Taking its name from its nearest neighbours, Petrus and Chateau Lafleur, the estate passed through several hands before being bought by Jean Pierre Moueix in 1953. While already established as a wine producer of great clout, the estate truly came into its own under his capable hands. The vineyards were replanted after the 1956 frost, after which four hectares of old vines - from Chateau Le Gay - were added to their vineyards.
Famed for producing wines of grace, sensuality, and style...
Famed for producing wines of grace, sensuality, and style, the 2016 has proved no exception. Antonio Galloni lauded it as “utterly captivating from the very first taste”, and Andrew Caillard extolled the virtues of its “extraordinary density and complexity.”
Pomerol, on the Right Bank of Bordeaux’s Gironde River, produces some of the world’s most sought-after wines, including those from such storied properties as Chateau Petrus. Yet Pomerol, the smallest of the fine-wine-producing districts of Bordeaux, offers no Grand Cru or Premier Cru wines: It’s the most significant Bordeaux appellation not included in any quality ranking. At the time of the historic 1855 Classification of Bordeaux, Right Bank chateaux were considered remote and difficult to travel to, and so were ignored by the merchants who created the classification. (St. Émilion, a notable neighbour on the Right Bank, created its own classification system in 1954.)
Pomerol has managed to do quite well without this form of validation. Pomerol’s predominantly clay soil is ideally suited for Merlot, the primary grape used in the appellation. Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon are also included in Pomerol’s blended red wines. The wines of Pomerol are lush and rich, and generally not as tannic as the Cabernet-based wines of Bordeaux’s Left Bank. Although Pomerol’s very best wines are capable of aging for decades, most are made for immediate consumption. These Merlot-based wines are known for their lush texture, elegance and grace, as well as the softer tannins they offer in comparison to the Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines made elsewhere in Bordeaux.
