Pontet-Canet
The Estate
One of the most dynamic estates in Bordeaux, Château Pontet-Canet is a Fifth Growth Pauillac that has reinvented itself entirely under the Tesseron family. The estate converted to biodynamic viticulture in the early 2000s — a radical step for a Médoc estate of this scale — and the results have been transformative.
Horse-drawn ploughs work the deep gravel soils; harvesting is entirely by hand; large amphora-like concrete eggs are used for a portion of the Ă©levage alongside traditional barrels. The result is wines of remarkable purity, concentration, and terroir transparency that are now widely regarded as First Growth in quality.
The 2010 vintage, awarded 100 points by Robert Parker, marked Pontet-Canet's arrival at the very summit of Bordeaux. The estate's transformation is now studied as a model of how biodynamic viticulture, applied rigorously at scale, can fundamentally elevate wine quality.