2019 Château Apogée Lalande de Pomerol, Bordeaux, France

ABOUT THIS WINE

A lovely Bordeaux from the Right Bank’s Lalande-de-Pomerol appellation, just north of Pomerol. It is a Merlot-led Bordeaux blend with Cabernet Franc made in the classic Lalande-de-Pomerol style: generous and polished, with Merlot providing plush fruit and texture while Cabernet Franc contributes perfume, freshness, and structure. The strong 2019 Bordeaux vintage gave Right Bank wines a particularly appealing combination of ripe fruit, concentration, and freshness. Aging was completed in oak to soften tannins and bring out subtle notes of vanilla and spice. 

ABOUT THIS PRODUCER

Château Apogée is a small Bordeaux producer in the Lalande-de-Pomerol appellation on Bordeaux’s Right Bank. It is associated with Alain Aubert / Domaines Alain Aubert, a family operation that produces several Bordeaux labels. Château Apogée appears to be one of the group’s more focused Right Bank wines, with a vineyard of roughly 10 acres (about 4 hectares) planted on the clay-and-gravel soils characteristic of the area. 

Stylistically, Château Apogée tends toward the generous, polished side of Right Bank Bordeaux—dark plum and blackberry fruit, firm but ripe tannins, touches of chocolate and earth, and enough acidity to keep the richness balanced. Recent vintages have performed consistently well: Wine Enthusiast awarded the 2020, 2021, and 2022 vintages 91 points, describing them as concentrated, structured, and capable of developing with some bottle age.