2013 Bonnes Mares, Grand Cru, Domaine de la Vougeraie, Burgundy

From vines by the Morey border, 50% of which were planted in 1902; 80% whole clusters.A background whisper of wood spice adds breadth to the aromas of exceptionally fresh and earthy red berries, rose petal, Asian-style tea and a hint of underbrush. There is excellent richness to the muscular yet relatively refined, intense and tautly muscular big-bodied flavours that are shaped by a firm but not really austere core of ripe tannins on the impressively well-balanced and highly persistent finale. Good stuff that should amply repay extended cellaring.Drink from 2025 onwardallen_meadows, burghound_com.com (January 2015)

Good medium red. Very ripe, soil-driven aromas of mocha, game, tobacco and cocoa powder. Strong red fruit and spice flavours emerge on the wonderfully dense, sweet palate, with an element of saline minerality providing another dimension. The wine's superb energy gives the highly concentrated fruit a bulletproof quality. Impressively dense and large-scaled for the year, finishing with substantial ripe tannins and excellent balance and length. Vincent's wines have been distinctly fresher and firmer since 2010 as he's now picking a bit earlier to avoid surmaturité.Winemaker Pierre Vincent finds the 2014s riper and fruitier than the 2013s, but noted that the '13s have very good phenolic maturity considering the fact that potential alcohol levels in the grapes were typically around 11.7% (he chaptalized an average of one degree). Vincent started harvesting on September 29, thus avoiding the most damaging October rains. I was more than satisfied with the 2013s I tasted in November.Drink 2024 - 2036Stephen Tanzer, Vinous.com.com (March 2016)

The 2013 Bonnes Mares Grand Cru is raised in the same fashion as the Charmes-Chambertin: 80% whole cluster with 50% new oak. It has a very suave bouquet with black cherries and raspberry notes underlain by cold wet limestone scents – in a way, a “well-behaved” Bonnes-Mares. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins, a little aloof at the moment, and without the exuberance of ambition of the Charmes-Chambertin. It will benefit from 5 or 6 years of ageing in bottle.Drink 2020 - 2030Neil Martin, Wine Advocate (December 2014)

Tasted blind at the Burgfest tasting in Beaune, the 2013 Bonnes Mares Grand Cru was missing some complexity on the nose compared to the Bonnes-Mares from Bruno Clair, with sweet red cherries and a touch of kirsch. Yet it needs to show more mineralit and terroir expression. The palate is medium-bodied with ripe red cherries and strawberry and showing quite a lot of structure towards the finish that grips the palate. I would just like more persistence to show through here. Tasted September 2016.Neil Martin - 29/11/2016