Château Pontet-Canet is a legendary Pauillac Fifth Growth—and it drinks just like a First Growth.

“If any estate understands the impact of tiny details, it is Pontet-Canet,” wrote Bordeaux authority Jane Anson about the estate, whose stunning rise comes thanks to the dedication of Alfred Tesseron, the proprietor since 1994.

Tesseron is candid about his fanatical attention to detail, which has led his estate to be regarded alongside the greats of Bordeaux: “I taste every single fermenter,” he has said, and his commitment to biodynamic farming—even in the face of skepticism from the Bordeaux old-guard—is another reason why Pontet-Canet is inarguably at the top of its game.

Having changed hands only twice over two centuries, Pontet-Canet boasts a rare ownership legacy in Bordeaux. But it was the Tesseron family, of Château Lafon-Rochet in St.-Estèphe, and Alfred’s leadership that cemented the château’s place in the Pauillac pantheon. “Throughout history farmers have been laboring, innovating, to get the most fruit possible from their land,” he noted. “All that interests me is what we need to do to get the best quality.”

Pontet-Canet’s 80-hectare vineyard is planted to approximately two-thirds Cabernet Sauvignon and one-third Merlot, along with small amounts of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The estate’s half-century-old vines benefit from the gravelly, well-draining Pauillac soil. The Grand Vin is Château Pontet-Canet, of which approximately 20,000 cases are made each year, making Pontet-Canet one of the largest producers among Médoc classified-growths.

This is a Bordeaux estate that stands with the best, bar none.