HISTORY OF DOMAINE: Isabelle and Baudoin Motte bought this old estate from a winegrowing family in 1994. With a significant investment of time, energy, and money, they have raised the quality to new heights and the wines of Château Vieux Maillet are now known by a select group of wine lovers all over the world.

COMPOSITION OF DOMAINE: Unlike appellations in the Médoc, Pomerol is not an appellation known for its vast estates. Vieux Maillet is small even by Pomerol standards, with a mere 2.6 hectares of vineyards compared to the regional average holding of 6 or 7 hectares. The terroir of Pomerol is singular: made up of clay soils, layers of sand, and traces of iron nuggets that give its terroir a unique character. This heavier, colder soil is particularly suited to earlier ripening Merlot, giving its wines more depth and concentration than usually encountered in this grape variety. Cabernet Franc does well on the better-drained plots while Cabernet Sauvignon has difficulty ripening correctly on these soils and thus is not encountered much in Pomerol.

The vineyards of Vieux Maillet are 30 years old on average and are made up of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. Isabelle, Baudoin and their team carefully look after their vineyards during the growing season, pulling leaves and thinning the clusters if necessary to make sure that each bunch gets the sunlight and air it needs to ripen and stay healthy. Vieux Maillet yields on average 43 hl/ha in comparison to the usual 50 to 53 permitted by law.

METHOD OF VINIFICATION: Harvest, the moment when a whole year's work is consecrated, usually begins in late September after the "Ban des Vendanges" is declared (the official decree allowing picking to begin). All the grapes are picked by hand and meticulously sorted in the vineyard so that nothing but the most ripe and most healthy of grapes enters the chai. Fermentation takes place in traditional cement tanks that are equipped for temperature control. Fermentation and maceration continue for around 15 days, with frequent "remontages" or pumping over. The wine is then aged in oak barrels between 18 and 24 months before bottling.

Tasting Notes
Pomerol 2000 - A wine of grace and balance; lots of cedar and spice to the nose with a strong licorice undercurrent on the palate; excellent structure with subtle but firm tannins; great length, elegant and fine.