CHATEAU FRANC - MAILLET

2009 - Les Cuvées Exceptionnelles

POMEROL, FRANCE

Pomerol is the smallest of the Bordeaux sub-regions, less than 800 hectares.  There is no official qualification system here, thus the wines are never labeled Grand Cru, yet the quality is astonishing. This little area boasts one of the most famous and expensive wines in the world, Petrus, bottles of which can cost up to $6000/bottle in the best years.

Pomerol wines are very pleasing. Deep red in colour (an archetypal claret), but not too acidic. It also does not tend to have too much tannin which can be off putting for so many wine drinkers. Pomerol is one of those wines that is complemented and complements food in a quite magical fashion. Cheeses in particular as well as rich dinners with red meat, venison, and pheasant go particularly well with this wine, though it is equally pleasurable to drink on its own.

TASTING NOTES

Appearance: Dense purple

Aroma: Plenty of black raspberry, kirsch, mocha, and caramelised fruit-like notes.
Taste: Generous, well-endowed, corpulent Pomerol. Rich and full-bodied with terrific purity, sweet tannins, and a long, heady finish.
Aging Potential: 15-20 years

GASTRONOMY

Dish: Pairs well with red meats, roasts. Try with feathered game.
Cheese: Camembert, Saint Nectaire, Edam, Gouda
Temperature: 17ºC.

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

Vintage: 2009
Varietal: 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc
Alcohol: 15%

VINTAGE REPORT

The 2009 vintage may be the very best Pomerol has ever had!

Olivier Berrouet, who arrived as director of Petrus for the 2009 vintage echoed many winemakers on the Right Bank. "The weather conditions were almost perfect," he said. "For us at Pétrus, it was the first time we had so much time between grapes turning red and picking. Instead of 45 days, it was about 60 days," said Berrouet. "The vintage called for this, it was not our call."

Berrouet, who was plucked from Château Cheval Blanc to take over winemaking at Pétrus, laughed as he escorted journalists from the tasting. "After this vintage, I can probably retire."