2004 Château Pontet-Canet- France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac (4/21/2014)
Decanted 3 hrs. I liked this wine right from the get go, the nose had an alluring scents of plummy perfume, graphite, and a discreet touch of new wood. The dark color of the wine could perhaps suggest an either ripe or very tannic Pauillac, but a couple of sips quickly put that notion to rest. Classically proportioned, the palate delivers a most excellent balance of fruit, tannin, acid, and minerality. The word’ rich’ came to mind after swallowing, seeing all the pre-mentioned components synch together. But before that, the initial taste conveyed sleek, dry, elegant claret that slowly gained in momentum, but always seemed confident in its direction. Kept improving throughout the night, spent a good 3 hours on this one, concluding with Game of Thrones (seems a wine that Tywin Lannister would be enjoying while contemplating where the next great threat to the throne will come from). Lovely wine, if I knew today how good 2004 would turn out and the prices that Pontet Canet would command post 2006, I would have bought a case of this without reservation for $50 per. (94 pts.)
Dale, good TN, similar impressions to mine when I had this recently in a PC vertical.
Classically proportioned claret, drinking beautifully now but no hurry to drink. I really like this style of PC. I have a couple of bottles but like you, would love to have more. As it was pre-2005 this was before the PC EP price took off, so they look absolute bargains now!
Thnx for the note Dale, sounds really nice in that special way that well made bdx taste in so called lesser years! This was when PC was really hitting its stride but the pricing had not.
Howard, i bought 6 from Peter Maude EP for NZ$59. Have not broached one yet… Happy purchaser now
The 04 is a very nice bottle. We had the 2003 last night and it was fine as well.
I have a lot of back vintages, corresponding to the increase in quality, mostly ending with a sizable stash of 2006. I think I am pretty much out of the Pontet Canet business given what has happened to the price
Brodie, at the PC vertical, they were trying to sell the 2004 at, from memory, about 7 x your price. I know whose we’ll be drinking next time we meet up!
Sounds like this bottle performed exactly how you hoped. Fantastic note. I can’t believe I burned through my three bottles in less than a year. If I would have known that 2004 would be my vintage of the century for left bank bordeaux, I would have tried using more restraint.
That’s right, you heard it here first. 2004 is the best vintage of all-time for left bank bordeaux. This is my Parker 82 bordeaux moment. I should have my subscription website up and running within a week. The cost will be in the $10,000/year range. How else am I going to pay for my Suckling-esque villa in the south of France? My “cellartracker” system called Migh Whines will follow shortly after the launch. I look forward to driving the economy of world wine.
I’ve had numerous bottles of this in the last year and they’re great every time, even without decanting. I’ve been periodically backfilling this vintage since you can still get bottles for @$70 a bottle, which is fairly reasonable. Haven’t even touched my case of the '05 though.
2004 Château Pontet-Canet - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac (12/11/2022)
Decanted 2 hrs. 8 years since I last visited the 04 PC, and happy to say, we have another 04 left bank winner. I loved the nose, very expressive in its delivery of plummy perfume with a bit of soil tones to provide balance. While I have enjoyed the modern vintages post 2009, it was refreshing, literally, to have a Bordeaux that charmed with elegance and grace. While there was certainly plenty of both savory and sweet cassis fruit, it finished with a slightly crisp finish this really hit the spot last night. Sometimes less is more. Excellent. (93 points)
Checked in on a bottle this weekend. It’s cruising along just fine but seems toned down quite a bit from my last bottle in 2016. I recall it being much more perfumed, a surprise for how great the aromatics were. Given the reputation of the vintage my notes from 2016 said “surprise of the night everyone loved it”. The bottle I just opened was more reserved but there’s still plenty there. Maybe entering the first phase of mid-life? Now on day 2 after sitting in an uncovered decanter 24 hours it shined even more on nose and palate giving up more of the Bdx perfume I look for. Good stuff ahead I hope but I only have two bottles left. Very good/Excellent, 4- (out of 5).
Count me in among the fans of the 2004 vintage on the left bank as well. Back in 2006, when I came back to the vintage after bottling, I concluded it was unfairly overshadowed by the over-hyped 2003 and of course 2005.
Looking back today the release prices probably look amazing, but at the time they weren’t that friendly if I recall, as many prices in Bordeaux began to track upwards to the sorts of crazy prices we see today at about this time. But as the vintage never received much love, the prices didn’t really move, and you could pick up some good wines at very fair prices later on, even when they were hitting their drinking windows.
When I revisited the vintage at ten years of age the wisdom of getting in on the vintage was plain to see - provided you bought the right wines. I have some Pontet-Canet, Léoville-Barton, Léoville-Poyferré, d’Armailhac, VCC and a few others, all of which showed promise, tucked away. I have to confess I have never checked in on them from my own cellar - so will have to do that in 2024 when they all celebrate their 20th birthdays.
For sure. I’m now discovering 2004 is one of those vintages I now regret not buying a good deal more of because I relied too much on professional critics. And as you point out, the prices……Montrose $53, $39 Pontet Canet, $38 Pavie Macquin. I purchased a good deal more of 2001 than 2004 and only regret not filling half my cellar with 2001s as I’ve liked them even more and the prices of 01s…$50 Cos, $38 Montrose……
I’ve heard they’re waking up! 05 was burly and unpleasant for quite a while as a vintage, which isn’t a surprise. I’ve also got a case of 05 Pichon Baron, I’m in no rush
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