Wine Advisor
La Violette 2013
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Description
Violette, Pomerol, Bordeaux, France, Still, Red, 2013
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The La Violette has a voluptuous, decadent bouquet that pays little heed to the limitations of the growing season - everything that you expect from the late Catherine Pere-Verge's luxurious cru. I actually like the palate more than the last two vintages, the tannins filigree and the texture silky smooth with a gentle, seductive and poised finish. Gorgeous. Tasted April 2014.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
A successful 2013, La Violette exhibits its tell-tale floral notes intermixed with raspberry and black currant fruit. Medium-bodied and fresh with crisp acids as well as a decent finish, it can be drunk over the next 5-7 years.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2013 La Violette has a perfumed bouquet with candied orange peel infusing the red berry fruit, a touch of confectionary shop here, nicely defined and gaining intensity in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with tannin, sappy red berry fruit, a hint of spice, nice cohesion as its leads into what for La Violette is a relatively lean finish, but it retains lovely balance and joie de vivre. Drink this now and over the next decade.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2013 La Violette shows good energy and tension. Sweet spices, violets, graphite, mint and floral notes add nuance to the supple, caressing fruit. The 2013 is a pretty, if somewhat simple, Pomerol with good near-term potential. Tasted twice.
Reviewed by: Ian d'Agata
(100% merlot): Vivid ruby. Very pure, fresh blueberry and violet aromas are complicated by ink and flint. Enters bright and floral, showing lively, perfumed dark berry flavors, then turns a little astringent on the finish with a hint of tannic toughness emerging. Despite the wine's atypically austere mouthfeel, this graceful wine displays La Violette's typical delicacy and refinement. It just lacks the depth of fruit and velvety tannins of the best vintages. Production will be only 4,000 bottles--on the heels of the paltry 3,500 made in 2012.
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.
