1996 Château La Gomerie

Château La Gomerie is a tiny, “garagiste” producer of a high-end St.-Emilion. The 6.2-acre estate is in St.-Emilion, on the right bank of the Gironde River. The vineyards were purchased in 1995 by brothers Gerard and Dominique Becot, who also own Château Beau-Sejour Becot. La Gomerie is a 100% Merlot made in very small quantities of about 10,000 bottles a year. Robert M. Parker Jr. has written that La Gomerie is “a Le Pin look-alike,” and “like most garage wines, it is made from extremely ripe fruit and low yields…Another fine success from the talented Becot brothers.” There is a second label called Mademoiselle de La Gomerie.

Saint-Émilion is on the east side of the Dordogne River. At 13,400 acres it is one of Bordeaux’s largest appellations, and perhaps its most picturesque. It is also home to what has been called “the garagiste” movement of upstart, tradition-defying winemakers who produce artisanal wines in styles that are unconventional for the appellation. The village of Saint-Émilion dates from the middle ages and it sits on low hills, surrounded by ancient walls. Like its neighbor Pomerol, Saint-Émilion was not included in the famous Bordeaux classification system of 1855. But a century later a ranking system was put in place, and unlike the classification system for the Medoc, the Saint-Émilion system is reviewed every ten years, meaning that estates can be upgraded or downgraded. There are three rankings: Grand Cru Classé, Premier Grand Cru Classé B and Premier Grand Cru Classé A, with the final ranking being the best. Such legendary Saint-Émilion estates as Châteaux Ausone and Cheval-Blanc are Premier Grand Cru Classé A, along with Châteaux Pavie and Angélus, both added to the classification in 2012. Wines in this appellation are primarily Merlot, mixed with Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.