Domaine Gonzague Maurice Le Pavillon de Saint Jacques Lalande de Pomerol 2020

Organic

80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc from organically farmed vineyards. The wine was fermented and matured in cement tank for eighteen months. Vibrant, lush plum notes dominate the palate with subtle notes of garrigue and saddle leather. The Cabernet Franc adds a lot of character to this accessible everyday drinker.

Enjoy Pomerol but don’t want to shell out big bucks for it? You should look towards Pomerol’s northern neighbor Lalande de Pomerol as a more affordable option. Lush Merlot-based wines are what both appellations do best, but Lalande de Pomerol won’t use up your monthly wine budget in one fell swoop.
 
Domaine Gonzague Maurice has produced a lovely Lalande de Pomerol from the grand 2020 vintage named Le Pavillon de Saint Jacques. We were very impressed with how bright and cheerful this was, perhaps due to only cement tank used for fermentation and maturing. No oak barrels here, just pure organically grown fruit. The wine also displays some traditional notes of cedar and garrigue which must be the 20% of Cabernet Franc in the cepage.

This is a no-brainer for all red wine drinkers, California and French wine drinkers alike. I can’t imagine someone disliking this, but what do I know? Give this a shot, it just might become your new “house” wine.