Wine Advisor
La Violette 2010
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Description
Violette, Pomerol, Bordeaux, France, Still, Red, 2013
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
This tiny jewel of a property consists of five acres planted with 100% Merlot (over 50 years of age) in clay, limestone and gravelly soils, situated between Le Pin and Trotanoy. Made from yields of 20 hectoliters per hectare, the 2010, surprisingly, possesses only 13.5% alcohol (some of its neighbors hit 14.5-15%). As its name suggests, the hallmark of La Violette is its striking floral character. In many ways it is a more flowery version of La Conseillante, which comes from the gravelly soils on the St.-Emilion border. This offering’s dense ruby/purple color is accompanied by sweet aromas of flowers, raspberries and kirsch. With sweet tannins, a full-bodied richness and elegance as well as a sublime lightness, this unusual Pomerol is characterized by its quintessential finesse, elegance and flowery qualities. A remarkable wine, it can be drunk young or cellared for 15-20 years.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at Chateau Le Gay, pure Merlot of course, Catherine Pere-Verge’s deluxe cuvee has a limpid purple/ruby colour. The nose is timid at first, expanding in the glass with touches of violet (quel surprise!), creme de cassis and a touch of Dorset plum and vanilla. The palate is almost mellifluous on the entry, rounded and velvety in texture with a lot of creamy new oak. Very modern in style, seductive but those tannins lend a little tension to the finish that was perhaps missing on the 2009 La Violette. Ravishing as always (although personally Le Gay is more my style.) Drink 2015- Tasted March 2011.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasting La Violette straight after Le Gay, I have to state for the record that I prefer the latter. As is the style of La Violette, it is far more decadent on the nose with precocious ripe red fruit, a lot of glycerine and more new oak that will need bottle age to be subsumed. The palate is full-bodied with opulent ripe, dark plum, creme de cassis fruit that is almost viscous in texture. The finish is sweet and decadent although the acidity keep it in check. It is a fine Pomerol for sure, although I discern more personality and drinkability with Le Gay this year. Tasted November 2012.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Sadly, there's not a whole lot of production to this microscopic estate in Pomerol, but the name says it all. The awesome aromatics include not only raspberries, black cherries, and blackberry, but also the floral perfume of an haute couture house. Its terrific aromatics are followed by a wine with quintessential elegance married to almost unbridled density of fruit, all presented in a flawless and seamless concoction of full-bodied power, elegance and purity. This is a riveting wine and certainly one of the great classics to ever be produced by this tiny estate. Kudos to proprietress Catherine Pere-Verge. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2035.
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Made of 100% Merlot, the deep garnet colored 2010 La Violette comes bounding out of the glass with notes of kirsch, black raspberries, baked cherries and mulberries plus wafts of stewed tea, cedar chest and dried Provence herbs. Full-bodied, the palate is still carrying a lot of oak with youthful black and red berry preserves layers and a chewy texture, finishing very long and spritely.
Reviewed by: Ian d'Agata
Inky-ruby. Very pure, ripe blackberry and blackcurrant on the nose, with hints of fresh violet, minerals and cured tobacco. The sweet dark berry and candied black cherry flavors display impressive depth and lingering minerality, but the building, palate-coating tannins are tough going today. Finishes with excellent persistence, but this wine left me scrambling for something to eat. Best today on the profound, perfumed nose, this is a very impressive, serious wine. But as with other wines from Catherine Pere-Verge's stable this year (witness Le Gay and Montviel), I found it a little too extracted for my taste, although considerably less so than those two. I am normally a huge fan of La Violette, which is often one of the purest and daintiest expressions of Pomerol (certainly, its terroir is arguably among the very best of the appellation), so it may well be that all the 2010 needs is time in the bottle to resolve its fierce tannic shroud. In that case, my score will look ungenerous.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2010 La Violette has a well-defined bouquet with predominantly red fruit laced with scorched earth, leather and just a touch of cassis in the background. The palate is medium-bodied with a grippy entry. This has fine backbone, perhaps a good deal of Cabernet Franc in the blend. Very expressive towards the finish and extremely persistent. A class act that is just beginning to show what it is capable of. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Deep red-ruby. Rich aromas and flavors of cassis, dark cherry, cedar and minerals, complemented by sexy oak nuances. Rich but not excessively weighty on the palate, offering an outstanding combination of density and intensity of flavor. Finishes with noble, fine-grained tannins and subtle notes of black pepper and herbs. Less dainty and floral than the 2009, but with greater depth. As with many wines from the late Catherine Péré-Vergé's portfolio, the tannins here have smoothed out considerably since the Primeurs.
About the Producer
Although Chateau La Violette dates back to the late 1800’s when it began to earn a reputation for its wines. In those formative years, the property was owned by a cooper, who made wine barrels for other estates, Ulysse Belivier. It is only quite recent that Chateau La Violette has produced some of the best wines in all of Pomerol. Purchased in 2005 from Frederic Dumas, Chateau La Violette made its debut for the new owner, Catherine Pere-Verge with the 2006 vintage. The small 1.8-hectare vineyard of La Violette is now fully planted to 100% Merlot. At one point in time, there were also Cabernet Franc vines planted, but those vines have been removed and replaced with Merlot. The vineyard has some very old Merlot vines that are close to 75 years of age. The tiny production makes this one of the harder wines to find in Pomerol! The terroir at La Violette is a complex mix of clay and limestone with gravel and iron deposits that run deep into the soil. The vineyard consists of 4 plots in two main parcels. Those 4 main plots are further divided into 20 smaller parcels. The best terroir is placed between Le Pin and Trotanoy. Those vines are the heart and soul of La Violette. The second parcel, which is close to Feytit Clinet is not on the plateau and thus, those vines are placed in Chateau Montviel, one of their other estates. The vines are planted to a density of 5,500 vines per hectare for the old vines. The young vines are planted at a much higher density of 7,700 vines per hectare. At Chateau La Violette, vineyard management requires three days a week be spent manicuring each individual bunch, removing any green or pink berries from around the “wings” to ensure a perfectly uniform ripening of the grapes. At its best, Chateau La Violette is filled with countless layers of dense, rich, opulent dark berry, floral and chocolate tones. The palate enjoys a bath of pure velvet and satin. This is a very sensuous style of Pomerol that marries opulence with the concentration and purity of fruit. One of the key characteristics of this Bordeaux wine is the haunting smell of violets.
