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IS 2005 THE PERFECT VINTAGE?
Robert Parker Jr.
The Wine Advocate
“There is a man going around taking names, and he decides who to free and who to blame, everybody won’t be treated all the same, when the man comes around.” Johnny Cash
This may be the shortest introduction I have ever written to a Bordeaux vintage report. Virtually everybody has already described the nearly ideal weather conditions, and the fact that Bordeaux has produced something very special in 2005. At present, comparisons with other vintages are cheap talk designed to inflate prices, especially comparisons of 2005 to 1949, 1959, 1982, and 1990. One thing I am sure of after twenty-eight years of tasting Bordeaux wines every March is that 2005 can not be compared to any previous vintage in my experience. Why?
One can safely generalize that many 2005 red Bordeaux possess (1) the highest tannin levels ever measured, (2) the highest dry extracts and concentration ever measured, (3) the highest natural alcohol levels ever measured, and, an anomaly, (4) surprisingly fresh, lively acid levels and reasonably modest pH’s. What does all this mean, and how did it happen?
The short answer is that the growing season was extraordinarily dry. It was also warm, but unlike most summers, scorching heat waves never occurred. Consequently, the vineyards, if slightly stressed from the drought-like conditions, were never brutalized by torrid heat. There was some rain in August. About an inch fell in Pomerol, St.-Emilion, and Graves on August 17th, and there was a light rainfall in the Médoc on August 25th. September was not quite as perfect as the pundits claimed, but it was close to ideal, and, by Bordeaux standards, very dry. Some showers arrived on September 8th, and heavier rain moved through the region on the 25th. Following that date there was a window of extraordinary weather that lasted until October 12th. Even after that date, the weather remained balmy and reasonably dry. All of this meant no one was in a hurry to harvest. The cool nights and warm days preserved unprecedented levels of acidity in the finest wines of the vintage, which are characterized by massive richness and structure.
During my March tasting trip, there were days when I had the same excitement/jubilation that I remember experiencing when I tasted the 1982s in March 1983. On several days tasting the northern Médocs, I was less enthusiastic and wondered if 2005 was even the equal of 2003 or 2000? Of course, this vintage is completely different in style from 1982, perhaps less so on the right bank, where so many incredibly sumptuous, ripe, intense, heady wines were produced. In the Médoc, 1982's weakness was the appellation of Margaux, which, ironically, is one of the greatest strengths of 2005. In fact, I have never tasted better Margauxs than the 2005s. Overall, 2005 is unquestionably a remarkable as well as consistent vintage. However, there are several sobering issues with some 2005s.
The incredibly high tannin levels, especially noticeable in the northern Médoc communes of St.-Julien, Pauillac, and St.-Estèphe, appear to be adequately balanced by massive concentration and fruit. That’s a good sign. But I remain convinced that the northern Médocs will shut down after bottling, and will require many years of cellaring until everything comes back into focus and harmony. While these wines will possess 30-50 years of longevity, they will not have the early appeal possessed by the 1982s and 1990s. Do not let anyone suggest that many of the renowned northern Médoc classified growths will be drinkable in the next decade, unless you are a masochist with an addiction for tannin. Moreover, I prefer numerous 2003 northern Médocs over their 2005 counterparts. And of course, let’s not forget the brilliance of 2000 in the northern Médoc, or for that matter, 1996. Elsewhere, the sweetness of the tannins counterbalanced by the fruit’s extraordinary opulence and richness will make the wines more accessible, and their evolution should follow a faster timetable than the northern Médocs. In short, for Margaux, Graves, Pomerol, and St.-Emilion, this is a singular vintage of compelling greatness. Moreover, most of these wines will also possess 25-30 years of longevity.
It is no easy task to give readers a point of reference for this vintage. To reiterate, I have never tasted so many extraordinarily rich, concentrated, massive wines so high in tannin and extract, yet with such precision, definition, and freshness. It is clearly a singular vintage that should evolve into one of the great vintages of Bordeaux. However, it seems premature and risky to conclude so soon that the finest wines of 2005 are superior to the best of 2003, especially the northern Médocs, or the best wines of 2000, 1998 (for Pomerol and St.-Emilion), 1990, or the most profound 1989s and 1982s. Only time will prove the true quality of 2005, but it is beginning life as an extraordinary, as well as remarkably consistent, vintage. If there is any year even remotely similar, it is 2000 because of the overall consistency, the high number of superb offerings, and the fact that there are so many good minor wines. My instincts suggest the greatest 2005s of Pomerol, St.-Emilion, Graves, and Margaux are marginally superior to 2000, yet I remain cautious about the northern Médocs, which should turn out beautifully, but require enormous patience and be very long lived.
