The Pomerol wine region in Bordeaux

Pomerol - the special appellation in Bordeaux

The Pomerol wine-growing region covers around 800 hectares and is very flat compared to its counterparts in the Medoc. It is located close to the ancient harbour town of Libourne with its landmark, the high church tower. There are hardly any large estates in Pomerol, instead there are many small vineyards, which rarely have more than 10 hectares of vineyards. Pomerol wines and their producers have the lowest yields per hectare of all Bordeaux appellations and the wine estates in the Pomerol region have illustrious names.

Chateau Petrus is the epitome of red Bordeaux wine and one of the most expensive wines in the world, but the other producers are almost as famous: Trotanoy, Clinet, La Conseillante, Gazin, Veux Chateau Certan or Chateau Lafleur. Of all the wines in the Bordeaux region, Pomerol wines have the highest proportion of Merlot. Out of 800 hectares, 80% are planted with Merlot, with the remaining 20% planted with Cabernet Franc.

Long unknown - then a meteoric rise

Today, the Pomerol growing area is one of the most sought-after and famous in the entire Bordeaux region, but this was not always the case - for centuries, Pomerol wines had only achieved a low level of recognition and were always overshadowed by Medoc, Graves and even St. Emilion. It was only at the beginning of the 20th century that Pomerol wines began to show signs of success, when Belgians and especially the Dutch became more and more interested in the red Pomerol wines. The top Pomerol wines in particular impress with their voluminous, fleshy berry fruit and great flavour even at a young age. Some of them are already appealing to drink when young, but with age they develop into monumental growths with great ageing potential. Truffle flavours only come to the fore in Pomerol wines after decades and the taste of the wines differs significantly from the Medoc or Graves growths.

Due to the reduced yields and the small vineyards, the number of bottles of Pomerol wines is very limited. This has led to high prices, especially in recent years, which are often significantly higher than those of other Bordeaux wines from Paulliac or St Julien. Old vintages from the 1940s are true rarities and can only be found very rarely. A 1945 Chateau Petrus is a highly sought-after wine and costs over 6,000 euros in the Chateau bottling.

Outstanding vintages and wine legends

The best Pomerol vintages of the last century were probably 1928, 1929, 1945, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1955, 1961, 1975, 1989, 1990 and 2005.

The most famous wineries from the Pomerol region are:

• Chateau Clinet

  This producer is not far from Chateau Petrus and is considered one of the best Pomerol wines with a long history.

• Chateau La Conseillante

  Although the wine-growing area is right next to Cheval-Blanc, the wines differ significantly in colour, fruit, taste and aroma.

• Chateau La Croix de Gay

  The wine-growing region is a neighbour of the famous Chateau Petrus, but its maturation is much faster. The high quality is usually also achieved in smaller vintages

• Chateau L`Ègliste-Clinet

  Small production quantities at good prices. Even young wines have a complex flavour.

• Chateau La Fleur Petrus

  The vineyard is located between Lafleur and Petrus and is owned by the well-known Jean-Pierre Moueix. The wines are finer in flavour than those of Chateau Petrus, but not nearly as well structured.

• Chateau Lafleur

  This small estate is famous and in demand due to its special terroir. The vineyards are planted half with Merlot and half with Cabernet Franc. The wines produced here have been among the best in the Pomerol appellation since 1998.

• Chateau Latour À Pomerol

  Another chateau from Jean-Pierre Moueix. The wines have a high proportion of Merlot and are strong in flavour.

• Chateau Petrus

  This estate epitomises the producers of Pomerol and the entire Bordeaux wine-growing region. It is also managed by Jean-Pierre Moueix. For a long time, Petrus was considered the most expensive single wine in the world.

• Chateau Le Pin

  These wines are among the cult wines of Asians and nouveau riche Russians. It is probably the best known and most expensive so-called garage wine. Its flavour, charm and rarity in itself have long caused its price to rise to astronomical heights.

• Chateau Trotanoy

  It comes from the Moueix dynasty and shows plenty of fruit and structure. In terms of quality, it is hardly inferior to Petrus.

• Vieux Chateau Certan

  The high proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon in the wines from Vieux Chateau Certan gives the wine great ageing potential and its own personality. The estate is a neighbour of Petrus and has spicy aromas.

Pomerol in one sentence: Where Merlot reaches its noblest, most sensual form - a harmonious dance of fruit, minerality and velvety tannins.