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A Pontet-Canet Retrospective

It says something about today's wine market, and something about Pontet-Canet itself, that this estate should be featured in a masterclass tasting by Decanter at their annual Bordeaux Fine Wine Encounter. Such an accolade was once the reserve of first growth estates such as Mouton-Rothschild or La Mission Haut-Brion, or their European counterparts such as Sassicaia or Vega Sicilia. It must be the case, however, that with the dramatic price rises seen over the last decade these wines are now beyond the reach not only of the majority of wine drinkers, but are even beyond the financial scope of a masterclass tasting - certainly so if the ticket price is to remain reasonable.

And so as these wines disappear over the fiscal horizon our attention must turn instead to those that have recently rode into view, estates all abuzz with refurbishment, fresh investment and enhanced quality, providing us all with a new generation of wines to covet. Enter, if you will, Pontet-Canet.

Such a choice will surprise some, I am sure. After all, they will opine, wasn't Pontet-Canet that estate the Cruse family had to sell off in the midst of a wine labelling scandal in the early 1970s? And wasn't it the source, during the 1970s, of a non-vintage branded cuvée - akin to a dumbed-down Mouton-Cadet - to be poured in the dining cars of the French railways? And yet now, they will continue, now it is suddenly a 'contender', proffered for masterclass tastings? Tastings at which I would be much rather supping the wines of Cos d'Estournel, Léoville Las Cases or Ducru-Beaucaillou or indeed from any number of other similarly exalted properties, all of which would certainly draw a bigger crowd at any tasting. Pontet-Canet indeed!

These points of view are, of course, outdated; Pontet-Canet has changed. Not a revolution as such, but certainly a very rapid evolution. There is a saying in show business, that it takes 10 year's hard work to become an overnight success, and this adage seems to describe the sequence of events at Pontet-Canet very nicely (provided we accept it is more like 15-20 years than 10). Until recently almost universally derided, today it enjoys new-found status as a super-second estate, now an anomalous term of course, as Pontet-Canet is of course challenging from the fifth tier of the 1855 classification, not the second. Over the last 20 years we have seen the Tesseron family, led for much of this time by Alfred Tesseron and aided by manager Jean-Michel Comme, drive forward a program of innovation and improvement that has seen quality soar at Pontet-Canet, and prices have naturally followed suit.

Guy, Alfred and Green-Harvesting

I have of course already written much on how the Tesserons acquired this property in my Pontet-Canet profile. It was patriarch Guy Tesseron, the son-in-law of Emmanuel Cruse and Cognac magnate, who made the purchase. The plan was to branch out, to encourage his offspring to look beyond the confines of Cognac; perhaps tellingly, within a few years of the acquisition the Cognac market evaporated like a wisp of the famous spirit itself. For many years Guy and his family lacked the money they needed to pull Pontet-Canet from the mire.

But there was enthusiasm, especially in the shape of Guy's son Alfred, who led the tasting of the wines described below. Aware of the change that was sweeping through Bordeaux during the 1980s and 1990s, witnessed first hand in the vineyards and cellars of his neighbours, Alfred was eager to keep pace. In 1989 he appointed a new manager, Jean-Michel Comme, and together the pair devised a programme of work to rescue Pontet-Canet. The work included, controversially, green-harvesting, a practice which Alfred and Jean-Michel introduced - without Guy's knowledge - in 1990. They subjected only a portion of the vineyard to the treatment, but in subsequent vintages they expanded the scope of the work, until in 1994 the entire estate was green-harvested. Although initially unaware of the goings-on, Alfred could now not fail to notice the vineyard workers throwing perfectly good but as yet unripe fruit onto the ground, a concept which was anathema to someone of Guy's generation.

A rift between Alfred and his father Guy ensued, as Alfred realised when he returned to the estate one evening to find his father sullenly reticent. Eventually he disclosed his deep misgivings regarding Alfred's latest innovation. It was a difficult moment for Alfred, one where he laid his reputation and role at Pontet-Canet on the line. He acknowledged his father's concern, but then the two made a pact; Alfred's position would be determined by the quality of the wine. If it turned out to be good, Alfred would be free to continue running the vineyard as he saw fit whilst his father would limit himself to the business finances, but if not then Alfred would leave. Of course the wine was better for this intervention. It was in fact widely acclaimed as one of the wines of this rather difficult vintage, and Alfred was free to press on with his program of interventions. The year has subsequently been acknowledged as the point at which quality started to move upwards at Pontet-Canet.

