Producer's Notes:

Just north of the prestigious yet diminutive (2000-acre) "Right Bank" appellation of Pomerol, Lalande-de-Pomerol offers similar aromatic and palate profiles and a distinctly more favorable quality-to-price ratio. Lalande shares the clay-heavy, sand-interspersed soils of its well-known neighbor to the south, as well as a preponderance of the Merlot that so nimbly conveys the dramatic character of both appellations.

An excellent vinegrower and winemaker known for the wines at his Roches de Ferrand property in Fronsac, Rémy Rousselot owns Domaine Pont de Guestres in Lalande-de-Pomerol. Rousselot's Lalande vines are located near the bridge of Guitres on the Barbanne river that sets Lalande apart from Pomerol and divides Saint-Émilion from its satellites. Domaine Pont de Guestres is produced exclusively from Merlot grown in soils variously dominated by gravel, sand, clay and silt. An outstanding value in Merlot from this esteemed neighborhood, the wine offers ripe fruit that makes it an attractively luscious buy in dry red Bordeaux. The soft, richly forward fruit is tempered by a structured tannic baseline. Round and full on the palate, the wine offers admirable balance from the redolent nose to the satisfying finish.