Lots of rain in the spring, just the right meteorological conditions during flowering, a very dry summer, enough rainfall before the harvest so that the vines could regenerate. That's roughly how you could summarize the year 2020 in Bordeaux. But no matter how the vintage turns out, Château Pontet-Canet always has something unique in Pauillac, indeed in all of Bordeaux. Some describe the special thing as "Burgundian", others speak of the fruit, which is strongly influenced by cherries and herbs, which makes the wines so unique and contrasting to the rest of the Pauillac style even on the nose. In 2020, the cuvée consists of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, supplemented by 32% Merlot and 4% each Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The wine is aged not only in new barriques, but also to a large extent in concrete amphorae and used barrels. 2020 was the first vintage that Mathieu Bessonnet, who replaced long-time director Jean-Michel Comme, was entirely responsible for. A son of the region who has come home from his work at Chapoutier on the Rhône. Black cherry, raspberry, wild flowers and herbs on the complex nose. Red and dark fruit. Dense, very precise, with a lot of elegance and complexity. Firmer than 2019, with a lot of fleshiness and fullness in the mouth. Rosemary, sage and mint, and, given the vintage, a pleasantly fresh acidity. Everything is elegant and nothing is over-concentrated. Rolf Bichsel summed it up in VINUM: "Once again a category of its own." Delivered in a wooden box of 6.