2008 Chateau Pontet-Canet 7th of 7

Pontet-Canet is a Bordeaux property that seems to have really upped its game over the last 15 years. It was another very dark, inky colored wine in this tasting. The nose was slow to develop, with a light spice that after a time started to favor more berries and earthiness.

This wine is a bit of mystery to me. I have not had the pleasure of tasting a large number of wines in the "then" and "now" way that professional tasters can over many years. I have had some finer wines 20 years apart, but mostly I have to accept the past reports of others when I drink a much older Bordeaux, say from 1982 to try to understand the concept of a really long lived wine. However, if I had to guess, I would say that the winemaker here was looking to bottle something here that will be at its peak in about 2045.

The wine is buried beneath a load of tannin, but it is clear that beneath that tannin is a wonderful selection of fruit. I tasted cherry, plum and blackberry/currant.

I just never know what to think about wines like this as I can't really see myself wanting to buy them simply because they will never be ready to drink.

RP 96 ("candidate" "wine of vintage") WS 92.