Château La Pointe, Pomerol 2022

So called because of a distinctive triangular plot of vines at the entrance to the property, La Pointe was one of first two properties in Pomerol to be allowed to call themselves a château in 1868.

The estate was owned by the d’Arfeuille family for many years, and they made decent, stylish wine here, but the property didn’t live up to its fullest potential. Since its purchase by an insurance company in 2007 its new director, Eric Monneret, has made excellent wine, and we believe it will become a property to follow.

Eric has been winemaking in Bordeaux since 1996, beginning in Sauternes. Since he took charge here, he has overseen great renovations in the vineyards, (which are next to Château Le Gay), including uprooting all of the cabernet sauvignon vines, improving drainage and reducing the yields of the cabernet franc vines to help them better express the terroir.

23 hectares of vineyards make this one of the largest properties in Pomerol, with vines sharing an average age of 35 years. They lie not on the Pomerol plateau like some of the commune’s more famous names, but to the west of the appellation, where there is a greater diversity of soil types. As well as clay, which is well suited to the estate’s merlot plantings, and sandy gravel, ideal for cabernet franc, the vines also benefit from gravels from the Isle river terraces.

Eric’s renovations extend to the cellars: a new vat room means smaller vats can be used for plot-by-plot fermentation, allowing greater complexity and precision, and the winery also benefits from environmentally friendly solar panels and rainwater collection. Winemaking is assisted by the renowned oenologist Hubert de Boüard de Laforest, who also co-owns Château Angelus in Saint-Emilion.

The wine tends to be a blend of 85% merlot and 15% cabernet franc, which spends around 12 months ageing in oak barrels, half of them new. It can be enjoyed for between 10 to 20 years after the vintage.