Sweet, almost candied nose, opulent fruit. Voluptuous and concentrated, with splendid fruit and peppery vigour, leading to a long oaky finish.

Lightly-cooked black raspberry, smoke, and dusty crushed stone mark the nose of Bouchard’s 2008 Bonnes Mares, which generates a surprisingly soft and rounded not to mention rich palate impression for its high acid vintage and typically feisty appellation. Licorice, vanilla, and notes of game well-up in a long, soothing, black raspberry sherbet-dominated but relatively low-energy finish. Prost thinks Bonnes Mares is especially susceptible to and, in this instance, still suffering from bottle shock. I would not want to bet against this flourishing for at least 12-15 years, but suspect that its personality is temporarily damped and perhaps even a bit distorted. Director-winemaker Philippe Prost made no attempt to minimize the challenges of 2008 and was careful to distinguish between its wind-borne concentration and genuinely ideal phenolic maturity (approached more nearly this year in white than red). He opined that the wide window afforded for relaxed picking despite the late calendar date was critical, since the levels of ripeness were so disparate from one site to another. That said, he showed me an outstanding collection of Pinots. Ironically, as he pointed out, ripeness was also disparate in one of the two earliest vintages on record, 2007, yet picking – while fitful – was anything but relaxed due to the pressure of rot. And here, too, Bouchard scored excellent successes. By means of, where necessary, “swapping lees” between barrels to inoculate stubborn lots, Prost says he was able to get all of his 2008s through malo-lactic conversion in timely fashion, which he considers especially important with Pinot. Bottling of the 2008 reds – with a few exceptions mentioned in my notes and due to have been bottled in April – took place in December and January, the same schedule adopted for their 2007s. I did not have an opportunity to taste nearly all of Bouchard’s vast collection from either vintage, and have in the text of my notes indicated a few from among their 2008s that I take to represent significant omissions. (I have not noted “Domaine” to distinguish those wines that are part of the Bouchard, except in cases where there is another otherwise eponymous wine.)Importer: Henriot, Inc, New York, NY; tel. (212) 605-6767

This has good weight, power and rich fruit. The impressive structure is everything here, forming a solid frame on which to build the ripe plum and fruit flavors. Obviously for aging, over the next 5–6 years and more. ——R.V.(7/1/2010)—— 95

A proper Bonnes-Mares, solidly rooted in its great terroir, very ripe but also densely structured. The wine builds up in layers, the flavors of chocolate, licorice and dark plum skins piling on top of each other. The acidity is there, but almost submerged in the richness and the ripe raspberry jam aftertaste.——R.V.(12/31/2008)—— 96

There are only four barrels of Bouchard’s 2005 Bonnes Mares. Brightly scented with tart, fresh black raspberry along with resin and sage pungency, this displays the almost savage intensity characteristic of its site, as well as slightly obstreperous tannins and a hint of heat in its brambly, concentrated finish. This high-toned, lean, persistent Pinot may calm down and fill out a bit over the next few months. It certainly seems capable of rewarding a decade or more of cellaring. Managing director Stephane Follin and cellar master Philippe Prost preside over a remarkable new, gravity-fed winemaking facility capable of handling the fruits of Bouchard’s 130 hectares of vines – Burgundy’s largest estate (with 84 hectares in premier and grand crus alone) – not to mention the enormous range of wine from purchased fruit or wines. Fully 40% of the reds are vinified in open-top fermenters with manual punch-downs (the balance in a battery of roto-fermentors) and the system of traffic control alone that must be in place during crush is hard to imagine. The underground acreage devoted to barriques similarly defies imagination – until one sees it. Prost was very cautious with pigeage this year, but incorporated a significant percentage of whole clusters with stems in many of his better lots. A reputation for improved quality is being built here to which the results of 2005 will certainly contribute. I suspect that a number of the wines I tasted had not recovered from their recent bottling, hence the number of “+?”s one sees displayed following my scores. (Wines from the Domaine are designated D on the list above.)Also recommended: 2005 Savigny-les-Beaune Les Lavieres D ($30.00; 86), 2005 Monthelie Les Duresses D ($35.00; 84), 2005 Monthelie Clos des Champs Fulliot D ($35.00; 85), 2005 Beaune 1er Cru “Beaune du Chateau” D ($45.00; 86+?), 2005 Beaune Marconnets ($35.00; 86+?), 2005 Volnay Taillepieds D ($55.00; 85+?), 2005 Pommard 1er Cru ($45.00; 84+?), 2005 Nuits-St.-Georges ($55.00; 85), 2005 Gevrey-Chambertin ($35.00; 86), 2005 Vosne-Romanee ($35.00; 85), 2005 Nuits-St.-Georges Les Porrets St.-Georges ($55.00; 86+?), 2005 Nuits-St.-Georges Les Damodes ($55.00; 86+?).Importer: Henriot, Inc, New York, NY