Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Aromas of citrus fruit such as red oranges and chocolate follow through to a full body, with lovely velvety tannins and a long finish. Extremely well done for the vintage.
Barrel Sample: 93-94 Points -
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
One of the superstars of the vintage, this blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc smelled and tasted better than the great Petrus. A stunning opaque ruby/purple color is followed by aromas of spring flowers, black raspberries and licorice. This opulent, velvety textured, full-bodied wine possesses dazzling concentration, adequate acidity and a long finish. What a brilliant effort! It should drink well between 2017 and 2032.
Barrel Sample: 92-94 Points -
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 -
Wine Spectator
Sleek and racy, with no angles, as boysenberry and raspberry fruit courses along nicely, supported by light charcoal and ganache shadings on the finish. Yet this is showing its wood today, even though Moueix uses just one-third new oak, and this particular sample is noticeably darker in profile than most others in the vintage.
Barrel Sample: 91-94 Points
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.