Description
Château Pontet-Fumet, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru MAGNUM
Question: If expensive Grand Cru Saint-Émilion electrifies fine-wine connoisseurs, and mature Bordeaux in peak form is one of the most extraordinary experiences imaginable, what does that make today’s flawlessly preserved, shockingly affordable, 18-year-old MAGNUM? Answer: The steal of the year.
While cult châteaux here fetch hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars, Pontet-Fumet’s 2003 Grand Vin comes to you cellar-direct for a cool $89, and at double the standard volume! Our small parcel arrived just weeks ago, so we recently uncorked a magnum to see how it held up on its journey. We were rendered speechless: Its savory palate and velvet-gloved class made us feel like we were drinking one of those cult labels—but that sort of emotive response is what the Bardet family has been producing for generations. All they know is how to bottle classic, top-terroir, cellar-worthy beauties at a sensational value. So, for all those in need of an alluring Grand Cru that decisively checks off every top quality marker for mature Bordeaux (i.e. everyone), today’s titanic Merlot-Cabernet masterpiece is for you. Up to six magnums per person, and you’re going to want the max because this stunner will keep evolving beautifully for many more years to come!
[NOTE: Due to the wine’s large format, we are unable to accommodate “Build a Case” purchases. Complimentary Ground Shipping on three magnums.]
Although they’ve only been in the wine business for roughly one century, the Bardet family wasted no time familiarizing themselves with Saint-Émilion. They own and operate four distinct Grand Cru estates here, with 1962 serving as the first vintage of Château Pontet-Fumet. In classic fashion, the Bardet’s vines are mostly planted to Merlot, followed by Cabernets Franc and Sauvignon. Their mature, sustainably farmed vines hug the bank of the Dordogne River—right down the road from red-hot newcomer and SommSelect-favorite Château Vieux Taillefer—and are therefore largely rooted in sandy-clay soils.
After harvest in 2003, variety-specific fermentations were carried out in stainless steel tanks, and the resulting wine was subsequently transferred into French barriques (50% new, 50% once-used) for approximately one year. Upon bottling, today’s small batch of magnums was stashed away in their cellar where they remained untouched for over 17 years.
Pontet-Fumet’s 2003 Saint-Émilion is everything we look for in a well-aged Grand Cru, and if you were tasting it blind, there’s no way you’d identify it as hailing from a heatwave vintage. It’s layered with plush dark fruit (cherry, plum, currant); soft-shouldered with unendingly supple textures; and there’s a fascinating blend of baking spice, crushed earth, and dried herbs that only starts melting away 30+ seconds into the finish. What a stunning bottle, and what a presentation, too: For the best experience, use an ah-so opener to extract the cork and pour into Bordeaux stems around 60 degrees. I would recommend allowing the wine to rest in your glass for about 15 minutes before savoring slowly, over the course of an evening. For keen buyers who purchase multiple magnums: Drink one now and uncork your others over the next 5-7 years. Enjoy!
