The 2008 Bonnes Mares is a huge, intense wine endowed with tons of fruit, but wrapped around a powerful, focused frame. The tannins are big, but also beautifully integrated. This towering Burgundy will require an extraordinary amount of patience before revealing its true pedigree, but it is clearly magnificent. Anticipated maturity: 2023-2048.

A background touch of wood spice surrounds red berry fruit, plum and floral notes that include violet and rose, animale and soil tones that continue on the earth-inflected, rich, sappy and moderately concentrated but gorgeously balanced flavors that possess real character and excellent power on the impressively long and youthfully austere finish. This has both style and personality but what really distinguishes it is how complete it is.