the tannins clamp down and dry everything out. All I'm left with is minerality and bitter cocoa. It has years to go, but I don't think it will improve by my standards. I thought maybe it would show better with a nice fatty burger, but no. There's just not enough fruit. DECANT: 1-3 hrs GLASS USED: Bordeaux TASTE: 8.5 OTHER: COST: 59 VALUE: 3.0 PREVIOUSLY TASTED: n/a TRY AGAIN: now - 2020 PAIRING: In-and-Out Burger Inquiries can be addressed to troypeterson@usa.net --- (17602 views) | |
| Tasted by Dale M on 6/19/2012: Decanted 6hrs. This was served in a an absolute maelstrom of high end wines, SQN’s, Chave Hermitage Blanc, you name it, they came fast and furious so this is a brief note to deplete my CT inventory as I brought the 03 PC. Still very primary and a little subdued on the nose. Pure and primal, this does show the ripeness of the 03 vintage, yet it is still much closed in on itself and in need of years to really shine. Yet, if in the comparisons to Napa unfounded as some have noted. It seems very Paulliac to me, just large scaled, and from a hot vintage. Nothing absurdly modern or spoofed for my palate. NR but damn good. (18111 views) | |
| Tasted by John Tang on 6/19/2012 & rated 95 points: Still young, need 4 hours decanting. Wonderful Pauillac smell finally came out 3 hours after opening the bottle, but since then the wine was really gorgeous. Need at least 3 more years in the cellar. (18369 views) | |
| Tasted by MWiking on 6/15/2012 & rated 92 points: Kändes ung pch lite spretig. Börjar få mognadstoner (17905 views) | |
| Tasted by Ramberg on 6/14/2012 & rated 90 points: A very nice wine indeed! However it has the typical 2003 characteristics from the super hot growing season. In tonight’s blind tasting I guessed that this was a newworld Cab, due to this. It’s overpowering right now, filled with a bit too much of everything. It needs more time to soften the fruit and to integrate the oak fully. A bit over extracted feel to it at this point, but hopefully this will flatten out and become an even better wine in a few years. (18000 views) | |
| Tasted by Matt1973 on 5/31/2012 & rated 92 points: drank at the Drawing room in Hong Kong, great wine etc but a bit thin and laclustre compared with the WOTN Ornellaia 2001. (17779 views) | |
| Tasted by aof on 5/28/2012 & rated 94 points: Fragrant- roses, graphite, elegant with impressive stuffing. (17669 views) | |
| Tasted by stinkycook on 5/27/2012: Opened to go with smoked BBQ chicken...just because... Inky darky color. Lovely boquet of currant, pencil. Not overly tannic, but underlying pleasant acid. long finish. Very approachable now, should last many more years. (16994 views) | |
| Tasted by MarkMich on 5/19/2012 & rated 95 points: Brought this bottle on the Disney Dream and drank at Remy. Absolutely beautiful wine that fit the bill at one of the most memorable meals my wife and have ever eaten. This is in the window and should last for years. IMO this blew away the 01 insignia we had the following night. (15870 views) | |
| Tasted by Yiannis on 5/19/2012 & rated 93 points: Very dark ruby. Still very youthful, with intense new oak, ink, graphite, licorice and blackcurrants. Med-full bodied, still very tight with packed tannins and high acidity. Long aftertaste. A very promising wine that needs at least another 5 years to start unwinding. (16166 views) | |
| Tasted by Dokken on 5/19/2012 & rated 93 points: Focused on the nose with ink, blackcurrant, hints of vegetality and evident oak that stills needs some time to blend. Very concentrated indeed. Tight on palate with refreshing acidity(despite the vintage), thick slightly unripe fine-grained tannins that balance moderate alcohol(13% despite the vintage) and elegant body. Still young and backward needs minimum 5 years to become rounder. Very promising for the future. (16436 views) | |
| Tasted by Stefanos T. on 5/19/2012 & rated 94 points: Very dark and deeply colored Pontet. Nose is concentrated and ripe with opulent dark fruit, ink, licorice, graphite and pencil shavings. No signs of burnt fruit on the nose but 2003 has left a load of tannins to the wine. Immensely drinkable and pleasurable but needs much more time. Impressive. Will only get better. (16346 views) | |
| Tasted by Zweder on 5/12/2012 & rated 96 points: Both the 2003 Hauts de Pontet as the first wine were tasted blind, only knowing it was 2003 Bordeaux. And although the second wine is perfectly ok, what a big difference! The first wine has an even darker and more concentrated color. In the complex bouquet intense black fruit juice, graphite, luxurious oak, smoke, tobacco and cedar. On the palate a mouth full of luxurious cassis juice and round tannin. A very complete wine with an enormously long finish. Truly superb wine! Does it need more ageing? No! But keeping this for another decade will not be any problem at all! (16317 views) | |
| Tasted by Jeff Leve on 5/7/2012 & rated 95 points: Lush, opulent and already expressive, this forward styled Pontet Canet is filled with tobacco, cassis, earth, forest floor, cedar wood and fresh blackberries. The tannins are ripe and round. With so much glycerin and sweet, ripe, lush fruit, each sip feels great as it crosses your palate. Due to the open style, you can drink this now. However, additional time will add a lot to the experience... that is, if you can keep your hands off this delicious Pauillac for that long! (17305 views) | |
| Tasted by GlöckliWein on 5/7/2012 & rated 98 points: Yes we can! et Vive la FRANCE & Monsieur Holland ! et la Democratie sociaux ! Well THIS Wine is standing for a perfect masculin but in this sens harmonious but powerful WINE ! From the beginning: the colour deep and dark, smell: like an gut ridden sattle of a wonderful elegant horse, but then in the next hours: the SMELL is getting better and intenser, and much more: the TASTE is this arrogant but sensible as well gentlemens Fruit and Harmony, aristocratic, but yopung and sexy as well. To compare it by an animal: this is the king of the Year 2003 for Pauillac - The Tiger of the Jungle - but as soft as strong in it´s taste and perfomance - giv in it´s strength and softness, ripness and Youth ! GReat and better and better Wine OFF this World of the hot YEAR and even hot er SUMMER of the Milessime 2003 98 / 100 Points !!! (17405 views) | |
| Tasted by AllRed on 4/28/2012 & rated 94 points: A Ten Year Retrospective of Chateau Pontet Canet with Alfred Tesseron (Waldorf Astoria Hotel, Chicago): Opaque inky/purple color. Notes of blackberry, black currant and plum notes, with a nice floral undertone not present in the previous wines. Balanced, with fairly firm tannins, but loads of dark fruit too. Long finish; picks up the slightest earthy tone. (16227 views) | |
| Tasted by JOJ on 4/28/2012 & rated 90 points: Delicate nose of red fruit, flowers, and wet rock. Palate of pure red fruit (raspberry and some cherry), with a hint of blueberry and notes of wet earth. Substantial tannins still present, but fresh acidity gives this a lift. Nice, and likely to evolve and integrate in the coming years. (15894 views) | |
| Tasted by RayOB on 4/26/2012 & rated 94 points: Goedhius Bordeaux Cru Classe Tasting (Saatchi Gallery): You walk up to a table and there is one of your heroes standing there pouring wine Alfred Tesseron, all you can do is shake his hand and thank him. This chateau is getting better and better under the guidance of Alfred and his niece Melaine. There is not much I can add about this wine but tell you to go out and drink some. Lovely. (16892 views) | |
| Tasted by R. Hung on 4/23/2012 & rated 93 points: No decanting but finished in 3 hours. Intense bouquet with deep and dark cassis, dark cherry fruit and bacon. Hints of oak, cigar box, cedar and graphite. Very fulfilling on the palate with a lot of sweetness and nice acidity. Tannin is well defined, and 30+ seconds of finish! This is a well balance, new world style Bordeax in the warmer vintage, but I would like a little higher in acidity. Great potential. Opened alongside a Beringer Private Reserve 2002 CS, both have similar structure, but PC has better balance and complexity. (16420 views) | |
| Tasted by Yagil on 4/5/2012 & rated 93 points: Pauillac tasting soiree (Wine-Bar, Nahalat Binyamin, TLV): dark red-purple good rich fruity secondary & tertiary aromas full body, high level of tannins of a relatively young wine, good & balanced acidity, very good harmony, rich flavors and lasting aftertaste. Can age for further 15 years or so. (16909 views) | |
| Tasted by Tim Heaton on 3/20/2012: Three hours aeration in decanter. Consistent with my last bottle, but I made sure to serve it at cellar temp as this would just be too much for my palate at room temperature. Creamy, modernly styled with lush black fruits, creme de cassis, blah, blah, blah. Missing some complexity that will come with age, but enjoyable now with aeration. 13% abv, drink thru 2020. (16999 views) | |
| Tasted by benjaminrorymyers on 2/28/2012 & rated 93 points: This finally has really hit its stride at 9 years of age. Previous openings were somewhat disjointed or lack luster, but at this point, this has gained nice complexity. Enticingly dark on the nose but with aged tertiary notes of tobacco, olive, and herbs. Meaty but with nice blackberry, blueberry, dried dark fruit, and moderate grip. Woodiness in finish and nose is my only gripe with this edition of Pontet Canet. Required the age to come into its own, but also asks for something meaty for accompaniment. Fruit is still holding on, and additional time may even soften some of that woodiness, so will try another bottle in two or four years. (18115 views) | |
| Tasted by matthijs on 2/26/2012 & rated 93 points: I fully understand the hype now. Wonderful fruit, though not cooked at all. Nice acidity as well, powerful and rich. Beautiful wine. (17079 views) | |
| Tasted by lewisrise on 2/18/2012 & rated 93 points: Nose of crushed fruit and cigar. Decanted two hours before it opened up. Great balance of dark fruit with tar and cigar (16912 views) | |
| Tasted by Papies on 1/31/2012 & rated 93 points: Decanted for 35mins or so. Side by Side with 2004 feels more closed and taight than the 2004 but definitely beneath the surface you cans ee this has the goods to become a much better wine. Light mocha, oak and dark red fruits. Shaprper deeper on tha palate with more vibrant tannins (not harsh) with lots of fruit but def feels young and begs to be forgotten a few more years (while the 04 feels nice to drink now). Wait 5yrs and you will not be dissapointed. 93 easily maybe more as it evolves. (18335 views) | |
| Tasted by Harry Cantrell on 1/21/2012 & rated 92 points: Deep garnet. Nose was young Bordeaux, rich, hints of oak, black fruits. Taste was more muted, slightly thin on the midpalate, young. Popped and poured, perhaps decanting would help. Let sleep another few years. PS-it did not impress me as out of balance. (17650 views) | |
| Tasted by Goldstone on 1/20/2012: Pre-Chinese New Year Get-Together (Chez Patrick Restaurant, 26 Peel Street, Central, Hong Kong): Decanted for 5 hours. Black, purplish semi-translucent but unevolved colour with prisms of really deep red. Truculent nose that refused to show more than hints of impressive black fruit and lightly toasted oak that will emerge with a lot more time in the cellar. The palate had a similar adolescent sulkiness that is best described at the moment as beauty without grace. Some length and tight-wound resonance that suggests greater things will emerge in the coming years. I suspect that this will way outlive most wines of the vintage but it needs a good few more years in the cellar before it even starts to show some charm. Too difficult to score at this stage (er...92 with considerable upward potential?). (17393 views) | |
| Tasted by ruevin on 1/19/2012 flawed bottle: Corked - what a bummer. Pulled abottle to get psyched for the UCG tasting in LA tomorrow. Second bottle fabulous. (18006 views) | |
| Tasted by pedwards on 1/3/2012: Initial impression was not impressed. But will not score as this was way too young. Open in a couple of years. (18822 views) | |
| Tasted by jwongham on 12/26/2011 & rated 94 points: Three hour decant. Lush, full bodied Bordeaux. Excellent. (17678 views) | |
| Tasted by Zweder on 12/14/2011 & rated 95 points: Monthly Tasting Group HWS #064; Bordeaux; Pauillac (By RvD): This is almost extreme. A very intense bouquet with deep and dark cassis and dark cherry fruit juice and beautiful oak, cigar box, cedar and graphite. Almost overwhelming. Very concentrated on the palate with a lot of sweetness, but beautiful acidity and tannin at the same time. A lot of everything in a beautiful way. The wine has improved extremely since the previous time I tasted it. Not really very elegant, but so much wine in the mouth. Great stuff! They managed to make a wine with great potential in this warm vintage. I love it! A beauty already, but with so much promise for the future. Hope to taste this again between 2017 and 2020. (19245 views) | |
| Tasted by Harrypotter on 12/11/2011: Aromatically - narcissus, violets, wax, and cedar aromas with a hint of red cherry. The palate is ripe, round, and full. With dark color. This wine has both good structure and volume with very fine grain tannin. It could use a touch more acid, but that is a vintage trait for some chateaus. A very nice wine, but a bit young. 94. (19972 views) | |
| Tasted by alion on 12/4/2011 & rated 88 points: 4 hours air - and less enjoyable than last week. The freshness which I enjoyed then not present. Instead, the stewed, almost hot shiraz blueberry fruit profile dominates the nose, and the palate lacks complexity. Big, concentrated, and beautifully made - but I still much prefer the 02 and 04. 88 (18702 views) | |
| Tasted by Ibetian on 11/27/2011: From 375. First bottle of a lot. Needs time. Popped and poured. I plan to wait at least a year before trying another 375, and I'd think at least 3 years before hitting 750s. (19058 views) | |
| Tasted by RayOB on 11/27/2011 & rated 90 points: Danish Christmas Lunch A slight disappointment compared to my other bottles of this. A little bit more hard in the mouth that the previous bottles. Might be due to not enough decanting time. Still a lovely wine (18678 views) | |
