92 pts - Wine Advocate
["I was shocked by how backward the 1996 Pontet-Canet was on the three occasions I tasted it in January. This wine possesses superb potential, but it appears a decade's worth of patience will be necessary. The color is a saturated dark purple. With coaxin
91 pts - Wine Spectator
["Aromas of black licorice, currant and toasted oak. Full-bodied, with silky, refined tannins and a medium finish. Holding back still.--'95/'96 Bordeaux retrospective. Best after 2008. — JS (2007)"]
91 pts - Vinous
["Deep ruby-red. Blackcurrant, plum, tobacco and black olive nose is more complex and serious than that of either of the foregoing vintages. Thick, grapey and concentrated; still quite primary. This shows the fat and depth of the '96 vintage in the northe