Château Pontet-Canet

The château

Jean-François de Pontet gathered land north of the village of Pauillac in 1705 and bought an estate at a place called Canet in 1757; the 2 halves became Château Pontet-Canet in 1781. In about 3 centuries it has had only 3 families. Cyrus Redding, whose A History and Description of Modern Wines appeared in 1833, already printed it, as Poutet Canet, and in 1855, the year of the classification, it had 67 hectares; it has 81 today. Henri Herman Cruse acquired it in 1865 and in 1895 hired Charles Skawinski, a respected manager of the Médoc, to build new cellars. Guy Tesseron, a grower and négociant (a merchant who buys from the châteaux and sells on) in Cognac, bought it in 1975; he handed the management to his son Alfred in 1994, and Alfred’s daughter Justine arrived in 2015.

The farming is the part to know. The first 14 hectares went biodynamic in 2004 and the whole vineyard followed in 2005. In 2010 the wines were certified, Ecocert for the organic and Biodyvin and Demeter for the biodynamic, which made Pontet-Canet the first classified growth of the Médoc to hold both across its entire vineyard. About 10 Percheron horses have worked the soil since 2008, half the vineyard between them. Jean-Michel Comme was technical director through the whole change, from 1989 until May 2020.

The vineyard is 81 hectares in about 100 plots and 800,000 vines, on Günz gravel over limestone that turns chalkier near the river; the vines average 50 years and are planted 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. There are 3 vat rooms: the Skawinski room of the 19th century, in wood; the Nicole room of 2005, in concrete; and the Amphora room of 2017, designed to work without electricity. The wine ages 16 to 18 months, about half of it in new barrels, 10% to 15% in second-fill barrels and 30% to 40% in concrete dolia. Les Hauts de Pontet-Canet, made since 1982, is the second wine.

At a glance

Appellation

Pauillac

Classification

Cinquième Cru Classé 1855; Michelin Guide, 2 grapes (2026)

Owners

The Tesseron family, since 1975; Alfred Tesseron from 1994, Justine Tesseron from 2015

Vineyard

81 hectares in about 100 plots, 800,000 vines; vines 50 years old on average; 67 hectares in 1855

Soil

Günz gravel over limestone, chalkier near the river Terroir of Pauillac →

Grapes

Cabernet Sauvignon 62%, Merlot 32%, Cabernet Franc 4%, Petit Verdot 2%

Farming

Biodynamic from 2004 and 2005; organic and biodynamic certification since 2010; about 10 Percheron horses since 2008

Cellar

3 vat rooms, in wood, concrete and amphora; 16 to 18 months, about 50% new barrels, 30% to 40% concrete dolia

Wines

Château Pontet-Canet; Les Hauts de Pontet-Canet, since 1982