Point Final I Pinot N./Syrah J. M. Novelle 75 cl

Point Final I " Pinot Noir/Syrah " Jean Michelle Novelle

The Point Final collection is the culmination of a long wait. Varietal wines vinified almost a decade ago, a selection of the best barrels and a 6-year stay in oak: all the conditions required for the Late Bottle Vintage, LBV, appellation.

The end result is exceptional: wines of extraordinary freshness and youth, aromas complexified and concentrated by time, fully integrated oak, silky, velvety tannins. Sumptuous wines to enjoy now, or to keep, thanks to their ageing potential of over 20 years. A unique and rare product, which marks the end of Jean-Michel Novelle's use of barrels.

Pinot Noir "hermitagé" with a proportion of Syrah. This cuvée is made from the 08 and 09 vintages, the former being considered cool and the latter warm.
Aged for 6 years in barrels, then harmonised in vats and bottled in 2018.
On the nose, I found that the oak was still very noticeable from an aromatic point of view, but without masking the fruitiness of the grape varieties: Morello cherry, cherry, kirsch (Pinot Noir predominates), but also vanilla and spices.
On the palate, the tannins are fine, mellow and delicate. The whole is young and delicious, very fine, well-structured, easy to digest and fresh, despite the high alcoholic strength (almost 15°). The fruit remains youthful, without the presence of tertiary aromas or reduction.
Jean-Michel Novelle advises us not to decant these wines (from the Point Final collection). This is a ready-to-drink cuvee that will of course become more complex over the coming years. The best thing to do is to open the bottle straight from the cellar and let the wine gradually reveal itself..97/100  

March 2025               Laurent Probst, journalist and wine critic, founder of vinsconfederes.ch