2009 Bonnes Mares

The 2009 Bonnes Mares is at first an immediate, supple wine graced with generous fruit and a warm, engaging personality. Crushed rocks, mint and spices add complexity to a mid-palate and finish that turns decidedly linear and intense. I would not at all be surprised to see this shut down in bottle given the wine’s considerable underlying structure. This, too, is another wine that is holding back most, if not all, of its potential. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2039. Drouhin farms 75 hectares of vineyards according to biodynamic principles. Maceration and fermentation lasts about three weeks. The wines are then racked into oak in a cold part of the cellar to slow down the malos, although in 2009 they were entirely done by December. The estate leaves the wines on their lees for several months with one racking, or two if needed, prior to being assembled for bottling. New oak ranges from 25% for the entry-level wines to 50-65% for the grand crus. Veronique Drouhin thinks the 2009s will stay open throughout their lives, much as the 1985s have. All of these 2009s were bottled between early December, 2010 and January, 2011. Importer: Dreyfus Ashby & Co., New York, NY; tel. (212) 818-0770

(bottled in September) Good medium red. Very reticent aromas of red cherry, menthol and wild herbs. Broad and sweet, with complex flavors of herbs, flowers, licorice and mint. Still needs time to recover from the bottling. Expands impressively on the back half, finishing with very good structure and weight. This has more edges than the Amoureuses but really needs patience. I'd bet on this broad, sweet wine aging gracefully.