Horses for Courses

The drama did not end with a few bunches of verdant green grapes squashed underfoot, as together Alfred Tesseron and Jean-Michel Comme have taken Pontet-Canet from good-value over-performer to high quality challenger to the super-second tier. Perhaps most remarkable has been the estate's conversion to biodynamics, the only classed growth estate to make this leap, although it surely cannot be too long before others follow suit. The process began in 2004, led by Comme, on just 14 hectares of the vineyard, and in 2005 they expanded the practises so far employed to the whole vineyard, an incredible shift in philosophy and commitment, even for an estate that was already running along organic lines. The team cracked in 2007, Tesseron and Comme resorting to chemicals to treat the wave upon wave of oidium and mildew which plagued that very wet vintage, a decision which Tesseron now says he regrets. Should such a vintage return, he says, Pontet-Canet would remain biodynamic. In the meantime, Pontet-Canet awaits recertification, a process that will complete after three consecutive years of appropriate viticulture.

Remarkably, in the vineyard Tesseron and Comme are now moving away from green harvesting once more, a shift which I also heard of in Burgundy when I visited last year. Green harvesting is, after all, merely a method for controlling yields, ensuring that the quantity of fruit on the vine matches the desired quality and concentration in the final wine. It offers a safety buffer, in that if a spring frost should dramatically inhibit flowering and fruit set, then the green harvesting can be omitted. Its downside of course is that by the time the green bunches are picked the vine has already expended much energy producing this unwanted fruit. A more stylish method is to reduce the number of buds, and control the number of bunches from the outset. It works just as well as green harvesting, but you run the risk of yields that are too low if the spring weather isn't favourable. Nevertheless, this is an increasingly popular practice. Alongside, Tesseron and Comme have also recently put an end to leaf-thinning.

Perhaps the most visually striking sign of their commitment to their vines, however, is the use of horses in the vineyards. These were a common sight at Pontet-Canet until the 1959 vintage (as no doubt they were in many vineyards), and about 50 years later they have returned. Tesseron explained their advantages; put simply, they compact the soils less, and they do not damage the vines in the same manner as a carelessly driven tractor. Having acquired three, 8 hectares of vines were worked solely using horsepower during 2008, and the aim was to expand their remit to cover 16 hectares in 2009.

The Wines of Pontet-Canet

There have been other changes at Pontet-Canet - such as the introduction of concrete vats - and I will endeavour to see that my Pontet-Canet profile is updated accordingly. But what of the wines that were shown at this tasting, a range of wines spanning nearly 20 years, two decades that have seen Pontet-Canet rise phoenix-like from its 'lowly' cinquième cru position?

During the 1990s there was, in my opinion, a change in quality without overt change in style. Looking back to other vintages I have tasted as well as those encountered here, the 1996 tastes very much like a classic left-bank 1996 for instance, they have balance and style with moderate substance and texture. Although not included in this line-up, I have tasted the 1996 and 1998 twice, as well as the 1999 - the year Michel Rolland's services as consultant were engaged - although never the 1997. From 2000 onwards, however, not only has quality continued to rise but the style has evolved in tandem, no doubt heavily influenced by the Tesseron-Comme innovations at Pontet-Canet . The wines are deeper, more concentrated and more substantial. In their youth ( I have tasted a number of vintages en primeur and within the first year or two after the vintage) they seem more burly and they are loaded with tannin, colour and extract. They still possess a sense of balance, in that all the components are there, it is just that they are in a very different place to the wines of the mid-1990s. They have a richer, more textured feel too, bolstered by the style of fruit which is less classic than it once was, now with a more creamed-confit-forest-fruit character. These more modern wines have garnered a lot of praise, and the overall feel is more akin to the ultra-confident super-seconds like those mentioned in my introduction than to the Pontet-Canet of old. I'm not saying I don't like these wines; they are impressive and well made, indeed they are compelling vins de gardes, wines that will need a long, long time in the cellar, especially the immensely powerful and structured 2000 and 2005 vintages. Other proprietors and managers are no doubt looking on in envy, and perhaps wondering whether they should be turning first to Rudolf Steiner's bible, or to the classifieds section of the Racing Post, in order to emulate Pontet-Canet's success.

