Le Bon Pasteur 2019

The 2019 Le Bon Pasteur retains the precision and focus that I found in the barrel sample, offering aromas of blackberry and raspberry fruit and touches of rose petal and espresso. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins, plenty of lightly spiced red fruit and a little dried blood toward the finish, which retains wonderful composure. This is a superb Le Bon Pasteur, the best I have encountered in recent years. (Drink between 2024-2045)

A perfumed nose of dark cherries, plums, mocha, tea leaves, cedar, hazelnuts and cigar box. Full-bodied with fine, creamy and supple tannins. Framed and balanced with a harmonious structure. The tannin backbone runs through the wine. Long and intense with wonderful purity of fruit. Drink from 2026.

From the talented Michel Rolland, the 2019 Château Le Bon Pasteur shines for its richness as well as its elegance. Ripe black cherries, currants, tobacco leaf, chocolate, and floral notes all define the bouquet, and it has the vintage’s fresher, pure, vibrant style in both its aromas and flavors. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has fabulous tannins, a seamless, layered mouthfeel, no hard edges, and a great finish. It's already hard to resist yet has another 20-25 years of prime drinking ahead of it. 2022 - 2047

Beautifully expressive nose, wild flowers, summer berries and sweet cinnamon. Still seriously tannic at the moment but they are well textured like crushed velvet giving a chalky aspect to the palate. Lively juicy fruit and I like the really delicate perfume on this. It's a rich and bold style, heady, but carefully presented, everything in line, still quite tight at the moment and run by the tannins but there's nuance and a sense of style here. A blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc.