Château Pontet-Canet is the Pauillac fifth growth that now drinks like a much higher rank. Owned by the Tesseron family since 1975 and farmed biodynamically, it makes deep, pure Cabernet Sauvignon with remarkable energy.
Château Pontet-Canet: from fifth growth to Pauillac star
The estate takes its name from Jean-François de Pontet, an 18th-century royal official in the Médoc, and from the Canet area whose vineyards his descendants added. In the 1855 classification Pontet-Canet was ranked a fifth growth. The Cruse family, Bordeaux merchants, owned it for about a century from the 1860s, and in 1975 Cognac merchant Guy Tesseron bought the property. His son Alfred Tesseron took over the running of the estate in 1994 and, with technical director Jean-Michel Comme, set out to make Pontet-Canet one of the most talked-about châteaux in Bordeaux.
The vineyard sits in the north of Pauillac on deep gravel, planted mainly to Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot, Cabernet Franc and a little Petit Verdot. Today critics regularly place the wine alongside the second growths, and many vintages since the mid-2000s are among the best in the commune.
Biodynamic Pauillac: horses, dolia and a living vineyard
Pontet-Canet began trials of biodynamic farming in 2004, at a time when no other classified growth in the Médoc dared. The whole vineyard followed, with organic and biodynamic certification in the years after. Horses work much of the vineyard instead of tractors, because they do not compact the soil. In the cellar, part of the wine ages in concrete amphorae called dolia, designed by the estate, alongside French oak barrels. The result is a Pauillac with ripe cassis, violet, graphite and cedar, wrapped in very fine tannins and lifted by a freshness that keeps the wine vibrant.
Pontet-Canet vintages and large formats
This collection covers a deep run of the grand vin. Château Pontet-Canet 2000 is fully mature, while 2005 and 2006 in magnum and 2009 and 2010 show the first great biodynamic years: dense, powerful and still young. 2014 and 2015 are classic and polished, and 2016 is a monumental Pontet-Canet, here in bottle, magnum and double magnum. 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 complete the modern line-up, several of them in magnum or imperial for long cellaring.
For collectors there are two cases: a vertical case of 2008 to 2013, and a case of older vintages from 1990 to 1999, which shows the estate before and during its rise.
Les Hauts de Pontet-Canet, the second wine
Les Hauts de Pontet-Canet is made from younger vines and lots not chosen for the grand vin. As quality rose, the share of the grand vin grew and the second wine became rarer. Vintages 2002, 2005 and 2006 are here and ready to drink.
Serving Château Pontet-Canet
Young vintages need time; from about ten years old the wine starts to open, and great years will last for decades. Decant for two to three hours and serve at 16 to 18°C. Pair with roast or grilled lamb, rib of beef, venison or a hard aged cheese. See more of the commune in Pauillac wine and the wider Bordeaux collection, compare with its neighbour Château Mouton Rothschild, or explore the grapes in Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
FAQ about Château Pontet-Canet
Is Pontet-Canet a first growth?
No. It is officially a fifth growth (5ème Grand Cru Classé) from 1855. Its reputation and the quality of recent vintages, however, put it among the best wines of Pauillac.
Is Château Pontet-Canet biodynamic?
Yes. The estate began working biodynamically in 2004 and the whole vineyard is now farmed and certified this way.
What is the second wine of Pontet-Canet?
Les Hauts de Pontet-Canet. Note that Lacoste-Borie is not a Pontet-Canet wine: it is the second wine of Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste.
When should I drink Pontet-Canet?
Most vintages are best from ten to thirty years after harvest. Château Pontet-Canet 2000, the older vintage case and Les Hauts de Pontet-Canet 2002, 2005 and 2006 are ready now.
Why buy Pontet-Canet in magnum?
Large formats age more slowly and evenly, which suits a long-lived Pauillac. Magnums are also the classic choice for a celebration.