2014 Bonnes Mares

Medium red. Sexy scents of cranberry, dried flowers, dried herbs, pepper and spices. Wonderfully dense and sappy on the palate. In a cooler, more metallic style than the Clos de Bèze but with superb precision and energy. Harder to taste today but the wine's tactile palate-staining finish and uncanny energy suggest that it will be a real long-distance runner. Two-thirds of these vines were planted between 1965 and 1978 but the Clos de Bèze is older.

Rich and crackling with masses of energy. A tad light. But it’s a cranberry fest and lots of fun. (JR)

(Clair's vines are adjacent to Clos de Tart; half were planted in 1946 and half in 1978): Bright medium red. Captivating nose combines scents of red and black fruits, spices, herbs and minerals. Densely packed, large-scaled and powerful; still tightly wound yet seamless, conveying excellent inner-mouth energy to its flavors of dark fruits, licorice and minerals. This classic, juicy Bonnes-Mares finishes with substantial fine-grained tannins. I would never have guessed that the pH was a relatively high 3. 7.