Description

100% Merlot that was hand picked and fermented half in barrel half in tank. Then aged for over a year in 100% new oak. This is a big wine the blue and black berry spectrum. Quite rich on the palate and offering some delicate violets and chocolate underneath. It’ll look more open after 2020. I think this is a classic for boeuf bourguignon.

Clos 56 is a tiny 0.56 hectare of 60 year old vines in a prime part of Pomerol. The vines are part of a bigger St-Emilion Estate that focus on small patches of quality land run as organically as possible.

Pomerol – Merlot dominates here ably supported by Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon a distant (and sometimes non-existant) third. There is only 800 hectare of vines and almost 150 producers and Pomerol is the only major appellation of Bordeaux to eschew a ranking system.  The quality at the top level are arguably better than any other Bordeaux but it can vary.

Merlot – It gets a tough time most of the places it is grown. But in Pomerol and Saint-Emilion Merlot not only dominates but makes some of the best wines in the world. Perfume, silky and plush. Cabernets Franc and Sauvignon season the wines with structure and acid but in some places, like Petrus they are almost not needed.

2011 – One of the hardest and most disappointing vintages in recent Bordeaux history. Experiencing both excessive heat and rain led to wines that were lighter, less concentrated and sometimes on the green side. Early ripening terroirs and Merlot tended to be more successful.