Bordeaux 2006 at Ten Years: Pomerol
I conclude this look at the 2006 vintage with a vicarious visit to Pomerol. It is perhaps fitting to come to this appellation last of all, because on a personal level I cut my wine teeth on the wines of the great left-bank appellations of Pauillac, St Julien and the like, with only occasional forays into Pessac-Léognan and the appellations of the right bank. While I became more acquainted with St Emilion over time, Pomerol lagged behind; this was the last of Bordeaux’s big-name appellations that I truly came to understand and appreciate. Perhaps the one exception is Vieux-Château-Certan, a wine I loved from the moment I first tasted it, which is more than a few years ago now. It is one of the few wines from this appellation I have tucked away in the cellar, in any quantity.
Coming back to the matter in hand, the Pomerol appellation seems to have fared rather well in 2006, despite the concerns raised earlier in this report that the Merlot harvest was disadvantaged by rain in this vintage. There are some really attractive wines here. Getting the obvious candidates for wine of the vintage out of the way first, 2006 Petrus is a delicious wine, open and elegantly perfumed, and I found it superior to 2006 Le Pin, even though I was swayed by this wine’s elegant and complex truffle-scented aromatics. In truth I see lots of delightful character in both. I don’t have either in the cellar (surprise, surprise) but I am currently drawing up plans for a bullion-robbery crime caper so I can amend this oversight. Although, a less risky alternative might be to save up for a bottle or two of the 2006 Château L’Église-Clinet, which is very comparable in terms of quality.
