Pomerol
Red only, 813 hectares of gravel over iron-rich clay on a plateau above Libourne, worked in holdings of about 6 hectares, with no classification and no wish for one.
The place
Pomerol is a plateau of surface gravel, the Quaternary sand, gravel and pebbles brought down by the Isle, over a tertiary clay rich in iron oxide, the crasse de fer. The appellation takes the commune of Pomerol, the part of Libourne a court fixed in 1928, and named parcels of Lalande-de-Pomerol and Saint-Émilion. Its 813 hectares and 138 growers, 0.7% of the Bordeaux vineyard, make about 35,000 hectoliters a year, on holdings of 6 hectares on average.
The rules
Red only, from Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Petit Verdot, at 5,500 vines a hectare, 49 hectoliters with a ceiling of 60, 11% of natural alcohol and no more than 2 g/l of sugar left. The wine is raised until November 1 and released from November 15 of the year after the harvest. The appellation dates from 1936; the cahier des charges (the appellation’s official rulebook), the appellation’s official rulebook, was set by decree on November 22, 2011 and last amended on October 12, 2021.
The names
Pomerol has never had a classification and has never attempted one: of the great Bordeaux appellations, it is the one where nothing but the market sets the order. The first document recording a replanting with red varieties, Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Merlot, dates from 1761; the growers’ syndicate dates from 1900, with Louis Nicolas of La Conseillante as its first president.
- Color
- Red
- Communes
- Pomerol, part of Libourne, parcels of Lalande-de-Pomerol and Saint-Émilion
- Vineyard
- 813 hectares, 138 growers, about 6 hectares each
- Grapes
- Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Petit Verdot
- Density
- 5,500 vines a hectare at least
- Yield
- 49 hectoliters a hectare, ceiling 60
- Alcohol
- 11% natural at least
- Release
- From November 15 of the year after the harvest
- Classified
- No classification
- AOC since
- 1936; cahier of November 22, 2011, amended on October 12, 2021
Sources: FGVB, cahier des charges Pomerol, arrêté du 12 octobre 2021 · INAO, Pomerol · Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux · INAO and the Fédération des Grands Vins de Bordeaux, cahiers des charges · INAO and the BO-AGRI, cahiers des charges
The stack
The same ground in Pomerol may also be labeled Bordeaux, Bordeaux Supérieur and Crémant de Bordeaux. A grower chooses which appellation to sell under, and the narrowest is almost always the dearest.
It shares named communes with Saint-Émilion, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru, Lalande-de-Pomerol, Lussac-Saint-Émilion, Montagne-Saint-Émilion and Saint-Georges-Saint-Émilion.
The appellations of Bordeaux are stacked, not laid side by side. The map draws the whole stack. Open the map
Classifications that reach this appellation: The Michelin Guide selection.
Châteaux on this site
- Château Beauregard
- Château Bonalgue
- Château Bourgneuf
- Château Certan de May
- Château Certan-Giraud
- Château Clinet
- Château de Sales
- Château de Valois
- Château Feytit-Clinet
- Château Gazin
- Château Hosanna
- Château L’Enclos
- Château L’Évangile
- Château La Cabanne
- Château La Conseillante
- Château La Croix de Gay
- Château La Croix du Casse
- Château La Fleur de Gay
- Château La Fleur-Pétrus
- Château La Grave
- Château La Pointe
- Château La Rose Figeac
- Château La Violette
- Château Lafleur
- Château Lafleur du Roy
- Château Lafleur-Gazin
- Château Lagrange
- Château Latour à Pomerol
- Château Le Bon Pasteur
- Château Le Chemin
- Château Le Gay
- Château Le Moulin
- Château Le Pin
- Château Mazeyres
- Château Montviel
- Château Moulinet
- Château Nénin
- Château Petit-Village
- Château Plince
- Château Rouget
- Château Taillefer
- Château Trotanoy
- Château Vieux Maillet
- Château Vray Croix de Gay
- Clos du Clocher
- Clos l’Église
- Enclos Tourmaline
- Petrus
- Vieux Château Certan
Also in this appellation, with no page here yet: Château La Garenne.
Tastings
32
News from Pomerol
19
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Bordeaux vineyard: vines lack nitrogen and iron
Bordeaux vineyards are seeing declining nitrogen and iron reserves, while average yields across the region’s appellations remain below 40 hectoliters per hectare, according to bougerabordeaux.com. In Pomerol, the average is barely 30 hectoliters per hectare.
