Pomerol (wine region)

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Map of the Bordeaux wine region

Pomerol is a wine-growing region in the Bordelais and famous for high quality red wines .

It is an AOC area at the eastern gates of the small town of Libourne , about 30 km northeast of Bordeaux . The approved vineyards are located in the municipality of Pomerol and in the northeastern part of Libourne. In the north, the Barbanne River separates it from the neighboring Lalande-de-Pomerol wine-growing region .

The Pomerol appellation received AOC status in 1936 as part of the first wave of AOC founded by the INAO .

Of all the wines in the Bordeaux region, the Pomerol wines have the largest share (up to 100 percent) of Merlot . Around 80 percent of the 800 hectares of planted area consists of Merlot plantations. The rest is mostly planted with Cabernet Franc . Pomerol's finest wines are usually made at the highest points of the plateau, where the soil consists mainly of gravel with intermediate layers of clay.

South of the Pomerol is the wine-growing area of Saint-Émilion . Both areas together form the core of the Bordelais "Right Bank", based on wine, with the common feature of the use of high proportions of Merlot in the cuvées . As a result, they are usually accessible a little earlier and more gentle than the wines from the Médoc .

In 2009 there were 140 producers in Pomerol, with an average area of ​​6 hectares, and the "Pomerol" appellation vineyard covers 800 hectares. The average annual production is 35,000 hectoliters.

history

During the Hundred Years War , the viticulture that had existed since Roman times was completely abandoned and only re-established in the 15th and 16th centuries. During this period, Pomerol is only considered a satellite of Saint-Émilion. It was only at the beginning of the 20th century that international experts became aware of the wines. It is to this fact that we owe the fact that there is no classification for this area . In addition, the châteaux are usually simple farmhouses with only a few hectares of vineyards. Only Château de Sales , with over 47 hectares of vineyards, has both an acceptable size and a stately home.

Wine

Pomerol now only produced red wine, although 100 years ago it produced a large amount of white wine. Merlot is the most important grape variety with 80% of the vineyard area. Although almost invariably mixed, the Merlot content can reach 95%, although it is usually in the 70-80% range. The next most important grape variety is Cabernet Franc, known locally as "Le Bouchet". It makes up about 15% of the vineyard area and usually 5 to 20% of the mixture. Malbec, known locally as "Pressac" and little planted in the rest of Bordeaux, is also used. The remaining permitted grapes, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot, are rarely planted and rarely used in the Grand Vin, although like Malbec they can appear in the second wine of a winery.

The Merlot grape has an intense color, a strong nose with a wide aromatic palette reminiscent of black fruits, sometimes with hints of violets and truffles. These wines are plentiful and of great length in the mouth, without hardness and can support long storage in bottles. The wines of the appellation are elegant and balanced. The varieties Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Côt (or Malbec) are often present and give the wines structure and complexity. The Petit Verdot, a former grape variety from Bordeaux, is also permitted, but not very common.

Known wineries in the appellation Pomerol are:

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Décret n ° 2011-1613 on November 22, 2011 relative to the appellation d'origine contrôlée «Pomerol» | Legifrance. Retrieved March 18, 2019 .
  2. ↑ Décret n ° 2011-1613 on November 22, 2011 relative to the appellation d'origine contrôlée «Pomerol» | Legifrance. Retrieved March 18, 2019 .