2007 La Violette

Good deep red. Plum, graphite, licorice, fresh herbs and spices on the nose, plus a whiff of smoky underbrush. On the lean side but sweet and perfumed, with insidious intensity and good ripeness to its flavors of dark fruits, flowers, pepper and herbs. Finishes with broad, dusty tannins and good spicy persistence. With 24 hours in the recorked bottle, this showed sexy blackberry and violet notes and a classic caramel quality I associate with Pomerol.

The first vintage from new proprietor Catherine Pere Verge, the 2007 La Violette is a 100% Merlot made from yields of 20 hectoliters per hectare. Aromas of violets, blueberries, raspberries, and lavender emerge from this perfumed wine. It is not the biggest Pomerol in 2007 (Clinet and Le Gay qualify for that prize), but it is ethereal in its finesse, purity, intensity, and layered mouthfeel. Luscious and delicate with admirable intensity, this beauty comes from a very special terroir. Sadly, production is so tiny, few consumers will ever get a chance to taste it. The 2007 should drink well for 10-15 years.

Bright medium ruby. Highly perfumed nose offers blackberry, violet and mint. Dense and sweet but at the same time juicy and bright, with lovely mineral and floral lift giving the flavors a deceptive lightness. There's something Burgundian about this wonderfully suave Pomerol. Finishes with fine tannins and captivating lingering perfume. One of my sentimental favorites of the vintage. No one could accuse consulting winemaker Michel Rolland of overextracting; on the contrary, this is delicate and refined.