2006 Château Lafleur-Gazin, Pomerol, Bordeaux

The dominant commercial force in Pomerol and St Emilion is the negociant company of Jean-Pierre Moueix. They own a clutch of prime wine estates, have exclusive distribution rights for a further selection and have worked assiduously to promote the lesser lights of the region and its associated appellations. World-renowned names such as Château Pétrus, Trotanoy, Magdelaine, Lafleur and Lafleur Petrus feature in their portfolio, but one of the less known properties is La Fleur Gazin, situated appropriately between two heavyweights in Lafleur and Gazin. Pomerol is renowned for producing wines of lush richness, with the fleshiness of the Merlot grape balanced by the firm acidity of the Cabernet Franc to produce wines which, while easy to enjoy young, nevertheless have the capacity to age. Pomerol is a tiny appellation and demand is high, so the effect on prices needs little imagination to calculate, but wines such as this still represent good value as they have yet to scale the lofty heights enjoyed by their better-known neighbours.

With 150 or so producers and roughly 740 hectares of vineyards, the smallest of Bordeaux's major appellations is home to myriad bijou domaines – many making little more than 1,000 cases per annum. If the topography and architecture of Pomerol are typical, the style of its wines is anything but. The best vineyards are planted on a seam of rich clay extending across the raised plateau of Pomerol from the boundary of St Emilion.