Interview with Justine Tesseron and Mathieu Bessonnet of Château Pontet-Canet

Earlier this Summer, Rachel Dickinson of Cellar Mouse had the pleasure of spending time with Justine Tesseron and Mathieu Bessonnet at the storied Château Pontet-Canet in the heart of Pauillac, Bordeaux. 

As part of the Tesseron family, which has owned the estate since 1975, Justine carries forward the legacy of excellence and innovation that has defined the château for centuries. 

Mathieu, the technical director, plays a pivotal role in ensuring that Pontet-Canet's wines reflect the unique character of their terroir through meticulous biodynamic practices.

Established in the 18th century, Château Pontet-Canet has become synonymous with elegance and complexity. The estate produces wines that are celebrated for their depth and expressiveness and their commitment to biodynamic viticulture is central to its identity. Every aspect of vineyard management and winemaking at Château Pontet-Canet is designed to nurture the land and highlight its natural strengths.

The following conversation with Justine and Mathieu delves into: 

  • The intricacies of how Château Pontet-Canet’s unique terroir influences its wines
  • Biodynamic techniques that drive their production and the challenges and rewards of such a holistic approach
  • Exciting developments at their Napa Valley winery, Pym-Rae, and the unique qualities of Tesseron Cognac

Rachel: How does the unique terroir of Pauillac shape the character of your wines, and in what ways do you highlight this in your winemaking process? 

Justine and Mathieu: I think all our work is dedicated to highlighting our terroir. That is the only thing unique to Pontet-Canet. All our practices aim to take care of our soil (organic and biodynamic farming, work with horses to limit compaction, cover crops to uncompact the soil, edges for biodiversity) and take care of our old vines (vigor, biodynamic preparation, work more accurately with horses). All these practices in the vineyard allow us to pick very high-quality fruit which deserve very low interventions in the winery. The fruits give all their potential very easily so we can express the true terroir without makeup. 

Rachel: Could you explain some of the key biodynamic techniques you use in your vineyard and winemaking facility?

Justine and Mathieu: We use 500 preparation, 501 preparation and compost preparation as a baseline, but our practices are much more diverse. I would say that phytotherapy is a big part of our work as well to balance the vines. But biodynamic isn’t a goal, it's just a tool and a way of thinking. Beside biodynamic practices, we work everyday to balance our soils and vines with cover crops, horses, trees and edges to increase biodiversity, etc… 

Rachel: What have been some of the greatest challenges and most fulfilling rewards of embracing biodynamic farming? 

Justine and Mathieu: The quality and brightness of our wines at first! 

Rachel: With so many esteemed wineries in Bordeaux, what sets your vineyard apart from the rest? 

Justine and Mathieu: I do not consider it apart from the rest, I consider that Pontet-Canet is unique as every other esteemed estate is but I believe we have an amazing terroir and some people who understand it. So at least, we do only one wine, which is the most representative of our terroir. That makes Pontet-Canet unique! 

Rachel: Could you tell us about your Napa Valley winery, Pym-Rae? 

Justine and Mathieu: Pym-Rae arrived after four years of research for a new challenge. Napa has the same grape varieties as we have in Bordeaux, so we are familiar with them. The vineyard is located at 1800 feet of altitude so it’s great for the freshness we are looking for. The vineyard is around 30 years old so good concentration. We are also biodynamic and dry farming there. It worked with the same philosophy as Pontet-Canet but adapted to the temperatures/climate there and terroir which is very different. We bought that place in 2016; now available on the market are the 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 vintages. 

Rachel: Can you delve into what makes Tesseron Cognac unique in the world of fine spirits? 

Justine and Mathieu: At the time of the previous generation (Great grandfather and grandfather of Justine et Noé), they were negociant of Cognac, we were supplying the other house of Cognac with our eau-de-vie. They were also collectors and had one of the biggest collections. When Alfred Tesseron took over, he decided to stop being negociant and create our own brand. As we had large stock with old eaux-de-vie, he decided to get specialized in old Cognac. We produce only XO Cognac and beyond. Tesseron Cognac is a small house producing top quality cognac that is sold today in the best places around the world.