TERROIR PROFILE
Pomerol
Blue-clay Merlot myth
Pomerol: 800 hectares of blue clay — the quietest myth in wine.
Climate, site & wine
Blue, iron-bearing clay (crasse de fer) in the middle of the plateau, gravel and sand towards the edges: the clayier the soil, the denser the wine. Clay holds water and is ideal for Merlot; Cabernet Franc plays a supporting role.
The wines are velvety, dense and round, with dark plum, truffle, violet and soft tannin. They are accessible earlier than Médoc wines in youth but age for decades.
TERROIR PROFILE · Bordeaux
Pomerol Blue-clay Merlot myth
Pomerol: 800 hectares of blue clay — the quietest myth in wine.
SOILS
Loambody-rich, velvety
Loamy soils give wines volume and a soft, velvety mouthfeel.
Gravel / Sandlight, approachable
Gravel and sand drain heavily — vines struggle for water, wines turn fine, light and elegant.
Sandaromatic, approachable
Loose sand and wind-blown sand warm up quickly and hold little water — they give aromatic, early-drinking wines with soft tannins; phylloxera-resistant.
CLIMATE · Maritime
Oceanic climate in one of Bordeaux's smallest appellations; the microclimate is tempered by the nearby Dordogne and the Isle. The clay-rich subsoil stores water and helps in hot years. Spring frost has caused damage in individual years.
TOPOGRAPHY · gentle
Almost flat plateau at elevations between about 10 and 40 metres above sea level, without real hills. Height differences amount to a few metres; what matters lies in the subsoil, not at the surface.
WHAT IT MEANS IN THE GLASS
Similar terroirs worldwide
Computed from fingerprint similarity
Südliche Weinstraße (Grenze zum Elsass)
Palatinate
96% similar
- Minerality (slightly): Pomerol is less mineral → fruit-led, rounder (4 vs. 5).
Südliche Weinstraße
Palatinate
94% similar
- Minerality (slightly): Pomerol is less mineral → fruit-led, rounder (4 vs. 5).
- Body (slightly): Pomerol gives more body → fuller, more powerful wines (8 vs. 7).
Wineries on this terroir
See all 57 →This terroir's soils in the glossary