Wine Advisor
Robert Groffier, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru 2016
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2016 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru has a well defined bouquet, maybe flirting with rusticity considering the vineyard in question, although focused with lovely woodland/autumn leaf aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, very well judged acidity, sweet and almost confit-like towards the finish with hints of apricot and honey-like notes infusing the vivacious red fruit. Gorgeous. Tasted blind at the 2016 Burgfest tasting.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2016 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru contains 100% whole cluster and is matured in one-third new oak. It has a really beautiful bouquet that you could easily mistake for Christophe Roumier’s: blackberry, blueberry, a hint of crushed violet and fine mineralité. The palate is medium-bodied with plenty of fine-grain tannin, the new oak perfectly sutured into the black and blue fruit with superb delineation and focus towards the silky smooth finish. This is one of the best 2016s Bonnes-Mares that I have tasted, if not the best.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
(100% vendange entier; one-third new oak; as with the Sentiers, the vines here are about 80 years of age): Bright medium-deep red. Distinctly darker on the nose than the Sentiers, offering very pure if subdued scents of blueberry, licorice, menthol, wild herbs and cocoa powder. Intensely flavored and a bit youthfully medicinal but not at all hard, with the stem-derived spice and pepper notes giving lift to the middle palate. Less sweet and pliant in the early going than the Sentiers, with its fleshiness suppressed, but the horizontal finish boasts excellent tannic spine and energy and a light touch. The cool impression of stems adds another element to the finish.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2016 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru contains 100% whole cluster and is matured in one-third new oak. It has a really beautiful bouquet that you could easily mistake for Christophe Roumier’s: blackberry, blueberry, a hint of crushed violet and fine mineralité. The palate is medium-bodied with plenty of fine-grain tannin, the new oak perfectly sutured into the black and blue fruit with superb delineation and focus towards the silky smooth finish. This is one of the best 2016s Bonnes-Mares that I have tasted, if not the best.
About the Producer
The Groffier family are among the best wine makers in the Côte de Nuits. Originally founded by Robert Groffier’s father, Jules in the 1950s, the domaine is now run by Robert’s grandson, Nicolas. The domaine consists of almost 8 ha of fine vineyards, including 1 ha of Bonnes Mares, almost 0.5 ha of Chambertin Clos de Bèze and a full 1 ha of Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses (the biggest single owner of this vineyard). The wine making technique is flexible and the proportion of stems to be retained is decided annually. nowadays, up to 20% of stems are retained, compared to 50% 20 years ago. The destemed grapes are transferred to stainless steel vats without crushing and cooled to 10-12 degrees so the natural yeast fermentation starts 4-5 days later – to allow further extraction of colour from the skins. Frequent short pigeages are done, and the temperature is allowed to rise up to 35 degrees – which retains even more colour to the liquid. After 17-20 days maceration, the temperature descends to 20-22 degrees and after pressing age in oak, the percentage of new one vary per cuvée and vintage – from none to the Bourgogne to up to 100% for the grand crus. The wines are only racked once, usually only a year after the vintage. The wines return to vat as the new vintage is put into barrel, so only one vintage is in barrel at any time. The wines are bottled without fining or filtration.
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