Bonnes Mares, Domaine Robert Groffier 2012

(vinified with about 33% whole clusters): Good deep red. Ineffable high-pitched aromas of crushed raspberry, cranberry, blood orange, menthol and spices. Dense and tactile but at the same time juicy and vibrant, showing excellent cut and saline complexity to its red fruit and menthol flavors. Notes of lavender, garrigue and mint contribute to the impression of inner-mouth lift. Some oak comes up with air and carries through a very long, spicy finish. Really superb fruit and perfectly judged use of stems here--and not at all heavily extracted. Nicolas Groffier noted that he's now privileging clarity over roundess for his Bonnes-Mares. 2025 - 2036

(vinified with 33% whole clusters; racked two days before my visit): Bright, dark red. Lively aromas of cherry, raspberry and musky brown spices. Fresher in the mouth today than the Bonnes-Mares, showing a juicy, sappy quality to its dense blueberry, menthol and earth flavors. This savory, lightly saline wine delivers lovely fruit ripeness with lift. Finishes with sweet tannins and piquant hints of herbs and pepper. Again, a rather thick style of Bonnes-Mares but shows very good spine and energy. The crop level here was 35 hectoliters per hectare, according to Nicolas Groffier.