2016 Bonnes Mares

Dark ruby-red. Classic Bonnes-Mares aromas of blackberry, blueberry, licorice and herbs. Silky on entry, then firm and youthfully imploded in the middle palate, displaying outstanding energy to its blueberry, licorice, underbrush and violet flavors. Subtle brown spices carry from the nose through the aftertaste, adding another element of complexity. This wine has a serious tannic spine to support extended aging. Patrick Landanger described his holding in Bonnes-Mares as "shaped like a potato within the de Vogüé portion" (last year, he called it "a little crescent"), noting that his vines are planted along a north-south axis.

The 2016 Bonnes Mares Grand Cru actually showed up the Les Amoureuses on the nose, with superior delineation and mineralité, more complexity, just a more engaging bouquet. It sports a lovely, quite subtle marine influence. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannin, quite masculine in style with a little chewiness toward the finish. It does not quite finish with the panache suggested by the aromatics. Give this 3-5 years in bottle and let's see.