Bright ruby-red. Cool, reserved aromas of blueberry, blackberry, wild herbs and baking spices. Extremely primary today, conveying a crushed raw fruit quality. Very intensely flavored and tightly wound, with a taut acid/tannin spine. This is built for extended aging.

The 2001 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru does not have the same charm as the 2000 Bonnes-Mares at this stage. A little more disjointed with scents of blackberry, black tea and rooibos and later a subtle mandarin note. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin and exerts a firm grip in the mouth, a common feature of Groffier’s wines in this era. There is just a little pepperiness towards the finish that, for me, just dries a little, hence my preference for the 2000 at the moment. Tasted at the Domaine.

Wine Advocate June, 2003

Light to medium-bodied, the 2001 Bonnes Mares sports a perfumed nose of blueberries, violets, and black cherries. It bursts on the palate, revealing outstanding fat and amplitude. Its spicy black fruit-laden character tightens in the finish, which kept this wine from earning a higher score. Drink it over the next 7 years.

The expressive nose this displayed from cask has been replaced by a reserved, brooding, backward one though it displays understated and fresh red and black fruit aromas framed by obvious toast notes and followed by harmonious, sappy, full-bodied, powerful flavors that are not especially precise but extremely long. The overall impression is a bit too supple to be a classic Bonnes Mares but it's very pretty all the same. Drink: 2007-13
-Allen Meadows, Burghound.com Issue 13. Tasted: Jan 01, 2004

Light and a bit lean for a grand cru.  (JR)