2021 Domaine Georges Roumier, Bonnes Mares Grand Cru

The 2021 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru is impressively concentrated and multidimensional, unwinding in the glass with a deep bouquet of cherries, raspberries, Indian spices, coniferous forest floor, violets and orange zest. Full-bodied, layered and textural, with a layered core of fruit, fine but abundant tannins and a long, saturating finish, it transcends stereotypes of this challenging vintage.

For reports and full tasting notes, go toTim Atkin MW's website.

The 2021 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru is missing a little delineation on the nose. Pretty brambly red fruit with a hint of bergamot and rose petal, but I would like a little more precision. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly drier tannins than its peers. The stems are out front in this wine so if you don't like the style this is not for you, though they will assimilate with bottle age. Personally, I find the pepperiness appealing even if there is a sense of rawness on the almost clinical finish. Classy but not a Bonnes-Mares predisposed to mass appeal. Tasted blind at the Burgfest tasting.

Cask sample. Mid ruby. Super nose, full of red and black fruits, spice and a whiff of oak for complexity. Early days, but this has the extra weight and depth of Bonnes Mares. Lovely wine. (MH)