1997 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru

In recent years, Robert and Serge Groffier have been making some of Burgundy's most concentrated, perfumed, and richly detailed wines, thanks in large part to their strict control of yields. Yields here averaged under 28 hectoliters per hectare in 1997, and just 30 in '98. The '98s had been moved to cuves about three weeks prior to my visit and should be stunning. The '97s, meanwhile, are among the stars of that year: they have captured the great silky ripeness of the vintage while retaining aromatic vibrancy and precision of flavor. (A Peter Vezan selection; importers include Old Vine Imports, San Francisco, CA; Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY; Ideal Wines & Spirits, Medford, MA; and The Stacole Co., Boca Raton, FL)

Robert and Serge Groffier chilled the musts following the '97 harvest in order to do a week of pre-fermentation cold maceration, and then benefitted from long, slow malos, which did not end until early summer. Then, instead of racking, they left their wines on their lees without stirring until mid-October, injecting a bit of SO2 to reduce the risk of volatile acidity and to preserve color and freshness. As in recent years, I tasted these wines in November from stainless steel tanks, where they were awaiting early bottling. These amazingly sweet, silky wines, among the stars of the vintage, may in some instances match the Groffiers' extraordinary '96s, which were bottled without fining or filtration in December of '97 and January of '98. (A Peter Vezan selection; importers include Old Vine Imports, San Francisco, CA; Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY; Ideal Wines & Spirits, Medford, MA; and The Stacole Co., Boca Raton, FL)