Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 02/05/2011
The 2008 Bonnes Mares is totally classy and elegant. It shows gorgeous inner liqueur-like sweetness, expressive aromatics and a rich, textured finish that is a marvel to behold. The sheer depth, density and incisiveness of the fruit is fabulous. Expressive floral notes round out the finish. This is very much an understated Bonnes Mares from de Vogue. Anticipated maturity: 2023-2048.

A brilliant career as a wine writer awaits long-time oenologist Francois Millet should he ever tire of making wine. Millet’s visual descriptions of vintages and wines are among the most colorful I have ever encountered. The truth is that these wines need no words at all; the quality of what is in the glass speaks for itself far more eloquently than words ever could. De Vogue’s 2009s are remarkable for their textural richness, depth and pure breed. In 2009 Millet started picking on September 9 in order to keep as much as freshness as possible. The fruit was 100% destemmed. New oak ranged from 15% for the Chambolle villages to 35-40% for the Bonnes Mares and Musigny Vieilles Vignes. The malos were on the slow side and for the most part did not begin until April 2010. Unfortunately I was not able to taste the 2009 Chambolle-Musigny and Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru and as they were bottled just prior to my visit. I did have a chance to taste most of the 2008s. In many ways the 2008s offer better balance than the 2009s because the vintage characteristics play off the house style of textural richness, resulting in marvelous, totally complete wines. In 2008 the harvest began on September 27, quite a bit later than in 2009. A cool growing season was saved by perfect conditions that began on September 13 and continued through to the end of the harvest. ()

The 2008 Bonnes Mares is totally classy and elegant. It shows gorgeous inner liqueur-like sweetness, expressive aromatics and a rich, textured finish that is a marvel to behold. The sheer depth, density and incisiveness of the fruit is fabulous. Expressive floral notes round out the finish. This is very much an understated Bonnes Mares from de Vogüé.

A more deeply pitched nose of cool and reserved red and black cherry aromas that are quite fresh and pure and are laced more with warm earth than stone though both are present. The focused and detailed broad-shouldered flavors are blessed with ample dry extract that cuts a bit of the austerity on the linear, serious, mouth coating and hugely long finish. As is often the case, this is still quite primary and will need plenty of time to unwind. Tasted: Jan 01, 2011. Drink: 2023+
-Allen Meadows, burghound.com Issue 41

Deep red. Briary raspberry, blueberry, mocha and menthol on the nose, lifted by peppery spices; a real essence of this grand cru. Then creamier and larger-scaled than the Chambolle premier cru, with the sweet berry fruit flavors enlivened by the peppery component and savory soil tones on the back. This really tickles the taste buds on the broad, firmly tannic, very long finish.