Roumier Bonnes Mares 1991

These bottles have been lying in the Alfavin cellar since they were transported from Domaine Roumier.

Vineyard and vineyard work 

Half of Domaine Georges Roumier's 1.39 h Bonnes Mares are in the much smaller lower part of the vineyard in Morey Saint Denis on clay soils coloured red by iron oxides, also known as Terres Rouges. The Terres Rouge produce powerful, full-bodied wines with good tannin structure. The Roumier Bonnes Mares varies from 270 to 310 m in altitude. The other half is in the higher section of the vineyard on limestone soil. It is called Terres Blanches because of the white limestone deposits. The wines from the Terres Blanches are fragrant, mineral and fine. Some of the vines were planted about 20 years ago, but the average age is 45 years. They are raised slightly higher as Guyot to have more leaf area for photosynthesis. To control yields, the canes are pruned back heavily and buds are removed in spring. On average, 30 hectolitres per hectare are harvested. To replace chemical weed control, Christophe ploughs the vineyards.

Winemaking

After picking on the sorting table, the grapes are 60 to 70 per cent destemmed and soak on the skins for a few days at low temperatures before fermentation begins spontaneously with natural yeasts. For the current vintages Christophe has reduced destemming even further. He uses pigeage to improve tannin extraction. However, he limits the temperatures to 30 degrees to avoid losing aromas. After pressing, the Bonnes Mares is aged for about 16 months in oak barrels, 40 per cent of which are renewed each year, the rest having two to eight years of age, and bottled without fining or filtering.

The vintage

1991 is a year of very low yields, with a classic structure due to the small berries, and slower development than the 1990, which is a little softer and more developed. The nose is complex with floral hints of dry rose petals, tobacco, autumn leaves and cedar wood and supported by black and red fruit aromas. On the palate, especially for the sometimes too firm 1991s, it has a silky, harmonious texture and intense fruit flavours that are underpinned by subtle ripe tones. When perfectly stroed like this bottle the wine is at its peak and still holds up, while warmer aged bottles have fruit that is beginning to dry out.