| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Right Bank > Pomerol |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
A delicious, impressive, stunningly seductive offering, the 2008 Bon Pasteur exhibits spicy, mocha, coffee bean, black currant and sweet mulberry aromas and flavors. With silky tannins, a medium to full-bodied mouthfeel, admirable purity and an irresistible personality, it can be enjoyed over the next 10-15 years
Tasted ex-château and single blind in Southwold. Tasted blind, Michel Rolland's wine comes across as unashamedly rich and opulent on the nose, very floral with cassis and blueberry tones. The palate is medium-bodied with rich, extracted, "sappy" tannins but at least it has the acidity to support it. In context of the vintage, the Le Bon Pasteur is hedonistic and full of bravura; however there is also craftsmanship behind the hubris. Tasted January 2012.
Lovely rich, dark spicy fruit. Smells intoxicating. Dry and savoury on the palate. Dense, firm and dry and rather reluctant on the palate. But long and determined. (JH)
Michel Rolland and his wife, Dany, decided to take only the finest parcels of their vineyard to make Bon Pasteur, thus cutting production dramatically. From this exceptional vintage in Pomerol (with its low yields), the result appears to be the finest Bon Pasteur since the 1982. Fermented completely in small barrels, a painstakingly laborious task, the use of indigenous yeasts, and a prolonged maceration of 40-60 days has resulted in a wine possessing extraordinarily dense fruit, an inky/ruby/purple color, sweet tannin, and sumptuous aromatic and flavor profiles. Probably the most complete and potentially complex and concentrated Bon Pasteur ever made, it offers sweet berry, mocha, caramel, and flowery characteristics, gentle but substantial tannins, and sensational concentration. There is no hint of aggressiveness. Over-maturity of the grapes was impossible to achieve in this vintage, and the 2008 represents the maximum expression I suspect this estate is capable of achieving. Bravo! It should drink well young, but last for three decades. (The 1982 is still in beautiful condition at age 27.)
