Château Pontet-Canet |
| Newstime：2009-08-26 02:19:59 Befrom： Writer： |
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History
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. Early records show this new property was referred to Canet, or Canet de Pontet, Maison de Canet being the name given too 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 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 spiraled 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. 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.
Nowadays’ Owner: Famille Tesseron
Technique Information
Location: 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.
Appellation: Appellation Pauillac Controlee
Neighboring Chateau: Chateau Lafite Rothschild(1st Growth of Pauillac in 1855)
Chateau Mouton Rothschild(1st Growth of Pauillac in 1973)
Chateau Duhart Milon(4th Growth of Pauillac in 1855)
Chateau Clerc Milon(5th Growth of Pauillac in 1855)
Chateau d’Armailhac(5th Growth of Pauillac in 1855)
Acreage: 120 ha, including 80 ha of vineyards in all.
Soil: Quaternary gravel over clay and limestone.
Grape Varieties: 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot.
Average age of vines: 35 years
Cultivation Density:
Viticulture:
Winemaking: Once harvested, the wine goes into temperature-controlled fermentation, before up to 20 months in oak, of which 60% is replaced each vintage. The wine is fined with egg white before bottling.
Yield:
Brand: Chateau Pontet-Canet(First Label)(A.O.C. Pauillac)
Les Hauts de Pontet(Second Label)(A.O.C. Pauillac)
Annually production: First Wine & Second Wine both are about 20000 cases per annual
The personnality of Château Pontet-Canet's wine is defined by the subtlety of its taste and its very marked Pauillac character. Impressive purple color, ripe cassis fruit, full body and a rich intense finish.
Best Vintages: 2000, 2004, 2005, 2006
Awards: 5th Growth of Pauillac in 1855
Website: http://www.thewinedoctor.com/tastingsprofile/pontetcanet.shtml
Serving Suggestion
Cellar Humidity and Temperature: 75-85%, 15 ℃
Serving Temperature: 17-19 °C
Optimum drinking and ageing potential: 10-15 years
Food match:
Western Food: It could accompany with steak, excellent with grilled meats and stews.
Next Chateau d'Armailhac
Pre Chateau Belgrave
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