Pauillac Protected Designation of Origin and Fifth Great Classed Growth
The wines of Chateau Pontet Canet
Alfred Tesseron has been at the head of the Pontet Canet estate since 1975. Chateau Pontet Canet is a Fifth Great Classed Growth of Pauillac, a prestigious designation from Bordeaux's left bank. Chateau Pontet Canet's vineyard covers 81 hectares of 40-year-old vines that grow on soils made of gravels. Chateau Pontet Canet's whole vineyard is certified organic and biodynamic. Typical Bordeaux grape varieties are to be found in the estate's vineyard: Cabernet Sauvignon (62%), Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.
The Chateau produces two Red Bordeaux cuvees: "Le Grand Vin du Chateau Pontet Canet" and a second wine named "Les Hauts de Pontet Canet" (since 1982). Since 1994, Chateau Pontet Canet has constantly improved in quality, and has become one of the top estates of the Pauillac designation thanks its constant progress. Pontet Canet's first wine is of deep purple colour in its best years. It's full of blackcurrant, violet and liquorice flavours. It's a powerful wine, but its fruit flavours are very pure, and it displays silky tannins. This wine has a great ageing potential (15 to 30 years) and will certainly get better over the years. Their second wine, "Les Hauts de Pontet", is a great introduction to the Great Wine of Pontet Canet, as it’s a less powerful and smoother wine, but just as qualitative.