2014 Le Bon Pasteur
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Tasting notes
The 2014 Le Bon Pasteur has an oddly distant nose, with touches of blackberry, truffle and licorice. The palate is just distasteful and green but cooked at the same time. [Post-script - precisely the same element that I remarked upon in the previous Southwold in 2018.] This is not a Pomerol that I can recommend. There have been better vintages in recent years. Tasted non-blind at the Southwold 10-Year-On tasting.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
Deep garnet with bricky rim. Raisiny sweetness and still pretty firm, thick tannins. Just enough freshness. (JH)
Tasted blind. A bit sweet and oaky on the nose. Then it falls away a bit. Flattering and easy but a bit simple. (JR)
The 2014 Bon Pasteur was tasted twice. The bottle at the UGC did not show its best, but a second in Pomerol was much better with clean and pure brambly red fruit on the nose laced with sandalwood and truffle. The palate is medium-bodied with quite firm tannin, a "cool" Pomerol that has a little greenness towards the finish (which I noticed out of barrel). I actually appreciate this more classic style of Bon Pasteur, though it will benefit from a couple of years in bottle.
About the producer
Famed winemaking consultant Michel Rolland is synonymous with this estate. The vines here were purchased by his grandparents and he ran the property from 1979. Although Rolland still makes the wine today, he sold the estate in 2013.