1996 Bonnes Mares

Produced from vines planted prior to World War II, this medium-to-dark ruby-colored wine (Roumier claims he harvested this at 20 hectoliters/hectare) reveals a perfumed black raspberry-laced nose, and a sweet, medium-bodied, rich, lush, and seductive character with flavors of plummy fruit, minerals, candied fruit, orange peals and metal. In 1994, Laurent Roumier, Christophe's cousin, started a winery just up the road from the famed Domaine Georges et Christophe Roumier, a modern hangar-like building with a US Army four-wheel drive parked out front. The estate, less than 4 hectares, includes Clos Vougeot vines that cousin Christophe had been renting (1997 will be Laurent Roumier's first vintage with that parcel). died orange peels, and metal. Drink it between 1999 and 2006. Importer: Vinifrance Imports/Olivier Daubresse Selections, Arlington, VA; tel: (703) 271-6185.