2022 Bouchard Pere et Fils, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru

Bouchard's valedictory 2022 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru is a brilliant wine in the making, wafting from the glass with aromas of raspberries and plums mingled with rose petals, violets and orange zest. Medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, it's elegantly muscular, with a cool core of fruit, polished tannins and a long, mineral finish.

The 2022 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru comes from the Chambolle side, though my sample only came from the red clay soils. The very opulent bouquet offers lashings of blueberry and cassis fruit laced with violets. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins framing quite concentrated black fruit. It is harmonious in texture with fine acidity; it just needs more complexity and nuance on the finish.

Cask sample. Mid crimson. Very stemmy/herbal on the nose. A little too much so, giving a lightish, chalky-textured wine. I like the influence of stems but not sure the balance is right here as it is pretty light in the middle. Maybe in 10 years I will be proved wrong. (JH)