Ten years following the 1855 classification, the property was purchased by Herman Cruse in 1865, in whose family the estate remained for many years.[1] The Bordeaux wine fraud scandal in 1973 forced the sale, in 1975,[1] of Ponet-Canet to Cognac merchant Guy Tesseron owner of Château Lafon-Rochet.[2] The estate remains in his control today.
Production
The aged label of a Château Pontet CanetUnderground wine cellar of Pontet-Canet
Of the 120 hectares (300 acres) estate of Pontet-Canet located in the northern end of the Pauillac commune, across the road from first growth Château Mouton Rothschild, 80 ha (200 acres) are under vine.[2] The soil composition is mainly gravel over a subsoil of clay and limestone. The grape variety distribution is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc.[2] Vines average 35 years of age.
Pontet-Canet has one of the largest productions of any classified growth in the Medoc with a production of nearly 20,000 cases of its grand-vin, and another 20,000 cases of its second wine, Les Hauts de Pontet. Harvesting is done by hand, and after sorting the grapes are moved into the estate's gravity-feed cellars for crushing. Fermentation takes place in a mixture of concrete and stainless steel vats. Wines are aged for 16-20 months in up to 60% new oak barrels before fining with egg whites and bottling.
References
^ abPeppercorn, David (2003). Bordeaux. London: Mitchell Beazley. pp. 189–191. ISBN1-84000-927-6.
