2000 Pauillac, Château Pontet-Canet
About Producer
Founded in 1725 by Jean-François de Pontet, Governor General of the Médoc and secretary to King Louis XV, this estate took the name of Pontet-Canet in 1781. In 1865 it passed into the hands of influential négociant Henri Herman Cruse whose heirs eventually sold the property in 1975 to Guy Tesseron, a Cognac merchant. It’s actually Guy’s son, Alfred Tesseron, made manager in 1994, who took the bold decision to work the vineyard biodynamically and propelled Pontet-Canet into the Left Bank elite, far above its 5th cru classé status. Pontet-Canet was the first large-scale claret to venture into organic and biodynamic farming in 2004, and to become the first Bordeaux grand cru classé to be awarded the double certification for the whole 81ha vineyard. Since 2015 Justine, Alfred’s daughter, is the manager of the family estate.
Varietals
Blend of 66% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot and 4% cabernet franc.
About Appellation
Largest town in the Médoc and slighly more elevated than its surrounding area, Pauillac has always played an important role in the wine trade, notably when the city of Bordeaux lost its privilege and monopoly of wine exports to England in the 18th century. The vineyards cover 1,213ha and sit on well-drained sand and gravelly soils, with the best sites being located on rolling mounds, called 'croupes', that reach their highest point at 30m above sea level. Cabernet sauvignon is the predominant grape variety, albeit always blended with merlot, and to a lesser extent, with cabernet franc and petit verdot. Pauillac is home to 18 grands crus classés in the 1855 Bordeaux Classification, including Lafite-Rothschild, Latour and Mouton-Rothschild (since 1973) as first growths.
Tasting Notes
Enthralling nose of dark berry fruits, cedar, tobacco, graphite, damp earth and forest floor, supple mouthfeel with velvety texture, remarkable structure and excellent focus, multilayered flavours of blackberry, black currant, strawberry preserve, liquorice, truffle and dark chocolate intermingled with balsamic undernotes, well-knit acidity and resolved tannins carrying through a long, harmonious finish. This 2000 was in the early years of Alfred Tesseron's tenure and before the conversion of Pontet-Canet into biodynamic farming. Though somewhat old school and not having the sheer magnificence of some of the ensuing vintages, it's a splendid wine that has aged beautifully well. At the culmination of its drinking window, it's utterly seductive with an alluring display of confident drive and subtle complexity, while holding unabated freshness and restrained opulence in faultless balance. (07/2024)