Château Pontet-Canet is a historic fifth growth estate in Pauillac, classified in the 1855 Médoc classification. The estate dates back to the early 18th century, when Jean-François de Pontet, a royal governor of the Médoc, consolidated several parcels of land. His descendants later added the name “Canet” after acquiring adjacent vineyards. The property was acquired in 1975 by Guy Tesseron, and since the early 1990s, it has been managed by his son Alfred Tesseron, who oversaw a transformative shift in vineyard and cellar practices.
The estate is located in the northern part of Pauillac, neighboring Mouton Rothschild and overlooking the Gironde estuary. Its 81 hectares of vines sit on deep gravel soils with a limestone subsoil, providing excellent drainage and contributing to the structural tension and age-worthiness of the wines. The average vine age is around 50 years, and the dominant grape variety is Cabernet Sauvignon, with smaller proportions of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot.
Viticulture at Pontet-Canet is fully certified biodynamic (Demeter and Biodyvin), a pioneering move in the Médoc. Horses are used to plough the vineyards, and chemical inputs are entirely avoided. Treatments include plant-based infusions, composts, and preparations according to lunar and planetary rhythms. Biodiversity is encouraged through cover crops, hedgerows, and livestock integration. The estate has also adopted a high degree of parcel-by-parcel precision in canopy management, soil care, and harvest timing.
Vinification takes place in a mix of concrete, wooden, and amphora fermenters, allowing for gentle extraction and the expression of individual vineyard plots. The amphorae, custom-designed in the shape of Pontet-Canet’s estate rocks, have become central to the estate’s identity. Aging occurs over 16 to 18 months in a combination of new and used French oak barrels (typically around 50% new), as well as amphorae. The result is a wine that combines structure with finesse and a distinct sense of place, made with minimal intervention and exceptional attention to detail.
