We are having long days… We are in the middle of harvest but the grapes in tanks and barrels (we are doing barrel fermented Merlot) start demanding our attention.

At the Chateau, we have received mainly Merlot, but also yesterday we processed a bit of Malbec or Pressac as it is called in Bordeaux before the Argentine Malbec became worldwide known. Now it is called Malbec here as well… What can I say about it…the berries are a bit bigger compared to Merlot here… and also compared to the good quality Malbec in Argentina. Tasting it I can say that it lacked sweetness and the skin was not as thick as our Malbec.

This difference is mainly due to the different Terroir… Well what does it mean?  For you to have an idea, almost every morning there is a thick frog and after noon we start seeing the sun if we are lucky, that is to say, not every day. Compared to Mendoza, the land of sunshine… well we have many more sunny days and our sun brightens very early in the morning every day. That fact, among many others, seems to benefit our beloved cepage MALBEC! Imagine, that I  was even talking to some French workers from the region and they think that Malbec is originally from Argentina, and that it was brought later to France… Malbec is a synonym of Argentina!!!

Here in Pomerol the 95% of grapes is Merlot. And you can see its great potential since you start tasting the grapes. Thick skin, firm but with velvety tannins that you can start tasting from the very beginning and really pleasant acidity. Elements that will all contribute to the quality of the wine.

Knowing when to harvest is a key decision. It is necessary to learn how to taste grapes, what to expect and decide about the right moment to get the best of it. A task that requires training. We chewed the berries and talked about the skin, the pips, the acidity… Definitely I can assure that a good wine is born at the vineyard as it is said. You could feel the differences in each berry in the different lots despite it was all merlot!

To conclude I can say that there is no doubt Merlot can be an brilliant wine.. for those who after the movie Sideways stopped drinking this grape varietal… don’t forget that Merlot is the grape to make one of the most expensive wines in the word as it is Petrus. Today Pomerol is one of the finest and most expensive of the Bordeaux vintages.

In my continuous eagerness to learn about wine, I decided to join Marcelo Pelleriti, one of the best well known winemakers in Mendoza, for the vintage at Pomerol, in France. Yes! Marcelo Pelleriti works for Catherine Péré-Vergé, proprietor of Bodega Monteviejo in Mendoza and Montviel, Chateau La Gay, Chateau La Violette and Chateau La Graviere in Pomerol, France.

I came to France for the harvest season since soon we will have the grapes of our Private Vineyards Estates Owners and it is good to start being on shape for what it is to come! getting prepared to make amazing wine!

Marcelo, with the consultancy of Michel Rolland, has not only been able to make beautiful wines in Argentina, but also in the world wine capital; France! It is said that Marcelo is the first aArgentine winemaker to get the truly score by Robert Parker, since the wines from France are scored mainly by Robert Parker himself while those from Argentina are usually scored by James Miller. 98 was the score he got for Chateau La Violette 2008!!!!

As a brief intro to Pomerol I can tell you that the whole appellation has the size of some single producers in Argentina. With 800 ha (less than 2,000 acres) Pomerol is the smallest wine producing area in the Bordeaux region. It is extraordinary in terms of wine making and gorgeous landscape! It is one of the best of the red wine ‘appellations’ (wine growing areas) within the Bordeaux district.  The Pomerol wine can be more robust than others in Bordeaux and they have an exclusive velvety quality, mostly made with Merlot grape (the best merlot I have ever tasted comes from this appelation!).

I am staying at Chateau Montviel, where Madame Catherine has her house. What is more, I am sleeping just across her room and we share every meal. She has a strong personality and runs her four chateaux in France and her winery in Argentina with a great energy and passion . Of course she has been able to put together a great team, but that is also a skill that you need to have in order to run a successful business.

My first two days…getting used to.  Tasting and sorting grapes!! And starting to do pump overs!

Excited for what is to come!!! I will keep you updated!!

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