1999 Chateau Pontet-Canet 5eme Cru Classe, Pauillac

Tasted at the Pontet-Canet vertical in London, the 1999 Château Pontet-Canet put in a respectable showing and demonstrated more class than either the 1996 or1982. Well-defined on the nose, there is a satisfying delivery of blackberry and blueberry fruit infused with dried blood and incense as it moves into its secondary stage. The palate is medium-bodied with classic tobacco-infused black fruit. There is nice salinity here, not a complex Pauillac by any stretch of the imagination, although there is impressive precision on the conservative finish. Probably at its peak now, the 1999 Pontet-Canet is a wine that never had lofty ambitions, but a wine that I would welcome on my table. Tasted February 2016.

Ruby-red. Roasted berries, plum, leather, smoke and graphite on the nose. Thick and layered, with warm flavors of tobacco and smoke. Finishes with big, even tannins that are not quite as fine as those of the 2000. But this is excellent for the year.

Licorice, creme de cassis, and toasty oak are typical of this classic Pauillac. It is full-bodied, with excellent sweetness, grip, structure, and more tannin than many 1999s possess. This structured, muscular effort will require patience. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2016.