Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru AOC 2023

Dark spice and graphite define this Grand Cru, which feels slender in build yet deep. The plots in Bonnes-Mares carry a broad tannic grain that supports the wine without weighing it down. Add to that the estate's signature: clear, juicy fruit, fine austerity, a taut saline line. Little show, plenty of provenance.

Domaine Bruno Clair is based in Marsannay-la-Côte and cultivates 27 hectares across eight villages of the Côte d'Or, yielding 32 appellations. 1.64 hectares of that lie in Bonnes-Mares, expanded with additional plots in 2006. The estate's roots go back to 1919, when Joseph Clair and Marguerite Daü combined their vineyards in Marsannay; in 1986, Bruno Clair founded his own estate with seven hectares. Cover cropping and avoiding herbicides have long been standard practice in the vineyards.

In the glass is a pure Pinot Noir, vinified dry at 13.0% ABV. Spontaneous fermentation is standard, extraction stays measured, and 20 to 50 percent whole clusters go into the fermentation vat. This is followed by 18 to 20 months in barrique, with the proportion of new oak ranging between 20 and 50 percent. Clarification happens over time: the wines rest long enough to be bottled without artificial fining.

Silky tannin, juicy fruit and a long mineral finish. The austerity stays fine, the finish saline and precise.

The 1.64 hectares in Bonnes-Mares rank among the Domaine's finest holdings. The sixth generation is now at work: Edouard since 2010 in the vineyard and vinification, Arthur since 2018 in cellar ageing, Margaux in shipping and logistics, with higher proportions of whole clusters and less sulphur. The 2023 is only just starting out and will gain complexity over the years.