"A wine with great breed. Bright, intense ruby-red colour. Complex aromas of Morello cherry ("griotte"), cherrywood, raspberry, and, in some years, a discreet touch of tobacco. As the wine ages, there are notes of truffle and musk. On the palate, a good balance between structure and texture. A remarkably long aftertaste".
Bonnes Mares, Joseph Drouhin, 2017
Grape Variety :
Pinot Noir.
Vineyard
Site: Bonnes-Mares is halfway between Chambertin and Musigny, and yet less well-known than either. The vineyard straddles two communes: Morey and Chambolle. The Drouhin parcel is located on the Chambolle side.
History & tradition: according to legend, a farmer discovered in his field a sculpture representing the three goddesses of fecundity whose name was "Bonnes Mères" ("Good Mothers"), hence the name "Bonnes Mares".
Soil: mild incline; light soil, mixed with chalky pebbles.
Drouhin estate: 0,23 ha. (0.575 acre).
Average age of the vines: 41 years.
Viticulture
Biological cultivation since 1990; biodynamic cultivation a few years later.
Vine stocks: "sélection massale" (propagation of new vine stocks from a number of selected vines) done at the Drouhin nursery; also clones of recognized quality.
Soil maintenance: compost of manure and white wood, sometimes guano (seabird manure used as fertilizer). Soil is ploughed either by tractor or by horse to manage spreading of weeds.
Treatment: only authorized products for biological cultivation are used: infusions and macerations of plant materials, sulfur and copper, powdered rock. Natural predators are not eliminated.