Wine Advisor
Lucien Le Moine, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru 2005
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Deep red-ruby. Musky, deep nose offers black raspberry, blueberry and medicinal spices. Then chewy, deep and incredibly sweet on the palate, with a distinctly firm edge to its well-delineated flavors of black and blue fruits, tar and iron filings. Conveys a powerful impression of extract and finishes with substantial tannins. As sweet as this is, it calls for extended cellaring.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Red-ruby. Wild dark berries, smoked meat, mocha and wild herbs on the vibrant nose. Huge, lush and sweet, as deep as it is wide. Brooding earthy low notes are balanced by superb violet lift. A Bonnes-Mares of great palate-saturating persistence. A fabulous showing today, and built for a long life in bottle.
Reviewed by: David Schildknecht
Saouma makes no secret of the fact that his 2005 Bonnes Mares – and in fact that cru in general – is his personal favorite. The nose suggests concentrated confiture of red and black raspberries with salty, resinous and smoky accents – almost archetypal for this site, in fact. And like so many 2005s from this vineyard, the wine has a slightly gamey, tart, savage edge of fruit and mineral to it. Bitter black chocolate low tones and floral high notes add complexity. For sheer intensity, it is hard to beat this amazing performance – but for refinement, complexity or mystery, there are other Le Moine wines I would place ahead of it. Importer: Vintus, Pleasantville, NY; tel. (919) 769-3000
About the Producer
Domaine Lucien Le Moine is a small-scale, boutique winery based in Burgundy, France. It was established in 1999 by Mounir and Rotem Saouma, who named the estate after their son, Lucien. The winery is known for its meticulous approach to winemaking, focusing on producing limited quantities of high-quality wines. The philosophy behind Domaine Lucien Le Moine revolves around the concept of "micro-negotiant." Rather than owning their own vineyards, Mounir and Rotem carefully select grapes from trusted growers across various appellations in Burgundy. This allows them to have control over every aspect of the winemaking process, from vineyard management to the final bottling.The winery's production is extremely limited, with a focus on premier cru and grand cru vineyards.
