Château La Pointe 2020

Full-bodied and pleasing, with silky tannins and noticeable but not dominant oak, a fairly long finish of berries and baking spices. Well made, approachable.

A typical 2020 Pomerol, this is fleshy and forward, with crowd-pleasing plum and raspberry reduction notes lined with licorice and backed by warmed earth and sweet tobacco. This has just enough energy to carry it through the finish. A well-done wine. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2031. 5,833 cases made.

Blackcurrant, milk chocolate and floral scents – lovely expression, alive and forward. Stylish and compelling, this hits the mark straight away, bold and tangy, with a sharpness to the fruit profile from high acidity. Tannins give a layered effect with detail and precision and you can feel the sculpting. Juicy and alive, there’s great energy and charm, upfront and forward, shining out of the glass. Generous and almost sweet but then it straightens and tightens on the finish, giving a tongue-scraping clean element with salty, minerality, liquorice and oak spice. The 2019 is more cool and classic, but this will appeal to all. Showcases the talent and hard work done at the estate for the past 15 years.

This is spiced and toasty with notes of blackcurrants, plums, roasted spices, cedar, violets and grilled herbs. Full-bodied with plush, velvety tannins and a rich and succulent dark fruit character. Firm finish with hints of chocolate and wet stones. Try after 2024.

Full bottle 1,256 g. Cask sample taken 6 April. 76% Merlot, 24% Cabernet Franc. 35-year-old vines. Darkest cherry red with purple rim. More red-fruited than most of the Pomerols just tasted, perhaps the Cab Franc influence, though with only a hint of its usual leafiness. Smooth, rounded, chocolate-textured tannins, and noticeable acidity. Not fully meshed though the fruit is ripe and refreshing, which is not always easy to balance. (JH)

The 2020 La Pointe has a well-defined, quite mineral-driven bouquet that opens nicely in the glass. Black cherries, raspberry and subtle violet scents, gaining intensity with aeration. The bottle opened at the château with Eric Monneret shows more graphite/pencil lead elements. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grain tannins, linear in style, fresh with a vibrant saline finish. I appreciate the manner in which it fans out. Subtle but satisfying, this is a sophisticated Pomerol that adroitly expresses its sense of place.

Roses, violets, flowers and spicy kirsch notes pop in the perfume. As good as the nose is, on the palate, the wine is even better with its silky, sensuous approach. The perfectly ripe plums and cherries offer a depth of flavor, opulent textures and richness on the finish, along with freshness that holds your attention, making you want to take another sip. This is the best vintage of La Pointe I have ever tasted. Drink from 2024-2050.

Deep dark ruby, opaque core, purple reflections, brightening at the rim. Delicate savouriness and noble wood spices are covered by dark berry fruit, a hint of nougat, and orange zest. Juicy, complex, ripe berries, fresh plums, ripe tannins, good freshness, mineral echo, chocolaty touch to the finish, lovely length. Good ageing potential.

Lots of ripe red plums, chocolate, damp earth, and spicy, floral notes emerge from the 2020 Château La Pointe, a medium to full-bodied, round, supple, nicely concentrated Pomerol. With ripe tannins, a good sense of freshness, and terrific balance, it's going to offer plenty of pleasure over the coming 10-15 years.

Kunz barrel sample 2021: (76% Merlot, 24% Cabernet Franc, 14.5% alc. vol., production 66,000 bottles) Velvety, dense, complex, finely creamy, fresh bouquet, blackberry jelly, cherries, dark pralines, delicate hazelnut cream, graphite, black pepper, cold smoke. Tightly interwoven, multi-layered, powerful, elegant palate with creamy, dense fruit, lots of fine tannins, a concentrated, elegant structure, wonderful aromatic intensity, a very long, dense, fresh finish with plenty of lingering aromas.

Velvety, dense, complex, finely creamy, fresh bouquet of blackberry jelly, cherries, dark pralines, delicate hazelnut cream, graphite, black pepper, and cold smoke. A tightly woven, multi-layered, powerful yet elegant palate with creamy, dense fruit, plenty of very fine tannins, a concentrated, elegant structure, wonderful aromatic intensity, and a very long, dense, fresh finish with abundant echoing aromas. 19/20 2028 - 2050

Beautiful deep plum in colour, purity of black fruit expression, along with generous plump blueberry and black cherry. Strikingly concentrated but welcoming, with touches of chocolate shavings. I suggest waiting for four or five years, because there are good acidities and tannins here, and it will go the distance. A 23ha estate set across gravel, sand and clay soils, with a lot of the work carried out to encourage microbial life in the soils to build structure in the lighter areas of the vineyard. Technical manager Pierre Candelier, Eric de Monneret director, Hubert de Boüard consultant, 50% new oak, 3.65pH, 38hl/ha yield.

93-94

A hypnotic, highly perfumed nose that opens and closes with impudence. A self-assured palate, albeit monolithic, with oakiness that lingers on the finish.

Superb aromatic intensity that highlights both the charm of Pomerol and the relevance of the work carried out by the La Pointe teams, both in the vineyard and in the cellar. Nuances of tea leaves, tobacco, and mint, while the fruity side emerges through black-berry aromas. A great deal of finesse, precision, and character in this wine which, as director Eric Monneret says, is a beautiful synthesis of 2018 and 2019. The tannins are fine, precise, and generous, and they create a seamless symbiosis with the acid structure. A kind of concentrate of fruit and tension that convinces with its finesse. The finish stands out for its freshness, pep, and persistence, but also its “

Dark color with good intensity. Moderately aromatic nose, fruity, with a hint of straw. Fruity, soft palate, a bit simple on the finish. Normal length and no tannic edges.

The in-depth work carried out since XXX’s arrival is bearing fruit. La Pointe has reached a new level in terms of finesse, length, and depth. Despite its restraint, we already enjoy an approachable wine where the vintage’s power does not seem to dominate. Cellaring potential of at least 15 years.

91–93. Barrel Sample. Massive and Merlot-dominated this wine shows the grape both in its seductively ripe aspect as well as the cool edge that comes from the Pomerol vineyards. The wine should develop slowly but with fine precision.