Publications
Publications
- January 2015 (Revised August 2016)
- HBS Case Collection
Chateau Pontet-Canet
By: Daniel Malter
Abstract
This case discusses the situation of Chateau Pontet-Canet in early 2000. Alfred Tesseron was the director and son of the owner of Chateau Pontet-Canet, a red wine producing estate in Pauillac (Bordeaux, France) and member of the fifth class of the ancient grand cru classification of the Medoc of 1855. International competition was mounting and revenues were declining even though Chateau Pontet-Canet delivered higher quality than equally classed peers. Moreover, despite receiving praise for its recent quality efforts, the chateau received criticism from the world's leading critic for being old-fashioned. Tesseron wondered whether he produced the right level of quality, whether he should follow his young winemaker's unconventional ideas for the work in the vineyard, whether he should modernize Pontet-Canet's style, and whether the institutions of Bordeaux were helping Pontet-Canet or holding it back. Consequently, Tesseron wondered how to best align his choices along these dimensions and secure Pontet-Canet's prosperity in the new millennium.
Keywords
Citation
Malter, Daniel. "Chateau Pontet-Canet." Harvard Business School Case 715-442, January 2015. (Revised August 2016.)