94/96

The 2023 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru is very succinct on the nose. It doesn't race out of the blocks but skulks around like a moody teen, biding its time before offering blackberry, raspberry and forest floor scents. It has fine delineation and I appreciate the restraint. The palate is medium-bodied with crunchy red fruit, lovely balance and poise, plenty of energy and a touch of black pepper toward the finish. What a beautiful Bonnes-Mares.

92/94

(from a .123 ha parcel of 80+ year old vines situated mostly in terres blanches; about 600 bottles are produced each year). A discreet application of oak frames the overtly spice aromas of poached plum, dark cherry and violet. The rich, solidly concentrated and weighty larger-bodied flavors are at once supple yet powerful with a taut muscularity, all wrapped in a wonderfully persistent and complex finale where the only nit is a touch of warmth. In the context of the 2023 vintage, this is a big wine and one that will need at least moderate patience. (