Rich purple, with energy on the nose, more black fruit, a little less easy to read than the flamboyant Ruchottes. Two thirds whole bunch just visible. Showing the duality of this vineyard. More black than red, nothing in any way cooked, deep long and sultry, some comparison with Bussière but a much greater depth of generous fruity and of course very long indeed. Going to be spectacular I think. A really classic structure with a brilliant aftertaste.

The 2020 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru contains around 65% whole bunch. This has wonderful precision on the nose, very perfumed and floral at first though with time those scents of crushed limestone and oyster shell start percolating through. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannins, pitch-perfect acidity, bursting of energy and tension with a judicious touch of spice on the finish. This is hauntingly beautiful.(NM)

Note: from six different parcels totaling 1.89 ha that are divided between 30% terres rouges and 70% terres blanches. A perfumed and spicier than usual nose of both red and dark cherry freely offers up its nuances of violet, lavender and lilac. There is again a really lovely texture to the succulent but concentrated and overtly powerful big-bodied flavors that deliver stupendous length on the compact, palate drenching and hugely long finish. This is a very impressive, but also very firmly structured, Bonnes Mares that should still be around 50+ years from now.