2019 Domaine Arlaud, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru

The 2019 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru, despite a touch of reduction, is seriously complex on the nose with violet-tinged black and blue fruit that are amazingly intense at this early stage. The palate is medium-bodied with very succulent tannins that lend this Bonnes-Mares a velvety texture. The oak, all used, is perfectly integrated, an assiduous decision by Cyprien Arlaud there. It fans out gloriously towards the finish with layers to cassis and black cherry fruit and leaves with a dash of white pepper and bay leaf on the aftertaste. There is just the right amount of sapidity here. Arlaud commented that he is beginning to really understand the nuances of this vineyard. Proof of that is in the quality of this Bonnes-Mares.

Cask sample. Lightish cherry red. This is all subtlety like the Clos de la Roche. Light notes of red fruit and a little peppery. Intense freshness and an extreme lightness of touch but with lovely persistence. Again, don’t buy this if you want concentration, just subtle purity. (JH)