Pomerol

France · AOC · South-West

Styles

Natural factors

Geographical area: the commune of Pomerol plus the northern part of Libourne, in the north-east of the Gironde, separated from Lalande-de-Pomerol by the Barbanne stream.
Upper Günz terrace (Lower Pleistocene), at 30–40 m elevation: sands, gravels, and reddened pebbles overlying Tertiary clays rich in smectites.
Middle Riss terraces (Middle Pleistocene), at 20–25 m: sands, gravels, and pebbles in a sandy-clay matrix.
A clay outcrop at the summit of the plateau, shared among Petrus, Vieux Château Certan, La Conseillante, l'Évangile, and Gazin. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
Temperate oceanic climate with continental nuances (north-east Gironde): higher temperatures in summer and autumn, favouring ripening.

Human factors

Minutes of 7 May 1761: the earliest Bordeaux document on viticultural modernisation — replanting with noir de pressac (cot), bouchet (cabernet franc), and merlot. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
After phylloxera, merlot became dominant: grafting regularised its yields and it proved well suited to the soils of Pomerol.

Product characteristics

Deep colour, a powerful nose evoking black fruits, violet, and truffle; a broad aromatic palette linked to the predominance of merlot.
Full, long wines with no harshness; with age they develop a rich, unctuous, and silky character.

Terroir / wine link

The Tertiary clay substratum induces slow ripening of the grapes and a very well-regulated water supply to the vine.

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