In the glass you get a richly nuanced and aromatic glass of Pontet. Plum, gooseberry, cassis, rosemary, violet, tobacco leaf, sage and white pepper. Clear freshness, with beautiful floral aromatics through the palate - peony alongside the deeply textured fruit. A touch of bitterness on the finish and in the final moments the tannic grip of Pauillac takes hold. Has its own character and it feels very much of itself. Extremely small yields in this year, in which mildew meant they lost two-thirds of the crop, coming in at under 15hl/ha. 55% new oak, 45% amphorae.

A complex nose of blueberries, elderberries, dried fruit, spice and dark chocolate. It's full-bodied with a harmonious, balanced texture. The tannins are still firm and powerful, but there's balance and finesse to the whole thing. Tight and reserved, yet long and energetic. The tannins open slowly. Dusty texture. From biodynamically grown grapes.

The 2018 Pontet-Canet is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. It was aged in 55% oak barriques and 45% amphorae. Deep garnet-purple colored, it explodes from the glass with an atomic perfume of raspberry pie, blackcurrant pastilles, rose oil and Chinese five spice, giving way to suggestions of cinnamon stick, dusty soil, pencil lead and underbrush. The rich, seductive, full-bodied palate is a hedonist's dream, delivering layer-upon-layer of black and red berry preserves with loads of fragrant accents, a beautifully firm yet plush texture and tons of freshness, finishing long with a whole firework display of exotic spices. This is pretty much out-of-the-gate delicious, but it has the backbone to evolve over three decades or more.

This wine combines the richness of the vintage with a sophisticated structure of smoky tannins and spicy wood aging. It is still young, with a powerful structure and ripe, vibrant black-currant fruits.