Beautiful plums and ripe cherries with dark chocolate and hazelnut undertones. Full-bodied, juicy and tannic with lots of fruit and structure. The length is long and chewy. A blend of 80 per cent merlot and 20 per cent cabernet franc. Needs at least three to four years to soften. Better from 2022.

A surprisingly elegant, medium to full-bodied effort from the genius of the Rolland family (this is their property in Pomerol), the 2016 Château Le Bon Pasteur offers loads of barbecue smoke, graphite, violets, and vibrant black and blue fruits in a complex, layered, classy package. With fine tannins, good concentration, and a pretty, perfumed style, it’s not a blockbuster by any means, but it’s beautifully balanced, with everything in the right place. It will benefit from short-term cellaring and drink well for two decades.

93+ The 2016 Bon Pasteur has a medium to deep garnet-purple color and nose of dark chocolate, kirsch and blackberries with tobacco, bay leaves, damp soil and tar nuances. Medium-bodied with firm, grainy tannins and a lively line, it gives good intensity and an earthy finish. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown