2017 Clos Rene

Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Clos Rene gives up notes of warm plums, baked black cherries and raspberry preserves with touches of truffles, bay leaves and mossy tree bark. Medium-bodied, the palate has plenty of juicy black fruit with a lively backbone and herbal lift to the finish.

The 2017 Clos René is usually expressive after bottling however, this is more bashful, though well defined. Blackberry and wild hedgerow scents, a hint of orange rind in the background. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, a fine bead of acidity. This is a "stricter" Clos René than recent vintages. Yet, there is plenty of freshness on the finish and so I would cellar this for five or six years to see how it blooms.

The 2017 Clos René, is matured in 30% new oak, has a very perfumed bouquet with well-defined red and black fruit laced with truffle and develops an almost pastille-like purity. This is very charming. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannin, good depth and cohesion, the oak neatly integrated with a precise and quite sustained finish. Possibly the finest Pomerol outside the central plateau? I think so.