Pomerol

Pomerol is the name of a commune neighboring Libourne, which borders it to the west and south. To the north, the Barbanne stream separates it from Lalande-de-Pomerol, and to the east, it borders Saint-Émilion, in the Cheval Blanc and Figeac regions.

Pomerol and its shaded foliage, its small white houses scattered in the vineyard, its castles, its church, constitute a work of art of the Gironde land. Its origins are very old and go back to Roman times. In a study published on this commune, due to the erudition of J.-A. Garde, we note that the plateau of Pomerol was criss-crossed by two ancient roads, one of which was used by the poet Ausone to go from the port of Condat, near Libourne, to his villa of Lucaniac.

In the 12th century, the powerful Hospitallers of Saint-Jean-de-Jérusalem established their first commandery in Libourne. They built their manor house, a hospital that welcomed pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela, and a church in the purest Romanesque style. It was the Romans who first cultivated the vine in Pomerol, and the Hospitallers continued the cultivation. The vineyard was more or less abandoned and devastated during the Hundred Years War and the English occupation. It was reconstituted during the 15th and 16th centuries, but was again damaged during the Wars of Religion. Tenacious, the winegrowers of Pomerol, used to face the most diverse hazards, replanted. Since that time, the wines of Pomerol have not ceased to acquire more fame and value. But it is during the second half of the 18th century that they take the rise that we know them today. They are more and more sought after by amateurs from all over the world. During the 19th century, the ships leaving Libourne and Bordeaux took their reputation overseas. This reputation was such that, as early as 1900, the winegrowers of Pomerol created a union to defend their appellation, with the particular aim of preventing the winegrowers of neighboring communes from improperly stamping their barrels with the name of Pomerol. Well before the decree-law of 1935 instituting the AOCs, during the judicial phase establishing the so-called simple appellations of origin, a 1928 judgment confirmed by a 1931 ruling, decided that only a well-defined part of the Libourne commune could claim the Pomerol appellation.

In the two previous editions, we expressed our fears that this part of the vineyard would be nibbled away and eaten up by rampant urbanization or the construction of new roads. To date, fortunately, it seems that the wine growers have been able to protect their terroir better than elsewhere and to be vigilant. However, if certain projects have been modified or appear to have been modified, they must remain attentive, because at any moment, the octopus can awaken and stretch out.