Description
Château Pontet-Canet is a wine estate located in the Pauillac region and ranked as a fifth growth in the 1855 Bordeaux Classification. It has been owned by the Tesseron family of Cognac fame since 1975, and under the family’s control quality has risen greatly, along with auction prices and popularity. Pontet-Canet is Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant, and is full bodied with a classic tannic structure, providing the potential for long-term cellaring.
The vineyard is located at the heart of the Pauillac appellation, just south of châteaux Mouton Rothschild and d’Armailhac. Viticulture is certified organic and biodynamic and, in recent years, a team of working horses have been introduced.
Since 2005, the juice has been fermented in modern, temperature-controlled concrete vats located directly under the sorting tables on the floor above. Grapes from each plot are vinified separately, and aged in barrel (never more than two-thirds new oak) for 16-20 months depending on the vintage.
Tasting Notes
The 2006 Château Pontet-Canet has an extremely pure, vivacious, perfumed bouquet with crushed violets infusing the blueberry and blackberry fruit. But it is all about the detail and precision in this wine. The palate is medium-bodied with a gentle grip in the mouth: lightly toasted black fruit, dried orange peel, cedar and a pinch of white pepper. This feels very cohesive and poised with just a touch of mint entering right on the finish. What a great wine from Alfred Tesseron and Jean-Michel Comme. [94 Points, Neal Martin – May 2016, robertparker.com]