The tasting written up below took in a dozen wines, with a focus on the more recent vintages from 2000 onwards, although it also featured a handful of wines from the 1990s, including 1990 itself, 1994 and 1999. As such it facilitated a fascinating examination of how the estate and the wines have developed over the time period in question, with the above developments in mind. All the wines were poured about two hours before tasting, except for the 2008 which was poured a little later. I have listed them here in the order which they were tasted, started with 1990 and then moving forward to reach the most recent vintage, 2008, at the end. (16/3/10)

Pontet-Canet Retrospective - Tasting Notes

The following wines were tasted in February 2010. All my notes on the wines of Pontet-Canet, including those below, are collated under my Pontet-Canet profile. Click to locate stockists.

Château Pontet-Canet (Pauillac) 1990: Partial green-harvesting. Richly styled. Certainly appealing Bordeaux maturity on the nose, complexity too, with some intriguing highlights coming in at the side. There is still a good layer of fruit here, sweet and dense, with raspberry and violet floral elements too, Surprisingly for such a warm vintage there are green elements too, green peppercorn. But also fleeting flashes of fried fish (unusual!), more typical tea leaves, but on the whole quite classic, showing the flesh and richness but not the over-ripeness or roasted character of the vintage. Good style on the palate, none of the more unusual elements here. Lots of tannic structure still, still not ready - by a long way. Good substance, quite coolly styled, still rather firm and reserved, structured and slightly reticent left bank style. Lots of grip in the finish. Good length, touch peppery here, but certainly good. 17.5/20

Château Pontet-Canet (Pauillac) 1994: First year for green harvest over the whole property. A sweeter but cleaner style of fruit here, linear style, clean and well defined fruit character. Suggestion of texture, good perfume, aromatic and very stylish. Supple texture on the palate, a little loose-knit compared to some other vintages, but broad, light, still quite substantial in terms of tannic backbone as well. There is texture but it is certainly a leaner vintage, but it is not really lacking in this department to a significant degree. Needs time. I've probably over-estimated my opinion of this wine in the past, and viewing it in the light of other vintages (but also in a more clinical setting, rather than a relaxed atmosphere over dinner) gives a lower score I think. 17/20

Château Pontet-Canet (Pauillac) 1999: A big jump here, five years forward. Surprisingly open and forward nose here, minerally with a little twist of sooty toffee. Clearly already a different style to the 1994 and most certainly the 1990. It has a darker character, dark plum skins, cherry skins too. Rather a restrained and elegant entry onto the palate, maintaining a very light presence through the midpalate, although with a finely defined structure, and just brimming with vivacious acidity and dancing tannins. It has gained a refined character and style, but it has a lightness that reflects the vintage I guess. Soft and supple. Good freshness and style though. Lots of precise tannins in the finish, and just a little chewy. 16/20

Château Pontet-Canet (Pauillac) 2000: Fabulous nose here, big and smoky, roasted confit fruit, dark and gritty-grainy in character. Wonderful style. Roast coffee grounds, dark in style. Fine fleshy sweetness on entry, but not over-the-top, not a sweet, confit note in sight. There is a firm and polished texture to it, a savoury character, with lots of tannic substance although it does not show through past the texture and fruit on the palate, only on the finish when there is a flourish of grippy tannin coating the mouth. There is a firm, grainy character which sits very well with the rest of the wine. Brimming with potential here, but needs another five years at the bare minimum, and I am sure it will be much better at ten. 18.5+/20

Château Pontet-Canet (Pauillac) 2001: Very appealing nose here, very polished fruit style, very expressive, suggesting a good presence and texture. Good depth of fruit, good complexity, not exotic aromas but a deep and spicy wealth of forest fruit character with a delightful grainy element. Very appealing palate, youthful and primary but very well composed, harmonious and almost honeyed. Polished, textured, very complete style, beautifully silky tannins, nicely intertwined with the rest of the wine. Fresh acidity. Perfumed, red fruits, violets, lots of potential here. 17.5+/20

