Freddy R. Troya

9.2

Château Garraud – Lalande de Pomerol / 2018
AOC Lalande de Pomerol – Right Bank, Bordeaux, France 🇫🇷

Overview
From the Esnée family estate, this red Bordeaux blend is composed of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. The Garraud vineyards lie just north of Pomerol proper, where gravelly and clay soils echo the region’s reputation for plush yet structured wines.

Aromas & Flavors
Lush black cherry, plum compote, and cassis wrapped in notes of violet, cocoa, and cedar. Subtle graphite and earthy tobacco hints reflect the Cabernet Franc influence.

Mouthfeel
Full-bodied yet polished, with supple tannins and a round mid-palate. Concentrated fruit depth balances with freshness, finishing long and silky with lingering spice.

Food Pairings
Duck breast with cherry glaze, roast lamb, or beef bourguignon. Mushroom risotto, charcuterie, or truffle pasta. Comté, aged Gouda, or Saint-Nectaire.

Verdict
A classic Right Bank profile: generous Merlot fruit framed by Cabernet Franc finesse. Traditional, powerful, and approachable, drinking beautifully now but with the structure to evolve gracefully for another 8–10 years.

Did You Know?
Lalande de Pomerol, though often overshadowed by its famous neighbor Pomerol, offers exceptional value. Many estates here share the same terroir characteristics, producing wines of impressive depth at a fraction of Pomerol’s price tag.

🍷 Personal Pick Highlight: This bottle delivers Right Bank soul without the Pomerol price, rich yet refined, and an excellent “insider’s pick” for Bordeaux lovers. Cheers! — 12 days ago

Tom Kohli

8.9

Light Chardonnay- would buy again. — a year ago

Nikole Souder-Schale

9.3

A delicious Cabernet for a chocolate dessert. — 2 years ago

Henry Fuseler

9.0

8/2025. Very balanced. Good flavor and nice finish. — 3 months ago

Nathan Renfro

9.4

What a surprise. Very good. Pretty much pnp. Superb balance. Ripe fruit, black and red, firm acidity, smooth tannins. — a year ago

Vijay Parikh

9.2

For a neighbor of the Soldera a very different style. I would say this was Bordeaux styled to the Burgundian Soldera. — a year ago

Kevin Kaley

9.4

One of my all time favorites - visited here years ago.
Nice fruit flavor, smooth and very light tannins. Enjoyed with grilled/smoked beef tenderloin and salmon for New Years day dinner with family. A lovely gift from my neighbor a few years back for helping her out. Its nice to have good neighbors! — 3 years ago

Benjamin Hickey

9.3

Very drinkable — 6 months ago

Jocholla

9.2

Delicious plum, vanilla, blackberry cobbler, opened up well after long decant…not sure if the rumors are true but it would be odd for Constellation to leave the wine business altogether. I understand you have shareholders to keep happy, but you really see no rebound for this great product?!? — 9 months ago

JKT

9.1

Wine dinner with big group including Butch neighbor Art, Philip and Bewan. Pino brought it for himself, given the Cab lineup. Another of his lively dare I say relatively light on its feet Amarone. Balanced profile, actually a good food wine. — 2 years ago