Château La Pointe
Pomerol is a place of small vineyards and small estates, not normally graced by anything so grand as a château. Most have nothing more than a collection of functional, often single-storey buildings. Many sit so low that I sometimes feel that they are perhaps trying to look inconspicuous, blending in, shrinking into the ground. The vineyards they accompany are often tiny, the average size being something in the order of 5 hectares. But there are exceptions to this rule; such as one estate which has a vineyard more than four times the average size, complete with an attractive two-storey château and several hectares of formal gardens, including a collection of centuries-old trees.
The château in question is of course Château La Pointe, one of the largest estates in this particular corner of Bordeaux. But there is something else that marks out this domaine as different besides the size of the vineyards and the grandeur of the château, and that is the proprietor. Even with other Pomerol giants, such as Château Nenin, the man in charge has Bordeaux running through his veins. Château La Pointe, however, is a rare right-bank example of a corporate Bordeaux outpost. In 2007 the d’Arfeuille family, proprietors here since at least the 1950s, sold up. The new owners are Generali France, an insurance company, looking perhaps to emulate the successful work of AXA Millésimes at near-neighbour Château Petit Village. Under their direction the estate has seen a rapid turn-around, and the wines are now very successful. Before looking at the state of play here today though, I delve first into its history.
