Pomerol

Pomerol: towns and landscapes :

The commune of Pomerol borders Saint-Emilion to the west and Fronsac to the east. It is unusual in that it has no central village apart from a church. Its scattered settlement is mostly made up of winegrowers' houses. There are very few mansions with so-called "cossue" architecture. Pomerol appellationPomerol, 785 hectares in total, encroaches slightly on the commune of Libourne. Pomerol or an exceptional terroir: The geological history of this terroir is intimately linked to that of the river Isle. Over the centuries, it has accumulated gravel and pebbles, organized into terraces interspersed with thin layers of clay. Added to these superimpositions is "crasse de fer", a kind of ferruginous sandstone formed from windblown sands. These elements give rise to a multitude of combinations and wines: - Deep gravel mixed with varying degrees of clay produces round, silky wines. - Finer gravels mixed with sand and a little clay produce slower-bodied wines. - In the south of the appellation, the gravel contains a little limestone and no clay at all. The resulting wines are drier and closer to St Emilion. In blind tasting, they are very close to the appellation's flagship: Chateau Petrus. - To the west, we find a siliceous-gravelly soil with lots of sand and a high mineral and clay content. Pomerols here are lighter, and magnificent to taste in their early years. In addition to soil composition, we need to consider the depth of the water table: the greater the depth, the more concentrated the aromas, and the density of the "Crasse de fer": the greater the density, the more exceptional the terroir. In this way, nuances emerge from the complexity of the soil. The grape varieties grown in Pomerol are predominantly Merlot, followed by Cabernet Franc (or Sauvignon) and Malbec.

Pomerol and its great names:

One of the great characteristics of Pomerol wine is that it has never been classified in any way, a situation that has ensured its continued social cohesion. But despite this state of affairs, one of them is universally recognized as standing above the rest: Chateau Petrus and its famous "clay buttonhole". Eternal summit of the pyramid! But on the slopes of the edifice shine wines that remain among the very greats. L'Evangile, Trotanoy, Lafleur, Vieux-Chateau-Certan, La Conseillante, Petit-Village, Certan de Mays and Lafleur-Petrus are just a few examples...

Pomerol Bordeaux: a unique brand

In Pomerol wine, we find the Médoc with its finesse and bouquet, Saint-Emilion with its structure and color, and Burgundy with its roundness and joviality. It is them, but above all it is itself, sharing with no other its deep, dark, truffle-accented taste and velvety power. Its quality is fairly consistent, even in bad years. These are long-keeping wines. One of their most original features is excellent maturation: after five years, they have already reached aging perfection. It is therefore advisable to taste Pomerol red wines between five and twelve years of age, at an ideal temperature of 17°c, in association with rather rich dishes.