Château La Violette· Pomerol

Under two hectares, a single grape, and one of the most coveted labels in Pomerol, La Violette is the kind of micro-cuvée that defines the modern right bank. The late Catherine Péré-Vergé brought it to prominence, and the estate still carries her ambition.

It is pure Merlot, planted on deep clay over crasse de fer back in 1952, with yields driven down to 22 hl/ha and the wine raised entirely in new oak. The name is not idle marketing: the perfume really does turn floral, and the concentration is something close to extreme.

This is allocation in the truest sense, a handful of bottles, claimed long before they arrive. I take what I am offered and place it with collectors who understand they may wait fifteen years to see its best.