Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Enthusiast
An impressive and powerful wine, with its tannins packed into rich flavors of bitter chocolate and black fruit. Barrel Sample: 92-94 Points.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Now one of my favorite Pomerols (a 2005 tasted in Beijing, China recently was out of this world), the 2011 Hosanna does not have the power of that vintage, or 2009 and 2010, but it exhibits complex forest floor, floral, black raspberry and black cherry notes. With a savory, broad opulence as well as a medium to full-bodied appeal, this silky smooth, seductive, complex wine can be drunk now or cellared for a decade or more.
-
James Suckling
A red with plum and milk-chocolate character, plus hints of hazelnut. Medium to full body with firm tannins and a fruity finish. Subtle and firm. Stylish cocoa, berry and mineral undertones.
-
Wine Spectator
Sports a briary edge, with an ample core of red currant and raspberry fruit, studded with anise, apple wood and incense notes. Still backward today, with the grip winning out, but all the pieces are in place. This should be a more classic, restrained version when it settles in fully. Best from 2017 through 2027.
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.
A source of exceptionally sensual and glamorous red wines, Pomerol is actually a rather small appellation in an unassuming countryside. It sits on a plateau immediately northeast of the city of Libourne on the right bank of the Dordogne River. Pomerol and St-Émilion are the stars of what is referred to as Right Bank Bordeaux: Merlot-dominant red blends completed by various amounts of Cabernet Franc or Cabernet Sauvignon. While Pomerol has no official classification system, its best wines are some of the world’s most sought after.
Historically Pomerol attached itself to the larger and more picturesque neighboring region of St-Émilion until the late 1800s when discerning French consumers began to recognize the quality and distinction of Pomerol on its own. Its popularity spread to northern Europe in the early 1900s.
After some notable vintages of the 1940s, the Pomerol producer, Petrus, began to achieve great international attention and brought widespread recognition to the appellation. Its subsequent distribution by the successful Libourne merchant, Jean-Pierre Mouiex, magnified Pomerol's fame after the Second World War.
Perfect for Merlot, the soils of Pomerol—clay on top of well-drained subsoil—help to create wines capable of displaying an unprecedented concentration of color and flavor.
The best Pomerol wines will be intensely hued, with qualities of fresh wild berries, dried fig or concentrated black plum preserves. Aromas may be of forest floor, sifted cocoa powder, anise, exotic spice or toasted sugar and will have a silky, smooth but intense texture.