Home > Producer Profiles > Bordeaux Profiles > Chateau Pontet-Canet
Chateau Pontet-Canet
The origins of Chateau Pontet-Canet lie in the early 18th Century, when it came together under the ownership of Jean-François Pontet, a powerful local politician and deputy to the Intendant of Guyenne. He and his descendants expanded their domaine, bringing in plots of adjacent land, creating a huge estate which, over the centuries that followed, has proved resistant, unlike so many neighbours, to dissolution. Early records show this new property was referred to Canet, or Canet de Pontet, Maison de Canet being the name given to much of the land absorbed into the estate.
Although Jean-François was the creator, it was Pierre-Bernard de Pontet that subsequently nurtured the estate through its most formative years, and the reputation of the wines produced here grew during his tenure. Following Pierre-Bernard's death in 1836, however, there was a deterioration in quality, and when the properties of the Médoc were classified in 1855 by the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce, for the Exposition Universelle de Paris, this Pauillac chateau was found languishing on the fifth tier.
In 1865 the chateau came into the ownership of one of the great winemaking
dynasties of Bordeaux, the Cruse family. Herman Cruse moved quickly to improve
the situation at Pontet-Canet, employing Charles Skawinski (whose father Pierre
worked at Giscours), despite Charles' tender age of just 23 years. There was
massive investment, there being a new chai constructed to Skawinski's
design, and the cellar - notable for being underground, an uncommon feature in
the Médoc - was re-equipped. With time the reputation of Pontet-Canet grew to
what it had been before, and it remained this way until both Herman and then his
widow died, at which point control of Pontet-Canet then passed to other members of the Cruse
family. This was perhaps a turning point for Pontet-Canet, as quality once more
spiralled downwards. Chateau Pontet-Canet became a byword for underachievement,
despite its enviable location as neighbour to some of the finest vineyards in
the world. Under the ownership of the Cruse family, the name of Chateau
Pontet-Canet - which has one of the largest outputs of any Médoc chateau - was dumbed down to the point where it was, incredibly, little more than a brand name
for a non-vintage wine served in French railway carriages.
In 1973, however, the house of Cruse came tumbling down, as the once highly respected négociant became embroiled in an infamous Bordeaux scandal in which the firm was found guilty of fraud. In fact it appears that the fraud itself was committed by Balan, a small-time négociant ran by Pierre Bert. Pierre Bert had purchased some red table wines and white AC Bordeaux, but with a little creative record-keeping he soon found he owned red AC Bordeaux and some white table wines. The red wine, having taken on the AC Bordeaux appellation and thus an increased value, was sold on to a number of large négociant houses, including Cruse. The Cruse family certainly were not central to the fraudulent activities. Nevertheless, when Lionel Cruse refused entry to inspectors from the Ministry of Finance on June 28th, 1973, the situation could only deteriorate. In 1974 the case went to trial. Herman Cruse, disgraced, had already committed suicide. Pierre Bert was jailed for a year. Although the Cruse family appealed and all charges were subsequently dropped in 1975, their reputation never fully recovered.
As a result of these events the family were forced to sell Chateau Pontet-Canet, and it was purchased from them by Cognac merchant Guy Tesseron, who was married to one of the Cruse family, in 1975. This wasn't an entirely new venture for Tesseron, who had already purchased Chateau Lafon-Rochet in 1959. Under the direction of Guy and his son Alfred the situation at Pontet-Canet slowly began to change. Turning a property fully around, from little more than a brand back to a name which lives up to its status as a classed growth estate can take time, however, and despite Tesseron's best efforts the wines were still showing an undesirable austerity, with rather prominent and harsh tannins. It was not until the 1990s (with consultation from Michel Rolland in the latter part of the decade), that the wines really began to shine, with the 1994 vintage generally regarded as the marker where the wine shows a tangible improvement. Subsequently there has been consistent improvement, vintage after vintage, and the Pontet-Canet of today has certainly reclaimed its status as a worthy Médoc classed growth. Unsurprisingly, prices have risen accordingly, and investment continues unabated; the chai has been refurbished once more, and new smaller vats installed to allow separate vinification if individual parcels of fruit.
The vineyards of Pontet-Canet are not difficult to spot; examine any map of
the Médoc and you will find, lying just northwest of the town of Pauillac
itself, a large conglomeration of Rothschild vineyards which include
Chateau Duhart-Milon, Chateau Clerc-Milon and
Chateau d'Armailhac - not to mention the
Premier Cru Classés Chateau Lafite-Rothschild and Chateau Mouton-Rothschild.