Astonishingly, 2005 is also a terrific vintage for Bordeaux’s dry whites. They are powerful, with good acidity as well as superb concentration and depth. Additionally, from my limited tastings of the Barsac/Sauternes, it appears those regions have enjoyed another extraordinary vintage. The wines I tasted were not far off the magical 2001s.
Given the unprecedented degree of hype surrounding 2005, everyone is concerned about prices. It is safe to assume that the first growths, super-seconds, and a few other limited production cuvées that are in great demand will be priced in the stratosphere, yet as Bordeaux history has demonstrated, those prices will appear inexpensive 10-20 years from now. However, there is so much good wine in 2005, even from less than prestigious châteaux that are not exactly the darlings of speculators, that there will be an ocean of very high quality wine available at reasonable prices. As long as readers/consumers do not chase the points or labels, they will have plenty of impeccably high quality wine to drink from this vintage. Readers should not forget that an acclaimed vintage such as 2005, especially one receiving the kind of attention we have seen, creates fabulous buying opportunities from other vintages that must be displaced by the wine trade to raise sufficient funds to pay for the 2005s. In fact, there has never been a better time to buy Bordeaux with the 2004s getting ready to be bottled, the 2003s, and plenty of 2002s and 2001s remaining in the marketplace. Despite the doom and gloom cynics who would like to see Bordeaux prices return to those of the late sixties, the world has changed, and Bordeaux remains the most cherished and respected wine in the world for longevity and elegance. This is not the worst of all times to buy Bordeaux, but quite the contrary it is the best of times to be purchasing Bordeaux and to be a wine lover.
I tasted the wines between March 16 - 26. With the exception of the first growths and a handful of others, most were tasted 2, 3, sometimes 4 separate times. I should point out that malolactics for some of the St.-Emilions were relatively late, and some of those wines were just at the end of their malolactic fermentations. Given how well they performed, that is a positive sign since I would expect the wines to flesh out even more after the completion of their malolactic fermentations. None of my tastings were done blind.
Robert Parker Jr.
THE VIEW FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE POND!
Bordeaux 2005 – An overview of what made it great
Jancis Robinson
Most years I find tasting hundreds of young primeur samples of Bordeaux each spring intellectually fascinating but physically exhausting. This year, even after tasting over 700 samples of often still-fermenting red and white Bordeaux barely six months old, I felt great. Why? Because most years the palate is assaulted by a succession of wines which have an excess of something: alcohol in 2003, tannin in 2004, acidity in 2001. But although the 2005s have a lot of everything (and certainly no shortage of alcohol or tannin), all the elements are in the right proportion. During my intense seven days of tasting in Bordeaux last week the palate and teeth weren’t constantly adjusting for too much of any one ingredient. And, with some notable exceptions, there are more very good to great wines than I can remember in any other vintage.
In 2005 Nature did everything right and put not a foot wrong so that decent quantities of beautifully healthy grapes were delivered to practically every cellar. Jacques Thienpont of Le Pin called it ‘the deckchair vintage’, a reference to where he spent most of August instead of hovering anxiously over his precious Merlot vines in Pomerol.
Christian Moueix, who manages Ch Pétrus and a host of other châteaux almost as famous in St-Emilion and Pomerol on the so-called right bank, describes the vintage as “effortless” and claims that “it was clear by spring 2005 we were heading for a great vintage”.
While the 2003 harvest was marked by extreme heat, the key characteristic of the 2005 vintage was how exceptionally dry the growing season was – the driest since 1949 for the period between budding and harvest. Ch Cheval Blanc in St-Emilion registered a water deficit of 41 per cent in the nine months leading up to the harvest while on the left bank Ch Palmer in Margaux had 57 per cent less rain than usual. While there was no shortage of useful showers in April and rainfall was about average in June, every other month was much, much drier than usual – particularly in August so that by then the vines seemed to have accustomed themselves to this particularly dry season, and by the beginning of August every ounce of energy and ray of sunlight (7.5 per cent more sunshine than usual from May to Sep) went into ripening the grapes rather than being squandered on growing leaves and shoots.
