Château Haut Bages Monpelou, Pauillac, 2016

We were really impressed by the 2016 Chateau Haut-Bages Monpelou. There’s plenty of Pauillac character and lots of rustic charm. It’s not the most glossy or sophisticated style, but there is a real generosity to the fruit; lashings of Morello cherry, cassis and ripe plum, with notes of tobacco, earth and cedar. It’s generous and plush with a gentle tannic structure that suggests this will give lots of immediate drinking pleasure. Cohesive, characterful and will probably be good value for money.