Pomerol: Clos Rene Red

Situated in the beautiful South-West of France, Bordeaux is one of the country's largest wine-growing areas, covering over 125,000 hectares. With the Atlantic to the west, its coastal temperatures are moderated by the Gulf Stream, making it an ideal place for vines to thrive. The region produces a staggering 900 million bottles a year, ranging from large quantities of common Vin de Pays to some of the most prestigious and expensive wines in the world.

One of the most prestigious red-wine appellations of Bordeaux's Right Bank, in the Libournais near Saint-Émilion, widely regarded as home to the world's finest expressions of Merlot. Covering just 800 hectares of small, family-scale estates, it is built chiefly on Merlot (around 70% of plantings), with Cabernet Franc in support, grown on a plateau of clay and gravel whose prized blue clay gives the wines their exceptional concentration. Unusually for Bordeaux, Pomerol has no formal classification, yet its standard is exceptionally high, producing rich, velvety, and age-worthy reds with black and blue fruit, vanilla, espresso, and dark chocolate character. Plush yet structured, the finest examples evolve gracefully for decades.