Because Pomerol is so small, many producers are bound to have proximity to some of the greatest châteaux of the world, but we can’t help but geek out over Château Vieux Maillet’s prime positioning, let alone today’s stunning 2008 recently acquired from their cellar. As an eye-opening exercise, I’d like to do a quick run-through of the legendary neighbors that lie less than a kilometer from Vieux Maillet, and to make it even more thrilling, I’ll add average prices for the vintage: Pétrus ($3,252); Lafleur ($865); Saint-Émilion's Cheval Blanc ($665); La Fleur-Petrus ($308); and several more that fetch hundreds of dollars. There’s no refuting that these are exceptionally profound labels, but we certainly can’t afford wines of this nature—which makes Château Vieux Maillet all the more tempting.
For us, today’s powerfully lush and exquisite 2008 is a manifestation of SommSelect: fastidious sourcing, impeccable provenance (cellar-direct!), and a logic-defying price considering its proximity to the exorbitantly priced legends above. A classic blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, this is among the most polished and strikingly nuanced 2008 Pomerols I’ve experienced, and it’s all yours for $65. We could only wrench a small trove from the château’s ironclad grasp so, unfortunately, quantities must be capped at six bottles per person.
To taste such a refined expression of mature Pomerol from a small estate is a pleasure, but to do so at such an attractive price is a much-desired anomaly. I’ve previously mentioned that one of the major advantages of Pomerol is that, with a lot of hunting and heartache, it is possible to find affordable gems within short jogging distance of the world’s finest châteaux. Vieux Maillet, perched in the eastern border of Pomerol, nearly straddling Saint-Émilion, is our newest discovery, and it’s in the thick of world-renowned icons. Acquired by Hervé and Griet Lavale in 2004, new life has been injected into this previously slept-on property. Today, their holdings have grown to 10 hectares—an impressive number for such a small appellation—that are largely planted to Merlot. The soils here range from sandy clay to deep gravel with Pomerol’s signature iron deposits.
In 2008, the small Vieux Maillet team hand-harvested their Merlot (90%) and Cabernet Franc and twice-sorted the fruit so that only pristine, optimally ripe berries remained. Following a five-day cold soak and alcoholic fermentation in stainless steel tanks, a third of the juice was transferred into new oak for malolactic fermentation. The wine then matured 16 months in French barrels, 60% new, before bottling without filtration. Today’s parcel spent the duration of its life at the château, until our purchase in late 2020. That’s over 10 years of undisturbed aging at the point of origin!
Ten years ago, in a Right Bank Bordeaux vintage guide, Decanter Magazine described 2008 as a “Small, late vintage of quite exciting quality, especially Pomerol. Top wines are seductive, with the structure, tannins and acidity for ageing.” We’re now ten years removed from that publication, and we’re staring down the barrel of a primed, 12-year-old Pomerol. They were spot on—this wine is absolutely gorgeous, and will only keep improving. After 15-30 minutes in a decanter, lush notes of cassis, plum, and raspberry liqueur roar out, closely followed by damp rose petal, bay leaf, cigar wrapper, ground coffee, licorice, clay, and vanilla bean. The full-bodied, melt-in-your-mouth palate washes over your taste buds with slow-building intensity and layers of red-accented fruit, supple baking spice, and finely crushed minerals. It’s suave, dense, serious—an absolutely stunning Right Bank find. In 5-10 years, it’ll be exponentially more savory and nuanced, but I guarantee it’s going to be hard to stash a few bottles away. It’s just that good right now. So, if you find yourself uncorking the last of your four, five, or six bottles by the end of this year, I wouldn’t dwell on it too much. Cheers!
