Bonnes-Mares
The Bonnes-Mares are classified as a Grand Cru vineyard on the Côte d'Or in French Burgundy . The appellation Bonnes-Mares has existed since December 8, 1936. It covers 15.0572 hectares; 13.5417 hectares of this are in the commune of Chambolle-Musigny and 1.5155 hectares in Morey-Saint-Denis . Only red wine is produced .
Location, climate and soil
The Bonnes-Mares are located on a gently rising slope facing east-south-east at a height of 270 to 300 m above sea level. The Clos de Tart follows in the north, followed by vineyards classified as “Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru” to the south. The Route des Grands Crus runs immediately to the east. The Combe de Chambolle separates it from the other Grand Cru from Chambolle, Musigny , one kilometer away . The vineyard is very fragmented, with a total of 35 owners sharing the 105 plots. These are usually aligned across the slope. The largest owners are the Comte Georges de Vogüé domains (2,669 ha), Drouhin Laroze (1.7348 ha), Fougeray de Beauclair (1.60 ha) and Georges Roumier (1.4992 ha). The famous Maison Joseph Drouhin winery owns 0.23 hectares of vineyards in this location.
The climate is that of Burgundy - a transitional climate in which continental over maritime influences predominate. The mostly dry and hot summers allow the Pinot Noir to ripen, but great vintages are only created when there is no rain in autumn to impair the harvest. Due to the purely eastern location, the microclimate is relatively cool, but at the same time protected from late frosts.
The vineyard rests on a base rock from the Bathonium . The layer of soil above is thicker, loamy-chalky and reddish in color in the north. In the south the ground is less deep and stony. There it is more strongly characterized by white marl and the proportion of lime is higher.
Wine
The Bonnes-Mares is usually made exclusively from Pinot Noir . As more varieties are Pinot Liébault and Pinot Beurot admitted. Theoretically, up to 15% white grapes ( Chardonnay , Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc ) can be used. The natural alcohol content must be at least 11.5% by volume, chaptalization is allowed - as everywhere in Burgundy. The basic yield is 35 hectoliters per hectare, this may be exceeded by a maximum of 20%. From 2000 to 2004, an average of 495 hectoliters were produced, i.e. around 66,000 bottles. The yield was 33 hl / ha.
The wines of the Bonnes-Mares site are powerful and full-bodied with a strong tannin structure . In its youth, the Bonnes-Mares is correspondingly strict and closed, it needs longer cellar maturity in order to develop its aromatic potential. Its bouquet is then of great complexity, characterized by notes of cherries, violets, spices and forest floor.
Origin of name
The origin of the name "Bonnes Mares" is not clear. Jean-François Bazin refers in his book (see below) to two explanations: The old verb "marer" referred to the working of the vineyard. “Bonnes Mares” would therefore be carefully worked or easily workable vineyards. The other explanation derives the name from "bonnes mères" (good mothers or women) - an allusion to the Saint Bernard sisters (→ Cistercians ) of the Abbey of Tart, who owned the neighboring Clos de Tart until the French Revolution .
References
literature
- Jean-François Bazin: Chambertin. La Côte de Nuits de Dijon à Chambolle-Musigny . Jacques Legrand, Paris 1991, ISBN 2-905969-32-6
- Benoît France (ed.): Grand Atlas des Vignobles de France . Solar, Paris 2002, ISBN 2-263-03242-8