| Tasted by alion on 11/26/2011 & rated 90 points: Not sure. Surprisingly fresh on opening. Concentrated, fleshy, beautifully made - but I can't get away from the slightly stewed fruit of the vintage. Much prefer the 02. 90 (18308 views) | |
| Tasted by ckinv368 on 11/18/2011 & rated 88 points: CT Texas Offline III; 11/18/2011-11/19/2011 (Galveston): Tons of fruit and concentration. Lots of tannin, and will be good for a good long time. In 10 years it will be really smooth, silky, and delicate. But right now it's pretty much a tour-de-force, although not 100% as balanced as it should be for what it is. Needs a bit more time to get to that good place. 88 with promise of 90? (19778 views) | |
| Tasted by GalvezGuy on 11/18/2011 & rated 91 points: CT Texas III; 11/18/2011-11/21/2011 (Galveston, TX): Poured through Vinturi into a decanter and allowed to breath for one hour. Nose of mocha, plum, black fruit, mint, red currant, black raspberry, anise. On the palate, plum, melted licorice, cassis, raspberry, currant, spicy oak. Finishes with wall of tannin. Great potetial for this. (19713 views) | |
| Tasted by Zingrrl on 11/17/2011 & rated 93 points: Very nice. Literally popped and poured. Heat from last notes is gone. Berry, leather, slightly grippy tannins, long finish. Good stuff! (18139 views) | |
| Tasted by rickspicks on 11/17/2011 & rated 94 points: Spectacular already in spite of still being young. Poured thru a vinturi and then let it breath for 30+ minutes. Big, complex nose of cassis, earth, vanilla & oak with notes of tobacco and leather. Full-bodied and richly textured with a big, but surprisingly smooth structure. High acidity but not really any harshness. Long, long finish showing lots of cassis & plum flavors. A wine that is easy to like right now, but that also will clearly improve with more time. Really look forward to tasting what it might become. (18282 views) | |
| Tasted by peterk on 10/30/2011 & rated 95 points: Decanted for 3 hours - glad I did and drank with hanger steaks and crushed roasted potatoes. Lovely aroma, beautiful taste - crushed berries and cassis, with silky tannins and finish that lingered on and on. (18629 views) | |
| Tasted by curtr on 10/27/2011: Tannic, nice, medium depth, starting to show more. Try again in 2018. (11511 views) | |
| Tasted by DonalOB on 10/26/2011 & rated 93 points: and yet another.. Very good. Will improve with a few more years but opens nicely after a couple of hours in glass. (17621 views) | |
| Tasted by PSUSteve on 10/22/2011 & rated 94 points: At charity event so I don't know how long it was open. Loved the nose on this - big and full of fruit. Black fruit and some spice on the palate with a long and wonderful finish. (18510 views) | |
| Tasted by RayOB on 10/16/2011 & rated 93 points: Shared a bottle at my Brother's house in HK This is still tasting great all over the world Rich deep dark and brooding, decant it for an hour or two and watch those notes develop. Lovely and smooth on the Palate. Drink & be merry (18299 views) | |
| Tasted by Lord Rayas on 10/14/2011 & rated 95 points: Dinner with Arthur/Andrea, Chris/Andrea, Louis/Janice (The Pawn): everything you can hope for in a modern day claret. big, powerful, voluptuous structure with wonderful aroma of smoke, black currant, mocha and jam. simply gorgeous. (18015 views) | |
| Tasted by DonalOB on 10/9/2011 & rated 93 points: Very nice, as always. Takes a while in the decanter but then sings (15748 views) | |
| Tasted by jamie24 on 10/3/2011 & rated 93 points: i was worried it may be a little young so decanted for 5 hours and was very impressed with the results. creme cassis/blackcurrant the over-riding flavour along with a hint of tabacco. sweet without being sickly. improved in the glass over the 3 hours i drunk it... so decanting for longer would have worked better. (17809 views) | |
| Tasted by Pugs on 10/1/2011 & rated 93 points: At Brasserie Dempsey, celebration dinner for E+D's new godparents! This wine is great but will get better with age. Still too young in my mind. (17188 views) | |
| Tasted by tbabes on 9/11/2011 & rated 95 points: From 375; popped and poured. The 2003 Pontet-Canet is a very youthful and exuberant wine, offering up notes of cassis, blackberry, licorice, and crushed stones; with airing scents of black truffle and roasted herbs emerged. Medium-bodied, with a heavenly mouthfeel, great focus and grip, layers of flavor, and a long and heady finish. I love how this wine is evolving! (17609 views) | |
| Tasted by biggwater on 9/10/2011 & rated 91 points: Classic Pauillac (10863 views) | |
| Tasted by cubswinws on 9/10/2011 & rated 92 points: Still fairly primary. Big dark fruits and expressive nose. Nice at this point but will wait 3-4 years on the next one. (17119 views) | |
| Tasted by Jeff Leve on 9/9/2011 & rated 95 points: Decanted for two hours and tasted over the next two hours, the perfume offered cassis, licorice, earth, truffle, smoke, black plums, earth, cedar wood and green peppers. Full bodied with voluptuous textures, the wine finishes with a rich, refined, cassis, chocolate and juicy black plum finish. While not mature, this beautiful Pauillac is delivering a lot of pleasure and will only get better over the next several decades. If you have a case and want to see where the first outstanding vintage from Alfred Tesseron is at, you will not be disappointed. This is my best score for this wine yet. Over the next decade, it might even go higher! (17699 views) | |
| Tasted by aof on 9/3/2011 & rated 94 points: Lovely nose of rich tobacco with a tincture of iodine. Expansive on the palate and ripe without being overblown with a memorable finish. Its beginning to hit its stride after a (brief) period of awkwardness. Only required 2-3 hours of double decanting. (16599 views) | |
| Tasted by Colima74 on 8/28/2011 & rated 90 points: Incredibly tight, not giving up much. I have hope for my remaining bottles that they will mature, but I will not open another for a couple of years at least. (16794 views) | |
| Tasted by theusualsuspect on 8/24/2011 & rated 88 points: For now. Impeccably well stored, this wine has never seen a temperature above 54 since acquisition upon release. Although I can see the fruit quality in this wine, it is closed, dumb, in hibernation, out to lunch for now, in rehab, in outer space, whatever. Actuually a real plus, since so many of the 2003's are in the drinking window. (17029 views) | |
| Tasted by wineismylife on 8/5/2011: Tex's 40th Birthday Party (Urbano Cafe, Dallas, Texas): WIMLNR Tasted non blind at a wine dinner. Opened and served immediately. Garnet to dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of leather, coffee, plums and mixed dark fruits. Flavors of black berries, black cherries and black raspberries. Bright acidity, firm tannins. full bodied. Hold. No rating at this time; I think it needs more time in bottle. (17746 views) | |
| Tasted by kenv on 7/28/2011 & rated 86 points: WCC 2003-2005 Red Bordeaux Blind (Yono's Restaurant, Albany, NY): Short, sweet red fruit. A bit astringent, but pleasant after the one above. One of 3 wines tied for group #3 WOTN. Go know. (17624 views) | |
| Tasted by Paul S on 7/13/2011 & rated 93 points: More developed and rather more together than the last bottle I had three years back - this was a nice Pauillac in a somewhat unusual style. This particular bottle had ben opened the day before and stoppered, but even then, it still needed a bit of time before firing on all cylinders. A bit woody and tight at first, it opened up after half an hour or so to show a lovely nose with shades of toasted wood, rich ripe cassis scents, dried earth and loam, some dried flower notes and a bramble lilt at the corners of the bouquet. Very 2003 in its toasty ripeness, but really nice. The palate reflected the ripeness of the vintage too, with rich cassis flavours at the fore. Rich, but surprisingly clean and clear, and sprinkled with a nice dollop of spice and black tea, maybe just a hint of meat towards the mid-palate. Still primary, but this was clearly beginning to take on some of the secondary complexity of middle-age. Towards the back-end, powdery tannins led the wine into a long, juicy black fruited finish. Clearly from a warm year, not exactly classic, but wonderfully balanced so that it was always succulently delicious in a way that was still clearly Bordeaux, even clearly Pauillac, rather than say a new world Cab-blend. A nice drop now, but this will continue to improve over the next decade at least. I would be tempted to say that it may go on growing for far, far longer, but having little experience with freak vintages like 2003, it is difficult to say whether the fruit will start shrinking behind a roasty, toasty cloak. (17200 views) | |
| Tasted by Tim Heaton on 7/9/2011: Decanted for sediment, aerated for 4 hours in decanter. This leaves no room for ambiguity - it's clearly in the modernly-styled camp. If that's your style of wine, you'd probably give it a 94 or something. And while this was enjoyable, for what it is, it was a bit too formulaic, its neatly packaged fruit somewhat contrived and lacking personality. I have 5 bottles left. The 13% abv listed on the label is probably understated by (1) degree. This wine will probably get better with time, but not appreciably - more like marginally. Drink thru 2024. (16522 views) | |
| Tasted by GlöckliWein on 6/30/2011 & rated 96 points: This is an terrific charming but masculin Wine : TASTE.. fo great "mon chery" Kirsch" Cherry and rum flavoured but tuff and spicy sexy Wine ".. in ORde r You wonna kiss thsi all the time long .... and neve r stopp it ! becaus e this makes you so .. WOW ... all time long for a next taste ... and this becomes even better and better ... and the last "gout " of this bottle will impresses YOu this much you wont´s stopp enjoy one afte r the other "Glass" or even swallow ... 96 / of 100 Points but at the IMAGINATION near to 100 / 100 !° (17350 views) | |
| Tasted by melli0 on 6/27/2011 & rated 95 points: Drinking really well right now. Still plenty of tannin, so can go a lot longer. Nice big fruit, though not overwhelming. Very long finish. Drank this side by side with a 2004 Shafer Hillside Select. The Pontet Canet blew it out of the water in both quality and complexity. (17282 views) | |
| Tasted by Dbrane on 6/17/2011 & rated 84 points: Ripe fruits and rather new world-ish. Definitely has the Pauillac character here but I was not impressed with this as with other tasting notes. But still a Pontet-Canet is still a Pontet-Canet, just that this wasn't in the style I like. (16638 views) | |
| Tasted by Sleepy Dave on 6/17/2011: 2011 Casual Session - 9 @ ES (Extra Space Boon Keng): Alcohol :: 13% Served with Riedel O Bordeaux. Ok, now we're talking about Pauillac, Bordeaux. Youthful bright purplish red that display huge background of graphite, ink, graphite, ink, pencil leads and peppermint that's unmistakably a Pauillac. The sweet creme de cassis, blackcurrant fruits with perfume floral added more depth and complexity to this highly focus, classy aromas profile. I really like the nose at this stage, more than the tightly wound palate. Not much fruits as the palate still dominated by the structure, powerfully intense palate that form by the almost palate staining, medium - high level of very fine, sweet tannin that is well integrated along with fresh, ripe acidity. Remarkably fresh and vibrant for such powerful, intense wine and not lack of class. The creamy, elegance texture caressing the palate from start to end. Harmonious and very Long intense, expansive finish. Lovely, I really like this. This has super bright future and should continue to evolve for many many year. Bravo!. This has even better integration for day-2, but also display trace of heat at the end. Buy - Maybe - Yes. (18152 views) | |
| Tasted by Robert Pavlovich on 5/21/2011 & rated 90 points: One of the most ageable wines i've ever had. Was completely shut down the first two nights, but as I recorked after every tasting it really started to hit its stride on the 4th or 5th night, and was still drinking well after over a week! This is not a Bordeaux I would be going out of my way to buy, but was definitely an experience to test. Made for the long haul. (18348 views) | |
| Tasted by Stefanos T. on 5/19/2011 & rated 94 points: Chateau Pontet Canet Vertical 1994-2004 plus 1990: Deep opulent fruit, graphite and smoke on the nose. Herbal notes also present. Quite firm tannins but very flavorful palate with graphite, pencil shavings. (13146 views) | |
| Tasted by Jeff Leve on 5/15/2011 & rated 94 points: This vintage from Alfred Tesseron that put Pontet Canet back on the map. Spice, cassis, stone, earth, tobacco, chocolate and truffle scents open to a generous serving of ripe, juicy, blackberry and cassis. Soft tannins and layers of cassis with a touch of olive make this a very enjoyable Pauillac. At 8 years old, this is already starting to drink well. (18505 views) | |
| Tasted by tbabes on 5/14/2011 & rated 95 points: From a pristine 375; popped and poured. Youthful purple core, with no real signs of age. A noble and expressive bouquet, offering up scents of crushed rocks, sun baked stones, crisp and ripe blackberry and cassis fruit. Medium bodied, with great balance, depth and precision, with impressive focus on the mid-palate and a long finish. Love this wine! (18249 views) | |
| Tasted by Bisty on 5/12/2011 & rated 92 points: Dark red. Some spices, cookie dough, alcohol almost Banyuls notes on the nose. Concentrated fruit. Almost chewable! (18295 views) | |
| Tasted by Charlie Carnes on 5/12/2011: This wine is pretty locked up right now. Great upside. Time to let these sit a spell. (18568 views) | |
| Tasted by Clarkmeister on 5/8/2011 & rated 93 points: Was a little tight but man, still good. Wish it had gotten a bit more open as it had glimpses into a lot of layers. (18003 views) | |
| Tasted by vespasian on 5/4/2011 & rated 90 points: A very deep rich concentrated nose; quite powerful and single minded fruit on the palate. Impressive but showing little complexity and not far off Napa in style. Powerful but prosaic for my tastes. (17257 views) | |
| Tasted by cubswinws on 5/2/2011 & rated 91 points: Decanter two hours prior. Still fairly closed. Some earth and tobacco but not giving up much. Needs a lot more time. (18025 views) | |
| Tasted by KimBot on 4/30/2011 & rated 93 points: Nice traditional Paulliac, will get more sophisticated with time (17471 views) | |
