Château Pontet Canet
Classification: Fifth Growth (5ème Cru)
Château Pontet Canet lies in the northern end of Pauillac, just south of Château Mouton Rothschild and d'Armailhac, and can trace its origins back to 1725. The Château takes its name from Jean-François de Pontet, Royal Master of the Horse and the then Governor of the Médoc who combined several vineyard plots in Pauillac in the early 18th century. Years later, his descendants added neighbouring vines in a place named Canet. This was the beginning of one of the largest estates in the Médoc.
In 1865 the Château was bought by Hermann Cruse, a shipper from Bordeaux. Château Pontet Canet remained in the hands of the Cruse family for 100 years until another shipper (from Cognac this time), Guy Tesseron (who also owns Château Lafon Rochet in Saint Estephe) purchased it in 1975. This means that Château Pontet Canet has belonged to only 3 families in over 2 centuries. Quality has steadily climbed since the mid 1990's and Pontet Canet is now one of the rising stars of the Médoc.
Château Pontet Canet's 92 acre vineyard lies on Garonne gravel over a clay and limestone bedrock. There is so much gravel and sand that the soil is lean and well drained. The grapes are 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. The Tesseron's are
committed to conserving the environment and currently use horse power to cultivate the vines. This isn’t anything to do with ‘going back in time’ nor in search of a ‘fairytale gimmick’ but more to do with a real bet on the Château's future. It's a real challenge that brings Pontet Canet closer to nature and enables them to go even further into their ideology of respecting their vines and terroir.
WIne Style
Château Pontet Canet's wines are deep crimson, almost black and have a bouquet of blackcurrant, liquorice and preserved fruits with notes of cedar, and cocoa. It produces powerful, full bodied, well structured, long lived wines famous for their finesse and elegance.
Owner: Alfred and Michel Tesseron (also own Château Lafon Rochet)
Château Website: www.pontet-canet.com
Oenologist: J Boissenot/ M Rolland
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Pontet Canet Pontet Canet 2006Robert Parker 95+ points. "The 2006 is a wine to stockpile, especially for those in their thirties and forties as it needs another decade to... £649.00  Pontet Canet 2007Jancis Robinson 16.5 points. Quite rich and sweet on the nose. Not very Pauillac-like! Good, firm tannins on the palate. A creditable attempt to... £450.00 Pontet Canet 2008Robert Parker 96 - 98+ points. "A wine for our children’s children. Nobody in Bordeaux is more attentive to detail than Alfred Tesseron is at... £899.00 Pontet Canet 2009Robert Parker 97 - 100 points. "It’s no surprise that proprietor Alfred Tesseron has produced a possibly perfect 2009. He’s been on a roll... £1,125.00 Pontet Canet 2006Robert Parker 95+ points. "The 2006 is a wine to stockpile, especially for those in their thirties and forties as it needs another decade to... £649.00 Pontet Canet 2007Jancis Robinson 16.5 points. Quite rich and sweet on the nose. Not very Pauillac-like! Good, firm tannins on the palate. A creditable attempt to... £450.00 Pontet Canet 2008Robert Parker 96 - 98+ points. "A wine for our children’s children. Nobody in Bordeaux is more attentive to detail than Alfred Tesseron is at... £899.00 Pontet Canet 2009Robert Parker 97 - 100 points. "It’s no surprise that proprietor Alfred Tesseron has produced a possibly perfect 2009. He’s been on a roll... £1,125.00 |