2020 Domaine Jean-Marc et Thomas Bouley Pommard 1er Cru Les Rugiens

I tend to prefer Bouley’s Fremiers to his Rugiens, but in this vintage, it appears to be the brilliant 2020 Pommard 1er Cru Les Rugiens Hauts that’s the king of the cellar. Unwinding in the glass with scents of blueberries and raspberries mingled with exotic spices, rose petals, bergamot and smoked tea, it’s full-bodied, satiny and seamless, with a deep, layered core, racy acids and a pure, seamless profile. This magical bottle recalls the depth and concentration without weight of the great Côte de Beaune reds of the inter[1]and post-War era, and it will be worth every effort to track down and cellar. Readers will note that its label now makes clear its origins in the upper part of Les Rugiens, where the soils are whiter and shallower than the rich red clays that characterize the lower, and historically more prestigious part, of this climat; and that always seems to translate to a more weightless, ethereal profile than the stereotype of muscularity and power associated with this cru might lead one to suggest. 98 points. William Kelley.