A solid step up, the 2016 Les Pavots comes from vines planted in 1989 and is a mix of two separate sites in Knights Valley. This straight-up phenomenal Cabernet offers a powerful nose of ripe black fruits, tobacco leaf, chocolate, and spring flowers, and it has a Margaux-like complexity and elegance. Full-bodied on the palate, it has a multi-dimensional, seamless texture, building tannins, and a great, great finish. It’s a baby of a wine that needs 4-5 years of bottle age, but it will probably merit a triple-digit score in 7-8 years and keep for three decades.

A good dose of rainfall aided the drought in 2016, however it resulted in uneven fruit-set and therefore a small crop. The vintage was overall slightly cooler than average, which provided a delicate and bright profile for the wines. This is an ideal pairing for a braised rabbit ragu served with handmade pappardelle pasta. It has a lively array of freshly picked red rose and lilac aromas, with flavours of blackberry pie with a toasted crust, black tea and vanilla. Electric and satisfying layers of rich tannins and fruit decorate the landscape.