Pomerol AOC

The AOC area is located to the east of the small town of Libourne on the right bank of the Gironde in the French region of Bordeaux. The vineyards cover around 800 hectares of vines. To the north, the area is separated from the Lalande de Pomerol appellation by the River Barbanne. To the east is the Saint-Émilion area. The name comes from the Latin "pomarium" (orchard). The Romans were already cultivating vines here. The devastation caused by the Hundred Years' War (1338-1453) between the English and French led to viticulture being abandoned.

A new beginning

Vineyards were established again towards the end of the 15th and in the 16th century. But it was not until late in the 19th century that Pomerol wines became famous. In 2021, an unusual, groundbreaking decision was made. in the future it is generally forbidden to use herbicides for weed control in the entire appellation.

Vineyards

The exceptional soil type is responsible for the top ranking of the velvety, long-lasting red wines, which often mature for over two years in 100% new barriques. It is a sandy-gravel soil with intermediate layers of clay and a sub-layer of ferrous ironstone, known as "crasse de fer" (iron slag) or "machefer". The dominant variety, Merlot, is grown on around 80% of the vineyard area; other varieties include Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Malbec (Cot). These are the typical grape varieties of the Rive droite (right bank).

Classification

As in the neighbouring Fronsac to the west, there is no Grand Cru classification in Pomerol, but some vineyards are recognised as Premier Crus. The top wine from Château Pétrus can be equated with the best of the Médoc in terms of quality. However, several other châteaux also fall into this category.

Producers

Well-known producers include the wine estates Château Beauregard, Château Bonalgue, Château Bourgneuf-Vayron, Château Clinet, Château Certan de May de Certan, Château de Sales, Château Feytit-Clinet, Château Gazin, Château L'Eglise-Clinet, Château L'Évangile, Château Le Pin, Château La Conseillante, Château Lafleur, Château La Fleur-Gazin, Château La Fleur-Pétrus, Château Lagrange, Château La Grave, Château Latour à Pomerol, Château Petit-Village, Château Pétrus, Château Trotanoy and Vieux Château Certan. The famous Moueix family, which owns several wine estates here and markets a large part of Pomerol's production, plays an important role.

Pomerol: By Pascal3012 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
Map: By Domenico-de-ga from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
Changes by Norbert F. J. Tischelmayer 2017