Château La Pointe 2018

Lots of oak; compact, austere tannins, finishes a bit abrupt and dry.

Very caressing in feel, with a silky structure that lets steeped plum, fig and blackberry fruit flavors sail through unencumbered. Subtle black tea and sweet tobacco accents fill in on the fine-grained finish. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2030. 4,830 cases made.

Relatively open and welcoming even at this early stage. Aromatics of cedar oak, followed by sweet black cherry fruit across the palate. A lighter-framed Pomerol, but one that is attractive, well-paced, carefully spiced, and with a real sense of personality. Enjoyable stuff from director Eric Monneret and consultant Hubert de Boüard.

Pretty aromas of blueberries, violets, dark chocolate and cedar. It’s full-bodied with firm, powdery tannins. Polished and creamy with a core of ripe black and blue fruit. Try from 2024.

The 2018 La Pointe is more immediate on the nose than it was when tasted from barrel, offering scents of blackberry and mint, touches of violet, and perhaps more red fruit than I noticed before. The palate is medium-bodied with a lightly spiced entry, the black fruit tinged with truffle and clove. Good grip here. Slightly gamy toward the finish, with a persistent spicy aftertaste. Give this 2–3 years in bottle and you should have a delicious 2018.

Substantially better in the bottle than in barrel, the wine shows much more weight and richness. Espresso, cherries, spice and cocoa create the core of this medium-bodied, forward, soft, elegant, fresh wine filled with red plum and cherry. You can drink this on the young side, or age it for more earthy nuances.

Deep ruby garnet, purple glints, faintly lighter at the rim. A pleasant clove note, a little nougat, with ripe cherry undertones, and tobacco nuances. Juicy, dark berries, a fruit-expressive core, lush tannins, chocolaty reverberations. A versatile food accompaniment.

Lots of spiced darker cherry and currant fruits as well as savory herbs, damp earth, and cedar emerge from the 2018 Château La Pointe, another rich, concentrated yet seamless Pomerol in 2018 that has tons to love. Showing more chocolate and spice with time in the glass, it has plenty of mid-palate depth, soft, integrated tannins, and is already hard to resist. It should nevertheless gain additional complexity with 2–4 years of bottle age and keep for over a decade.

(74% Merlot, 26% Cabernet Franc, 29 hl/ha, 14.7% vol. alcohol) Velvety, finely creamy, fairly opulent, fruity, sweet bouquet: strawberry jelly, raspberries, damson plums, After Eight, black pepper. Balanced, tightly interwoven, multi-layered palate with sweet fruit, fine tannins, a dense, creamy, elegant structure, varied sweet aromatics, and a long, finely opulent finish with sweet echoes. Can still improve. 18/20 2025 - 2052

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 La Pointe charges out of the gate with bold notes of plum preserves, blueberry compote, and baked black cherries, plus suggestions of Indian spices, wood smoke, and dark chocolate. Full-bodied, rich, and powerful, with plush tannins and plenty of freshness, it finishes long and spicy.

The nose is fresh and offers subtle richness, fine grain, a touch of intensity, and a very delicate creamy sensation. It reveals notes of blackberry, raspberry and, more slightly, fleshy blueberry, with small touches of fresh lily and cornflower, as well as hints of caramelization, tonka bean, and delicate nuances of vanilla pod. The palate is fruity, elegant, refined and racy, offering lovely definition, a slightly tight grain, a subtle feel, gentle tension, and a fine, tangy backbone. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of juicy/pulpy blackberry and blueberry, and, more subtly, tart/pulpy blue fruits, with small touches of tangy raspberry, cherry blossom, and cornflower, as well as hints of licorice stick and Bourbon vanilla, with a discreet touch of chocolate and roasted hazelnut. Good length. The tannins show very fine firmness. A hint of crushed almond on the finish/persistence.

Kunz barrel sample 19: (74% Merlot, 26% Cabernet Franc, 29 hl/ha, 14.7% alc./vol.) Velvety, finely creamy, nicely opulent, fruity, sweet bouquet: strawberry jelly, raspberries, damson, After Eight, black pepper. Balanced, tightly knit, multi-layered palate with sweet fruit, fine tannin, dense, creamy, elegant structure, diverse sweet aromatics, long, finely generous finish with sweet after-flavors. Has room to improve further.

While this wine does have density and a tannic layer, its open accessible character promises medium-term aging. Ripe blackberries and acidity come through with attractive freshness. Drink from 2024.