Bordeaux

Appellation named after the town and commune of the same name, located to the east of Haut-Médoc on the right bank of the Gironde in Bordeaux in France. The vineyard area totals 760 hectares. To the north lies the appellation Lalande de Pomerol. Saint-Émilion lies to the east. Pomerol was formerly a sub-appellation of this, and was only granted independent status in 1900. The name is derived from the Latin word „pomarium“ (fruit garden). The Romans were involved in viticulture here. The destruction wrought by the Hundred Years War (1338-1453) between the English and the French led to an abandonment of viticulture. Vineyards were only established again in the late 15th and in the 16th century. The wines of Pomerol only became well-known and famous in the late 19th century. Their current top rating is based on the soils, which is sand and gravel with intermediate layers of clay and a sub-layer of stone with a high iron content, known as “crasse de fer” (iron slag) or also “Machefer”. The red wines are incomparably velvety and have a long maturation potential, they are frequently matured in up to 100% new oak barrels, sometimes for more than 2 years. Three quarters of the vineyard area is planted with Merlot, other varieties planted are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. As in the Fronsac appellation to the west, there is no Cru classification, surprisingly enough, in Pomerol, although there is a group of estate that are considered by consensus to be an elite, and thus have de facto Premier Cru status (see also under Bordeaux classification). The top wine of Château Pétrus is the equal of the best Médoc wines in terms of quality and price. Other red wines, too, can be better/more expensive than some Premier Crus of the Médoc.

Well-known producers include Château Beauregard, Château Bonalgue, Château Bourgneuf-Vayron, Château Clinet, Château Certan de May de Certan, Château de Sales, Château Feytit-Clinet, Château L´Eglise-Clinet, Château L´Évangile, Château Le Pin, Château La Conseillante, Château Lafleur, Château La Fleur-Gazin, Château La Fleur-Pétrus, Château Lagrange#Château Lagrange Pomerol, Château La Grave, Château Latour à Pomerol, Château L´Evangile, Château Petit-Village, Château Petrus, Château Trotanoy and Vieux Château Certan. The Moueix family plays an important part, it owns several estates in Pomerol, and its own merchant house distributes a large part of the production of the appellation.