Château Pomeaux 2010

The 2010 Bordeaux wine vintage got off to a slow start after difficult, cold winter conditions. Bud break in 2010 ended just a few days after it started in 2009, in about mid-April. The Merlot crop was hit by millerandage and colure, two diseases leading to the need to eliminate damaged Merlot berries at many estates. This condition reduced yields as well, which helped to add concentration to the 2010 Bordeaux wines. Early June was cool and damp, but warm and hot days, an abundance of sunshine, and cool nights prevailed for the rest of June, July, and August. 2010 Bordeaux wine is a product of drought conditions. 2010 is the driest year on record since 1949. The lack of water and vine stress made for a good growing season. This and changes in temperature allowed the wines to develop levels of acidity which give the wines vibrancy and freshness. September rains at just the right time aided in the development of maturity in the vines. The combination of drought conditions, warm days, and cool nights helped produce wines with high alcohol, ripe, but strong, tannins, and low pH levels, giving the wines ample acidity to keep them fresh and vibrant. 2010 Bordeaux wines are big, tannic, and structured, requiring time to age, soften and develop. Winemakers that used a gentle hand and avoided over-extraction in 2010 produced stunning wines that are at the level of the best wines from 2000, 2005, and 2009!

The Château Pomeaux harvest in 2010 was conducted under ideal conditions in the first week of October. After malolactic fermentation in small oak barrels, the wine matured in new French oak barrels and was bottled in June 2012. The 2010 Château Pomeaux wine is intense, concentrated, opulent, delicious, rich, fleshy, and seductive.

Reviews

JAMES SUCKLING

Score 92/100

“Full and very chewy. Finishes with lots of fruit and tannins.”

“Wild strawberries and cherry blossom. Some vanilla and red apple. Very attractive nose. Full-bodied and intense on the palate with a tangy acidity and very long finish. Vibrant fruit that just goes on and on and chewy but ripe tannins. Hint of jam. Will soften further over the next couple of years. Best ever from here? Drink from 2016.”

James Molesworth

Solid, offering a dark, winey core of steeped currant and macerated plum fruit laced with charcoal, clove and black tea. A charcoal edge frames the finish, maintaining focus and adding a muscular edge. Best from 2014 through 2022. A caressing, forward style, with polished tannins and gentle acidity carrying enticing plum sauce, blackberry jam and melted black licorice flavors that hang pleasantly through the finish.