[Tasting Note] Opened a 1986 Pontet-Canet from auction — thought it might be dead, but it shined

I picked up this bottle of Pontet-Canet 1986 at auction (iDealwine), and honestly, I had zero expectations. I’ve been warned plenty about the risks with older bottles — corked, oxidized, cooked — especially mid-‘80s vintages that aren’t considered legendary.

Well, I took the gamble… and it paid off.

The cork was crumbly and delicate, a bit nerve-wracking, but with a steady hand (and a bit of luck), it came out clean. I let the bottle breathe open for a bit — didn’t decant immediately. Tried the first sip after 20 minutes, and wow — I knew instantly the wine was alive.

What followed was a slow, graceful evolution over the next 2–3 hours. The nose opened into something beautiful — dried roses, cedar, tobacco, and a faint trace of black tea. On the palate, it was classic old-school Pauillac: structured, slightly austere, but so elegant and silky, with tannins that are still present but resolved, and a finish that just wouldn’t quit.

Not a powerhouse, not flashy — just refined, aged Bordeaux doing its thing.

A reminder that sometimes, old bottles still have stories to tell.