Winemaker Notes
Blend: 91% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Greatest La Grave for me. Fantastic depth of fruit and power yet so silky and fresh. Bright light energy to this. Mostly merlot with a touch of cabernet franc. Barrel Sample: 95-96 points
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Wine Enthusiast
This 22-acre vineyard with over 90% Merlot has given an intense wine with minerality as well as layers of dense fruit. The powerful tannins never dominate the fruit, giving richness, structure and an excellent potential. Drink from 2025.
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Wine Spectator
Solidly built, with a core of dark plum and blackberry preserve flavors leading the way, backed by a tasty ganache note. Fleshy finish. Best from 2022 through 2032
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Decanter
Fresh and refined rather than opulent. Palate is bright and suave with the freshness lingering. Ripe, firm tannins give length on the finish. Harmonious. Should be good value and will age.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A blend of 91% Merlot and 9% Cabernet Franc, the 2015 La Grave a Pomerol has a medium to deep garnet-purple color and gives up notions of fresh black raspberries, crushed black and red currants and pencil lead with touches of garrigue and dusty soil. Medium to full-bodied with plenty of vibrant, juicy red and black berry layers, it has a chewy frame and a good long, lively finish.
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.