Saint-Emilion Vs Pomerol

Saint-Emilion and Pomerol, two of the most featured names in fine wine and to a large extent the basis for the reputation of Bordeaux's right bank. Sitting near the Dordogne river, that feeds into the Gironde estuary and splits Bordeaux into two sides, these two appellations date back thousands of years. Today they are famed for their incredible Merlot dominant Bordeaux blends, however up until the 20th century, Pomerol was in fact primarily known for producing white wines. Although these appellations are neighbours and are often discussed in the same sentence, they actually produce distinctly different wines from year to year. What's the soil like on the right bank? On the right bank you have four main types of soil. You have gravel, sand, clay and limestone. All around the village of Saint-Emilion it's mainly clay, limestone and on Pomerol, what we call the plateau of Pomerol, it's mainly gravel, those are the terroirs of the right bank. It is these soil types that characterise Saint-Emilion and Pomerol as predominantly Merlot producing regions, with the cooler clay soils found in the best vineyards of these appellations most conducive for this earlier ripening grape variety. The two appellations also vary largely in size, with Saint-Emilion around 16 times the size of its relatively tiny neighbour. What are the big differences then between Saint-Emilion and Pomerol apart from the soils? How does that change the wine? In those regions we have an oceanic climate and the weather varies a lot from a year to another year and I think more than the difference between Saint-Emilion and Pomerol, it's more the vintage that is important. You have some good vintage, outstanding vintage and everything can change a lot from a vintage to another one. You're a producer of both Saint-Emilion and Pomerol, could you maybe describe what you think makes a great Pomerol, what makes a great Saint-Emilion? It's kind of difficult to answer, both are great wines, mainly Merlot. In general terms, Pomerol is very silky, very round. After a Saint-Emilion wine, the wine will be a bit more powerful. So speaking specifically about the flavour of the wine, if I drink a Pomerol, what should I expect it to taste of? In the eyes it will be dark ruby, red. On the nose it will be, what is very specific about Pomerol is the blue clay, which brings this violet truffle nose. In the taste of the mouth, I would say it's very round, elegant, a lot of silkiness. So then this is a Saint-Emilion, what should I expect from this? You have some red fruits, blackberry, blueberry. The colour is amazing, so very dark. And in the mouth it's very round, a lot of fruits also, it's like a sweet. How would you recommend I drink this? With food, it's great to drink alone, in an aperitif, what's your recommendation? You can easily drink it with many things, even with a barbecue, but mainly it's with cheese, red meats, even you can go on chicken, that will deal very well with the tannins. Quite versatile. Versatile and soft tannins that you have on the wine. It's no doubt that Saint-Emilion and Pomerol produced some of the best red wines in Bordeaux. However, notably, neither of these appellations featured in the famed 1855 classification of Bordeaux. Exactly 100 years later, Saint-Emilion producers took it into their own hands to create their own classification for their Château in 1955. During this same classification, Saint-Emilion was actually split into two different appellations as well. With Saint-Emilion and the more prestigious Saint-Emilion Grand Cru being defined. This distinction can be found on a Saint-Emilion wine label, with the word Saint-Emilion Grand Cru distinguishing the superior appellation. You may also see Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classé on the label. This signifies a wine from the Saint-Emilion Grand Cru appellation that is also produced by one of its classified Châteaux. These classified Châteaux are split into three ascending categories. Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classé, Saint-Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classé B and Saint-Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classé A. Unlike the 1855 classification, Saint-Emilion's classification is amended from time to time, with different Châteaux being promoted or relegated based on the quality of their flagship wines. So then tell me a little bit about the classifications. How did they work? How should I navigate? It seems quite complicated. Yes, on the left bank you know the classification in 1855, it's the same classification since the beginning. And on the right bank we have another classification and we start in 1955 and we change every ten years the classification. And the last classification on the right bank starts in 2012. Bordeaux Grand Cru Classé, it means a different thing if it's from the left or from the right? Yes, different tips because we have Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classé and we have Médoc Premier Deuxième, Troisième, Quatrième, Cinquième Grand Cru Classé. To try and understand the best way to navigate this slightly complicated system, say I'm on the right bank. Saint-Emilion and you know Saint-Emilion's classification. We have two appellations, Saint-Emilion and Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, you know. And in Saint-Emilion Grand Cru we have Grand Cru Classé A and Grand Cru Classé B. And Grand Cru Classé A, Angelus, Bavis, Cheval Blanc, Ozone. And Grand Cru Classé B, we have 14 different châteaux. And then Grand Cru Classé, we have around 60 different châteaux. In contrast to Saint-Emilion, with its two distinct appellations and intricate classification system, Pomerol has no classification and all châteaux are unranked. That being said, Pomerol's reputation for the quality of its wine does not rely on official classification and is instead upheld by the critical acclaim of its most famous producers. None are more famous than Château Petrus, a quaint little château that makes some of the greatest and most renowned red wines in the world, with just a single bottle demanding over £1,000. My understanding is that Pomerol doesn't actually have a classification, is that true? Yes, it's true because we have Château Petrus and Château Petrus, this is a classification. When we think about Pomerol, we think about Château Petrus and we don't need to have a classification. Classified or not, Saint-Emilion and Pomerol are the heart of Bordeaux's right bank and leaders of Merlot-dominant wines around the world. Despite being geographical neighbours, there are distinct nuances within the style of these wines, from the elegant and silky nature of Pomerol to the richer and more powerful Saint-Emilion. Tasting these two side by side is the best way to explore these benchmark Bordeaux appellations.