| Tasted by danielk168 on 4/22/2011 & rated 90 points: Decanted in bottle 2 hrs and brought to dinner. Initially still closed and only showed minerals and graphite, some floral but little fruit. Decanted for 30min and much improved, floral scent spiked but then went quickly, somehow the fruits never showed up much and overall impression was not quite balanced. Palate was smooth and tannins well integrated, towards the end just a tiny bit tannic. Perhaps more time in the cellar would make this better. (17550 views) | |
| Tasted by Maximus Brutus on 4/21/2011 & rated 92 points: Wonderful smoky nose and dark, toasty fruit and liquorice taste. Tannins under control but still present. I'm sure this will be utterly superb in a few years time. (17696 views) | |
| Tasted by dcwino on 4/17/2011 & rated 94 points: Marks duckhouse – BdM CC, Meo NSG Boudots , MM CV & Pontet Canet (Marks duckhouse, Falls Church, Va): It was opened the night before. Initially Elliot thought it may be slightly corked. My allergy was bothering me so I wasn’t absolutely certain but no TCA in the nose and the palate. It opened up gradually, initially showing generous palate and concentration and towards to the end of the night almost a Margaux like perfume, cedar and cassis. It will take awhile to open, not completely open and not much tertiary flavor. It will take another five to ten years to mature. Excellent concentration, an exceptional wine. 97 point potential. (17621 views) | |
| Tasted by kgh on 4/16/2011 & rated 94 points: Magnum consumed with dinner at Donovan's. After decanting, this dark ruby wine showed impressive layers of black berry fruit, cassis, graphite, and spice notes. The tannins are soft and balanced, leading to a lingering finish. (16996 views) | |
| Tasted by ews3 on 4/14/2011 & rated 94 points: tight and youthful, this still shows lots of black berry fruit (17162 views) | |
| Tasted by pgordon62 on 3/6/2011 & rated 92 points: A clean, precise nose of cassis, anise oak and earth. Tight and pure on the palate and through the finish. While many 2003s are a little flat and lifeless, this wine, though closed, is full of mineral vitality and promise. Revisit in 5-7 years. (17759 views) | |
| Tasted by RayOB on 2/27/2011 & rated 94 points: I think I drank Waitrose dry of this Lovely Amazing what he has done with this vineyard within a couple of years (13233 views) | |
| Tasted by David J Cooper on 2/13/2011: Drk red. Tight nose at first, red fruit, pepper and earth. Nice red fruit flavours. Tannic but showing pretty well in the end. Excellent future. (18233 views) | |
| Tasted by godx on 2/11/2011 & rated 91 points: Bill's Monthly Lunch - February 2011 (Vancouver, BC): Decanted for 3 hours. Dark red youthful colour, almost purple/pink at the rim with a black core. On the nose lots of dark cherries, plums and blackberries in a ripe, but not overdone style. Also slight hints of some secondary aromas that I couldn’t put my finger on but there is bit development happening now. Lots of concentration on the palate with a good amount of tannins and acidity. Surprisingly this was drinking pretty well for its age. Can be drunk now but for my palate needs 5+ years at least. Excellent. 91+ (18444 views) | |
| Tasted by jbeauprez on 12/30/2010 & rated 90 points: This wine is still pressure-packed and unyeilding - vinturi'd and decanted 5.5 hours the first night, re-vinturi'd and decanted 4 hours the second night. Seems that it will be quite a wine down the road but right now it's like trying to see color in a black hole. (19166 views) | |
| Tasted by Cmichaelsen on 12/25/2010: Xmas dinner 2010. (18713 views) | |
| Tasted by CRAUBER4242 on 12/13/2010 & rated 94 points: Needed 2+ hours of decant time, although it was darn good after 1 ½. Wonderful nose of cassis with hints of spice and the scorched earth Mr. Parker mentioned, leading to wonderful cassis flavors. Great intensity on the nose and palate with nice tannins. The essence of cassis. One of the better wines I’ve enjoyed this year. I sure feel great about buying ’08 and ’09 futures of this wine. (19238 views) | |
| Tasted by Baeyens Cellars on 11/30/2010 & rated 93 points: Definitely on the young side still but quite enjoyable after 2 hours decanting. Ripe fruits, great minerality and mouth feel. Will only get better with time. (19866 views) | |
| Tasted by unrelenting on 11/17/2010: awesome structure and integration wait five years to drink (or decant six hrs prior) (19799 views) | |
| Tasted by jrglm on 11/13/2010 & rated 92 points: Still an amazing wine. Needs significant time to open. Wonderful nose, mouthfeel and, of course, flavor. Tannins were still fairly pronounced as I would have expected. (19227 views) | |
| Tasted by beezer6 on 11/10/2010 & rated 92 points: The Ultimate Wine Experience (Binny's South Loop - Chicago, IL): Smoky and licorice dominated. Racy and liqueur black fruit. Some black olives, tar. You can sense the heat on the back end. Very nice. Drinking well now but still young. (20304 views) | |
| Tasted by wineismylife on 11/6/2010 flawed bottle: CellarTracker Texas Offline II - Part Three (McKinney Performing Arts Center, McKinney, Texas): Horribly corked. (19087 views) | |
| Tasted by PC73 on 11/4/2010 & rated 91 points: Took a while to open up. A big wine. Very dark in appearance. Lots of fruit already, tannins were reasonably subtle. (18635 views) | |
| Tasted by bmagic on 10/28/2010 & rated 90 points: Nose - hint of alcohol/hairspray, but not expressive of much else. Much better on the palate - red fruits and blackberries, ripe, rich and dark. Some sweetness on the aftertaste. Grippy tannins. Drink within next 2-3 years. (18692 views) | |
| Tasted by AZ Cat on 10/17/2010: (4) Drank for Monica’s 40th birthday with Bob & Dennis at the cabin. Like the last bottle, a big wine that was very enjoyable. Well-balanced. (18151 views) | |
| Tasted by dream on 10/11/2010 & rated 93 points: Thick dark ruby color. Funky nose of black earth, cassis and prunes. Quite structured and tannic but this has a good mid-palate with wonderful black fruit flavors. Leaner-styled with just a hint of the '03 roast, there is a lot of depth and layers underneath that suggest this wine will be something special down the road. One of the few '03's I've truly liked so far. 93+ (19521 views) | |
| Tasted by SimonG on 9/10/2010: Vintage Pairs 2010 (Alba, London): Blind. High-toned, acetone nose. Full colour, purple. Fat. Quite dry on the finish but ok. *** (20203 views) | |
| Tasted by Charlie Carnes on 9/10/2010: I had a cold and did not taste, but Julie liked as much as the other bottle we had a while back. (19380 views) | |
| Tasted by 3daywinereview.com on 9/1/2010 & rated 93 points: Bordeaux Tasting (Edina Country Club): 93+ This wine is really young and needs five to ten years in the cellar to start showing its stuff. Black fruits, minerals, oak, cassis, and vanilla. Medium finish and concentrated. I loved the palate on this wine. (20816 views) | |
| Tasted by rocknroller on 8/29/2010 & rated 93 points: Bordeaux at the Edina CC (Edina Country Club): Near purple in color. Nose shows cedar, vanilla, black fruit, cassis, and anise. Full bodied on the palate, ample tannins that are well integrated and good overall balance. 93pts. (20194 views) | |
| Tasted by Mattshank on 8/29/2010 & rated 91 points: Bordeaux Event at Edina CC (Edina Country Club, MN): Nose: Ripe red fruits and a bit of green notes that faded somewhat with air but were still present. Palate: Shows ripe red fruits and some mineral. Good tannins and acidity, and a solid medium to long finish. The greeness of the nose was not present on palate. It would be interesting to try this again as the green quality of the nose kept this from being 92-93+ points for me. (20106 views) | |
| Tasted by d'Artagnan on 8/26/2010 & rated 93 points: Horizontale Bordeaux 2003: Horizontale 2003 Nez très discret. Bouche dense et ample, longue, d’un style moderne, très exotique. Petit bijou d’élégance et de finesse dans un écrin moderne. 93-94 pts (19024 views) | |
| Tasted by amred on 8/25/2010 & rated 91 points: Seemed not so atypical to us. Lead pencil/graphite nose. Still young, tannins very present. Seems to need a year or so. Admittedly fairly fruit-forward, but well-balanced for the "newer" style. We won't touch for another year or so. (18885 views) | |
| Tasted by CdP in NYC on 8/23/2010: Are these ready to drink yet!?!? (NYC): Much sweeter and lusher than the 2004. More forward and obvious. Sweet, almost tangy tannins still hiding lots of the nuance and beauty of the vintage, though allowing for plenty of ash and crushed rock to compliment a lengthy raspberry jam finish. Finishes long, dry and dusty. Extremely good, but lacking the acidity (obviously) to bring this into the realm of the '04's. Sit another few on this one. Hold. 91-93 -JRS (19939 views) | |
| Tasted by indiscriminate palate on 8/16/2010 & rated 92 points: In the last year, the tannins, while still a bit harsh, are integrating very well (indeed, given this is meant to be a 20+ year wine for me, I worry it might be integrating too quick, but I leave that to the experts). Upfront fruit, concentrated, still quite primary. (19494 views) | |
| Tasted by spineguy on 8/15/2010: Will not numerically rate now as I do not think it will do this wine justice. So much potential. Dark stuff with finesse. Medium plus body. (17925 views) | |
| Tasted by kennyg on 8/15/2010 & rated 91 points: Newer world style with loads of upfront fruit. Still quite tight. Opened over an hour but herbal on finish detracted some. May make bigger scores with 5 to 10 more years in the bottle (18010 views) | |
| Tasted by jhannah27 on 8/10/2010: mmmmm...this is starting to come around. Pop and drop into a decanter, and drank over about two hours. Even without the long decant I gave this last time out, this showed very similar to how it did back in January. Fresh, lively fruit, deep dark earth in the background, and the tannins are really integrating nicely. Still just a baby, but I really like where this is going. Same score as previous (94). (17037 views) | |
| Tasted by Rob MacKay on 8/10/2010 & rated 94 points: In comparison to my 2 notes from last year, this wine has softened a bit around the edges and doesn't show as much of the mocha and vanilla notes. Fruit and overall structure are still the standouts here and while the tannins have loosened up a bit, they are still pretty firm. This will be a fun wine to follow as it ages over the next several years. (18044 views) | |
| Tasted by edbev on 7/27/2010: cedar, tannins, but balanced. sweet stone fruit, hint of christmas pudding. youthful, stood up well against the '90 lynch bages and '89 mouton in same flight. drinking well and not the over ripeness expected of an 03 (15559 views) | |
| Tasted by CCL957 on 7/25/2010 & rated 93 points: Noticable tannic but can feel complexity and potential of this wine. Still very young when compared to other Pauillacs. A pity to open so early better don't try in 5 years. (16366 views) | |
| Tasted by CFrank on 7/25/2010: Drank at blind tasting of Bordeaux. Won the night by landslide, while being the youngest bottle opened. (16690 views) | |
| Tasted by pakabear on 7/9/2010 & rated 95 points: Needs about 10 years, GREAT wine (16816 views) | |
| Tasted by mukden on 7/4/2010 & rated 91 points: YES. So this is still young, deep purple and very bordeaux. But, a bit of a waste to open it t this time. (16483 views) | |
| Tasted by King JR on 7/2/2010 & rated 93 points: Awesome showing. Still a little closed and retiscent though. Nice nose, but wants to give more. I will cellar for another few years. Smooth and voluptuous. (16761 views) | |
| Tasted by gsquireh on 6/19/2010 & rated 94 points: Royal purple color and full bodied and rich with lots of cassis and a nose of licorice and sweet black currant. The more air the more character. (16981 views) | |
| Tasted by mkelson on 6/17/2010 & rated 95 points: A beautiful wine, full of lushness and flavor, suprisingly low in tannins. It is full bodied and yet opened up nicely in a short period of time. Highly recommended. Suprisingly good. (16779 views) | |
| Tasted by Lord Rayas on 6/16/2010 & rated 95 points: Kids pool luncheon party (Bunny and Peggy's house in Stanley): flamboyant nose of scorched earth, smoke, licorice, and black currant. almost exotic. love it! (17026 views) | |
| Tasted by ews3 on 6/12/2010 & rated 92 points: black pepper and raspberry and blackberry jam. some really pleasant clove notes. med(+) tannins are very prominent and suggest a long-lived wine, med(+) finish. This wine had all the stuffing of a great bordeaux, but the jammy fruit left me preferring the 2000 this night. (15204 views) | |
| Tasted by jrobs7777 on 6/12/2010 & rated 95 points: Examination of Bordeaux (Our House (2033 Brandywine St., Philadelphia)): A powerful delicious wine with a promising future (although on the second day, this may have been overshadowed by the 2000 PC). This has great spice on the nose with a magnificent blend of dark fruit and oak. Good gripping tannins, but everything is in good balance. This is still tight and concentrated. Will sit on remaining bottles for at least 5 years. A quality effort. (16582 views) | |
| Tasted by isdblm@lsu.edu on 6/12/2010 & rated 94 points: Still loving its smooth and tasty impact on the palate. (15318 views) | |
| Tasted by Gob on 6/6/2010 & rated 92 points: Dident give enough time in the decanter..... Initially quite closed... opened up pretty fast though ... nice dark fruit, cassis.. bit of earth and shroom in there... reasonable finish... lots of fresh flavours in here. good fruit, with a herbacious aftertaste ... it was killed quite fast but the wine is suprisingly open at the moment.... enjoyable (15376 views) | |
| Tasted by Spruce Goose on 6/6/2010 & rated 91 points: WOTN for me. Great nose with a balanced medley of contrasting elements. Dark berries and tart tomatoes dominated. Persistence yielded some intriguing cinnamon stick and a beautiful swell of sweet strawberries. Something between charred and bloody meat also revealed itself over time. This would have been screaming good if the palate brought half what the nose did. In the mouth, it was dark smooth fruit all the way with a little dip on the mid palate. The fruit lingered on the finish with a pronounced minty flavor. The aromatics were truly pleasurable, and the palate was good enough. I'd like to taste this in a few years. (15173 views) | |
