2013 Bonnes Mares
By Domaine Jacques-Frederic Mugnier
2013 Bonnes Mares from Domaine Jacques-Frederic Mugnier, Burgundy, France
In the alluring pantheon of Burgundy reds, the 2013 Bonnes Mares from Domaine Jacques-Frederic Mugnier emerges with a narrative shaped by Nature's whims. This particular year offered challenges aplenty for vintners: a cool and wet spring leading to a summer graced with tempered warmth. Yet, it is in such trials that the meticulous care of Mugnier shines, having adeptly coaxed out a vintage that intrigues and endears itself to connoisseurs and investors alike.
A Vintage Heirloom Unearthed
Carving a distinction amidst the renowned pinots of Bonnes Mares, the 2013 yield basks in an unexpected virtue. The cooler vintage conditions imparted an ethereal elegance upon Domaine Jacques-Frederic Mugnier's output; less about opulence, more about intricacy. In your glass, this wine would pirouette rather than pounce, offering a tapestry woven with threads of tart cherries, freshly turned earth and an enchanting floral lift. An experienced palate might unearth subtleties – whispers of spices, a lingering minerality – as if the wine speaks in verses of its terroir-translated story.
An Investment Vintage Curiosity
Beneath investor scrutiny, the 2013 Bonnes Mares enthrals for another reason: its collectability. As a cooler year pulls away from the usual muscularity of warmer vintages, smart collectors recognise in its rank a potential for advantageous refinement -- a wine poised to flourish extraordinarily with continued cellaring. Therein lies its investment promise: rarity wedded to potential.
The orchestration of flavours and balance in the 2013 Bonnes Mares from Domaine Jacques-Frederic Mugnier speaks eloquently of the adept handling and precision that navigated the year's climatic caprices. Among peers of its age and region, it holds an individual space – one where the atypical freshness and focus compel exploration.
For enthusiasts delving into the nuanced realm of fine Burgundian wine, or investors seeking to add cultivated diversity to their portfolio, considering this distinctive vintage offers an engaging path less travelled. The 2013 Bonnes Mares, with each sip and each year in bottle, extends an invitation to witness the beautiful evolution of a chapter less ordinary in Burgundy's celebrated wine ledger.
Market price (CAD)
$20,970.00
12x75cl
Highest score
90
POP score
1260
Scores and tasting notes
The 2013 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru offers brambly red berry fruit on the nose, a light sea spray influence coming through (à la Fuées) with pleasing mineralité. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, tart red cherry fruit mixed with raspberry, a little earthiness towards the structured and linear finish that just needs to show a little more substance and sophistication. This is rather outplayed by both the Chambolle Amoureuses and Musigny Vieilles Vignes this year.
Neal Martin - The Wine Advocate, 28 January 2016