Clos Rene Pomerol 2016

You can’t go wrong with old school Pomerol on a cold winter evening. My suggestion with these super traditional wines like Clos Rene is to choose them in great vintages like 2016, where the edge of rusticity becomes unfussy drinkability. Expect supple tannins, a ton of blackberry and red cherry fruit, smoked earth and crushed rose petals. Owner Jean-Michel Garde is the long term president of the appellation, very low key and rarely strays from his family estate. I’m pretty sure he’s a fan of gathering cèpe mushrooms at this time of year, so you could even pan-fried some with parsley, garlic and butter, and settle in for the night.