| Tasted by Duras on 5/15/2010 & rated 90 points: My first bottle of this wine with another 5 laid down. Decanted for 4 hours but still fairly closed. Although showing some fruit, very oak prominent so not sure about the balance over the long haul. Currently showing as a nice but not great wine. (14949 views) | |
| Tasted by PontetCanet on 5/15/2010 & rated 93 points: Decanted for a couple of hours. Brought to Bonnie's and paired very nicely with grilled beef tenderloin with Gordie's mushroom and onion topping. Consumed with Bonnie, Gordie, and the Toad. Sophia was close by. The nose was singing when first opened but I think it may have tightened up a bit with extended air time. Regardless, this wine is delicious. Packed, tight, and dense, but with a wonderful attack and loads of fruit. Way more open for business than the first bottle consumed in early 2007 which was unyielding and incredibly closed. I'll wait a few more years to open the next. (15670 views) | |
| Tasted by KimBot on 5/9/2010 & rated 94 points: Very nice and complex, will be better with a few more years in the bottle (15394 views) | |
| Tasted by tbabes on 5/5/2010 & rated 95 points: Bought off the list at St. John in London; the waiter splash decanted and I drank it over the following 1.5 hours. A youthful purple color, with an outgoing bouquet, offering up scents of very ripe black fruits, some smoke and creosote, roasted herbs and a hint of white truffle. Medium to full bodied, with a lush mouthfeel, great concentration of fruit, layers of flavor, velvety tannins and good structure. The finish was long and focused, with good delineation. This should continue to evolve (and improve) for another 15 years! (15236 views) | |
| Tasted by LeechDogg on 4/15/2010 flawed bottle: Ethyl acetate, brett, horsey, not as bad on palate, nice tannins, some dark fruit. (15618 views) | |
| Tasted by Miceri on 3/20/2010 & rated 91 points: Dark red; deep nose, ripe blackberries; full bodied, powerful, very tannic, long aftertaste; wait some more years (15867 views) | |
| Tasted by KimBot on 3/18/2010 & rated 93 points: Very nice, almost like an american cab. will get even better over the years (16479 views) | |
| Tasted by Zweder on 3/6/2010 & rated 92 points: Regular dinner group (@ EM): Beautiful luxurious bouquet with good cassis and toasted oak. Good cassis juice in the mouth, liquorice, soft tannin but firm and some sweetness. Very youthful, but already a great pleasure. 92+ (16327 views) | |
| Tasted by dbg on 2/27/2010: Dark red to rim. A bit hot and alcoholic on the nose, lots of fruit but not well integrated right now, a little worrisome and not performing as well as last few tries. Hopefully this will come together in a few years. (16759 views) | |
| Tasted by dannyg on 2/16/2010 & rated 93 points: Packed with power and punch. Garnet deep. Caramel, coffee, malt and on the palate very risch, fruity with silky tannins (thats dont bite or dry out). Very firm and sweet acids, kinda of like acids in coke. Good bottle to keep (17035 views) | |
| Tasted by jrobs7777 on 2/14/2010 & rated 94 points: This makes no excuse for being an 03. Just a tremendous wine. Bigger than the typical Pontet Canet. The nose reaches out and punches you in the face Dark fruit, licorice and toasty cedar. After several minutes in the glass, this mellows nicely. Big dark fruit, including plum, blackberry and bilberry. Nice lush palate with good tannins. The acidity is there and keeps everything nice and balanced. There is a slight gap at the back end of the palate that gives way to a very very nice finish. This is nice and juicy and really enjoyable. It may not age like some of the other vintages of Pontet Canet we have in the cellar, but this is excellent and drinking well now. 94+ (16056 views) | |
| Tasted by Matt Scott on 2/8/2010 & rated 93 points: Decanted for two hours. A dark garnet, with a lighter rim. I love the blackberry jam nose, with charcoal, licorice and dried flowers. On the palate, I also get some tobacco. The finish is long and seductive, while showcasing round and velvety tannins. Fresh, complex and savory. This is very approachable and time will still help with the secondary nuances. This is the precursor to the magnificent '05. Drink 2013 -. (13415 views) | |
| Tasted by ews3 on 2/7/2010 & rated 94 points: tight, powerful wine. lots and lots of black fruit is packed in and really presents on the palate. med (+) tannins. long finish. Really a great wine. (16829 views) | |
| Tasted by MarkMich on 1/30/2010 & rated 92 points: Dark ruby red. decanted for 2 hours...red fruit and vanilla with a hint of earth on the nose. red fruit and apricot upfront with pepper and spice on the mid palate. long very nice finish 60 seconds plus. (16306 views) | |
| Tasted by City Wine Journal on 1/26/2010 & rated 93 points: Pontet-Canet Vertical with Alfred Tesseron, Kevin Zraly, and Sherry Lehmann (Four Seasons Restaurant, Manhattan): Fresh, fragrant, wonderful. Modern... atypical for the 2003 vintage but excellent and quite well-grounded in P-C. Full bodied, room to grow. I rate it behind the 1996 and the 2005, but that is no shame! (17838 views) | |
| Tasted by jhannah27 on 1/22/2010: Same score as previous. Decanted for around 5-6 hours before drinking. Wow...and...Wow. Such an amazingly fresh, ripe, earthy and other wise balanced wine from, start to finish. this is still in its youth, but with the extended it sure showed a glimpse of what it may have in store in another 5-10+ years. Absolutely sublime stuff. (16120 views) | |
| Tasted by isdblm@lsu.edu on 1/18/2010 & rated 93 points: Drinkable, though tannins still pronounced. (16530 views) | |
| Tasted by AZ Cat on 1/15/2010: (4) A beautiful young Bordeaux. Big with lots of fruit but well balanced. (12320 views) | |
| Tasted by cadamson on 1/1/2010 & rated 93 points: years and years too young to drink, but the promise is amazing. Aroma's of classic Bordeaux can be coaxed out of the glass with some time and lots of swirling. The front palate is amazing in the depth of fruit and purity. Then, the door slams, with a wall of sweet tannins closing down hard leaving you grasping for water! Clearly, a great, great wine, made to age, but well worth checking into every few years as the enjoyment does not need to be deferred, there is enough now to make it great. (16198 views) | |
| Tasted by Zingrrl on 12/24/2009: Opened at 1515 to decant for Christmas dinner. Also opened a 1995 for comparison. Stay tuned for notes... Wow, poured small taste - hot and tannic. Wine disappointed. Alcohol blew off but a sour/too tart aspect stayed with the wine throughout the night. It was great last Christmas, but this year seems to be in a sleeper phase. I'll wait awhile... (16312 views) | |
| Tasted by signotim on 12/5/2009 & rated 91 points: shut tight on day 1 even after 4 hour decant. more fruit on day 2 and better yet on day 3. try again in 2 - 3 years. (16890 views) | |
| Tasted by AlanC on 11/23/2009 & rated 94 points: Right in the wheelhouse! Nose not especially remarkable, but taste is like walking through a darkened doorway into a lighted ballroom. Unbelieveable richness in dark fruits--black cherry and blackberry-with a touch of cedar that just wraps the whole package as the wine slips off your tongue. Tannins are softening and sweet, and the whole experience is so pleasing. The window is now open for business. (18114 views) | |
| Tasted by noppakit s. on 11/13/2009 & rated 92 points: Testing along with L'Evangile 2003. The absolutely Left Bank and Right Bank character shows up face-to-face. I really love the typical smell of Pontet Canet. Classic and seductive Pauillac terroir, LP-VHS : Low Profile but Very High Standard. Good taste, great finish... a little bit more fruit than the 2000, more charming. I like then both twins...they are look alike but different !!! Drink now - 2023....................92-93/100............................ (17481 views) | |
| Tasted by wineotim on 11/10/2009 & rated 95 points: Complex aromas of cassis, dark cherry, and cedar on the nose. Nearly black in color. Silky, elegant, and so smooth, terroir is evident on the stoney, dry, clean, and dusty finish. Everything is so well integrated and balanced. This is a first growth wine...to my palate. If you have any bottles in your cellar you owe it to yourself to open one soon. I did not regret it. Only 13% alcohol----Bravo. This is a Bordeaux wine to be excited about. Outstanding wine ! (18375 views) | |
| Tasted by KeithAkers on 11/6/2009 & rated 91 points: Cabernet Smackdown (Steve T's, Vernon Hills IL): nose: real good nose of evergreen trees, red and black currants, a whole lot of red cherries, cedar, and spice tones. Excellent depth and has a real good tart side to it. This was finally a different nose then a lot of the other cabernets that were in the lineup taste: Full bodied with a real polish and confidence to the well balanced tones of cedar, berries, red currants, red cherries, and spice box tones. Real good back end tannins let themselves be known to show off the youth of the wine overall: quite young. This didn't fully stick out in the tasting, but was extremely good and was showing off its posibilities to come. This was my wine and I gave it a good decant, but when there are around 20 blind wines with 14 different palates, its hard to predict how it will fare overall. I certainly will get more as I liked this a lot, it wasn't shut down at all, but did seem in a slightly awkward spot currently (17753 views) | |
| Tasted by chateaujochen on 11/1/2009 & rated 93 points: I was reading on erobertparker that this wine showed very well so I decideded to open one...last time I tasted it-christmas eve last year-it was very sweet with no structure...ok you could smell and taste the greatness but it was that night closed...tonight it was a different league a class of its own..it was very classic in style with nice lenght of big tannin...there was also very very nice fruit and extremely smooth...there was earth as well...this was a wine I like power and finesse,this was the first time I tasted why some say this is almost first growth level...they also say 2005 is even better...what a heck of a wine will that be?The 2003 shows also some major upward potential...bravo...www.everyoneweb.com/chateaujochen (17094 views) | |
| Tasted by mghomula on 10/12/2009 & rated 93 points: Decanted for 4 hours. The color was a very deep and dark garnet. The nose was ripe black cherries, blackberry, ripe plums with a mocha, vanilla and spice bouquet. The aroma and bouquet were wafting nicely from the bowl of the glass but not overly intense. Firm and sweet tannins balanced wonderfully by lively acidity and ripe fruit. The palate was full of dark cherries, blackberries, leather and earth with some vanilla, chocolate shavings and baking spice. A very complex flavor profile. The mouthfeel was big and rather full bodied but not overly so. A nice long finish with good structure supported by the tannins. Great wine for such a young age but it has many, many years ahead of it. 50+5+13+18+8=94 pts. (15451 views) | |
| Tasted by Indran Rajendra on 10/10/2009 & rated 92 points: Room No.10 The Grange Fitzrovia Hotel London Mid neck Cork only stained inferiorly Straight from the bottle Estimated temperature 18 degrees Appearance Red brown rim Opaque Some sediment Nose 8/10 Open Opulent Pencil shavings Blackcurrant cherries plums vanilla hints of tobacco and mushroom Palate 8 Beautifully balanced High tannins with some slight bitterness Flavours follow the nose Good length and intensity Impression: 96 (Now- 2035) NS (13064 views) | |
| Tasted by Diane (LI) on 10/2/2009: I wanted a big, juicy, tannic wine to go with a Porterhouse steak. I got that, but not much more. Some black cherries, but no Pauillac characteristics - an awkward phase, and mostly shut down. (17244 views) | |
| Tasted by ews3 on 8/28/2009 & rated 94 points: City Line Church Thailand Team Wine Tasting I - NoVA (Northern Virginia): powerful, dark fruit. beautiful, mouth-filling tannins. really nice. (18113 views) | |
| Tasted by jcgarcia on 8/21/2009 & rated 92 points: Full bodied. Nice finish. Solid. (17889 views) | |
| Tasted by spaciello on 8/14/2009 & rated 92 points: Great wine but still way too young. (18061 views) | |
| Tasted by wenderoth on 8/13/2009 & rated 89 points: Decanted 6 hours prior to drinking with roasted lamb. Deep purple with just a hint of brick at the edges. Vanilla, smoke, cedar and violets feature on the nose. Still a big grippy tannic wine, but well balanced with lovely plum, vanilla and some mildly herbaceous aspects to the palate - still surprisingly youthful. Some hints of what is to come with coffee/tarry/earthy hints on the finish, which is long and elegant. Overall, I suspect this wine is not at its best and may be going through an awkward adolescence. It's not quite in balance at the moment. I'm going to wait another 3 or 4 years to try this again. (17875 views) | |
| Tasted by jrglm on 8/9/2009 & rated 89 points: Still holding up well. Still is better with an hour or so of air. The finish is still smooth and lingering. (17419 views) | |
| Tasted by Rob MacKay on 7/29/2009 & rated 93 points: Wine Guys Dinner (Los Altos Grill): Showed very similar to my previous note from about 6 months ago. Perhaps a little less of a mocha / vanilla note this time around. Having been brought to the restaurant, it didn't have a chance to be decanted and while it still showed very well, It would have been even better with a decant. This is certainly a wine that goes well with a big meaty meal. I would suggest lamb or a nice steak. I had it with a great piece of prime rib and it was awesome. (18346 views) | |
| Tasted by blanquito on 7/12/2009 & rated 90 points: BWE does Manhattan: a 1996 & 2003 Bordeaux Retrospective: WINE #2: Tasted single blind in a flight of three with 2003 Sociando-Mallet, Duhart-Milon... I guessed the Duhart Milon on this one, mainly because it was the lightest wine, but it had a lovely bouquet and pleasant fruit, balanced and good. My 3rd favorite. (13658 views) | |
| Tasted by woodchuckwinemaker on 7/1/2009: Good wine. Still needs a lot of time in the bottle. Lots of tannins. Another 2-3 years? (18548 views) | |
