Les Trois - The Vineyards

Pomerol

Pomerol lies immediately to the east and north-east of Libourne. It is the smallest of all the major Bordeaux wine producing appellations, with only 800 hectares under vine in Pomerol. This miniscule area's wines define the Merlot grape at its very best.
It stands on a gravel bank (a feature it shares with the prestigious appellations of the Médoc). The soils of the Pomerol region are very diverse with a mixture of gravel, sand and clay scattered across the plateau.
Pomerol is the home of the three most expensive wines in all of Bordeaux, Petrus, Lafleur and Le Pin.
All Pomerol producers were required to make their wines at their chateau, which must be located within the boundaries of the appellation.
Pomerol is exclusively a red wine with the only permitted grape varieties for AOC wine being Merlot, Cabernet Franc (Bouchet), Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec (Pressac). And its wines are known to be of maximum elegance, richness, and complexity.

Like Saint-Emilion, just a few miles to the east, Fronsac has a picturesque landscape made up of woodland and hills.
The soils here are composed more of sandstone and limestone than clay, giving the vines a certain resistance to hotter weather.
Merlot is the dominant grape in Fronsac and is regularly paired with Cabernet Franc. Malbec is used to add complexity to the wines and Cabernet Sauvignon may also be included, although it is less commonly used because it doesn't ripen as well in the appellation's cooler soils.
It also has a rich history reaching back hundreds of years, when the area was much favored by French nobility.
The appellation is known for offering affordable alternatives to the high-priced wines of the Médoc, Pomerol and Saint-Émilion.

Located on the right bank of the Garonne and Dordogne rivers, the amphi-theater shaped Lussac Saint-Émilion facing south equips its vineyards with naturally good drainage and plenty of sunlight.
The terroir of Lussac is characterized by the diversity of its soils, distributed between the plateaus, the sides of the hills, and small valleys, the vines grow in mainly clayey limestone soils.
The grape varieties permitted within the Lussac-Saint-Émilion appellation are Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Merlot. Merlot usually dominates the blend.
To qualify for the Lussac-Saint-Emilion appellation, wines must contain a minimum of 11% alcohol and come from vineyards planted to a density of less than 5500 vines per hectare. Wines made from hybrid vines or those under three years old do not qualify.
The Lussac wines express delicious, intense aromas with notes of red fruit and underlying hints of liquorice, prune and spice.

One of the key appellations in the left bank of Bordeaux. Located between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gironde, covering an area of 16,500 hectares, origin of the name comes from the Latin word ‘inmédio-aquae’ which means ‘between the waters’. This has accentuated the abundance of water around the Médoc appellation.
Médoc has an alluvial soil composition of mainly sand, clay and gravel, it became a unique terrain in the Left Bank. Furthermore, the high gravel content also allows a good natural drainage.
Médoc is planted with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and to a lesser extent Petit Verdot and Malbec (locally called "Côt"). Also allowed within the AOC regulations are the varieties Cabernet Franc and Carmenere.
Top wineries like Château Lafite Rothschild, Château Latour, Château Haut-Brion, Château Margaux are all located in the Left Bank.
Wines produced from this appellation are delicate, they deliver fruit scents and flavors of cassis, blackberry, dark cherry, vanilla, coffee bean, spice and licorice; often tannic when young, harmonious and splendid when matured.

The Bordeaux appellation covers the entire Bordeaux wine region, a very large geographical area with a wide variety of soils and terroirs.
The wines are not produced from grapes grown exclusively in the specific AOCs such as Margaux or Pomerol, but are either sourced from a variety of different vineyards or use different grape blends and aging methods otherwise not permitted within the other AOCs.
For red wines, the most planted grape varietals are Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. As most regional Bordeaux AOC wines are produced on the Right Bank, Cabernet Franc is often found in the blend too. Winemakers are using more and more Malbec, but Petit Verdot is not often seen yet.
In the right hands, wines can be excellent values with good flavour structure. Bordeaux reds are known for offering a palette of infinite nuances and able to combine their virtues in many ways.
Bordeaux is a wine meant to be enjoyed with others.