Vintages

Vintage Information Sheet

Château LA POINTE 2010

General Information
Weather conditions
Tasting comment
When to taste ?

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Château
La Pointe

Ballade
de La Pointe

Ballade de La Pointe

Château La Pointe

General Information

Château La Pointe
Vintage: 2010
Production: 72 000 bottles
Merlot 85% – Cabernet Franc 15%
Alcohol content: 14.5°

Appellation: Pomerol. Area: Right Bank. Region: Bordeaux.

Vineyard and soil type: 22 hectares on small gravel and pebble soils of the Isle river terraces, clayey-gravel and sandy soils over clay or gravel sub-soils.

Vinification and ageing: traditional Bordeaux methods.

Distribution: through wine merchants of the Place de Bordeaux.

Owner: SCE Château La Pointe.

General Manager: Eric Monneret.

Vine and Wine Consultant: Hubert de Boüard de Laforest.

Member of the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux.

Weather conditions

Power as well as elegance, the signature of a great Bordeaux vintage.

After a very cold winter with temperatures below the thirty-year average, spring was unstable and rather cool which led to late flowering. The temperatures in July, August and September were within the normal range for this time of the season. The vintage was characterised by 40% less rainfall than average from the beginning of the year and the daily temperature range was around 14°C throughout the whole summer.

These weather conditions ensured exceptional preservation of aromas and acidity, the key to a well-balanced wine, and the grapes were perfectly healthy at the time of harvesting.

We began the harvest with our Merlots on the 29th September in the glorious sunshine and ended with the Cabernet Francs on the 13th and 14th October. The excellent weather conditions during the harvest enabled us to pick each plot serenely at its optimum ripeness. The results were outstanding: small-sized grapes with unbelievably aromatic skins, rich in phenolic compounds and ripe tannins in the pips with a taste of hazelnut. We had moderate yields, great concentration and most importantly, excellent acidity levels, all factors which pointed towards a wine with great potential.

Tasting comment

“Deep, intense black colour delicately tinted with purple. The first nose opens up immediately with pure, clean notes revealing a cocktail of black fruit aromas. After a few swirls in the glass, the aromas become more ethereal and combine with notes of violet, mint and spice. The attack is smooth, ample and generous, followed by a dynamic tannic backbone on the mid-palate, the sign of a well-honed wine. The palate offers an ample body, velvety tannins, a pleasant freshness and a distinctive refined style that make this such an outstanding vintage. The extremely long and harmonious finish leaves us with an impression of perfect tension and balance.
Château La Pointe 2010 demonstrates the harmonious character of this rich vintage, perfectly balanced out by its acidity, whilst also reflecting the quality and potential of this outstanding Pomerol which is characterised by its originality, finesse and elegance.”

(March 2011, Primeurs tasting comments by Hubert de Boüard de Laforest)

When to taste ?

To drink or to keep?
The 2010 vintage is an exceptional one.
To be enjoyed from 6 to 20 years old and upwards.
The aromatic freshness, balance and smoothness of this Merlot-dominant Pomerol will suit lovers of young wines. In its early years it offers floral notes, a tasty, juicy touch of red and black berries and slightly spicy, toasty notes.
The ageing potential of this vintage will also suit connoisseurs who have the patience to wait for the Grands Crus de Bordeaux to develop more evolved aromas of truffle, undergrowth, game, Russian leather and light tobacco.

To air, decant or just enjoy?
Airing: when the vintage is young (under 10 years old) it is recommended to decant one hour before serving to ensure good contact with air. This oxygenation allows the wine to ‘open up’, freeing the aromas and softening the tannins.
Decanting: when the vintage is old (over 10 years) a natural deposit may form in the bottom of the bottle. The wine lover often asks for the wine to be poured delicately into the decanter so as to leave the deposit in the bottle. Decanting a very old wine (over 20 years) can, however, be a mistake as sudden contact with air may deteriorate a wine that has become fragile with age.
Just enjoying: another approach is to avoid the ritualization around tasting. You simply choose a vintage, open the bottle, pour delicately and take your time in enjoying it, thereby allowing the wine to tell you its own story as it evolves in the glass over the course of the evening.