1998 Bonnes Mares

The 1998 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru is an intriguing wine. This was completely de-stemmed. Showed extremely well in the London tasting. Here it displays exquisite transparency and detail on the nose, the red fruit infused with undergrowth and crushed stone. In fact, the aromatics outshine the 1999 Bonnes-Mares. The Hong Kong bottles show a slight lactic element, perhaps the oak more marked? The palate is medium-bodied with great precision, just a hint of eucalyptus developing with aeration, “sexy” with a bit of tart towards the “nimble” finish. This is maturing extremely well in bottle, one of the prettiest examples of Roumier’s Bonnes-Mares in recent years. Tasted at the Roumier verticals in Hong Kong and London.

Bright, saturated deep red. Vibrant aromas of dark berries, licorice and flowers. Dense, thick and powerfully structured, with strong acidity buffered by equally strong extract. Finishes with chewy tannins and excellent persistence. A very young, tightly wound wine that should evolve in bottle for many years.