Château La Grave à Pomerol: Vineyards
Château La Grave à Pomerol lies near the foot of the Pomerol plateau, close to the D1089 which runs to out of Libourne towards Montpon-Ménestérol and ultimately Périgeux. This road serves as a boundary to the estate on the north-western side, beyond which there are more vineyards, such as those of Château La Patache. To the north-east the boundary is marked by the D245, perhaps more familiar (to these profiles, at least) as the Route de Saint Jacques de Compostelle, which snakes up past some of the appellation’s longest-established châteaux before turning down towards Vieux Château Certan.
To the south-west, along the level of the plateau the vineyards neighbour Château Feytit Clinet, while to the south-west, moving up the slope of the plateau, lie the vineyards of Château Latour à Pomerol, beyond those Château Clinet, Clos L’Église and Château L’Église-Clinet. These latter names, some fairly prestigious, are some way up the slope though, on the most desirable clay-gravel soils.
The château is daintily attractive (to my eye) although not grand, more of a well-scrubbed maison than a fine château, and it is blessed with an area of parkland to the north-west, planted with a large number of trees. Otherwise it is surrounded in entirety by its vineyards, which cover a little less than 8 hectares of the slope. The soil here is, as the name tells us, largely gravelly, although there are some areas (especially lower down the slope) where sand is more dominant. These soils will inevitably lessen the potential quality of the wine.
