Merlot -- Right Bank

Today, we come to the end of our Merlot journey and what better place to end than on the storied "Right Bank," the Libornais of Bourdeaux. As the Dordogne River twists and turns and nears its mouth at the Gironde estuary near the Bay of Biscay, we are at the birthplace of the finest Merlot-based wines in the world, at least the French would tell you so, the commune of St. Emilion and the much smaller neighboring commune of Pomerol. There, the Merlot grows so specially that contrary to the typical styles of Bourdeaux wines, many are entirely or nearly so made from the grapes of Merlot.

The emergence of Pomerol as a major Appellation d'origine controllee (AOC) is quite recent. Therefore, it was not included in the 1855 Classification, nor in the reclassification 100 years later. As a result, while it fetches the prices of the premier grand crus, even the wines of Chateau Petrus remain unclassified.

St. Emilion was classified in 1955 and does have four premier grand crus as well as a number of grand crus. While the top Merlot of St Emilion is certainly in a class with that of Pomerol, much of the wine in St Emilion is also Cabernet Franc-based. So, we've decided to focus our tasting today on the best of Pomerol.

What makes Pomerol different from much of the rest of Bourdeaux is its climate. While daytime weather is similar to that of the rest of Bourdeaux, it is among the most distant from the Gironde Estuary. As a result, temperature differences between day and night are more extreme. During the flowering season, there is often rain which can damage the Merlot plants, but once veraison (the point when the berry color begins to change as the grapes begin to ripen) has occurred, Pomerol may be the driest section of the Bourdeaux region.

Soils in Pomerol vary. In the west and south, they are quite gravelly. Nearer to St Emilion, however, they are much more clay-based with a hefty measure of marl (limestone-based mud, roughly). 

So, what makes these wines so special? For one, it's there ability to age gracefully. For another, it;s the integration of earthy notes even when young with the rich fruit of Merlot.

In today's verticals from multiple chateaus, while there is some variation, there is also much consistency. On the nose, they are initially a bit broody -- perhaps pensive in a distressed way. But, as they open, the dark berry comes through with waves of rich dark chocolate and certain minerally essennce emanating from the limestone of the marl. The mouthfeel is otherwordly, not from being overly tannic, but from having such tremendous structure. We luxuriate as the Merlot coats the entire palate.

We get blackberry, chocolate, black curreants, black raspberry, and even just a hint of citrus coming from I have no idea where. As we move toward the back of the palate, the fruit begins to soften as we get notes of wet stone, cedar, adn cigar box.

Drink these fine wines by themselves or with food. In particular, rack of lamb with a compote made from a reduction of the wine itself may be spectactular. As the wine ages, consider moving up a step to a prime rib au jus.