Château Pontet Canet 1996 (Red)

Château Pontet-Canet has only been owned by three families since it was created at the beginning of the 17th century. The property was established by Jean-François de Pontet, the King's equerry and subsequently the governor of the Médoc. Some years later, his descendants enlarged the vineyard with plots from a locality known as Canet. Classified in 1855, the property was purchased in 1865 by Hermann Cruse, a well-known Bordeaux wine merchant, who developed an international reputation for its wines. The property has belonged to the Tesseron family since 1975. Guy Tesseron supervised a substantial modernisation of the facilities, but also the vinification techniques. Today, it is his sons, Alfred and Gérard Tesseron who manage the domaine. In the heart of Pauillac, the 80 ha of vines, alongside Mouton Rothschild, are planted on a hilltop of Garonne gravel and sand. It was a revolution which made Alfred Tesseron and Jean-Michel Comme (who left the estate in 2020), in the mid-2000s, convert the first classical premier cru of the Médoc to biodynamics. This duo managed to lift this fifth cru classé to the level of the great Bordeaux wines. To such an extent that 10 (years) later, Pontent-Canet can emulate this. Nothing is left to chance for the élevage. The domaine's teams continue to innovate to create the best wines. The wines are then aged for 16 to 20 months. Aging takes place in oak barrels, about two-thirds of which are renewed each year and, since 2012, in amphora (for a third). The shape of these was conceived at the château for balance between full bodied and tension in the wines.

Château Pontet Canet, certified biodynamic since 2010, showcases the typical traits of the finest Pauillac wines: concentration, with intricate aromas of cedar and black fruit. With time, we have noticed that the wines have gained in freshness and balance, revealing additional notes of red fruit and morello cherry. The mouth is sublime, in a class of its own, displaying a silky, almost Burgundian expression.
The château owes a debt of gratitude to Alfred Tesseron and Jean-Michel (replaced by Mathieu Bessonnet in 2020) for the success of its wine. The estate’s ethos is to treat the land like a veritable garden that needs to be nurtured with love, just like a child’s. This is why – as well as for the health of the men and women working there – the viticulture is certified biodynamic (an unprecedented occurrence within the realm of Bordeaux’s classified Grand Crus) and the natural rhythm of life is upheld.
As you can imagine, the work in the winery is just as meticulous. While the blend predominantly consists of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, a small proportion (1%) of Petit Verdot may also be added in some vintages to add further complexity to the wine. The wine is also matured in barrels with a maximum proportion of new wood of one third. And this for sixteen to twenty months. And last but not least, a small yet important innovation: while two thirds of the wine is matured in oak barrels, the remaining third is aged in amphorae.

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