January 22, 2021 - Nose of oil; concentrated soft lean blueberry and licorice with mocha; long sweet finish.
April 25, 2020 - Leather; concentrated; blackberry; a bit tannic; long finish.
June 14, 2018 - {2 bottles opened at dinner at Troquet, not decanted; perfect fills. One corked broke, other fine} Delicious, ready to drink, very Bonnes Mares; very similar to bottle commented on in prior note Nov 2016. Savory dark fruits, complex, lots of earth and terroir, good length. Holding very well, good for another 5 years at least. Regret I only have one more bottle. Of all the Magnien 99s, I think this is my favorite (Charmes Chambertin, Clos St Denis, etc)
March 18, 2017 - Fruit getting slightly tertiary but still pretty big and syrupuy..maybe because of the vintage but structure not super evident. Don't think its built for the long haul, drink up now.
November 24, 2016 - {bought on release, 1st of 4 bottles, perfect fill etc. Cork fractured, should have used Durand; pop and pour, had with JEL and WB}. Lovely fruit compote nose, excellent size without being ponderous, elegant balance, black>red fruits clearly quite ripe, spice, touch of oak, still has some unresolved tannins, dry and long finish. Very Bonnes Mares. Would not have thought this 17 years old! No browning of rim, very fresh. Should have decanted it. 92 points is likely an underestimate of potential.
May 11, 2016 - Sweet and accessible now. Persistent tannins emerge towards the end, but are masked by the abundant fruit. Starts with plenty of barnyard nose but develops into earth, red fruits, and minerals. Delicious and complex wine, but more about power than elegance. Lots of Bonnes Mares soil. More classically styled than the 1999 Groffier Bonnes Mares tasted side by side. Good value for the price.
March 21, 2015 - Medium dark but beginning to warm around the rim. Moderate concentration and lingering exotic barnyard and spicy notes. Lovely nose. In 2002 this wine was dark and voluptuous. It's begun to thin a little but is still very nice and should last for a few years more.
July 17, 2014 - Surprised at how youthful this wine was. A powerfully delicious modern pinot, lots of oak and tannin still abound hard to penetrate but delicious and complex rich red fruits and clay lasting full mouth feel. I'd like to revisit this wine in a few more years. 92+