More red and black fruits, truffle, spice, and floral notes emerge from the 2021 Château La Violette, a medium to full-bodied, beautifully textured, seamless effort that has gorgeous tannins, a layered, expansive mouthfeel, and outstanding length. It's one of the gems in the vintage that already offers pleasure today yet will benefit from just a few years in the cellar and evolve for 15 years if well stored. IT's a beautiful, complex, elegant Pomerol that does everything right in the vintage.

The 2021 La Violette has a typically precocious bouquet with violet-tinged blackberry and cassis fruit. The oak is nicely integrated and it feels less ostentatious than previous vintages. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent ripe tannins and good grip. This is very pure with a dash of black pepper infusing the mélange of black and blue fruit. There is plenty of substance on the finish that should ensure this Pomerol will age well in bottle. Neal Martin, Vinous, May 2022

High oak impact, with tar and liqourice root, enjoyable raspberry and redcurrant fruit. This has Pomerol signature which is not true with all wines from the appellation in 2021, even with an austerity to the tannins that is holding back the typical generosity of La Violette at this point, but the floral aromatics come out with some coaxing. Vignobles Péré-Vergé.

Captures the graphite edge of the best Pomerols this year, with clear quality to the cassis, redcurrant and black cherry fruit, totally delicious and overshoots the vintage, with raspy but chewy tannins, a little austere but softened by black chocolate and liquorice bud. Vignobles Péré-Vergé.
Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux, May 2022

Sweet berry and spice with some pie-crust character. Medium body, firm tannins and a fresh finish.
May 2022

Offering up aromas of cherries, cassis and plums mingled with notions of licorice, spices and creamy new oak, the 2021 La Violette is a medium to full-bodied, rich and layered wine built around a fleshy core of fruit and powdery, liberally extracted tannins. Like its stablemate Le Gay, it's vinified entirely in new barrels.

Sappy and not as concentrated as the potent and ripe nose suggests. Quite lean and straight, focussed but light and lacking a touch more fruit density to really make this shine. A little sombre, may just be closed as many are right now. It's direct and streamlined, but there's some austerity and lots of toasty wood on show so it's not so charming right now.

Tasted blind. Mid crimson. Warm, ripe nose. Sweet and pleasing but with a bit of alcohol, as well as slightly drying tannins, on the end. How did they manage that?! Ambitious wine. (JR)