| Tasted by La Cave d'Argent on 6/26/2009 & rated 90 points: This wine was tasted in double-blind fashion, brought by the same person who donated the 10/13/06 bottle. The wine remains very "primary" and is little changed from 10/13/06. The good thing is that it has, as of this date, not shut down. I liked it better before, but it is still quite nice albeit atypical. Drink 1/12-12/20. (17779 views) | |
| Tasted by Jeff Leve on 6/10/2009 & rated 94 points: With decanting and coaxing, this full bodied, lush, opulent Bordeaux wine started opening revealing light cassis, blackberry and earthy notes. The palate showed more life with multiple waves of blackberries and cassis. The finish must last at least 40 seconds and every sip keeps you involved. 10 years will add a lot of complexity to this wine... if you can keep your hands off it. (12280 views) | |
| Tasted by etherscreen on 6/6/2009: remains somewhat closed, although more drinkable than my last experience with it in '07. cassis and cedar dominate the nose although lead pencil emerges with an hour of air. flowers and menthol play a supporting role. other complexities present from time to time. medium body. semi-soft tannins. palate mimics the nose. acid sticks out a bit on the cassis and blackberry finish. tannins become more intrusive at the end. while a good wine, i wonder if there just is something i'm not getting. i did find this more intriguing that the '00 (although the fruit seemed more pure in the later), and the only '05 i've opened happened to be tainted with TCA. hold. (17881 views) | |
| Tasted by NAA2586 on 6/4/2009 & rated 92 points: True to the character of Paulliac, this 03 Pontet-Canet is loaded with dark fruits and pencil shavings on the nose. The wine feels complex on the palette with plum, dark berries and a finishing wave of vanilla and hazelnut. I believe it's still a bit too young to drink. I'd wait 2-3 years on it. I would say it lacks the freshness and vivacity of a top wine this region. (18129 views) | |
| Tasted by isdblm@lsu.edu on 5/31/2009 & rated 94 points: A classy wine with refined black fruits; tasty on the mid-palate with a medium finish. (17609 views) | |
| Tasted by mdaniel on 5/25/2009 & rated 91 points: Lots of dark fruit and minerals. Long finish as well. (17795 views) | |
| Tasted by DAN BAILEY on 5/19/2009: As with the lascombes, a very powerful, deep nose. Fine, grainy tannins give it more immediate structure. Richer, darker fruited and coloured than the Lascombes. Nose becomes higher toned with air. Classier, more noble fruit through the mid palate and finish than the Lascombes. Very, very nice. (18016 views) | |
| Tasted by KeithAkers on 5/15/2009 & rated 93 points: nose: great depth on the nose with all sorts of tones of creme de cassis, black currants, dark red cherries, cranberries, cedar, melted licorice, all with a hi-toned element to them. Extremely balanced and has a sweeter touch to the tones that would be expected from the vintage taste: really good balance with firm tannins still, but the tannins have a sweeter quality to them if you will. They aren't obtrusive, but they are very present with deep and well balanced tones of creme de cassis, dark red cherries, cranberries, cedar and some tones of smoke overall: seems to be changing a slight bit currently. Doesn't have the power behind it that it did when I first had it on release, but that doesn't make it any less interesting, just different. Its not necessarily shutting down or going into a dumb phase, but it is probably a smart thing to just let these nap for a while to let the components fully come together (16895 views) | |
| Tasted by rjonwine@gmail.com on 5/13/2009 & rated 92 points: Wine Spectator's Grand Tour (Navy Pier, Chicago, IL): Touch of brett, graphite and refined black fruit nose; tart black fruit, blackberry palate; medium-plus finish 92+ pts. (9919 views) | |
| Tasted by il_diavolo on 5/12/2009 & rated 90 points: when I tasted this on release it was gorgeous and meriting a near mid 90s score......what has happened? If I had some I could just hope it is caught in a strange stage right now, but to be honest it no longer screams potential to me, even though you'd expect some sort of development from now. maybe the heat of the vintage has taken its toll in terms of longer term development ? certainly for the price there are better pontet canet values out there (17074 views) | |
| Tasted by ews3 on 5/9/2009 & rated 94 points: Wine Spectator Grand Tour 2009 (Borgata -- Atlantic City, NJ): black fruit & sweet spice. long finish. held up against higher class bordeaux well. (19767 views) | |
| Tasted by InternationalWineReport on 4/27/2009 & rated 94 points: Pitch dark in color, Aromas of black currant, tar, pan grille, oak, coffee, and spring flowers. Dense and focused. Smooth velvety tannins leaving a long finish of black currant and toasty oak. JD94 (16701 views) | |
| Tasted by jcgarcia on 4/19/2009 & rated 90 points: From my own 375. Opened bottle 4 hours before drinking. Full bodied. Tar and leather. Still young. Muscular. Nice wine (17191 views) | |
| Tasted by Serge Birbrair on 4/12/2009: I wasn't impressed. Too young and in need of much more time. Heat of the year wasn't noticeable and that was a good thing I have to say about this wine. Good but not spectacular. 90+ points my ASSpiration. (16665 views) | |
| Tasted by minipanda on 4/2/2009 & rated 94 points: At Flat's (Archamps): Compte tenu du millésime, étonnamment frais, soyeux, rafraichissant. Elegant et fin. On a même envie d'en relever l'acidité, comme si on décrivait un grand bourgogne. Superbe. Curieux de voir comment ce vin va évoluer. (17869 views) | |
| Tasted by jhannah27 on 3/28/2009 & rated 94 points: Weekend in the Santa Ynez Valley; 3/27/2009-3/30/2009 (Solvang, Los Olivos, Lompoc, and surround areas): Brought to The Brother's Restaurant in Los Olivos, CA. Opened 3 hours prior to dinner, but left in bottle. Wow! This was rocking right from the pop. Big blackberry, plum and roasted coco beans on the nose. Classic PC nose. More structured and well rounded than the Troplong Mondot we tasted this next to. Rich fruit flavors with leather and forest floor into an espresso-like finish. Taking age out of the equation, this is the best PC that I have had. Be interesting to see how it develops over the next 10 years or so. (18403 views) | |
| Tasted by cobbpa on 2/28/2009 & rated 93 points: Classic Values (My Apartment): Great cedar, tobacco, cherry, dried rosemary / mint and a hint of ash. Palate is nice with tobacco, cherry, slight sap hints, plus a little raspberry & mixed herbs. Strong tannins & good structure. (17819 views) | |
| Tasted by KeithAkers on 2/28/2009 & rated 94 points: "Classic Values" night (Phillip's apt, Chicago IL): nose: very expressive nose that almost acts like sangiovese with loads of roasted herbs, tobacco, leather, spice tones, dark red cherries and cranberry tones. Very rich but lifting at the same time, this had me convinced that it was a super tuscan or possibly a classically styled sangiovese. This bottle didn't perform like Pontet Canet had for me in the past taste: rich and full with excellent medium/high tannins. Impeccably balanced tones of leather tobacco, roasted herbs, dark red cherries, and dark berries overall: blind tasting can bring about odd things sometimes. Supposedly this had been sent through a vinturi and then bottle aired for 3-4 hours. I handed this off the day before since I wouldn't be able to properly decant it for the tasting on my own. Its a wonderful bottle and certainly I'm happy to have a few more of these, its just surprising how it performed in the tasting (18597 views) | |
| Tasted by gbauer on 2/26/2009: Brought to the semi-blind GPL/PC vertical. Still very young and not showing much, in spite of a 4.5 hour decant. Menthol and oak on the nose. Mostly acid and tannin in the mouth right now, with the fruit hiding. These need to wait quite a while. (16684 views) | |
| Tasted by chateaujochen on 2/21/2009 & rated 88 points: I had high expectations for this wine...well this was way to sweet...no finish...don’t think this was a bad bottle...for now this is nothing for me maybe this is so big it will evolve and get more structure...some tasters on erobertparker had the same experience today so this could be just in an odd phase...www.everyoneweb.com/chateaujochen (16404 views) | |
| Tasted by Yiannis on 2/13/2009 & rated 93 points: Pontet-Canet verticle, oenophiloi wine club, 2/11/2009, Athens. Deep ruby-garnet. Turkish coffee, liquorice, ink, blackberries and graphite on the nose. Full bodied, with soft tanins, dense fruit and balancing acidity. Very-very long aftertaste. The heat of the vintage has been transfered to this wine, which was the warmest and denser of the bunch. (16623 views) | |
| Tasted by tbabes on 2/8/2009 & rated 94 points: From 375 ml. Double-decanted about 2 hours prior to dinner; tasted over the following four hours. At first, a very explosive bouquet, with notes of cold steel, black and blue fruits, licorice and vanilla; developed some nuanced aromas of fennel and smoke over the course of the evening. Surprisingly good definition for an '03. Outstanding depth -- a really expansive wine -- with a velvety texture. Ripe tannins; long (but firm) finish. This will evolve and improve for decades! (16165 views) | |
| Tasted by 1981er on 2/7/2009 & rated 94 points: This wine has such a beautiful, delineated nose filled with pure fruits that include blackberry, cassis, and cherry on top of crushed rocks and pencil lead. This is one of those wines that you want to just keep smelling. Great flavors of black fruits and an expansive mouthfeel, this wine seems to be tightly wound and just wanting to explode and holds a great balance of fruit, acid, and firm but supple tannins. This will be another awesome wine down the road and is also a joy to drink now. (16060 views) | |
| Tasted by Nutty08 on 2/6/2009 & rated 91 points: From 375ml. This took forever to open. Splash decanted. Beautiful dark ruby red. In the first 2 hours was very tight, showing some fruit and flint, with a palate of great density and balance, but only hinting at the mocha tobacco and fruit layers underneath. Still showed an lengthy palate, and was impeccably balanced and smooth, but certainly wasn't impressive. Eventually opened up on the next 4-5hours, showing nose bright nose of blackberries, cassis, cigar box and hints of wet stone. Palate was densely packed, with layers of tobacco, leather, plenty of flint, with cassis and touch of sour cherry. Tannins were present, but quite fine and unobtrusive. Finish was really tight and lasted on the order of 30-40sec fleshing out the earthy mocha and flint notes. Everything in perfect balance throughout, the alcohol is imperceptible. Eventually, this was quite enjoyable, but certainly will disappoint without given proper time to open up. Still, I wouldn't go near of bottle of this for at least another 5 years as it is showing more potential than pleasure now. (15723 views) | |
| Tasted by Rob MacKay on 1/23/2009 & rated 94 points: Decanted for about 4 to 5 hours. I had a little taste prior to decanting and was really impressed with the vanilla and mocha notes on the nose and the ripe fruits on the palate. The wine initially reminded me of a young Insignia. After time in the decanter, the initial impressions gave way to a nice blend of secondary fruits with great structure and length. Brutish and bold, this wine certainly shows the characteristics of the 03 vintage very well. The tannins were firm but sweet and smooth on the finish. This is the best vintage of Pontet-Canet that I have had and while enjoyable young, it has a long life ahead of it. (15401 views) | |
| Tasted by mebydef on 1/23/2009 & rated 93 points: The wine is dark, opaque. The nose is incredibly expressive. It's filled with flowers, graphite, currants, black raspberries, a bit of smoke, a bit of iron, and a judicious seasoning of brett. The palate, however and sadly, is not nearly as beautiful. It's a bit of a tannic beast, with many of the aromatic components so densely packed they are easily buried under the weight of the tannins. The wine should come along in time, but there is a shortness to its length that concerns me. I have no intention of opening another bottle for at least ten or so years. (15654 views) | |
| Tasted by ews3 on 1/22/2009 & rated 93 points: lots of dark fruit -- berries, cherries. very well balanced. great tannic structure underlying this. 20-30 second finish. still needs time -- and has a long life ahead of it. (15312 views) | |
| Tasted by Charlie Carnes on 1/11/2009: I have a lot of 2003's but I have not tried very many at all. I was expecting a very dark, extracted, good wine, maybe even a little heat, and very large and tannic. What have I gotten myself into? My first thought is PURITY. Then, there's nothing hot about this wine! My gosh this is a pure and balanced wine. On the nose there is shiny wet polished iron, and some clay stained new sneakers. The color is purple but not too dark or extracted; is there a little red tint already? I am not getting some of the blackness that some of the other tasters have gotten. I guess there could be a little scorched earth. There is some black fruit, and a lot of deep dark red cherries. Tart cherries. Everything is already lined up for balance and purity, this will be great in the future. (15888 views) | |
| Tasted by Tubbs on 1/10/2009: This was hella good! (15296 views) | |
| Tasted by aof on 1/1/2009: Popped and poured; tasted closed. (14857 views) | |
| Tasted by HOS on 1/1/2009 & rated 95 points: Decanted for 2 hours. First taste pre decanting was closed and very tannic. After decanting, nose of dark fruit and earth. Taste of cherry, dark fruit and earth. It continued to evolve over the 3 hours we drank it getting smoother until it was seamless with a great, long finish. This was the first taste I had of this vintage and it lived up to the hype. I will try and hold the rest of my bottles for a few years to see how it develops but not sure I will be able to resist. (14968 views) | |
| Tasted by Stdunham on 12/31/2008: Nothing but acid and tannin on the first pour. Needed 4 hrs in decanter before it opened up. Saved some for the next day and it was still essentially at the peak. Never reached the full profile of flavor and aroma that it had on release. The rest will need to sleep (15758 views) | |
