Composed of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, the medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2017 Pontet-Canet gives up beautifully fragrant notes of rosehip tea, lilacs, cinnamon stick, cloves, dried leaves and underbrush with a core of kirsch, raspberry coulis, warm plums and red and black currants plus a waft of pencil shavings. Medium-bodied, the palate is refreshing, minerally and wonderfully elegant with a well-played texture of approachable, plush tannins and a long, fragrant finish. Beautiful. Aging took place in 50% new and 15% in second fill barrels and the remaining 35% in amphorae for 16 months, much of the material for which came from the soil at Pontet-Canet!

Pontet-Canet has had organic and biodynamic certification since 2010. The 2017 vintage saw new methods of grape sorting and destemming introduced, and a new electricity-free vat house. Aged half in new oak, 10%-15% in second-fill barrels and 30%-40% in concrete amphorae. Georgie Hindle: Red cherries, raspberries, blackcurrants – perfumed and scented. Effortless charm while still being a powerful wine. I love this! Has that vein of freshness from start to finish. Lovely precision and definition. Vincenzo Arnese: Graphite, smokiness and minerality brighten up the aromas. Very inviting, full bodied wine. Notes of black olives and cloves on the finish. Andy Howard MW: Voluptuous style with dark and red cherry fruit, good concentration, freshened by appealing acidity and a mineral undertow. Intriguing spice notes to finish. Tannins a little drying but plenty to enjoy here.

The 2017 Pontet-Canet showed progressively better on each of the three occasions I tasted it. Deep, pliant and beautifully layered in the glass, the 2017 exudes class. Dark red cherry, plum, pomegranate, licorice and rose petal infuse this super-expressive and highly nuanced wine from proprietor Alfred Tesseron and technical director Jean-Michel Comme. Harvest ran from September 18 through October 4. The blend is 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot and is aging in 50% new oak, 35% amphora and 15% one year old oak. Tasted three times.