A powerful wine with tremendous depth and complexity. In 2017, no Cabernet Franc was harvested because of fires. And it shows that the vintage is more fruit-forward, with a wealth of beautiful crushed stone minerality. Full-bodied with a black-fruited profile that, in 2017, weaves in nuances of red tones and Bay Laurel and scrub brush accents. There’s so much stealth to the sturdy tannin structure. It's a vintage that needs more time, but it is perfectly enviable now with a good decant. Rich, toasty oak and chocolaty notes emerge through the finish. The Tesseron family, owners of Château Pontet-Canet, purchased the estate in 2016. It was owned by the late actor Robin Williams, who had planted the vines in the late 1990s. Jérôme Ledit is the Estate Manager and Michel Rolland is the consultant oenologist. The vineyards are planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc and have been dry-farmed since the first day in 2016 that Alfred Tesseron set foot on the property. It is already unquestionably one of Napa Valley's greatest understated assets. (JC)