2006 Chateau Pontet-Canet Pauillac 750 ml

Among Bordeaux experts, from collectors to critics, there’s a growing consensus that the region’s famous châteaux Classification of 1855 is ready for an overhaul. For a spectacular case-in-point, look no further than Pauillac’s Château Pontet Canet. An immediate neighbor to First Growth giant Mouton Rothschild, proprietor Alfred Tesseron’s celebrated Fifth Growth estate seems poised to join the Rothschild level of great Bordeaux châteaux — if not to assume a leading position in this fabled order. Robert Parker called the 2006 Pontet Canet an “enormously endowed, modern day classic,” that is “a legend in the making.” Awarding it 95+ points, Parker enthusiastically called it “a wine that transcends the vintage as well as this estate’s 1855 classification.” Our own Master of Wine Matt Deller MW, attended a dinner at Pontet Canet in 2010. “I witnessed first-hand why this Château is now First Growth caliber,” says Deller. “They take an uncompromising approach to greatness at every step of the winemaking process. Pontet is now at the top echelon of the Bordeaux hierarchy.” ​

Changing hands only twice over two centuries, Château Pontet Canet boasts a rare ownership legacy in Bordeaux. Another unique characteristic of the Tesseron family’s estate is, according to Parker, the fact that it’s one of just a handful of Médoc vineyards farmed bio-dynamically. The Tesserons — who also own Château Lafon-Rochet in St-Éstephe — came to Pontet Canet from the Cognac business, where they are recognized as leading eau-de-vie producers at Cognac Tesseron. The Pauillac property was already 250 years old when they shifted gears to assume ownership in 1975, and it was in need of major replanting. Alfred’s efforts in the vineyard over the next three decades helped bring the storied estate back to its former glory.

The promise of Pontet Canet in the cellar is, after all its history in Pauillac, probably the essence of Alfred Tesseron’s achievement to date. With projected drinkability ranges among the leading critics of up to 50 years, the Château’s epic 2006 bottling is, indeed, a wine to look forward to enjoying in the future. For now, it’s a must-have for any serious Pauillac collector. “I did not expect the highlights of 2006 to be as promising as they turned out,” Robert Parker says of the vintage. For Pontet Canet, that promise seems to well on its way to becoming fulfilled.