1990 Bonnes Mares

Two bottles of the 1990 Bonnes Mares Grand Cru from Mugnier have come my way in recent weeks, both incidentally tasted blind. It has never been Mugnier's strongest card to play and indeed, he always shows his Amoureuses afterwards. Dark in color, it has a rather introspective and saturnine nose, almost opaque dark berry fruit, potpourri and mulberry, perhaps missing that sense of terroir. The palate is medium-bodied with good acidity, solid and stocky for Bonnes-Mares with a punchy, dark plum and earthy finish that needs a little more precision and terroir expression. It is not a bad Bonnes-Mares however, it attests an era when I think Mugnier was still learning his craft and it shows in this wine. Tasted August 2016.