About the winemaker
Hélène Ponty
Hélène Ponty is the fifth-generation winemaker at Domaine Ponty in Fronsac, where she grew up surrounded by vineyards, watching her father work in the cellar and walking through the same buildings where her great-grandfather crafted the estate’s first wines. Although she initially pursued studies in law and business, her journey took her abroad, living in the United States and China before ultimately feeling the call to return home. In September 2019, she took over the family estate, determined to leave her mark on its long-standing tradition.
Deeply connected to nature, Hélène believes that a vineyard should be a thriving ecosystem, beneficial to all who interact with it—the vines, the team, the clients, the local fauna and flora, and the surrounding community. Inspired by the properties she visited in France and beyond, she saw that the most vibrant estates were those practicing organic or biodynamic farming. Naturally, she adopted this philosophy at Domaine Ponty, fostering living soils rich in biodiversity.
In the cellar, she follows a minimal intervention approach, allowing the quality of the grapes and terroir to shine. Her goal is to craft wines with a strong personality and a distinctive signature—wines that leave a lasting impression. Staying true to her father’s philosophy, she does not chase trends but instead produces wines she loves to drink: fresh, expressive, complex, with beautiful fruit expression and oak that enhances rather than overwhelms.