Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Red plum, stewed blackberry, baking spice, and black olive on the nose. Cocoa powder and dried leaves, too. It’s full-bodied with sleek, supple tannins and fresh acidity. Rich and juicy with a long, mineral finish. Long creamy textured finish. Try from 2024.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 La Patache wafts out of the glass with fragrant scents of Morello cherries, boysenberry preserves and stewed red and black plums, plus hints of rose oil and powdered cinnamon. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers taut, muscular, energetic red and black fruits with a firm, finely grained framed and seamless freshness, finishing long and perfumed. This is a gorgeous, soft-spoken expression of Pomerol that has exceeded my expectations.
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Decanter
Concentrated fruit notes of fig, blackberry and blackcurrant purée, but here it is balanced and juicy, with a silky texture. Drinking Window 2023 - 2040?
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Jeb Dunnuck
Showing nicely, the 2018 Château La Patache has a rounded, nicely textured, medium to full-bodied style that carries plenty of darker berry fruits, some classic Pomerol damp earth and floral notes, ripe tannins, and outstanding length on the finish. It's ideal for enjoying over the coming 10-12 years.
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.