Colète

Colète is the passion project of Pomerol born sommelier turned winemaker Marie Vayron Ponsonnet under the guidance and support of Raj Parr. The wine is inspired by Pomerol, Merlot's defining terroir.

Pomerol is a small village-less region (a simple Church lies at the centre), set apart from St. Émilion on the Bordeaux Right Bank. The wines are typically soft, rounded and very well structured. The best expressions have deep earthy flavours of hedgerow fruit and plum and possess a distinct minerality firmly rooting them to the region.

The purpose of Colète is straightforward enough, produce a high-quality Napa Merlot from vineyard sites that will deliver a terroir expressive, uniquely Napa expression of the grape inspired by the Pomerol style. Location is everything in this endeavour and finding the right sites took the pair over 2-years.

The result is an organically farmed, Bordeaux method vinification, minimalists approach, Napa wine. It captures everything we love about a Raj Parr wine yet... it's Merlot?! And we have Marie to thank, she has persuaded the King of Cali-Pinot to give the Pomerol variety a West Coast home and the result is wonderful.