2010 Bonnes Mares
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Tasting notes
The 2010 Bonnes-Mares (from a parcel on the Chambolle side) shows unbelievable delineation, focus and class. Layers of perfume meld seamlessly into the most expressive fruit imaginable, all supported by firm yet utterly impeccable tannins. There is just one barrel of the Bonnes-Mares in the Boillot cellars, which is a shame as this is shaping up to be one of the wines of the vintage. Readers who can find it should not hesitate.
Critic scores
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Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2010 Bonnes-Mares (from a parcel on the Chambolle side) shows unbelievable delineation, focus and class. Layers of perfume meld seamlessly into the most expressive fruit imaginable, all supported by firm yet utterly impeccable tannins. There is just one barrel of the Bonnes-Mares in the Boillot cellars, which is a shame as this is shaping up to be one of the wines of the vintage. Readers who can find it should not hesitate. Anticipated maturity: 2025-2045. Henri Boillot turned out a superb set of 2010 reds. Best of all, readers won’t have to shell out a fortune to enjoy them, as a number of the more modestly priced wines far exceed the quality of their respective appellations. Yields came in at 20-22 hectoliters per hectare, a 40% decrease over the more typical production of 35 hectoliters per hectare. Boillot began harvesting on September 29 and ended on October 7, among the latest, if not the latest, to finish picking. Fermentations lasted about 29 days on average. Boillot has augmented his holdings with 5 hectares of vineyards that came online in 2010. I tasted all of these wines at Boillot’s cellars in Volnay. Boillot told me he plans to have his new facility in the Champ Lins section of Meursault fully operational for both whites and reds by summer 2012. Importers: Massanois Imports, Washington, DC; tel. (202) 470-6769, Cynthia Hurley French Wines, West Newton, MA Tel 617-965-4251 www.cynthiahurley.com and Chelsea Ventures, LLC, 1601 South Canal St, Chicago, IL 60616 tel. 847-920-5052
Bright, deep red-ruby. Spectacular nose offers scents of licorice, earth, minerals, mocha, flowers and leather, with a slightly roasted berry character. Thick, sweet and utterly seamless, with tactile, slowly mounting flavors of redcurrant, licorice and soft spices. Finishes with noble broad tannins and outstanding palate-saturating length. Incredible density of texture for a wine with 13% alcohol. This was Boillot's first Cote de Nuits vineyard to be harvested in 2010, but it was during the first days of October.
About the producer
Based in Meursault and farming some of the finest vineyards in the Côte de Beaune, Henri Boillot is a leading address in Burgundy. He crafts fine Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, but the estate is best known for its flagship monopole vineyard, Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Clos de la Mouchère.