La Pointe 2022 (6.0L)

95-96 JS / 94 DE / 93 JA / 92-94+ WI / 92-94 VM

Lovely balance to this wine and you see polished tannins with ovaltine and hazelnut character. Medium body. Juicy. 80% merlot and 20% cabernet franc. - James Suckling

Vibrant colour, deep vivid purple. Amazingly scented, perfumed and expressive on the nose, vanilla, white chocolate, creamy red cherries, plums, raspberries, toast and liquorice. Juicy and sharp, high acidity makes the mark straight away before a clean, salty, stony texture comes through. Fruit is concentrated but also crisp and lively giving a sense of joy and energy, before the structure and power come in, focussing the wine into more of a straight line towards the pointed finish. Long and detailed with freshness and soft spiced elements from the Cabernet Franc. There’s a lot of tannins here but balanced by acidity. Feels like hands off winemaker, careful not to extract too much weight and mass. Ageing 12 months, 50% new, 50% one year. Earliest harvest ever starting on 5 September finishing on the 17th. A yield of 30hl/ha. Extraction was very gentle according to winemaker Eric Monneret. 'It was such a strong vintage with the risk of creating a monster. You have to accept not to take everything'. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter

An open and welcoming nose, supple tannins and natural concentration to the creamy raspberry and red cherry fruits. Grilled cedar, vanilla bean, coffee, plenty of juice, this is a great vintage to get to grips with the improvements that have been happening at La Pointe, and it's a delicious wine with appellation signature. Eric Monneret director, Pierre Candelier winemaker. - Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

The 2022 La Pointe, 84% Merlot and 16% Cabernet Franc, is deep garnet-purple in color. Juicy blackberries, plum preserves, and raspberry coulis notes jump from the glass followed by suggestions of violets, tar, and cracked black pepper with a waft of aniseed. The medium to full-bodied palate is laden with savory-laced black fruits, supported by grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing on a lingering licorice note. pH 3.7. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Independent

The 2022 La Pointe is matured in 50% new oak with 14.2% alcohol, the pH, 3.7. The Cabernet Franc had little juice and was difficult to extract, hence the blend of 84% Merlot and 16% Cabernet Franc. It has an impressive bouquet with blackberry, raspberry, hints of dark chocolate and liquorice. It is welldefined with neatly integrated oak. The palate is medium-bodied with a granular entry, quite saline, touches of white pepper infusing the black fruit. Graphite and light peppery notes, not a "heavy Pomerol" but tensile with an overtly spicy finish, very saline on the aftertaste. Élevage should smooth its edges, so afford this La Pointe 4- 5 years in bottle. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media