2003 Bonnes Mares

The 2003 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru has an attractive bouquet of red berry fruit, hoisin , undergrowth and very light peppermint aromas that is fresher than many of its peers. The palate is medium-bodied with quite a lactic, chocolaty entry. It is missing the cohesion one usually finds with this cru, although there is good depth and a smudged, cocoa-tinged finish that comes across like a guilty pleasure. Tasted at Sarah Marsh’s 2003/2004 tasting in London.

Pale ruby. Rich, autumnal nose with a hint of rum butter! Sweet and gentle and beautifully luscious. No rough edges. No obvious tannin at all in fact. But no excess residual sugar. A really lovely wine with great purity and finesse. Who would have thought such a thing could have been wrought from 2003? Long. (JR)

Good red-ruby color. Dark raspberry, minerals, chocolate and mocha on the nose; more vibrant than the Fuees. Then full, broad and dense, if a bit musclebound today. Not a particularly sweet style-or is this simply closed? Finishes with substantial dusty tannins and a slightly roasted, chocolatey character.