Vineyards and winemaking
Domaine de Viaud's Lalande-de-Pomerol is drawn from sandy and gravelly soils planted predominantly to Merlot, with a small proportion of Cabernet Franc. The site gives the wine supple fruit and an earthy, savoury character that becomes increasingly expressive with bottle age.
The 2001 was matured for approximately 22 months in concrete tanks and bottled without filtration. The cellar's deliberately traditional approach, including an absence of temperature control, allowed the wine to evolve at its own pace without an overlay of new oak.
Tasting notes
Appearance
Medium garnet with clear brick-red reflections.
Nose
Dried cherry, blackcurrant and plum are interwoven with forest floor, pencil shavings, tobacco leaf and a faint note of mint.
Palate
Silky and savoury, with evolved red and black fruit supported by fresh acidity and fully integrated tannins. Cedar, mushroom and graphite lead into a long, gently earthy finish.
Food pairing
Serve with shepherd's pie made with slow-cooked lamb, roast partridge, beef daube, or a wild-mushroom and pearl-barley risotto. Keep sauces savoury rather than sweet so that the wine's mature detail remains clear.
Background story
Domaine de Viaud is a 13-hectare family estate in Lalande-de-Pomerol, founded by Marius Bielle in the 1940s and taken forward by his daughter Lucette from 1982. Merlot dominates the sandy and gravelly vineyards, supported by Cabernet Franc. The estate is now certified organic and biodynamic, with Damien Bielle returning to the property in 2020.
The family's habit of setting aside bottles from successful years has made it possible to offer the estate's wines at full maturity. This 2001 should be handled with care: stand upright in advance, open with an appropriate mature-wine corkscrew and decant only to separate clear wine from sediment.
