2010 Château Latour-à-Pomerol, Pomerol, Bordeaux

Chateau Latour a Pomerol

Château Latour à Pomerol is one of the leading Pomerol properties and is now run and administered by Jean-Pierre Moueix of Pétrus and Trotanoy fame.

Latour à Pomerol consists of just under 8 hectares of vineyards split in to two plots: the first is known as Les Grandes Vignes and is located on a gravel outpost next to the Church of Pomerol. The second plot lies on sandy, lighter soils and is to be found on the western side of the Pomerol plateau.

Latour a Pomerol's grapes (90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc) are hand harvested and then fermented in temperature controlled concrete vats. The wine is then matured in small oak barrels (50% new) for 18 months. It is bottled unfiltered.

Latour á Pomerol produces sumptuous, meaty, concentrated and full-bodied Pomerols that often require at least 10 years of cellaring. In the context of other top class Pomerols they remain underpriced.

Pomerol

Pomerol is the smallest of Bordeaux's major appellations, with about 150 producers and approximately 740 hectares of vineyards. It is home to many bijou domaines, many of which produce little more than 1,000 cases per annum.

Both the topography and architecture of the region is unremarkable, but the style of the wines is most individual. The finest vineyards are planted on a seam of rich clay which extends across the gently-elevated plateau of Pomerol, which runs from the north-eastern boundary of St Emilion. On the sides of the plateau, the soil becomes sandier and the wines lighter.

There is one satellite region to the immediate north, Lalande-de-Pomerol whose wines are stylistically very similar, if sometimes lacking the finesse of its neighbour. There has never been a classification of Pomerol wines.

Recommended Châteaux : Ch. Pétrus, Vieux Ch. Certan, Le Pin, Ch. L’Eglise-Clinet, Ch. La Conseillante, Ch. L’Evangile, Ch. Lafleur, Trotanoy, Ch. Nenin, Ch. Beauregard, Ch. Feytit-Clinet, Le Gay.