Château Bonalgue 1999 (Red)

Bonalgue spans 6.5 hectares on sandy clay soils to the very west of Pomerol. The subsoils soils are typical for Pomerol, with gravel and ferruginous sandstone. Pierre Bourotte and Michel Rolland discovered the potential of the domain in 1982 and laid the foundations for a more modern style of winemaking.

Located on a terrace above the Isle, a tributary of the Dordogne, with numerous little hamlets, Pomerol is a commune with no village, and might have been a nondescript suburb of Libourne. However, nature gave it a superb terroir, and it has become one of the most prestigious red wine appellations in the Bordeaux region, despite its relatively small size (800 ha, making it one of the smallest appellations in the Gironde). Pomerol is divided up into scattered small holdings, with relatively simple architecture. The appellation's famous properties were established relatively recently - in the 20th century - with Petrus the undisputed star; there is also Évangile, Trotanoy, Lafleur, La Conseillante, and Petit-Village. The diverse mixture of gravel and smooth pebbles, brought by rivers from the Massif Central, is reflected in the complexity of the wines. Despite varied terroirs (there are four main areas) the wines of Pomerol are generally harmonious in their structure. Pomerols have the unusual advantage of being able to be drunk young while at the same time having a great capacity to improve with age. Their bouquet tends to be powerful, characterized by violets or truffles, with a wide range of aromas, evolving from red fruit in young wines, to leather, undergrowth, and animal notes as the wines age. The palate presents the same aromatic richness; the predominant Merlot bringing smoothness and a generally well-rounded structure. Bonalgue's vines lie on 6.5 hectares of sandy-clay-gravelly soil, on the western edge of Pomerol. The subsoil consists of a mixture of gravel and iron residues that is characteristic of Pomerol. This warm terroir encourages early ripening and the resulting grapes regularly present an impressive maturity. Pierre Bourotte and Michel Rolland discovered Bonalgue's potential in 1982 and laid the foundations for a modern style, with very ripe grapes producing silky wines with very expressive aromas.

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