Château des Capucins 2024, Lalande de Pomerol

"Capucins" refers to the Capuchin monks, a Franciscan order known for simplicity, humility, and brown hooded robes. Across France, properties carrying the name often point to forgotten religious connections buried beneath centuries of ownership changes and appellation law.

The label is unlike almost anything else in Bordeaux. Where most estates reach for heraldic crests and aristocratic severity, Capucins presents a butterfly composed entirely of small scenes from vineyard life: vines, barrels, leaves, and figures at work. It is a quietly radical design choice in a region where visual tradition tends to favor authority over warmth.

I visited this small property in April and tasted the 2024 vintage. The vintage will be debated across Bordeaux for years to come, but estates like this in Lalande de Pomerol are often where the most honest readings of a difficult year emerge, without the insulation of prestige pricing or the pressure to perform to expectation.