One of the largest estates in Pomerol, and one that neatly proves that not all Pomerol need cost the earth. For decades La Pointe was regarded as a bit of an underachiever. But in 2007, it was acquired by Generali Insurance, who put money in, and got a proper team together – and since then quality has soared. They completely overhauled the vineyards, with grape varieties previously planted on the wrong soils, and installed badly needed drainage. They built a completely new winery, with double the number of (smaller) vats, enabling a much more parcel-by-parcel approach to vinification.
The name La Pointe comes about because of the triangular shape of the plot. There are three distinct terroirs. gravel on the terrace bordering the small River Isle, clay-gravels, and a sandy section. Plantings are now 85% Merlot/15% Cabernet Franc.
Estate director Eric Monneret is refreshing when he admits that his terroir isn’t the very finest in Pomerol. ‘It would be easy to try to cover that up and go for critical acclaim by cropping low and oaking high, but we have chosen instead to work on expressing the very best of this terroir.’ The results in the glass are genuinely splendid. (NT 06/08/25)