| Tasted by Rubinstein on 12/31/2008 & rated 93 points: Very nice bottle. Not closed at all. Pure drinking pleasure. (14949 views) | |
| Tasted by Zingrrl on 12/25/2008 & rated 91 points: Decanted for 4 hours and then rechilled 30 min prior to dinner. When decanting, noticed strong cherry and other dark fruit. Poured for dinner of grilled prime rib. Nose still cherries, but a litte leather as well. Good mouthfeel and superb finish. Fruit and oak are nicely integrated, perhaps the cherry is slightly ahead, but not much. Small sip left in glass overnight (inattention!) showed cherries still, more barnyard, tannins showing still, and a 60 second finish. If I weren't such a glutton, it would be fun to drink this over three nights! (14650 views) | |
| Tasted by Philippe_C on 12/9/2008 & rated 94 points: Expressive nose of mokka, coffee, cassis and cigar box...in the mounth, very fresh with good acidity and very refined ripe tannins, black fruit with good lenght... It's amazing how this wine changed from Flamboyant and exotic to very classic cabernet... absolutely no signs of overripeness or hot vintage here... (16235 views) | |
| Tasted by BarnyardFunk on 10/29/2008 & rated 93 points: Nose: Sweet, dirty, dark berries, slight herbal notes like pesto Taste: Smokey bacon fat, tart dark cherries, graphite, with a minty chocolate finishes (9393 views) | |
| Tasted by junglejuice on 10/29/2008 & rated 95 points: Decanted 3 hours. Nose: Cassis, graphite, espresso beans, smoke and rich fat dark fruit. Palate: Cherry, cassis, plum skin, pencil shavings/graphite, mint chocolate all wrapped around a conglomeration of dark fruit and rich earth. Overall: A fantastic, thought provoking wine. It held up solidly over 3 nights. I wish I had more. (16313 views) | |
| Tasted by JDB on 10/28/2008 & rated 90 points: Opened and decanted & returned to bottle @ 2:00 after small sample . Initial sample is tobacco and dry tannins but and interesting possibility . Returned to decanter around 5:00 and consumed along w/ a 2005 La Tour Carnet over the next 4-5 hours . Tobacco was the prevalent and most forward flavor w/ some barnyard and lots of dark fruit . The finish was forever . Over the length of the evening I think I preferred the 05 La Tour Carnet but it was a very tasty and enjoyable competition. Obviously this wine needs to go away & sleep now that I have satisfied my curiosity (15700 views) | |
| Tasted by beezer6 on 10/24/2008 & rated 93 points: Grand Bordeaux Tasting w/ Jill (Binny's South Loop - Chicago, IL): Binny's South Loop October Bordeaux Wine Tasting. Awesome. One of the top five wines. Fabulous structure and depth. Loads of dark fruit and gravel. Scorched earth, licorice, mocha and lots of deep dried purple flowers. The length is impressive. Awesome tannins structure with laser like acidity. Beautiful now yet this will ripen over the next decade or two. Purchased a bottle at the tasting to cellar. (15511 views) | |
| Tasted by jrglm on 9/14/2008 & rated 92 points: Okay, so I lied. Tried another on last night. Decanted for about an hour. What a difference. Dark fruit, smoke, leather and the aroma of a #2 pencil being sharpened (can't think of another way to describe it) on the nose. Very nice fruit at teh first taste. Some plums, earthiness and mineral. Great finish. (15335 views) | |
| Tasted by jeff nowak on 9/12/2008 & rated 94 points: 13% alcohol...from this hot vintage? cool. boy, this is the real deal. i finally opened a bottle for me to enjoy and follow over an evening. previously, i gave a bunch away as christmas gifts last year, and then i had it double blind a few months ago at a tasting. decanted, and the wine continued a fine evolution over almost 5 hours now. lots of classic pencil lead and expressive cassis. yeah, there are some dusty tannins late in the finish. i expect them to smooth and mature long after i'm dusty myself. i'm going to look for a couple more bottles of this, and the 05 as well. highly recommended. (15262 views) | |
| Tasted by hudamang on 8/22/2008: Took to a blind tasting. I wrote that it was ripe but a bit closed. After an hour in the decanter, it showed more old world characteristics. I enjoyed it. Nice finish. (15247 views) | |
| Tasted by carnyc on 8/16/2008 & rated 94 points: Paired with tasty Del Frisco's steak. Nose: Complex aromas of tobacco, leather, pencil lead, vanilla, flowers and coffee enveloped in beautiful red fruit. A little earthy funk and citrus fruit aroma present as well. Taste: Elegance and restraint at this stage. I wouldn't call it shut down per se, but definitely young. That said, it displayed gorgeous red fruit, tobacco, earth and a hint of vanilla cream with pleasant spice on the finish; silky texture; bright acidity; balanced and seductive. The next morning: A richer, more fruit driven nose. Rounder and fuller on the palate. The funk blew off. Tannins were still kicking the next day which speaks to its obvious youth. Has the structure to go for years and years. Fantastic. (15291 views) | |
| Tasted by BonzelCassie on 7/28/2008 & rated 93 points: Fantastic. Sweet round tannins, young but delicious. (15996 views) | |
| Tasted by Motronic on 7/26/2008 & rated 91 points: oh boy, this one is shut-down hard! Tasted in a vertical of Pontet Canet from 1996 to 2004. The bottle was opened 14hrs in advance and corked, then uncorked 2hrs before tasting. Whiffs of classic Pauillac lead pencil and violet flowers can be detected as the wine is poured, but the aroma quickly retrenched into its shell. No sign of it coming around even after 3-4hrs in the glass. On the pallete, good structure with decent acidity and fine, round tanin. No hint of harshness or dryness on the finish, but at this stage, a couple of point down on the '04 (hard to belived, but when tasted side by side, the 2004 is actually much more apporachable, despite slightly coarser tanin and a drier finish). Looking forward to trying this in another 12-18 months. (15450 views) | |
| Tasted by hutch on 7/25/2008 & rated 95 points: The Jug is done fooling around (Suite 100): Upon opening, medium bodied, with huge tannins. One of the more complex wines opened. Lots of pencil. Long finish. 92-95 Double decanted and retried later. Lots of graphite, pencil, and dark red fruits on both the nose and palate. A little closed up, but still lots going on. The most restrained wines of the heavy hitters. 93-94 2nd Day: Just a phenomenal nose now, full of rich, dense, cab fruits. Really filled out. Now able to envelope and balance out the mammoth tannins. Lots of power, but it's the elegance, the pedigree, of this wine that really stands out, especially in contrast to the slutty Clarendon Hills. Endless finish. It would be an experience to track this over the course of the next 20 years. 94-96 (16384 views) | |
| Tasted by Zinlady on 6/29/2008 & rated 92 points: How young this tasted. It was a very heavy wine. It coated your mouth. Lots of fruit. I would definitely hold off and drink this wine in 6 to 8 years minumum (16084 views) | |
| Tasted by Goldstone on 5/22/2008 & rated 92 points: Farr Vintners Medoc Tasting of the 2003 Vintage, Hong Kong (Farr Vintners Office, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong): Black, almost inpenetrable colour. Tight nose- tar barrels, deep dark rich and ripe fruit. Wow....the palate hits you full on- sweet, silky, poised, refined, tons of fruit. Great balance and structure; elegant and poised. Good length. Still needs a good few years to shed some tannin. Opened up more with a couple of hours in the glass. It definitely has touches of New World characteristics, I guess because of the very hot year. (17120 views) | |
| Tasted by groper1234 on 4/13/2008 & rated 92 points: Impressive glycerine. Concentrated but not enough, good nose of blackberries and smoke. It is rich and long mouth feel. Still quite tannic. Leave it for at least 10 years. (17572 views) | |
| Tasted by goofy Yno on 4/9/2008 & rated 95 points: pencil lead, cassias, blackberry. wonderfully balanced and rich nice complexity with a long finish. My WOTN (17339 views) | |
| Tasted by jeff nowak on 4/9/2008 & rated 93 points: double blind. excellent. (17361 views) | |
| Tasted by kstoddard on 4/9/2008 & rated 95 points: Blind Night - Bordeaux (Mark's): Blackberry, blackcurrant, graphite, black cherry and earth. Considerable depth and elegance on the mid palate. Well balanced. Beautiful acidity and freshness. Long complex finish that lingers for minutes. Fantastic. (18191 views) | |
| Tasted by Wineosseur on 3/20/2008 & rated 92 points: Consumed over 3 nights. Bottle was tight, but slowly opened to reveal some complexity. Black and red fruits on the nose and palate. Nice balance with fruit and minerals, and hints of smoke and earth. Medium finish with no heat or sign of alcohol. Hold. (17861 views) | |
| Tasted by cct on 3/16/2008 & rated 93 points: The nose at first on this dark beauty was full on California (not neccesarily in a bad way). I was expecting it to be a bit hot and flabby, but in the mouth this had an impressive amount of structure, dark chocolate and very pure cassis. A large scaled, yet very well balanced beauty. No clumsiness here at all. Very fine indeed. Behind the impressive wall of fruit was minerality, graphite, and very fine tannins. This was for sure a baby, but I feel this has great potential. 93++ pts. (14721 views) | |
| Tasted by rmodak on 3/16/2008 & rated 93 points: Very youthful wine full of candied black cherry, vanilla and iron with a lush midpalate and firm tannins. This is primary and the oak has not yet integrated, but this shows great promise. As the wine opened, it deepened and more mineral notes emerged. I will not touch another bottle for 5-10 years. (17677 views) | |
| Tasted by jdkru on 3/6/2008 & rated 94 points: No Formal notes taken: Consumed with Filet Minon with Lobster sauce, part of a seven course meal paired with wine (18008 views) | |
| Tasted by beachnic on 2/22/2008 & rated 91 points: This is a little locked up and the fruit is not yielding nearly enough for me to be excited so far. The nose is okay but also fairly subdued. The wine is dense in colour so I'm holding out that there is alot of fruit in there somewhere. After an hour I'm starting to get some nice pencil shavings and dark fruit on the nose. The fruit is getting richer and tying to poke out from the tannins. I can tell this is better than it's showing initially. 91-92pts now but if this unwinds it could go higher. I'm going to decant for a few more hours and see what happens. After about 4 hrs in the decanter the nose gets very fragrant. Lots of pencil lead and some flowers. Reminds me of a Brunello. the fruit is much more pronounced and the tannins dry and chewey. Very similar to a good Brunello. Mabey 93Pts on potential but falls short. Had a $38 California Bordeaux blend the other day that is better than this. Let this Decant for at least 3-4 hrs. It takes at least that long to show anything. This is an example of why some seek out American Bordeaux blends over their French counterparts. The Amercan Bordeaux blends can be more accessible at an earlier age and with better ripeness to offset the other components. I realiize most of the Bordeauxs are designed to age but some of the California counterparts sure taste better younger. (18340 views) | |
| Tasted by Paul S on 2/20/2008 & rated 93 points: Drank at Bottles & Bottles. Overpriced, but a very very good wine. This was decanted over 3 hours and drank over another 2. Not quite as impressive when I first tried it in October last year, perhaps because it is beginning to go to sleep somewhat. Still, tremendously enjoyable. Dark inky colour, with a light pink rim. Deep cassis scents on the nose from the moment the wine hit the glass, with hints of vanilla and mint and just the slightest touch of pepper. Much later, some cigar box and cedar wood started appearing. Otherwise, like many 2003s, rather unusually fruit forward - almost not Pauillac like. Same thing on the palate, lots of primary fruit, almost an explosion of cassis at the front of the mouth, which fades away after the initial flush. Fined-boned but grippy tannins at the front of the mouth and at the finish. I thought good acid balance at first, and indeed, it seemed that way, but there was a strange, rather disturbing empty lull, almost flatness, before the long, long finish that was at once supple and elegant. After time, woody, minty accents start coming out, then vanilla even later. Still very primary, lots of baby fat here. It is still rather un-integrated at this stage. The strange "gap" fills up a bit after some time in the glass, and the wine begins to fill the mouth with wondeful flavours, but some amount of flatness towards the middle part of the palate still remains there throughout - almost as if the acid misses a step here. Weird thing is that I am not sure how well the constituent parts will come together in years to come. Still though, it was lovely. (18668 views) | |
| Tasted by jivey on 2/1/2008 & rated 95 points: Stunning, Dried Plum, earth, tobacco, herbs and a finish that lasted for 45 sec. I can't wait to try this in 5-10 years. (18457 views) | |
| Tasted by Motronic on 1/9/2008 & rated 93 points: Decanted for two hours in decanter before first sip. Wine was still reticent after 2hrs. Palette was full and filling without astringent tannins. In fact, the tannins were silky and well rounded. Another hr. into the tasting, the nose has finally started to bloom: lightly toasted oak, concentrated bouquet of dark fruit with hints of classic Paullac cassis and crushed stones in the background. Long and sweet finish. I feel this is still too young to drink, despite the talk about 2003 being good to drink now. (19858 views) | |
| Tasted by PatrikO on 1/7/2008 & rated 92 points: Have to say that I found this wine at bit rough around the edges. Lots of fruit, but even more oak that did not seem to be well integrated. Still too young to enjoy in my mind, will not open another bottle for 5 years. (19004 views) | |
| Tasted by J-Sho on 12/30/2007 & rated 94 points: Gorgeous bordeaux. Dark fruit and granite/slate on the nose. Palate is complex and rich with a relatively strong fruit component as a result of the hot year. Wonderful finish. (18466 views) | |
