Micro-Regions and Their Importance to Winemaking

This week I have picked two different micro-regions following last week’s article on terroir. The Pomerol and Bandol regions in France, and just like the Nap Valley in California, they produce some of the world’s most heralded wines in the world. The trick is to dodge their exorbitant prices while finding equally compelling wines. While not as commonly known as Napa, wine buffs know the sanctity of these wines.

Pomerol wines come from the Bordeaux nestled on the North Shore of the Dordogne River. This premier wine growing micro-region produces some of the most sought-after wines in the world. It is famous for its blue marl clay that gives this wine its robustness where its sandier areas produce a lighter wine from the Pomerol region. Like the Napa Valley, the small Pomerol region has different soil types, each affecting the flavor of the wine it produces. These unique elements are what produce great wines.

All Pomerols are blends of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cab Franc. They will vary in tastes, but their backbones is a common one with different soil types setting them apart. They range from sandy to pure blue marl clay the latter producing the highest quality wines. It was in the early 1700 hundreds that the farmers started switching from wheat to grapes and not until the 1800 hundreds did the growers establish the identity of the wine we know as Pomerol.

Bandol Rose comes from the tiny Bandol region in Provence along its western coastline backed by the foothills. Its rich limestone-based soil gives the grapes a distinctive minerally flavor. While sunbaked the cool evening sea breezes temper the climate, allowing the grape to generate higher sugar content. This is in direct contrast from its hot aird home in Spain. The terroir of the region gives the dominate grape, Mourvedre which all Bandols must contain 50% of giving it its distinctive flavor, combined with varying amounts of Cinsault and Grenache.

Here it is the process used that makes the difference. The grapes are delicately pressed with the juice immediately separated from the skins, seeds, and stems. At first, the juice is a clear white, then the juice is poured over the skins on a messed screen giving then the lightest blush of pink. It also gives it its light minerally citrus crispness. Among all Roses, the Bandol is the most highly prized. In selecting a Rose, it is the light blush of pink color that tells you are getting a quality wine.