Once again proprietor Alfred Tesseron has produced a wine of first-growth potential. One of the superstars of the vintage, Pontet-Canet’s 2011 exhibits an opaque purple colour and a glorious bouquet of incense, subtle toast and copious quantities of creme de cassis. There is a floral underpinning, decent acidity and ripe tannin to this full-bodied effort. Big, rich, round and generously endowed, it should drink well for 20-25+ years. 

93-95 points, Wine Advocate

Wild violets and black fruit nose, both exuberant and classic. It is a wonderfully elegant Pauillac with superb vineyard expression. Drink 2016-2035. 

18/20 points, Stephen Spurrier

Soft inky crimson. Unusual woody sort of nose. Gentle, rounded, complex already – there's a savoury freshness without specific fruit flavours that you can pick out, though the wine is rounded out by its fruit. As it opens, there's a bramble fruit character. Smoky bacon, not unlike northern Rhône Syrah (!), quite ripe, really does have a sort of Rhône note. A lot of spice, black pepper, particularly on the palate, a tension and energy from the freshness but not juicy fruit. Refined tannins that are also spiced and deep but smoothed. Very long. Not clear cut, not precise but lots of pleasure. A sort of homely character. 

17/20 points, jancisrobinson.com

A big, broad-shouldered style, with lots of bittersweet cocoa and coffee up front, followed by thick-textured blackberry and blackcurrant fruit. Shows a bit more brute force than purity right now, though hard to deny the concentration and depth. Could move up if it stretches out and gains some finesse. 

90-93 points, James Molesworth