📜 Pomerol

Pomerol is a French PDO (protected designation of origin) wine from the Gironde department in Bordeaux. The specification covers still, dry red wines only.

Five varieties are named: Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cot (Malbec) and Petit Verdot. The wines must have a minimum natural alcoholic strength of 11 % vol. After enrichment, total strength must not exceed 13.5 %. Each batch sold must have no more than 2 g/l of fermentable sugar and no more than 0.30 g/l of malic acid.

The maximum yield is 60 hectolitres per hectare. Vines must be planted at no fewer than 5,500 plants per hectare, with rows at most 2 m apart and at least 0.80 m between plants in a row. Pruning is done by single or double Guyot, spur pruning on cordon de Royat, or long pruning, with at most 10 buds per plant.

The area is defined by parcels. Grapes may be harvested in the municipality of Pomerol, a part of Libourne fixed by a 1928 court judgment, one parcel in Lalande-de-Pomerol and listed parcels in Saint-Emilion. Wine may be made and aged in these areas as well as in listed parcels of several neighbouring municipalities. These are Les Artigues-de-Lussac, Lalande-de-Pomerol, Libourne, Lussac, Montagne, Néac and Saint-Emilion.

According to the specification, the character of Pomerol wines comes from a Tertiary clay substrate, slow ripening in a cool setting, controlled water supply to the vine, gravel patches giving good drainage, and a subsoil with iron oxides known as crasse de fer.