Wine Advisor
Georges Roumier, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru 2009
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Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2009 Bonnes Mares bursts onto the glass with a powerful, vibrant expression of fruit. It is a nearly immortal wine in the way it captures both elegance and power. The finish is substantial, precise and full of energy. I tasted the Bonnes Mares from a blend of the limestone-rich terres blanches and the clay-rich terres rouges, but also had a chance to taste both component wines separately, which was quite fascinating. In 2009 the terres blanches naturally shows more minerality and direction while the terres rouges sample is more overtly fruit driven. Clearly the blend is greater than the sum of its parts here. In 2009 the blend is approximately 45 % terres rouges and 55 % terres blanches. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2049. My visit with Christophe Roumier was one of the highlights of the two weeks I spent in Burgundy earlier in the year. The range of 2009s is simply extraordinary, and the 2008s aren’t too far behind. Most of the 2009s were in tank, awaiting imminent bottling. Roumier began harvesting on September 12. Importer: Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines, Napa CA; tel. (707) 299-2600
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted out of barrel at the Domaine. This has a very seductive bouquet, the blueberry component not as pronounced as de Vogue, with a slight clayey element augmenting its mineralite. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins, wonderful focus here, although I prefer the precision of the Amoureueses. But it seems to coalesce in the glass and the aftertaste has impressive persistency. Tasted January 2011.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Roumier’s 2009 Bonnes-Mares is without question one of the wines of the vintage. Firm yet beautifully integrated tannins provide the backdrop for the highly nuanced, expressive aromas and flavors that emerge from the glass. All the elements are in the right place in this extraordinary, moving wine. At times the Bonnes-Mares comes across as very powerful, at other times it is quite sensual. In other words, it is pure magic in the glass. Burgundy fans will flock to the Musigny because of its rarity but there is a very real possibility that the Bonnes-Mares will outshine it over time. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2039. It is a fascinating to revisit Christophe Roumier’s 2009s from bottle. The lower-end wines are marked by the year to a significantly greater extent than the top wines. Importer: Diageo Chateau and Estate Wines Company, New York, NY; tel. (212) 419-1400
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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