Pomerol Bordeaux

Pomerol Bordeux is an esteemed appellation in Bordeaux’s Right Bank and is home to Château Pétrus, Château Lafleur, and Château Le Pin, three highly regarded wineries at auction. It grows mostly Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc grapes.

It’s considered a newer AOC, granted by the French government only in 1936, and all of the wineries here harvest estate-grown grapes. However, wine grapes have flourished here since 1270. It was the efforts and passion of Jean-Pierre Moueix, a négociant (the French term for a person who acts as a consultant with local vintners and winemakers, then sells the wine under its own brand) in the late 1930s that elevated Pomerol into high acclaim. Selling Château Pétrus has been one of his feats.

At auction, bottles of the 2005 vintage of Château Pétrus sell for around $6,000 and have earned 100 points from "Wine Enthusiast." More recent standout vintages are the 2010, 2011, and 2013 vintages, proof that quality in the Pomerol region has remained nothing short of consistent

Quick Facts

• Pomerol is among the smallest regions in Bordeaux as it’s only around two miles wide by two and a half miles long
• Back in the 16th and 17th centuries, and up until the 19th century, mostly white wine grapes were planted here, a complete shift from today’s situation. The AOC classification banned commercial plantings of white wine grapes
• The size of vineyards in Pomerol varies widely, from the smallest, the 1.2-acre Cornaline, to the largest, the Château de Sales with 117 acres