You may notice there isn’t much Pomerol coming in and out of our doors, but that’s not for a lack of adoration; rather, it’s an issue of affordability. Enter Château Robert: Dominique Leymarie has been at the helm here for 35 years now and, with the help of his immediate family, has branched out to include other small-production estates around the region. Located in the town of Libourne, the northern side of Pomerol, this entire estate barely totals 11 acres, all of which contain Pomerol’s classic iron deposits beneath sand, clay, and gravel. Their vines—mostly planted to Merlot—are now pushing a half-century of age, and undergo rigorous, sustainable farming from pruning to harvest: debudding, leaf thinning, green harvesting, and, impressively, grapes are twice sorted while hand picking low yields that are on par with the legendary Château Pétrus! In the winery, all grapes are de-stemmed and cold-soaked before a cuvaison that lasts up to six weeks. After being transferred into new and used French barrels, the long aging process begins: The lot you’re purchasing has been stored in perfectly cool, undisturbed conditions since its bottling in 2010. 

Château Robert’s 2008 Grand Vin reveals a vivid dark ruby core that moves out to a garnet rim with just the faintest hint of brick orange. Keen eyes will spot a few bits of sediment so be sure to keep the bottle upright overnight if you’re looking to avoid the brunt of it. The nose may come as a bit of a surprise, showing both Right and Left Bank characteristics of ripe red and black plums, currants, pencil lead, bay leaf, cigar box, boysenberry, black mushrooms, fresh roses, cedar shavings, and an array of baking spices. The palate isn’t the heavyweight, overly extracted Pomerol masquerading as a cult Napa red, but rather a pure, traditional Bordeaux that exudes breathtaking elegance. Silky smooth tannins without any edges exist alongside a burst of mid-palate freshness that leads me to believe this has 5-10 more years of life. The mineral-driven finish of “Cuvée Carles” is peppered with supple berry fruit and soft spice from extended oak aging, and I know it will please any high-end Bordeaux drinker. Decanting is optional—it performed perfectly for us right out of the bottle—but do be sure to serve this in your largest Bordeaux stem at 60-65 degrees (and be aware of sediment, should you decide not to decant). For one of the best matches, put it next to a medium-rare lamb au poivre and eat and drink with relish. Cheers!