Pontet Canet brightened the mood this morning with the release of its 2011 at €66 per bottle ex-negociant. The vintage has been well received so far and has traded on Liv-ex several times today at £689 per case, making it one of only two wines to have found a secondary market above its release price. (See the Liv-ex En Primeur Pages for the latest prices and scores.) As you can see from the chart below, the 2011 is slightly more expensive than the 2007 and the 2004.
In the last few years, the quality of Pontet Canet's wines has risen sharply, with the 2009 and 2010 vintages both receiving perfect (or potentially perfect) scores from Parker. And although 2011 is by no means as exceptional as its immediate predecessors, several critics have suggested that it is a candidate for "wine of the vintage". With this in mind, the new release seems to offer relatively good value for money. But at £57 per bottle (and around £75 on the table), is it affordable enough to appeal to those who consider 2011 to be a "drinking vintage"?
