2013 Bonnes Mares Grand Cru Henri Boillot

The 2013 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru, from a single parcel on the Chambolle side, has a rather opaque bouquet at the moment: broody dark berry fruit interlaced with iodine and violets. The palate is medium-bodied with touches of mocha and dark chocolate on the entry. Here, the oak comes through quite strongly, and tends to obscure the terroir on the finish. See what this does after 4-5 years in bottle and to allow the oak to fully integrate.

(75% new oak; from small, healthy grapes unaffected by rot, according to Boillot, who added that the crop level here was a relatively healthy 25 hectoliters per hectare): Good deep red. Pristine, subtle nose combine scents of red cherry, white pepper, crushed stone, smoky minerals and underbrush. Fairly broad on entry, then sweet and savory in the middle, dispaying a spherical, utterly seamless texture. Red fruit flavors are lifted by wild herbs and white pepper. Not at all a powerful style of Bonnes-Mares, this classy wine finishes with serious but very refined tannins and lovely persistence. - Stephen Tanzer