2005 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 70% cabernet sauvignon, 25% merlot, 3% cabernet franc and 2% petit verdot.
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
Captivating nose of dark fruits, tobacco, graphite, cedar, balsamic notes and forest floor, dense mouthfeel with velvety texture, ample volume and remarkable fruit purity, multilayered flavours of cherry, blackberry, red currant, fig compote, ganache, aniseed and liquorice liberally laced with savoury underbrush notes, well-judged acidity and smooth tannins carrying through a long, persistent finish. Having finally come round, yet still very far from its apex, this is a phenomenal wine that is incredibly youthful at 19 years old. Cloaking its innate power and elaborate opulence in exuberant freshness, it’s rich and vigorous, yet stunningly well-balanced and without ever straying into heavy or overbearing. Likely one of the stars of the vintage, this 2005 had literally pulled out all the stops to claim its status among the Médoc elite, not least for the fascinating duality of energy and grace in full display from start to finish. (09/2024)