Lalande-de-Pomerol is an appellation of the Bordeaux wine region of France. It is for red wines produced in an area just to the north of the more prestigious Pomerol appellation, in the area east of Bordeaux known as the 'Libournais'.
The wines of Lalande-de-Pomerol are made predominantly of Merlot, but may also contain Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Malbec. As with most of the 'right bank' appellations, it is the approachability of Merlot which makes the wines so popular in the modern market place.
The two main villages of the appellation are Lalande-de-Pomerol and Néac. The vineyards around Néac are planted on soils with a clay element, but also have the gravelly component distinctive of Pomerol. Merlot grows more successfully on this type of soil, so it is here that the better wines of the appellation are produced. The soils around Lalande are sandier and more alluvial in nature, being closer to the Isle and Dordogne rivers, and the concentration of the Cabernet Grapes, which prefer free-draining soils, increases here.
The same Barbanne stream which separates Saint-Emilion (Lalande-de-Pomerol's south-eastern neighbor) from its less prestigious 'satellite' appellations, here separates Pomerol from the less prestigious Lalande-de-Pomerol. Rivers are of great importance in this Bordeaux, in defining appellation boundaries, moderating the climate, and in dictating the make-up of the region's soils.
The stellar success of Pomerol has stimulated significant activity in Lalande-de-Pomerol, and recent years have seen a number of new investors there. It remains to be seen whether Lalande-de-Pomerol will enjoy the success of its neighbor to the south.
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