2005 Bonnes Mares Vieilles Vignes

There are three barrels of 2005 Bonnes Mares – an appellation new to Laurent – and the wine is notable for its ripeness, its lift and elegance, and its clarity for flavors. Vanilla and caramel-tinged black raspberry and strawberry mingle with smoked meat, brown spices, mineral salts on a creamy, rich palate. Yet there is an abundance of fresh berry tone as well, lending a juicy, invigorating cast. The finish offers ultra-refined, ethereal, almost endless sweet fruit in a Riesling-like call and response with ineffable mineral notes. The typical savageness of this site (as amply demonstrated by so many 2005 examples) has here been tamed and refined to a remarkable degree. One could enjoy this in its youth, it seems, although I am sure it will benefit from more than a decade’s aging. A Patrick Lesec Selection, Paris Fax 011 33 4 66 37 67 23; Martin Scott Wines, Ltd., Lake Success, NY Tel. (516) 327 0808

(entirely from vines on the Chambolle side of the appellation) Bright, deep ruby-red. Noble, sappy aromas of dark berries, spices, crushed stone and smoked meat; already offers compelling perfume. Then almost confectionery in its sweetness but with a sappy quality and firm minerality and piquant brown spices giving shape and energy to the wine's creamy fruit. Wonderfully harmonious from the outset. The impossibly dense and long finish simply does not flag or narrow. This got the 200% new oak treatment (Laurent's other top 2005 crus typically have received 50% to 100% new oak) but does not come across as woody.