2011 Bonnes Mares

From .41-hectares of vines (planted in 1946 and 1978 that border Clos de Tart on the Morey side that were leased to Fougeray de Beauclair up until 2006,) the 2011 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru has an exuberant bouquet as one would expect. Precocious dark cherry and plum aromas, almost honeyed and ravishing! The palate is medium-bodied with a sweet, generous entry before unexpected tertiary notes surface on the middle and latter stages. In the end, it is a more masculine Bonnes-Mares compared to its peers, one more structured but very focused and long in the mouth. Drink 2015-2028. I have tasted the wines of this Marsannay-based producer, born from the original Clair-Dau estate in 1979, since tasting my first Pinot Noir, and yet somehow I had never visited their cellars until now. Bruno Clair was on hand himself to guide me through the wines in his blur of French that at times can be difficult to understand, as if every word is joined together. As usual, at his side was cellar-master Philippe Brun. His is a relatively large portfolio spread over their 23 hectares of vineyard, which has expanded in recent years when leasehold contracts with Fougeray de Beauclair and Louis Jadot came to an end. While I found the white 2011s needing a little more precision and complexity, his reds are evolving into fine examples of the vintage and often exhibit a degree of finesse that I could not discern a decade ago. In particular, at the top end there is much to admire from wines that I feel belong within the top tier of producers. The domaine’s Corton-Charlemagne vines lie on the limit of Pernand-Vergelesses and Aloxe-Corton. Though they lie on the side of the latter, their orientation means that the wines tend to evolve more like those located on the Pernand side. Importer: Becky Wasserman Selection (various importers), Le Serbet, Beaune; fax 011-33-3-80-24-29-70. Also available in UK through Berry Brothers & Rudd and Justerini & Brooks.

Tense and dense. Real reverberation here. lively and rich and dense. Well done – as usual Bruno Clair makes a real statement with Bonnes Mares. (JR)