Château La Violette, Pomerol, 2014
Henri Parent explained that 2014 was the first vintage to be micro-vinified in their very impressive new cellar. Wine-maker, Marcello Pelleriti now has 470 barrels instead of the 12 large vats he used to work with. This enables much more precise vinifications. Produced from a tiny 1.6 hectare plot of Merlot close to VCC and le Pin. The wine will be aged for 15 months in 100% new Saury barrels. Violette is not what some might assume. Yes it is the darling of Robert Parker and it holds a micro cuvee status, but this is far from garagiste - there is something very real and mineral here, a serious, saline, understated wine that will reward those with patience. Initially starry and polished with some heady perfumed notes of cedar intertwined with decadent Merlot fruits. This is less open than Le Gay and more mineral with a real sense of tension. We were impressed by the clarity and intensity here and the discrete length of flavour. This could be very impressive.
critic reviews
The 2014 La Violette has a typical nose for this estate, very polished with almost identical scents to four years ago: blackberry and raspberry, touches of bay and cloves. It doesn't appear to have matured greatly in the interim. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, harmonious and refined. La Violette is not often equated with elegance, but this does have precisely that on the finish, even if it doesn't fully possess the complexity I originally envisaged. Hence, I am inclined to shorten my drinking window here, yet it remains a delicious Pomerol to enjoy over the next 20 years. A second bottle tasting blind was much more Bretty and was marked down, hence the question mark against my score.
Medium to deep garnet-brick in color, the 2014 La Violette opens with iodine and leathery scents leading to a vague core of dried cherries and prunes plus a hint of fallen leaves. The medium to full-bodied palate is chewy and rustic with a lifted finish.
Floral iris and peony notes on the first nose, quickly opening to a focus on spice, both white and black pepper, along with salted cracker, tobacco, truffle, saffran. At a good moment to drink, with a fresh acidity on the finish that suggests this may evolve fairly quickly from this point. 65% new oak. Pere Verge owner.