2002 Grèves Vigne Enfant Jésus

A firm, rustic wine, the 2002 Beaune Greves Vigne de l’Enfant Jesus (domaine) lacks the hedonistic jammy fruit and supple personalities of Bouchard’s other 2002 Beaunes. Light to medium-bodied, it displays brambleberries and blackberries in a bright, foursquare character. This wine will need to soften and blossom to ultimately merit a score in the upper eighties. Projected maturity: 2006-2011. Importer: Clicquot, Inc., New York, NY; tel. (212) 888-7575

The recent mise has not troubled this either as the nose is wonderfully expressive, rich and classy, leading to concentrated, dense, pure, textured and beautifully detailed and precise flavors that ooze minerality and sap on the wonderfully long finish. This is very powerful for a Beaune 1er and it will be capable of aging for two decades, perhaps longer.

Red-ruby. Black raspberry, chocolate, leather and game on the reduced nose. Broad and lush in the middle, with sappy, nuanced fruit flavors of considerable depth. The toothdusting tannins arrive quite late, allowing the fruit, smoke and game flavors to linger. All of these Beaune wines should benefit from three or four years of aging.