2011 Maison Lucien Le Moine Bonnes-Mares

Vinous Media (VM)

Bright, dark red. Pure but subdued nose offers red berries, brown spices, dried flowers, minerals and medicinal herbs. Quite backward on first pour, showing little in the way of easy sweetness, but time in the glass brought complex, soil-driven flavors of red fruits, flowers, spices and minerals. Finishes with terrific breadth and palate-dusting tannins. Boasts excellent density without weight and really shimmers on the whiplash of a finish, with notes of red licorice and menthol perfuming the aftertaste. Not an ounce of fat here. -- Stephen Tanzer