Lalande-de-Pomerol

France · AOC · South-West

Styles

Natural factors

Relief shaped by the destruction of Tertiary carbonate formations by the Isle river, followed by the deposition of Quaternary alluvial terraces in a north–south orientation (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
Néac: high terrace of the Günz glaciation (sands, gravels, and reddened pebbles over clay) — leached brown soils or brown soils over gravel
Lalande-de-Pomerol: Riss terraces (sandy-clay matrix), deep water table, root systems penetrating several metres into the subsoil (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
Temperate oceanic climate with continental nuances: warmer summers and autumns in the north-east of the Gironde, favouring full ripening
Zone bounded to the south by the Barbanne (separating Lalande-de-Pomerol from Pomerol) and bordering Montagne-Saint-Émilion to the east (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)

Human factors

After phylloxera, Merlot N became the dominant variety through grafting onto American rootstocks, deemed well suited to the soils of the Libournais.
The winegrowers' syndicate, founded on 18 February 1884, is one of the earliest in the Gironde, born out of an association formed to combat phylloxera.

Product characteristics

Ruby or garnet in colour, with aromas of small red and black fruits, sometimes with notes of violet contributed by Merlot.
Full-bodied and generous wines, both charming in youth and gaining in power and complexity with age.

Terroir / wine link

Merlot expresses the AOC at its finest on gravelly soils with a clay matrix: the graves drain freely and reflect sunlight, while the clay regulates water supply to the vine.

Facts drawn from the cahier's terroir-link section (Lien au terroir) by automatic interpretation — see the source.