Clos du Clocher Pomerol 1947

Legendary vintage, and as it clocks on to 77 years, the colour is a soft tawny with a gentle ruby blush through the core. Gorgeous earthy aromatics, white truffles, chamomile, dried flowers, incense, black tea. There is earthiness on the palate, with grilled cumin, cured leather, melted tannins, the remembrance of raspberry fruit, all delivered with gentle persistence. And you’ll find traces of history everywhere – the label says Haut Pomerol (meaning from the central best quality plateau), a mention that they kept until the French appellations agency told them to stop at some point in the 1950s. Inevitably there will be bottle variation (even in shape, not just contents), but this bottle was with the original cork and still tasted great. Unmoved from Libourne cellars since bottling. Weather wise in 1947, Pomerol saw a late spring and classic budbreak followed by a more difficult fruit set, then a hot summer with storms, and weather that stayed hot right through harvest, meaning naturally high alcohols. Hard to say when this will entirely fall away, but right now you are going to find huge amounts of pleasure. Olivier Bourotte and his wife Germaine Audy owners at the time, second generation after Jean-Baptiste Audy.