Wine Advisor
Georges Roumier, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru 1997
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at the Roumier dinner at The Ledbury. This bottle of Bonnes-Mares ’97 is not quite as fresh as the one drunk at the same restaurant some two years ago. Earthier on the nose than I recall: wild strawberry, raspberry ad mulberry with just a touch of undergrowth. The palate is animally on the entry, a little rustic, but it coalesces with aeration. Noticeable acidity with great balance and poise, hints of chestnut infusing the sensual, rounded finish. Very fine, if capricious…and not as “feisty” as before. Drink now-2020. Tasted May 2010.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at lunch at The Ledbury Burgundy “WIMPS”. This Bonnes-Mares from Christophe has a divine bouquet, very pure and graceful with succulent small red cherries, wild strawberry, raspberry leaf and a hint of iodine. It takes about 10-15 minutes for the nose to unfurl in the glass. The palate is silky smooth on the entry, very refined tannins, lovely balance and attaining a sensuality with continued aeration. A touch of iron filings on the sweet, feisty finish. Wonderful. Drink now-2018. Tasted April 2009.
Reviewed by: Pierre Rovani
The 1997 Bonnes Mares is medium to dark ruby-colored, and offers beguiling aromas of red and black fruits, stones, and earth. It explodes on the palate, with super-expressive candied red cherries, as well as licorice and road tar flavors. This rich, dense, gorgeously structured, powerful, and expansive wine is masculine and broad-shouldered, yet opulent and hedonistic. Medium to full-bodied, complex, and harmonious, it should be at its peak of drinkability between 2000-2010. Importer: Seagram Chateau and Estate Wines Company, New York, NY; tel; (212) 572-7725.
About the Producer
The domaine was founded in 1924 by Georges Roumier, who began domaine bottling in 1945. He was succeeded in 1957 by his son Jean-Marie and now grandson Christophe, who joined his father in 1982 and took over completely in 1992. Most of the wines are rented (en fermage) from family members although Ruchottes Chambertin is held on a share cropping deal with an external proprietor, Michel Bonnefond. The wines are seductively fruity in their youth yet with excellent ageing potential. The grapes are sorted in the vineyard, with a table de tri at the winery since 2003. They are mostly destemmed, albeit depending on vineyard and vintage, with a few more stems being used recently – then placed in wooden fermenters. The juice is given a cool soak at 15° then allowed to start naturally. The juice is punched down twice a day and temperature controlled so as not to exceed 32°C. There is no great reliance on new wood in the maturation cellar, with 15-25% being used for village wines, 25-40% for premiers crus and no more than 50% for Bonnes Mares. In recent years Christophe has been searching for, and achieving, a greater sense of precision in his wines.
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