Pomerol is a respected red-wine appellation in the Bordeaux region of France. The appellation stands apart from other Bordeaux appellations in several ways. It does not conform to the accepted image of a Bordeaux wine district; a wealthy, long-established, chateau-laden area, with an all-important classification system and vineyards named after the small village at their centre. Pomerol is none of these things. (© Proprietary Content, Wine-Searcher)
Pomerol has no formal system of classification for its wines - each of the other key appellations have multi-tiered quality systems exemplified by the complex Medoc classification. Despite the lack of quality monitoring implied by a classification system, the Pomerol and its specific style have risen to a very high profile in a short space of time. While the appellation was barely acknowledged in the middle of the last century, Pomerol wines like Chateau Petrus now command higher prices than those of the long-established Medoc.
Pomerol is located to the east of the Bordeaux region, near Saint-Emilion, in the area known as the 'Libournais'. This name is derived from the town of Libourne, which sits just to the south of Pomerol. The landscape here is remarkable for being entirely unremarkable. Where most appellations are named after a village or town within their boundaries, Pomerol has no such epicenter. It is an unchanging 800 hectares (2000 acres) gravel bank which rises and falls only 65 ft (20m). There are sandier soils in the south and west of the appellation to compare to the slightly heavier soils in the east, which include a certain proportion of clay. It is in this eastern section on the marginally higher land where Pomerol meets Saint-Emilion, that the best of the appellation's wines are produced. Three of the most highly-regarded Pomerol producers; Chateaux Petrus, Lafleur and Le Pin are located here.
Merlot is the dominant grape in Pomerol, and plays a large part in making the wines rich, smooth and approachable at an early age. Cabernet Franc is also present in many Pomerol wines, adding an element of savory spice and increased backbone. There is a very high demand for this style of wine on the international market, and Pomerol wines are much sought-after, particularly because they are also relatively long-lived.
The prevalence of Merlot has its risks for Pomerol, as it does for neighboring Saint-Emilion. Merlot is an early-flowering variety, and is susceptible to spring frosts. In the season of 1991, spring frost damaged a large proportion of Pomerol's vines. Perversely, this only served to increase the market value, where demand already far outweighed supply.
Pomerol's place in the international wine world is secure for some time to come, given the continuing increase in demand for prestigious wines, and the limited production of this small, quality-focused appellation.
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