Château Pontet-Canet (Pauillac) 2002: A dense style of fruit in the nose, very defined and upright, black fruit character, has a style rather more reminiscent of a St Julien than Pauillac, a vintage effect perhaps? There is a little broadness and sweetness to it though, dark and grainy, sitting beneath these more superficial characteristics. There is an evocative style to it as well, early maturity, notes of tea leaves. With time really opening up - showing overt maturity, tea leaves and rust - lovely. Moderate weight on entry, balanced midpalate, slightly loose knit through the middle and slightly raw structure too, very tannic style coming out from beneath through the fruit in a slightly sharp fashion. Needs time. Not a lean and mean greenie at all though, lots of tannin in the finish although less than the 2000 I feel. More flesh would be very welcome. Good wine which will make super drinking with dinner in a few years from now. 17+/20

Château Pontet-Canet (Pauillac) 2003: Heatwave vintage. Rather glossy hue. Not a roasted style on the nose, dense and creamy confit style. Violets. Very well-styled fruit, rich but not overly sweet, fat or roasted, clean and ripe but remarkably atypical and pure for the vintage. Certainly a rich and creamy style on the palate though, dense and concentrated, and there is a firm pervasive style of deep, chewy, ripe but coating tannins, this aspect being very typical of the vintage. Tesseron says you can't spot this as a 2003 in a blind tasting, as it has good freshness; he is right on this point, but the structure of the wine is very typical. There is a long finish dominated by tannin. The acidity is rather muted but it is there. A good wine. Totally different from the 2002 but a similar issue, in that the wine is good but could be better - in this case with more acidity. 17+/20

Château Pontet-Canet (Pauillac) 2004: Not very expressive on the nose, but work with it and we get dense rather compact fruit, fresh and minerally, but rather tight and linear. The palate has a lot of good substance, lovely texture, and there is a good cut of acidity running through it as well. There are ripe tannins, grainy, and the palate is substantial, with well integrated tannins, but there is little in the way of expression. It is closed down right now, so difficult to judge, but there is a lot to admire here, and a lot of potential I think. Grainy tannins in the finish. 17.5+/20

Château Pontet-Canet (Pauillac) 2005: The nose here shows a lot of primary elements here, and is still marked by winemaking at present. The nose is dominated by the aromas of sweet oak, marshmallow and caramel, so it is clearly not a wine that I would recommend open for tasting or drinking now, even those who like to 'take one for the team'. The fruit elements which are currently sitting behind the oak are very dark, with elements of liquorice, but also with brighter although very ripe red fruits, dark cherry and raspberry. Beautiful palate though, glossy but not over the top, lightly creamy and stylish, wonderful style. Complete, harmonious, vivacious but elegant, balanced but structured, the tannins perfectly intertwined with the rest of the wine, the finish composed and complete and long. This is a very remarkable wine, rich and yet poised and light-footed. It needs to be left a very long time - a decade at least, maybe 15 years - but it will be amazing. A wine full of emotion. 19+/20

Château Pontet-Canet (Pauillac) 2006: Rather tight on the nose, rather grainy fruit character, certainly dark, certainly expressing what it has to some extent at least. There is an attractive purity to it, dark fruit character with a smoky edge. Middleweight on entry, the tannins ripe but coming through, although covered by the fruit and texture which has a good style if not as incredibly harmonious as the 2005. Lots of substance to it, ripely tannic. Supple elements to it, good collection of components here, but they need time to integrate. Good ripe tannic finish. 17.5+/20

Château Pontet-Canet (Pauillac) 2007: Unusual nose, certainly there are some green elements, notes of grilled celery and green pepper alongside the red fruits. There is also a rather perfumed edge to the fruit, a little chalky redcurrant and violet character. Light style but there is a supple edge to it on entry, and it stays supple in character throughout. A touch juicy, not very substantial, but there is some substance there. Light red fruits, tannins around the periphery, which have sharp edges but do seem broadly ripe. Certainly there is something here, and it has potential, but it does have some angular and other negative edges too. 16+/20

Château Pontet-Canet (Pauillac) 2008: Lovely fruit on the nose here, blackcurrant cream with vanilla ice cream, very bright and fresh and appealing. The palate is as supple as I recall from the primeurs, with very stylish composition. And the same delightful crystalline black fruit character that marked this vintage when I first tasted it in 2009. Lovely, compact, linear, balanced and composed, giving it a very harmonious composition that puts it far closer to the 2005 vintage in structure, but obviously not substance or depth (or hype) than many people suspect. Still, this is just a barrel sample, so we should remain circumspect, and I will assess this wine again when it is in bottle, later this year. 17.5-18.5+/20