Jean-François de Pontet appointed himself at the court of Versailles, where he held the position of Grand Equiter (Master of the Horse) to Louis XV. Upon his return to Guyenne, he became Governor of the Médoc. In 1705, he purchased a few hectares of land north of the village of Pauillac on which he planted vines, naming the land after himself in order to give his estate a recognizable identity. A century later, Château Pontet-Canet was flourishing and became one of the few selected to join the famous 1855 classification, which had been ordered by Napoleon III.
Today, it is Guy Tesseron’s descendants who own the estate: Alfred and his nieces Mélanie and Philippine. Together they have envisioned a new era for Château Pontet-Canet, where viticulture embraces organic and biodynamic methods and the wines have progressed so far that they are now among the most prestigious in Bordeaux.
Composed of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot, the deep garnet-purple colored 2017 Pontet-Canet lets out fragrant notes of rose tea, lilac, cinnamon stick, cloves, dried leaves with warm plums and red currants. The palate is refreshing, mineral and elegant, with a balanced texture of velvety tannins.
