Château Le Bon Pasteur 2022

Fruity aromas mingle with toasty notes from barrel ageing; on the palate it’s crisp, juicy, with noticeable tannins and plenty of grip; long finish. En Primeur, I criticized the balance, but the ageing has set it right.

Ripe and succulent in feel, with blackberry and boysenberry reduction notes sparkling with dried anise, iris and black tea accents. The finish shows smoldering charcoal and earth details, while the fruit keeps the upper hand. Rock solid. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2026 through 2038. 1,300 cases made, 325 cases imported.

Sleek and streamlined but with a richness to the fruit profile – ripe blackcurrants and fleshy cherries. It’s still a little compact, but I like the softly chalky aspects and the mint, liquorice, wet stone and clove notes on the finish. It certainly feels like they could have pushed this further and didn’t, which gives it a sense of approachability even now. It’s charged and potent, yet also filled with fresh red-fruit acidity that lifts the overall expression.

Plenty of plums and chocolate in this young Pomerol, with hints of cedar and sandalwood. It’s full-bodied with creamy, chewy tannins and a layered finish. A little old-school. Needs time to soften. Best after 2029.

The 2022 Le Bon Pasteur is terrific. Winemaker Julien Viaud has succeeded in dialing back some of the heavy extractions of years past to achieve a style that is more ideally suited to the qualities of this site on the Pomerol/Saint-Émilion border. Everything about the 2022 speaks to finesse and balance. Crushed flowers, red-toned fruit, blood orange and mocha are some of the many notes that open with a little coaxing. What a gorgeous wine this is.

Lush, silky, fresh, and elegant, the beautiful floral character on the nose, with its cherry blossoms, truffle, chocolate, and plums, leads to a refined, silky mid-palate and a finish packed with sweet, ripe, refined black cherries dipped in chocolate, with just a hint of licorice and espresso for a long, plush, polished finish. The wine blends 80% Merlot with 20% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2026–2050.

Deep garnet, opaque core, purple reflections, brightening on the rim. Fresh cherries, red-berry nuances, cool bouquet, a delicate touch of fine oak. Juicy and elegant on the palate with good complexity, fine acidity, a touch of chocolate. Long finish. Certain ageing potential.

Dark, dense core with a purple hue. Pure, floral and intense aromas of wild berries, cherry, cassis, violet, tobacco, and fine spices. The palate is dense yet rounded, with fine-grained, silky tannins, unctuous sweet fruit, a gentle spiciness, and a very long, opulent finish.

The 2022 Château Le Bon Pasteur is 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, offering a round, supple, and beautifully textured profile with red and black fruits, chocolate, tobacco, and hints of minerality. Medium to full-bodied, it has velvety tannins, terrific mid-palate depth, and a pure, layered style. Vinified in stainless steel and aged for 15 months in 70% new French oak, this voluptuous yet balanced Pomerol will evolve well for 20+ years. Total production: 1,500 cases.

Opulent bouquet of freshly picked blackcurrant, elderberry juice and dark graphite. On the palate, rich with a creamy texture, lively tension, a tightly laced tannic corset and a sinewy frame. The focused, taut finish shows black olive, juniper and dry astringency, rounded off.

Brambled black fruits, hedgerow, liquorice, dark chocolate, well balanced and keeps its foot off the pedal while still delivering intense flavours that carry the estate’s signature. 70% new oak, integral vinification in barrel. 5.2ha vineyard.

On the nose, aromas of black licorice, cinnamon, and dark fruit. On the palate, lovely concentration, with fruit wrapped in notes of fresh coffee.

Bon Pasteur 2022 immediately shows depth, freshness, and richness. Its ability to create a symbiosis of peony nuances, ripe black berries, mint, and barrel-aging notes speaks to its complexity and subtlety. The latter is also well integrated on the palate from the very attack. The wine is not meant to be exuberant or extravagant; it is precise, elegant, and supported by tannins that are both suave and structuring. It can certainly be enjoyed in its youth, but the ageing potential it suggests deserves our attention and patience.

Dark red color with purple highlights. Very aromatic nose with ripe fruit. Precise on the attack, with an unprecedented aromatic intensity mid-palate, the wine unfolds on a slender body, melting into a present yet coated tannic structure. Very long finish. Blend: 80% merlot, 20% cabernet franc. Alcohol: 14.5%. Yield: 34 hl/ha.

Headily aromatic, concentrated and dense yet upright, the nose suggests a fine balance between ripeness and tension. The palate is rigorously structured, with firm substance, fine-grained tannins and an acidic spine that gives it poise and length. A fine interpretation of the vintage, and one that will benefit from time.