These are illustrious neighbours for the Tesserons, who own the great swathe of
vineyards directly to the south, in a prime position on the plateau of Pauillac,
on typical soils of Quaternary gravel over clay and limestone. The estate has
120 ha, including 80 ha of vineyards in all, planted with 60% Cabernet
Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. The average age of
the vines is 35 years. Once harvested, the wine goes into temperature-controlled
fermentation, before up to 20 months in oak, of which 60% is replaced each
vintage, all under the watchful eye of Jean-Michel Colome (pictured). The wine is
fined with egg white before bottling. The grand vin is Chateau
Pontet-Canet, of which there are about 20000 cases produced per annum. Since
the 1982 vintage there has also been a second wine, Les Hauts de Pontet,
of which there are also about 20000 cases produced.
Having tasted many of the vintages since evidence of Pontet-Canet's revival really began to surface, the improvements in the cellar have continued to manifest in the wines. The 1994, of which there are quite a few bottles in may cellar, is still coming around as of 2006 but the quality is clearly there, as is the case with the 1995 and 1996 vintages. Yes, there are always 'weaker' vintages which can cloud the picture (although I haven't tasted the 1997!), but even in less point-ridden vintages like 1998 and 1999 the team at Pontet-Canet have produced very lovely wines although the latter will need some considerable time to absorb all the high-toast oak character it demonstrated when I first tasted it in 2003. But subsequent wines are more finely tuned, and the 2003 and 2005 Pontet-Canet are testament to the Tesserons and, of course, to the quality of the respected vintages. (24/9/03, updated 10/8/06)
Contact details:
Address: Chateau Pontet-Canet, 33250 Pauillac
Telephone: +33 (0) 5 56 59 04 04
Fax +33 (0) 5 56 59 26 63
Internet:
www.pontet-canet.com
Chateau Pontet-Canet - Tasting Notes
Click
to locate stockists.
Chateau Pontet-Canet (Pauillac) 2007: This sample has a rather inexpressive nose today, showing some fresh redcurrant
fruit. It has a nicely composed palate, rather gentle and integrated, with a
good ripe structure, nicely covered by some texture to the fruit. It has an
elegant style, with ripe tannins showing at the finish, and overall has a good
substance and poise for the vintage. From my
2007 Bordeaux
en primeur assessment. 16-17+/20 (April 2008)
Chateau Pontet-Canet (Pauillac) 2005:
Exotic, interesting, spicy nose, full of very dense and perfumed fruit, notes of
roast herbs and a layer of cashew nut oak. The palate is very full, a touch
creamy, with a lovely composition. Rich fruit, good substance and weight, ripe
well covered tannins and a delicious, balanced style. This has great potential.
Another success for Pontet-Canet, and a much higher score than my en primeur
tasting. From my tasting of 2005 Bordeaux
at two years of age. 18.5+/20 (October 2007)
Chateau Pontet-Canet (Pauillac) 2005: CS 70%, M 25%, CF 4%, PV 1%. This has a
lovely, dense colour. The nose is perfumed with aromatic floral and mineral
character. A middleweight on the palate, showing good structure; there are ripe
tannins in abundance, and a full character. This very well made wine does seem a
little straightforward and foursquare at present, but it has fine structure and
great potential for the cellar. The aromatic complexity on the nose is
encouraging. Very good indeed. From my
2005 Bordeaux en primeur
tasting. 16.5-17.5/20 (April 2006)
Chateau Pontet-Canet (Pauillac) 2004:
Rather closed on the nose; I get some sense of a deeply fruited wine as I work
it in the glass, but each time it quickly recedes into its shell. Firmly
structured, with an exuberant wealth of ripe velvety tannin. Almost purely
creamy, yet fresh and balanced with a very correct acidity. Lovely composure.
Although there is little flavour in this wines closed down state, this still has
great impact. Pontet-Canet continues to turn out wines to match almost any in
this commune. From my 2004 Bordeaux
assessment. 17.5+/20 (October 2006)
Chateau Pontet-Canet (Pauillac) 2004: A dark, glossy wine, with a bright purple rim.
Lovely character on the nose, vibrant, dark, sweet and concentrated black
fruits. Very full and pleasing palate, showing great style, with well delineated
and attractive fruit. Moderate acidity, and rather firm, slightly austere
tannins showing on the endpalate and length finish. There is sufficient fruit in
this rather expressive wine to cope with these tannins in the long run, I think.
Has potential. 16.5+/20 (April 2006)
Chateau Pontet-Canet (Pauillac) 2003: Dark, super-macerated, super-ripe fruit. A
fat, sexy style on entry, with a creamy texture carrying a raft of exotic,
spiced and peppered fruit. Beneath it all there's a big, brawny structure,
although rather soft acidity, engendering a fat, opulent finish. The tannins
coat the mouth here. I think there is sufficient substance to carry these
tannins. Very good. From my 2003 Bordeaux
assessment. 17/20 (October 2005)
Chateau Pontet-Canet (Pauillac) 1999: This is clearly the most youthful
wine judging by its appearance and the nose is not out of keeping with this.
It is an exotic, flashy affair, packed with aromas of toffee, coffee, oak,
burnt caramel, vanilla and black fruits – many of these aromas no doubt
derived from high-toast oak. The palate is ripe, fleshy, and structured, with
amazingly well integrated tannins. Overall this wine is a sweet and round
balancing act combining structure, elegance and power, and it is surprisingly
approachable for its age. It remains a little simple and primary on the palate
at the moment but this will change with time. Nevertheless I cannot deny that
at present I find it to be simply delicious. 16.5+/20 (September 2003)
Chateau Pontet-Canet (Pauillac) 1998: Now approaching eight years of
age, this wine continues to show a good depth of colour. There are some notes of
early maturity on the nose, with some meaty fruit style, but overall it is quite
reserved. Classically styled palate, with attractively ripe fruit and moderate
acidity, but with well rounded corners. There is still some tannin to shed here,
but I sense this is all coming together quite harmoniously. Will make very good
drinking with time. 16+/20 (April 2006)
Chateau Pontet-Canet (Pauillac) 1998: A youthful looking wine. Another
exotic nose with fading, oak-derived notes of vanilla and caramel. A touch of
green pepper perhaps? Medium bodied with clean, pleasing fruit on the palate.
Correct structure, with soft background tannins and good acidity. Firmer
tannins on the finish. A little length. 16+/20 (September 2003)
Chateau Pontet-Canet (Pauillac) 1996: A moderate colour, and an
impressive nose. An intense, complex medley of blackcurrants and other black
fruits, with exotic spices and black olives. A lovely structure is the
dominant feature on the palate, with integrated tannins and balanced acidity
providing a framework for some still somewhat primary fruit, with touches of
root liquorice. Developing. Clearly a very good, age-worthy vintage. 18.5+/20 (September 2003)
Chateau Pontet-Canet
(Pauillac) 1996: Again a young, rich, red-purple hue. A little more
approachable on the nose, with the blackcurrant fruit sitting alongside notes of
curry spices. A fat, round yet elegant and stylish palate. Mineral fruit, with
good balance and underlying structure. Clean finish. From a
Bordeaux 1996 blind
horizontal tasting. 18+/20 (July 2001)
Chateau Pontet-Canet (Pauillac) 1995: Nice colour with maturity at the
rim. This has a Cabernet dominated blackcurrant nose. Like the 1993 this too
seems a little hollow on entry but things quickly pick up. Overall the palate
is impressive – silkily textured, sweet and structured, with fine-grained
tannins behind a depth of glossy fruit. Balanced acidity. Just a touch more
tannic on the finish. Needs another year, maybe two. 18+/20 (September 2003)
Chateau Pontet-Canet (Pauillac) 1994: Decanted, but a surprisingly
small amount of sediment here. The nose is warm, open and very nicely scented,
and is certainly less reticent than my last bottle which was over a year ago
now. It has some beautiful aromas, with violets the most prominent feature,
followed by a gentle, iron and mineral note in the background. Fresh, moderately
expansive, with a nicely rounded but well delineated texture on the palate,
still a little grippy towards the finish, with just a little, slightly bitter,
tannic note which suggests this wine has more to offer for the future. Quite
vigorous, a finely balanced composition, and very much alive. Fine potential,
but approachable now. From a
1994 Bordeaux tasting. 18+/20 (April 2007)
Chateau Pontet-Canet (Pauillac) 1994: The second of my case - I have no idea what
happened to the tasting note for the first. Dark hue, quite deep and intense,
running out almost to the rim. Takes hours to open up, finally offering up some
fine, cedary blackcurrant fruit, with a smoky, mineral core. Full,
mouth-filling, with a beautiful structure evident. Firm tannins which dry out
the finish, with correct acidity, and initial austerity although this fades to
leave a lovely medley of extract, fruit, body and structure in close to perfect
harmony. Good length. Needs another 3-5 years. 18.5+/20 (October 2005)
Chateau Pontet-Canet (Pauillac) 1993: This wine demonstrates obvious
maturity with its mahogany-tinged red, but it is certainly not looking brown
or tired. The nose is evolved, perfumed and open, with notes of sweet mature
fruit and tobacco. A little disappointing on the palate though, with quite a
hollow presence on entry, but it fleshes out through the midpalate to create a
sweet, rounded, fleshy mouth-feel which gives more pleasure. The tannins are
very shy and overall the wine lacks structure. A slightly flabby finish and no
length. It sounds very negative but in fact this is a pleasant wine from a
weaker vintage which I have merely nit-picked to pieces. 15.5/20 (September 2003)
Home - Site index - Site updated October 12, 2008 - © The Winedoctor 2000 - 2008 - Wine Scores - RSS
