Winemaker Notes
Blend: 70% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Rich dark and ripe plums with sweetly spiced earthy aromas. The palate has assertive plump fruit presence amid smooth, curvaceous tannins that wrap neat into the finish. Try from 2022.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
On the northern border of the acclaimed Pomerol region, Lalande de Pomerol is an incredible source of impressive Merlot-based wines, but at a fraction of the price compared to its southern neighbor. The region has the potential to offer the same concentration of the finest in Pomerol, but typically not without a touch of appealing rusticity.