Château Pontet Canet Pauillac 1855 5ième Cru 2011

A lighter-framed vintage than the 2010, and you see it even in the colour of the wine, that is still young but has a trace of rose-pink around the edging. Love the aromatics of smoke, chamomile, and fragrant violet. Touches of russet, autumn-tinged leaf alongside earthy red cherry and raspberry. This is a good choice for drinking now, but it will age because there are plenty of finely placed and integrated tannins. I gave this 95 points last time I tasted this in February 2021, and it is easily one of my favourite 2011s but there is austerity here. Harvest September 15 to 29, with a little more Merlot in the blend than is usual after a dry but not overly hot summer followed by a tricky harvest. 90% of the crop went into this wine, far higher than the first wine of many classifieds in the vintage.