Château Le Bon Pasteur

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2017 Bon Pasteur is profoundly scented of baked black cherries, black raspberries and plum preserves with hints of chocolate box, star anise and fertile loam. Medium-bodied, the palate packs in the expressive black fruit with firm, rounded tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing long and earthy.

Tasted blind. Deep ruby colour. Graphite-lined cherry and plum fruit on the nose. Appetising. Crunchy, cedary fruit on the palate. Vibrant and juicy. Quite firm in structure, but there is enough fruit weight to carry the tannins. Wait a few years for this to knit together. Cedar again lingers on the finish.

Cedar, sandalwood and plums with cake undertones on the nose. Full-bodied, yet reserved and very tight on the palate with a firm, chewy finish. Needs two or three year to soften, but shows very well already. Try after 2022.