Discreet wood frames the relatively high-toned aromas of various red berries along with a plentitude of floral and spice wisps along with a hint of fresh tobacco. There is outstanding power and mouth coating dry extract present on the broad-shouldered flavors that deliver superb depth and flat-out remarkable length. This beauty is however quite firmly structured so ample patience is strongly suggested.

Score: 95 Allen Meadow (AM), Bourghound (BH), January 2022

The 2019 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru has a rich and generous bouquet with blueberry and black cherry aromas, the most extravagant of Bruno Clair’s wines this year. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannins, very poised and focused with a mineral-driven finish that lingers in the mouth. Lovely strictness on the finish counterbalances the precocity on the nose.-

For the final time, I met Philippe Brun at the winery, as Brun is due to retire in the near future. It will be strange not seeing him flanking Bruno Clair next year. Marsannay’s ‘dynamic duo’ has produced some excellent visits in recent years. “We started the picking on 9 September,” Clair told me. “That was the Bonnes Mares because it was already very ripe. But the serious picking really began on 15 September. We finished on 24 and 25 September. The yields were half for the whites because of the dryness, for the reds it was 15-30% less than last year. Vines with deep roots that could penetrate the fissures performed best and did not show any stress. But overall, I am very pleased with the regularity of crop across the reds irrespective of vine age.” It was a wise decision to pick that Bonnes-Mares early because it may well turn out to be their star performer, closely followed by the Chambertin Clos-de-Bèze. Comparing them side-by-side, I might err for the 2018 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Saint-Jacques over the 2019, but we will see. Despite millerandage in the vineyard, the Gevrey-Chambertin Les Cazetiers displays superb mineralité. Though their 2019 Clos du Fonteny is very promising, the 2018 seemed out of sorts and I will endeavour to re-examine this. Overall, it was a superb set of 2019s from Bruno Clair that will age with style.

Score: 94-96 Neal Martin (NM), Vinous Media (VM), December 2020