| Tasted by davidandrose on 12/1/2007 & rated 93 points: Double decanted for 6 hours, then consumed over 3. Extraordinarily fruity, filling the cellar with wonderful aromas upon decanting. The wine was drinkable although ackward andflat upon opening, and shut down shortly thereafter; it remained shut down and off about 6 hours after the first decant, but started opening up and really became (almost) expressive by hour 7. Well-balanced, good acidity and a traits to give it a long and enjoyable life. Will try to wait 2+ years for next bottle. (19183 views) | |
| Tasted by KeithAkers on 12/1/2007 & rated 95 points: real dark color. Nose: real solid fruit on the nose. Dark Cherry, cranberry, cassis, with hints of cedar, tobacco, and earth. The fruit really shines through on the nose and you just want to keep on smelling it Taste: big mouth. Cranberry, cedar, red fruit, tobacco. The mouth is also fairly easy drinking at this stage too. This was in a 1/2 bottle and I was sure to give it some air, but the tannins on this weren't of the mouth inverting kind. They are firm and really add good support and structure to the wine Overall: this is a stellar wine that really shows the big fruit of 03 and just really grips your palate and has such a big nose. A really special wine that breaches the gap between the old and new worlds. This is quintessentially old world, but can be related to by those that haven’t had much Bordeaux. The finish just really moves across your palate hitting all parts of your tongue. Just beautiful. (19670 views) | |
| Tasted by Vinfauv on 11/24/2007 & rated 92 points: Big, expresive and still backward - try again in 5-10 years (19361 views) | |
| Tasted by kstoddard on 11/23/2007 & rated 95 points: From magnum. Nice black cherry nose. Tastes of blackberry, blackcurrant, cherry kirsch and cinnamon. Full bodied with beautiful acidity and balance. The mid palate is quite rich and extracted but has become a bit monolithic since the last time I've tried it suggesting it has shut down. Nonetheless, a fantastic wine that needs some time. 13% alcohol. (19334 views) | |
| Tasted by jivey on 11/22/2007 & rated 95 points: From Magnum - Open for thanksgiving directly from the cellar and found the wine to be very primary and California in style. Dark red and black fruits extracted blubbery and a huge finish though somewhat one-dimensional. Rated 90 points. We gassed the bottle and went on to other wines. Open the next day and found a very complex wine that picked up cedar, tabacco, plum and a now soft but powerful finish that lasted for well over a minute. This needs at least a decade or two to really show what it can be. Nice! (18602 views) | |
| Tasted by mmyette on 11/18/2007 & rated 94 points: See previous notes (19549 views) | |
| Tasted by G Kapoor on 11/11/2007 & rated 92 points: Had this beast at Glen's with a wonderful pork roast and parmesam rice. Glen decanted this beast for 10 hours before we finally decided to test it. Just with a single swirl it fills us the rooms with aromas of crushed berries and oak. Pitch black color. on palate burnt toast, heavy oak and loads and loads and loads of berries mixed with black fruit. This goes on for a good 40 sec plus. The tannins are still kicking after 10 hours but they are rounds and sweet, plus not dry. We knew it is way to young but still is soooo delicous that it is hard to resist. Drank this with 1996 Hess Collection Cab, mt. vedeer, 1990 Sciondo-Mallet. I rated this one the lowest but in 5-7 years this wine will be a 96+, I have two bottles but now want to buy more. Impressive (19528 views) | |
| Tasted by keelegl on 11/10/2007 & rated 92 points: I knew this was going to be young, but I have a couple of bottles and wanted to get a baseline to see how it evolves. Decanted for about 10 hours, taking small tastes throughout the day. The wine never truly woke up, but this is going to be a fun wine in 10 years. Very concentrated on the palate, with wonderful plum and black raspberry flavors. Tannins are still a bit harsh and the toasty oak was prevalent on the long finish. This wine has the stuffing to last a life time and I’m excited to see how it develops once the tannins and oak better integrate with the fruit. Hard to put a rating on it at this stage. (19398 views) | |
| Tasted by Zweder on 11/6/2007 & rated 91 points: Good firm wine with several good black fruits like cassis and blackberries. Lead pencil and good oak. Firm and soft tannin. A very juicy and fairly complex wine. Really a pleasure. (18063 views) | |
| Tasted by jrglm on 10/28/2007 & rated 90 points: So I saw this bottle on the 50% off rack at World Market and bought one bottle, brought it home and did a little research. At $38 I went back immediately and bought the last 3 on the rack. We opened the first bottle last night and let it decant for about 4 hours. The first glass was still fairly closed and seemed reluctant to share the aromas of fruit and tobacco which lingered faintly on the initial pass. Swirling in the glass for a while brought out a hint of earth and vanilla. The first taste was of black currants and plums, though still showing great reluctance. By the final glass, the nose has opened considerably to reveal more earth, leather and smoke. The fruit mentioned earlier became more pronounced, though not as abundant as one might hope. The finish was lingering and tannic, but not biting. It really shows great promise, but I probably won't try the next bottle for another 3 years. (18809 views) | |
| Tasted by Moorese on 10/27/2007 & rated 92 points: My 40th and some notes...Bordeaux, CdP, Quilceda, etc. (Seattle): Bigger and brawnier in every respect than the Branaire, but also almost painfully clenched. Impressive, but again, hands off. (18686 views) | |
| Tasted by Paul S on 10/20/2007 & rated 93 points: Tasted with other 2003 classed growth from both left and right banks at the Wine For Asia Fair. My favourite of the flight along with the Leoville Poyeferre. Rather unusually fruit forward, but that was symptomatic for the vintage as a whole. Impeccably made. (16697 views) | |
| Tasted by Arcturus on 10/3/2007 & rated 94 points: Decanted 1 hour. Nose of charcoal, graphite, pipe tobacco and earth. Abundant tannin and ripe dark fruit on the palate. Ample weight and hearty mid-palate texture with a fairly dry but long finish. Quality wine. 94+ (18754 views) | |
| Tasted by BDoolin on 9/30/2007 & rated 93 points: 10 hour decant - Beautiful......pleasant ripe red fruit in a Pauillac setting. Plush, expansive and well balanced. A noticable oak/vanilla zing at the tail end of a 30 second finish. (18415 views) | |
| Tasted by etherscreen on 9/14/2007: closed for business. impression made worse by the '01 pavie opened shortly afterwards. the pc was decanted for 5 hrs and recorked. we'll see tomorrow. much better the second night, but still not really giving up the goods. i should've known better. the '04 is drinking great now, however. (18648 views) | |
| Tasted by eiseis on 8/27/2007 & rated 97 points: Unfortunately I broke a bottle while arranging the cellar; fortunately, there was still half a glass remained in the bottle. This wine is incredible. I couldn't describe how good it is, dried cherries, semi-sweet chocalate, and black walnut. With my limited experience with wine, and a cellarful of great wines, I look forward to tasting them all. (19051 views) | |
| Tasted by kidsmurf2000 on 8/13/2007 & rated 92 points: Aromas of licorice, and unmistakable Bordeaux! Some hard tannins, which soften with time.... needs more time or more decanting! But a great wine. (12623 views) | |
| Tasted by mmyette on 7/20/2007 & rated 95 points: This is evolving nicely, with atypical forward fruit for a Bordeaux. Lots of slate and lead pencil, but a fragrant body of flowers, black currant, cedery oak, and mocha. Finish was long and clean, with tightly wound tannin structure, and crisp, laser-like focus. (19890 views) | |
| Tasted by guile on 7/16/2007 & rated 88 points: Dark purple. Tannic with dark fruit, crushed rock and bouts of wood. Closed nose. Not sure what the fuss was about. Paired well with lamb. Too early? (20116 views) | |
| Tasted by JOJ on 7/15/2007 & rated 87 points: Have a bunch of these in the cellar, and was prompted by the notes describing this wine as currently ready to go. My take -- no way. The structure seems to be there, and after 5 hours the wine did begin to show some nice fruit (currants, primarily), but it was not giving much. I agree with the "austere" comments of others. I'll wait at least 3-5 years before trying again. (19607 views) | |
| Tasted by hiltondg on 7/15/2007: Enjoyable. I can see how some compare this to a cali cab. Decanted for 3 hours. Very young. (20050 views) | |
| Tasted by Jeff Leve on 6/22/2007 & rated 94 points: Perfectly combining elegance and power with a fleshy exotic, ripe, dark fruit filled personality. (12261 views) | |
| Tasted by John on 5/27/2007 & rated 92 points: 4 hours in decanter.... WOW. should be an upper 90 pointer in 5+ years (19913 views) | |
| Tasted by llink on 5/25/2007: Popped and poured. Nice nose of minerals, lead pencil, some tobacco and deep black fruits. On the palate the wine is tight, somewhat lean with prominent but refined tannins. I did not get any sweet jammy flavors at all. The flavor profile is somewhat austere today, there is a core of great fruit and structure, but the fruit is definitely in the background today. Appears to be shutting down. (20139 views) | |
| Tasted by MRichman on 5/10/2007: Pontet Canet Vertical with Alfred Tesseron (Triomphe Restaurant in NYC): Somewhat sweet punchy core. Closing down. Broad with some dark notes. (21498 views) | |
| Tasted by Dale M on 5/2/2007 & rated 92 points: My first impression on the nose was that of a Barossa Shiraz, pure ripe fruit paired with fairly discernable new oak scents. Overtime, say 7 hrs or so, the nose returned back to Bordeaux, bringing earth and tobacco notes to the very forward black fruit scents. Quite accessible, though being my first go on this wine, hard to say how much (if any) this bottle has shut down. Nonetheless, ripe black currant and plum flavors dominate, but does retain a fresh edge framing the powerful fruit. Savory and long on the finish. (20503 views) | |
| Tasted by EyeDoc on 4/15/2007 & rated 94 points: Incredible stuff. (20963 views) | |
| Tasted by cookie7 on 4/5/2007 & rated 93 points: Note after 24 hours in the decanter. Smoked meat, leather and lead pencil shavings on the palate. Coats the mouth. Very long lingering finish. This will only get better. (21005 views) | |
| Tasted by Tree512 on 2/18/2007 & rated 88 points: Tasted good but just like a Cal Cab. No underlying sense of minerals, cedar, or any Pauillac. I would never have guessed this blind. Hopefully it will turn into Bordeaux, but this is radically different that the 1994, 1995, or 1996 for example. (21828 views) | |
| Tasted by pinotwinelover on 2/11/2007 & rated 94 points: Tight and then after a bit opens up a with wonderful richness, currant, tobacco leather and solid tannin base. Enjoyed very much but decanting an hour or so will reward you. (22317 views) | |
| Tasted by PontetCanet on 2/5/2007 & rated 89 points: This wine was really tight and extremely tannic. I won't touch another bottle until at least 2012. Decanted for about four hours and then left it out over-night. Same results the next day. Doesn't have nearly the complexity nor the potential as the 2003 Leoville Poyferre. (22232 views) | |
| Tasted by tanglenet on 1/20/2007: Served at K&L at a tasting. Sweet nose of jammy fruit with a dry tannic finish with seemed a little light. Good. (22943 views) | |
| Tasted by Nanda on 1/18/2007 & rated 95 points: Flock 2003 Cal Cab Tasting (Ken's - Northbrook, IL): Dark ruby and faded at the rim. Expansive, complex aromas of dark fruit, tar, smoke and tampenade. The palate is equally as provocative with dark currants, chocolate and licorice. Harmonious balance of medium-weight fruit, fine tannin and acidic edge. Would have expected an 03 Bordeaux of this stature to show a riper profile. What it did show tonight --- balance, character and complexity . . . I loved. 4+14+18+9=95. My #1, Group #11. (23888 views) | |
| Tasted by Zingrrl on 12/25/2006 & rated 90 points: Opened and decanted for 8 hours. Rechilled for 30 minutes prior to dinner. Initial scent of berries followed by aromas of oak and leather. Still lots of time before really ready. (23610 views) | |
| Tasted by Arcturus on 12/24/2006 & rated 92 points: Decanted 5-6 hours. Cigar box, cedar and tobacco on the nose. Dark fruit, rough tannins but lingering finish. Needs to develop more, room for upside. (23582 views) | |
| Tasted by dcleven on 12/22/2006 & rated 94 points: Very nice nose fruit and graphite. Nice sweet fruit and supple tannins. Improved quite a bit over the night. (23571 views) | |
| Tasted by dbg on 12/16/2006: dark purple, nose of cassis, burnt earth, road tar, with time some hints of anise, full body, starts very tannic but develops over 2-3 hours into lush fruit, some layering, mellowing of tannins, excellent balance, medium finish, excellent now but will be much better in 5 years as it develops complexity (12827 views) | |
| Tasted by aof on 11/30/2006 & rated 94 points: excellent bouquet, full body, nice dense mouthfeel, perfectly integrated tannins with substantial finish. Best after overnight decanting. (24523 views) | |
| Tasted by MRichman on 11/29/2006: 2003 Bordeaux Horizontal at Post House, NYC Dense, chewey, juicy fruit. Sweet core. Very nice. Sweet spices. Solid, packed. B++ (24505 views) | |
| Tasted by winefool on 11/9/2006 & rated 90 points: Wineflock - 2003 Bordeaux, Parker 90+ (Ken's): Group #5, My #11 - Opaque red color. Slightly sour red cherry cough syrup nose with a bit of heat, acidity, and toast. Medium black fruit with some heat on the palate. This actually opened up quite a bit and put on weight with time in glass. (25926 views) | |
| Tasted by micha_e on 11/5/2006 & rated 95 points: Agree with all the accolades bestowed on this wine. Great, classic Pauillac. Blackish ruby/purple, open, ripe (but not overripe) nose and simply a fantastic intensity on the palate. Great wine and surely one of the classics of this vintage. Too bad I only got 6 bottles... (25616 views) | |
