Château Pontet Canet, Pauillac, AOC, 5ème Grand Cru Classé, dry, red

Although rainfall has been a distinctive feature of most recent Bordeaux vintages ending in « 7 », 2017 was marked by frost on a freezing night in late April. Fortunately, the Gironde estuary protected the vineyards of the prestigious Medoc appellations. As a result, our losses were minimal. Very favourable weather for the vines then set in for most of the season: flowering took place in mid-May and the berries had changed colour by July the 7th. Despite some light rain in September, the grapesstayed perfectly healthy until they had reached optimum maturity. The harvest started on September 18th for the Merlot, followed ten days later by the Cabernet Sauvignon, then the Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Another important feature of the year was the arrival of a new vat house with 32 concrete vats, each containing 40 hectolitres. It is a way for us to get back to the essentials, as vatting and vinification all take place without machines and without noise, using only human hands.