Dense with ripe black fruit--plum, blackberry and black currant--along with mineral and spice, this starts out lush and silky. The tannins are there, but discreet and supportive, letting the fruit takes center stage. It shows great freshness and length, as the complex fruit washes over the palate. Best from 2015 through 2040. *Collectibles* (BS)

Roumier vinifies separately and later assembles the fruits of white chalk and red (iron-rich) parcels that inform his 2005 Bonnes Mares. At the time of my visit he had retained one pure barrel of each component as an investigation into terroir and the results were as fascinating as the blended wine is fascinatingly and profoundly beautiful. The ferrous lot (55% of the final assemblage) displays ripe blackberry and raspberry berries, along with (red soil-born) pungent smokiness, Chartreuse-like herbal and floral essences. A liqueur-like presentation of black fruits temporarily overshadows the mysterious (white rock-born) meld of chalky minerality and beef marrow that wells up gradually on a creamy palate with tannins of utmost refinement. The tension and energy are riveting -- lending the wine a dynamic, fleet-of-foot impression for all of its manifestly huge extract -- with incisive brightness of palate-staining fruit and vibrant minerality leading to a finish of sensational clarity and length. Even here, by the way, Roumier employs only around 40% new wood. (DS)

Even after 10 years this is still relatively reserved with notes of spice, violets and blueberry that appear against a backdrop of fresh earth that can also be found on the impressively rich, intense and quite firmly structured big-boned flavors that are hugely long and built to age for decades. This will need at least another 10 years to arrive at its majority but as this is one of the longest-lived wines in all of Burgundy, it will still be alive and well in 50 years. As an aside, we gave this an hour in a decanter before serving it and it was surprisingly approachable but given that there is almost nothing present but primary fruit, I would strongly advise leaving this wine to age as it will give so much more if allowed to mature properly. Tasted on multiple occasions with consistent notes.