| Tasted by duchamp on 10/28/2006 & rated 95 points: Brilliant purple, big perfumed nose of violets and roses followed by notes of cigar box, tea leaf and many other nuanced flavors, on the palate, massive but suave tannins, beautifully integrated fruit that just builds and builds, built for the cellar (25235 views) | |
| Tasted by MarkLA on 10/23/2006 & rated 93 points: Tasted two bottles last Saturday. One was decanted an hour prior to drinking, the other decanted and immediately poured. The sample with more air time was softer and rounder in comparison. Lush dark fruit with a deliciously tannic finish. The second sample showed more jammy fruit on the nose and palate initially, but it began to tighten up after extended time in glass. In the end, I preferred the sample with more decant time for its greater complexity and balance. Good showing, but will be even better with age. (25353 views) | |
| Tasted by La Cave d'Argent on 10/13/2006 & rated 92 points: Tasted in double-blind fashion at Vintage Wines, Ltd. Bottle provided by Tim Ryan. Bright disc. Opaque ruby robe with red rim. Clean, moderately intense nose showing black currants, vanilla and coffee. Full-bodied on the palate, with low-to-medium acidiity. The flavors are dominated by black fruit, vanilla and oak. Long, slightly dry finish. This is a very nice Pauillac which will benefit from at least 7-10 more years of cellaring. (14540 views) | |
| Tasted by lbosche on 10/13/2006 & rated 94 points: Nice wine. This is very drinkable today. Definitely some tannins lurking behind the fruit but today the fruit is to the fore and winning the contest. It might not shut down, it may not age well, it is definetly more modern than the 03 Pichon Baron I had 2 nights ago but today it is a great pleasure and I look froward to following this wine over time. Perhaps not traditional and not classic but this is an authentic Bordeaux in character it does not taste like CA Cab. Now I understand all the hoopla about this wine. (25908 views) | |
| Tasted by mmyette on 9/15/2006 & rated 92 points: Enormous, closed, and long. Decanted for 3 hours before tasting, it was still closed. Returned to it two hours later, and it was starting to open, revealed lots of slate, lead pencil, giving way to dark berry, tobacco, smoke, vanilla oak, and cassis. Finish was long, tannins were austere and powerful. Be patient with this, not before 2010. (26042 views) | |
| Tasted by Tejano on 9/6/2006 & rated 92 points: Dark purple color with rich red highlights, and on opening, and decanting there was a strong nose of dark berries and, yes...a nuance of concord grape which caught me by surprise. As firm and well structured as this was...there was more elegance than I expected at this stage...and a great depth of fruit with a very nice lingering finish. (26330 views) | |
| Tasted by sivilli on 8/12/2006: Very tight, but still showing promising aeromatics as soon as the cork is pulled. Obviously drinking Bordeaux this young is a bit of a waste, but the potential is clearly there. Very concentrated, shows a lot of coffee and blue fruits on the nose... ripe, but not excessively so. Should be pretty wonderful stuff in 10 years. (26535 views) | |
| Tasted by MRichman on 8/4/2006: Dense Purple, very clear. Lots of sweet oak on nose, espresso, alcohol. Smooth, rich, dense. Intense. Dark overtones of burnt oak, walnut, espresso. Classy with a lot of good oak. Dense with lots of fruit. Structure feels a bit flabby. Not a long ager, but big and brawny. A fruit forward Pauillac. Sweet and pushing over-ripe. Manages to be big without losing it's Pauillac. B+ $64 AWS 8-4-06 (18505 views) | |
| Tasted by Siggy on 7/27/2006 & rated 90 points: Winestreet Does 2003 Bordeaux (Kozlak's, North Oaks, MN): Maybe my palate was still adjusting from the dark, herbal Lynch-Bages that proceeded this wine in the tasting, but this wine came across as sweeter and more acidic than your typical Bordeaux. It isn't overextracted or over-ripe like many California Cabs, though, and it seems to have good acidity and tannin. Nose of kirsch; red strawberries and raspberries on the palate. It will be interesting to re-taste this by itself. (28174 views) | |
| Tasted by Dave Dalluge on 7/27/2006 & rated 91 points: 2003 Bordeaux (Mouton, Haut Brion, Cos, Ducru, Trotanoy, Lynch, many others): Dark red color. Nose is a bit booding, yielding mainly red fruit. On the palate this shows concentrated red fruit with a slight earthiness. The finish is long, but slightly bitter. You can sense the concentrated fruit lurking, but it is not giving much up right now. (28435 views) | |
| Tasted by Weinlakai on 7/9/2006 & rated 91 points: This is the first bottle of my 03 Pontet. Splash-decanted and tried immediately, then drank it over the next 2 hours. The nose is not existing at first, then grows, but stays rather flat . Not the typical Bordeaux aromas – rather cherry jam and marzipan, some cedar in the background. The wine is full-bodied and has a very good balance already. Tannins are not disturbing, but well integrated. I recommend to give this a lot more time: either in the cellar – or if you HAVE to try it – in the decanter... exciting see what's the status in a year or so. I should have given it more time. (27567 views) | |
| Tasted by Barbara B on 7/1/2006 & rated 90 points: Tasted at Richard's Umbria house Dark ruby, youthful. Nose: light fruits, earthiness, minerality, not wide open. Palate: Seems high alcohol (13% declared), smooth and mellow tannins, lowish acidity, rich, full-bodied, good length and complexity. (27621 views) | |
| Tasted by brion on 6/19/2006 & rated 95 points: ยอดเยี่ยมมากๆ ตัวนี้กินที่บ้าน สมคำล่ำลือจริงๆ รูป รส กลิ่น สัมผัส อร่อยหมดจด ชอบจริงๆ จะไปหามาเติมในตู้อีก (28120 views) | |
| Tasted by Zingrrl on 6/18/2006 & rated 90 points: Still young, but very, very good. Drank with Dad and Craig for my birthday. Can't wait to try again next year. (27902 views) | |
| Tasted by win on 6/8/2006 & rated 90 points: Nice, smooth wine that was very, very good, but did not have anything that really stood out as truly, truly special--may be a bit closed. Almost like a "comfort" wine. Always buy Pontet Canet at a good price. (28071 views) | |
| Tasted by EyeDoc on 5/13/2006 & rated 94 points: Dark purple with blackberries and cassis - voluptuous tannins - very young and a bit fat. Quintessential Bordeaux. (28587 views) | |
| Tasted by jwwinec on 5/8/2006 & rated 93 points: Consumed over three days. On day one, intense charcoal and anise dominated the nose, and the palate was tight and tannic. On day two, loads of cassis emerged. On day three, graphite notes became prominent. Very fruit forward and tannic, with good richness and concentration. (28974 views) | |
| Tasted by Wrighty on 5/5/2006 & rated 91 points: A small test of 2003 Bordeaux (With Mark and Keiko at home, Hong Kong): Seemed to have closed down (decanted 3 hours before drinking). Flowers and mint? Powerful silky(ish) tannins but without much noticeable fruit. Next day there was a little blackcurrant and the acidity was making it lively; great structure but would leave alone now. (29083 views) | |
| Tasted by Thilo on 4/9/2006 & rated 93 points: I really liked this. Color is dark garnet to the rim. Nose shows thick cassis, smoke, tar, and a hint of earth. On the palate, dark smoky cassis combines with leather, tar, and earth. Tannins are prominent at this stage and the wine required a couple of hours in a decanter to show more of its stuff. Has great potential. (29502 views) | |
| Tasted by Vino Me on 1/27/2006 & rated 91 points: TN: 2003 Red Bordeaux (Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux Tasting); 1/26/2006-1/27/2006 (Drake Hotel, Chicago, Illinois): A step below the 2000 bottling. This wine is mostly Cab Sauvignon. It was fruity and medium bodied. Notes of cocoa and blackberry. Creamy finish. 90-91 points. (32628 views) | |
| Tasted by PanosKakaviatos on 1/23/2006 & rated 93 points: Complex nose of menthol, cherry and spice. The palate is very blackberry with oak derived notes competing. The biggest of the Pauillacs I re-tasted, but with good backbone. A lovely Pontet Canet. (9031 views) | |
| Tasted by winefool on 1/1/2006 & rated 91 points: Rich purple/red color. Forward aroma of tight black fruit with a hint of lead. Pretty tight, but good stuffing. 1/06 (25595 views) | |
| Tasted by peternelson on 3/30/2004 & rated 90 points: Ch. Branaire-Ducru: Dark scarlet; Frty blkberry; taosty, cigar, tabacco nose; some cassis & cedar; full smooth mouth, big t’s.***Big all around, and good. (12286 views) |
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Château Pontet-CanetProducer website – Read more about Chateau Pontet CanetRed Bordeaux BlendRed Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and rarely Carménère.Today Carménère is rarely used, with Château Clerc Milon, a fifth growth Bordeaux, being one of the few to still retain Carménère vines. As of July 2019, Bordeaux wineries authorized the use of four new red grapes to combat temperature increases in Bordeaux. These newly approved grapes are Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Castets, and Arinarnoa.Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style. In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify wines made in this way. Although most Meritage wines come from California, there are members of the Meritage Association in 18 states and five other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Mexico. FranceVins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings 2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest" 2019 vintage reports 2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage." 2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.com BordeauxBordeaux Wine GuideVins Bordeaux (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux) History of Bordeaux History of 1855 Bordeaux Classification "2009 is all about ripeness, with wines impressively packed with ripe fruit and high alcohol levels. They are showy, in-your-face, and full of pleasure. The 2010s have the fruit and alcohol levels of the 2009s, but with a compelling freshness on the finish that balances the fruit and provides a perfect sense of structure." - Ben Nelson "2016 is a landmark vintage in certain spots of Bordeaux and it should be remembered as one of the most inspired campaigns of the last 40-50+ years." -Jon Rimmerman "The quality of red Bordeaux in 2016 was universally lauded – although the response to the en primeur campaign was muted. Quantity was high too, with the equivalent of 770 million bottles of wine produced. An exceptionally dry summer with cool nights eventually, thanks to mid September rain, resulted in small, thick-skinned, ripe grapes, and the wines are marked by high tannin and acidity, with superb aromatic fragrance." - Jancis Robinson "2017 was complicated, but there are some excellent wines. Expect plenty of freshness and drinkability from wines that will offer excellent value, and others that will rival 2016 in terms of ripeness and ageability. But they are likely to be the exception not the rule, making careful selection key." - Jane Anson "In the past, a vintage such as 2022 may have been overripe, raisined and low in acidity but 2022 had a sneaky little reservoir in its back pocket - a near perfect marriage of cool/cold/rain the previous winter and the previous vintage that literally soaked the soils (a key to why 2022 is not 2003...or 1893)." - Jon Rimmerman MédocVins du Médoc (Conseil des Vins du Médoc) - Read More about the MedocVdB The eight precisely defined appellations of the whole of the Médoc (from Blanquefort Brook to the north of the Bordeaux built-up area, almost to the Pointe de Grave) may claim the Médoc appellation. But there is also a specific territory in the north of the peninsula which produces exclusively wines with this appellation. In the great majority, the Médocs come from the north of the peninsula. The great individuality of this region is that the number of vines has increased more recently here than elsewhere, apart from a few isolated spots where vines have grown for many years. Today, the size of the small estate has brought about the development of a powerful co-operative movement. Four co-operatives out of five belong to the group called Unimédoc which ensures aging, bottling and marketing a large proportion of their wines. PauillacRead more detailed information about Pauillac Looking full onto the river from the earliest days, with an important port activity, traces of which go back to ancient times (shipment of bronze as long ago as 2000 B.C.), Pauillac's life has always been intimately linked to the history of wine. Although port activities were at the root of its prosperity, Pauillac had to wait until the eighteenth century when Bordeaux ceased to hold its privileged position to become a wine port. The town then became the natural outlet for the wine production of neighbouring cantons before reaching its zenith in a period when the vineyards were exceptionally prosperous.The characteristic of the Pauillac terroir is its exceptional relief: the many undulating ridges make it unique morphologically speaking. Highly favourable conditions facilitate the dissection of the layer of gravel. This thin, Garonne gravel from whose very poverty springs great richness, has an extremely effective natural drainage. With their velvet red colour with a hint of amber, the wines from the Pauillac appellation, full-bodied and rich in tannin, are vigorous. Powerful when young, their aromas of red fruits (black-currant, raspberry) or flowers (violets, roses, irises) melt with the passing of time into a bouquet which is long in the mouth. Rich and complex, the wines of Pauillac deserve to be laid down for a little longer. Production conditions (Decree dated November 14, 1936) In order to have the right to the Pauillac appellation of controlled origin, red wines must: - come from the commune of Pauillac and from precisely defined parcels in the communes of Cissac, Saint-Julien, Saint-Estèphe and Saint-Sauveur, "excluding the parcels situated on recent alluvium and sand on impermeable subsoils", - satisfy precise production conditions : grape-varieties (Cabernet-Sauvignon, Cabernet-Franc, Carmenère, Merlot Noir, Petit Verdot, Cot or Malbec), minimum of sugar (178 grammes - 6.27 oz. - per litre of must) degree (an acquired 10°5) base yield (45 hectolitres per hectare). |