Pomerol: A Small Place with Grand Wines

When you think of Bordeaux, you should think of big, grand Chateaux. Lots of glitz and glamour, showy properties, and some of the most expensive wines in the world. 


To contrast Bordeaux with Burgundy, the adage goes something like "From the sleeve of a man in Bordeaux comes a well-manicured hand. From a sleeve in Burgundy, you'll find a calloused, earth-worn one." That may be true from many of the marketing-driven Chateaux of the Left Bank but the exception to this rule can be found in Pomerol, the smallest of the fine appellations of Bordeaux.

How small is it? It's about 2,000 acres. I haven't been there, but by all accounts there's nothing much apart from a church and vineyards. No grand chateaux or manicured hands here, just vines and dirt -- similar to what most of Burgundy is like. 

Located on the Right Bank (the north side of the river, east of the Médoc where the Grand Chateaux are), Pomerol was first cultivated by Romans, when the famed areas of the Left Bank were still wet marshlands (the Dutch drained them in the 1700s). In this slightly more northern area, frosts arrive a tad earlier than on the Left Bank, so the grape of choice has to be something that ripens earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon. And that grape is Merlot.

In this area Merlot and Cabernet Franc (called Bouchet) rule, not Cabernet Sauvignon, as is the case of the Left Bank. If you're under the mistaken impression that Merlot doesn't make great wines, get a Pomerol and you'll change your mind.Merlot makes up 70%-80% of the blend and makes wines that are complex, full of plum and spice flavors, with a supple texture. Pomerol wines are softer and drinkable earlier than their counterparts on the Left Bank. They have lighter tannins. They can age 15-20 years and be great as opposed to the 20-30 on the Left Bank. 

Although most of the players in Pomerol are low-key, there is one big dog: Chateau Pétrus. With ideal gravel over clay soils and on a high plateau, I've heard this wine described as liquid velvet. Owned by the famous Christian Mouiex, whose vignerons apparently treat each vine as if it were a newborn, catering to its every need, this is arguably the best Chateau in the world with the most luscious wines available. After its meteoric rise post World War II (before Pomerol was a hard sell, with pretty great but inexpensive wines), it is among the most expensive bottles of wine in the world, and one of the most frequently counterfeited as a result!

Although you should know about Pétrus, you gotta know that you don't have to drink Pétrus to enjoy the spoils of Pomerol. But you may have to wait for a special occasion so you have a reason to pony up. 

The Château Le Bon Pasteur was a present from M.C. Ice (nice guy, huh?) and is one of the best wines I've had in a very long time. The famous oenologist, Michel Rolland, and his wife have owned this ideally located, small vineyard, planted with 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, since 1978. The grapes are hand-picked, aged in mostly new oak for about a year and a half and then bottled without filtration, which I find leaves a real sense of the land in the wine...as you'll see. 

The Wine:  Château Le Bon Pasteur 

Vintage: 2005 was an outstanding vintage, with great balance in the wines -- softer tannins, great fruit flavor, but enough going on that you don't have to wait forever to drink them.

Where it's From: Pomerol, Right Bank, Bordeaux, France

Price: $109.00

Alcohol: 14%

Color: This wine is a little older so it was a brownish crimson -- wine lightens to an amber color with time, especially one that has more moderate tannins like this Merlot-based wine. The legs were a bit thick from the 14% (high-ish) alcohol.

Smell: WOW. I love, love, love a good Bordeaux. This was so complex:

• Fruit: Like an Asian pear, a ripe plum, dried apricot/guava. So unusual!
• Spice: Rosemary, cinnamon stick, cardamom, clove, this wine was SO SPICY. 
• Earth/Other: I know this sounds weird but this had a real gaminess to it -- "roasted wild turkey and dried earth" are my notes for this one. And I swear I'm not far off. If you were wondering what  a complex wine was...look no further.

Flavor: The higher alcohol and the age gave the wine a little brandy character. The Asian pear/red apple skin quality was strong on the taste. The spiciness was just as prominent on the taste as it was on the smell -- heaven. You could really taste the land in the wine too -- it was had a dried dirt quality to it that grounded the fruit and spice flavors to make the wine well-balanced and kind of serious...and damn good! The texture was heavenly --  moderate tannins, moderate alcohol, everything in the perfect amounts.

Drink or Sink? Drink. Amazing. One of the best wines I've had in a while. Just perfectly balanced and elegant. The wine had power and spice and was so rich, but still delicate because of its moderate tannins and acids. This was absolutely beautiful. Loved it.