Château La Pointe 2021

Château La Pointe is made in Pomerol, the compact and highly regarded appellation on the right bank of Bordeaux, in Aquitaine. Pomerol has no formal classification, but its reputation rests on Merlot grown over a plateau of clay, gravel and the iron-rich subsoil known locally as crasse de fer. The wine blends Merlot with Cabernet Franc: the water-retentive clay slows ripening and gives Merlot its plush, fleshy weight and dark fruit, while Cabernet Franc adds red-fruited freshness and a savoury lift, and the iron in the soil is often linked to the region's mineral, faintly earthy character. The wine ages in barrel, where measured oxygen exchange through the oak knits and softens the tannins and adds cedar and a cocoa note, while malolactic fermentation rounds the acidity into a broader, creamier shape. It is deep ruby, with aromas of ripe plum, dark cherry and red berries over cocoa, leather and tobacco. The palate is plush and savoury, the tannins fine and rounded, closing on a long, earthy finish. Serve at 17 to 18 degrees and decant an hour before pouring. Suited to lamb, beef, game and mushrooms.