2000 Château Pontet-Canet Pauillac 750 ml

Having changed hands only twice over two centuries, Château Pontet-Canet boasts a rare ownership legacy in Bordeaux. But it was the Tesserons—the family that owns Château Lafon-Rochet in St.-Estèphe—and more specifically the leadership of Alfred Tesseron, its current proprietor, that has cemented its place in the pantheon of the best properties of Pauillac. “Throughout history farmers have been laboring, innovating, to get the most fruit possible from their land,” Alfred told us when we met with him at the estate. “All that interests me is what we need to do to get the best quality.”

Alfred converted Pontet-Canet’s farming to organic, and later biodynamic practices, halting the use of all chemicals, and noticing a better concentration of flavors in the fruit as the years went on. He also changed the whole facility to a gravity-fed one, avoiding the use of pumps that can extract astringent seed tannins, and installing a double sorting line to ensure that only pristine berries make it into the winery. Alfred himself designed cement vats and amphorae for fermentation, drawing upon the gravel from the property itself to mix the cement, infusing the wine with the property’s terroir throughout the process. 

This stunning library release is a bold garnet color with hints of ruby throughout. The moment the cork is popped, dried cherry and currant fruit aromas give way to complex hints of graphite, baking spice, leather, cedar, tobacco, violets, and so much more. Across the cashmere-smooth palate, this release still shows a firm tannic grip. Today, it is absolutely drinking in its prime, but will continue to hold for over a decade.

Every one of the Pontet-Canet bottles we’ve featured recently has shown off Alfred Tesseron’s incredible achievements at the Pauillac estate, and this is your opportunity to get a Bordeaux that stands with the best, bar none.