Pungent incense, and herbal concentrates; ginger and cinnamon; kirsch and framboise distillates, along with their dark flesh-and-juice fresh counterparts, all practically assault the nose from Roumier''s 2006 Bonnes Mares. This saturates the palate with sweet ripeness and liqueur-like textural richness, while cherry pit, black pepper, and peat offer counterpoint. A savory carnal undertone adds another intriguing dimension. The concentration and resonance of spices, herbs and fruit in the finish is superb. Here is a Bonnes Mares much more complex and dynamic at this youthful stage than the majority. In fact, I can''t see that it would be a crime to drink some young, although it should age well for at least a dozen years.

David Schildknecht (Wine Advocate #186, Dec 2009)

Tasted at the IMW horizontal at Vintners Hall. The nose has less ebullience that I normally associate with Roumier’s Bonnes-Mares – this is much tighter and more controlled. It develops a lovely floral note, a touch of violets and peony, very pure red-berried fruit, less of the blueberry/boysenberry character. The palate is medium-bodied, very pure with tobacco tinged red fruits: raspberry, pomegranate, cranberry, but perhaps just lacking a little complexity on the finish that does not fan out like I would want it to. This may come with time. Playing safe, biding its time. Drink 2011-2020+ Tasted March 2009.

– eRobertParker.com, Jul 2009

A broad-based nose combines both upper and lower register fruit aromas, particularly blue berry as well as notes of violet, wet stone, anise, clove, earth and underbrush, most of which can also be found on the rich, full and very serious big-bodied and tautly muscular flavors supported by plenty of dry extract and superb length. As it usually is, this is a notably powerful wine and while it's bigger and weightier than the Amoureuses, it's naturally less fine and elegant. These two wines are qualitative equals in 2006 but their respective personalities are radically different.