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Extreme heat rekindles debate over irrigation in Bordeaux
Temperatures near 40°C in Bordeaux have revived the debate over irrigation, while Lafleur has begun irrigating its vines after leaving the Pomerol AOC and Bordeaux appellations from the 2025 harvest. Local appellations have not authorized irrigation for the 2026 vintage.
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Château Moncets: the place to escape and discover Bordeaux’s historic terroirs
Château Moncets in Lalande-de-Pomerol opens as a wine tourism destination near Bordeaux: a historic setting, a conversion to organic farming, and Pomerol and Saint-Émilion close by.
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Château Lafleur began irrigating its vines in early June at Pomerol before any official authorization, as a Bordeaux heatwave pushed temperatures near 104°F, according to Vinetur.
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Panel tasting results: Superb St-Emilion & Pomerol from 2020
Decanter reports panel tasting results for 147 wines from Saint-Emilion and Pomerol from the 2020 vintage. The tasting found 3 Exceptional, 32 Outstanding and 98 Highly Recommended wines.
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From the Alps to Bordeaux: unmissable routes for the collector on the road
According to AostaSera, Bordeaux is a major destination for luxury wine tourism and international collectors, with appellations including Médoc, Saint-Émilion, Pomerol and Graves.
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Austria's magazine for wine culture: Château Lafleur 2025 for the first time as "Vin de France"
Château Lafleur released its 2025 vintage as Vin de France for the first time, rather than under AOC Pomerol, according to Vinaria.at.
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Lafleur released as Vin de France for the first time
Lafleur has been released en primeur as Vin de France for the first time with the 2025 vintage, priced at €840 including tax, after the Guinaudeau family stopped claiming the Pomerol appellation to address climate change.
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Lafleur debuts outside the Pomerol appellation with the 2025 vintage
According to Revista ADEGA, Lafleur presented its 2025 vintage as its first wine to be marketed under the Vin de France classification after leaving the Pomerol and Bordeaux appellations.
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Bordeaux 2025 releases: Lafleur 2025 debuts as ‘Vin de France’
Château Lafleur entered the Bordeaux 2025 en primeur campaign as Vin de France, its first vintage under that label after leaving the Pomerol appellation. Decanter rated the wine 97 points.
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Bordeaux 2025 en primeur: Pomerol ‘rain came just in time’
At Bordeaux 2025 en primeur tastings in Pomerol, rain came just in time after difficult weather conditions, according to thedrinksbusiness.com.
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Bordeaux 2025 en primeur: Everything you need to know with Decanter's expert insights
Decanter will release hundreds of exclusive tasting notes on Bordeaux 2025 wines on May 1, alongside analysis of the promising vintage and difficult market conditions. Top châteaux from Pauillac to Pomerol are preparing en primeur offers.
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Bordeaux wines: we followed an English "VIP" in Pomerol during the en primeur campaign
English wine journalist Simon Field is followed through his tastings in Pomerol during the 2025 en primeur campaign.
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The Master Blender Who Turned Bordeaux into a Global Sensation Leaves the Wine World Forever Changed
According to Wine Enthusiast, Michel Rolland, the Bordeaux-based oenologist, has died. His blending style helped define modern red Bordeaux and influence wine worldwide, with Pomerol as his base.
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Terre de Vins reassessed the deliverable 2023 wines from Pomerol and Lalande-de-Pomerol after 2 years of élevage, saying promising potential identified in spring 2024 was often confirmed. The selection includes successes that are more accessible than those from the acclaimed 2022 vintage.
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Châteaux Fonroque and Mazeyres: a new organization for the Guillard family
The Guillard family has announced a new organization for Château Fonroque (Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé) and Château Mazeyres (Pomerol) to support long-term development. Judith Barat is appointed to lead both properties, while the technical teams remain in place with Alain Moueix continuing as consultant.
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Château Gazin 2019 is Pomerol’s wine of the week
Château Gazin 2019 is Pomerol’s wine of the week, with aromas of plum, cassis, truffles and cedar, a silky texture, mature tannins and a structure indicating long aging potential.
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Hubert de Boüard discusses his passion project, Le Plus de la Fleur de Boüard
According to Decanter, Hubert de Boüard discussed Le Plus de la Fleur de Boüard on February 26, 2026. The Lalande-de-Pomerol wine is 100% Merlot from a 6ha parcel of 70-80-year-old vines and is bottled in around 4,000 bottles annually.
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Decanter Cellar: 20 top-rated Merlots
Decanter published 20 top-rated Merlot wines on January 28, 2026, with Merlot being sorted in Pomerol. The selection argues that the variety is often underestimated.