South-west France’s continued drought had two more benign effects for lovers of Bordeaux. The grapes remained unusually free of the fungal diseases which vines habitually suffer in humid weather. The lack of rain also, crucially, meant that the grapes were very small and unusually low in juice. It was the thickness of the skins, in which all flavour-, colour- and tannin-producing compounds reside, which were responsible for the 2005s’ quite exceptional charge of these vital elements. The most striking feature of the 2005 analyses in comparison with other years is the average weight of 100 Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, far lower than in any other year this century, whereas sugar levels were pretty similar to those of 2000 and 2003.
While the flavours of the 2003 heatwave vintage were exotic and sometimes overblown and roasted, those of 2005s are delightfully refreshing and precise. This is partly because temperatures in 2005, unlike 2003, were not exceptionally high – in fact they were below average in that very dry August, but another vital difference was in night-time temperatures. In the summer of 2005 nights were relatively cool, which helped to keep the grapes ripening gently and steadily rather than stopping photosynthesis altogether as in 2003, and helped to develop the gradual accumulation of all the important phenolic compounds in the grape skins that were lacking in the less successful 2003s.
If vintage 2005 had any drawback at all, anything to stir Jacques Thienpont out of his deckchair, it was the ripening of the Merlots. Merlot, the dominant grape variety on the right bank, always ripens much earlier than the naturally late-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon which predominates in the Médoc and Graves on the left bank. Because of this, Merlots were much more heavily influenced by the warm weather in early Sep which saw acids plummet in Merlot to levels practically unknown except in 2003. Although the dry weather persisted, temperatures were much more moderate in late Sep and early Oct, leaving the Cabernets to continue their gentle ripening on the vine so that average acid and sugar levels in the Cabernets were very respectable – provided crop levels were limited and full ripeness achieved.
All of this meant that the date of picking for Merlot was particularly critical. When asked whether 2005 was a vintage made by terroir or winemaking, Frédéric Engerer, responsible for arguably Pauillac’s most highly-rated first growth this year Ch Latour, insisted that picking dates also made a huge difference. It is notable that at Ch Latour they picked their Merlots almost a week earlier than most of their peers in the Médoc, between 16 and 21 Sep, and then waited to pick fully ripe Cabernet Sauvignon from 26 Sep and 6 Oct. It was much more common in the Médoc to keep the Merlot on the vine until 22 Sep or thereabouts and the result is that some Merlots got just too ripe and had to be consigned to the second wine rather than the grand vin. At both Ch Margaux and Ch Léoville Las Cases, for example, there is more alcohol and markedly less freshness in the second wine than usual.
On the right bank too, there was considerable variation in picking dates. Christian Moueix started picking famously early, on 7 Sep, and has made his most distinctive set of wines ever - “we haven’t had such purity of fruit since 1998”- although because the fine weather persisted for so long, the Moueix team was able to spread out the harvest until 27 Sep deciding on exactly when each plot had reached optimum ripeness. The Guinaudeaus at Ch Lafleur followed on 9 Sep and found both Merlot and Cabernet Franc grapes interesting and complimentary, whereas their Pomerol neighbour Alexandre Thienpont at Vieux Château Certan picked slightly later and favoured his Merlot in 2005, making a particularly eloquent tribute to it.
Within sight of here but just across the boundary in St-Emilion, Pierre Lurton at Ch Cheval Blanc, another 2005 over-achiever, said, “the solution for me was early picking for Merlot which needed freshness in 2005, especially on the early-ripening soil here.” Many of those who picked late found the musts just so high in sugar that they were difficult to ferment fully. Jean-Philippe Delmas at Ch Haut-Brion, which made arguably the single most successful range of wines of 2005, reports that, unusually, they used a specially powerful yeast developed at Davis in California expressly for dealing with high sugars. And no-one quite understands why the second, malolactic fermentations were quite so long and late, some of them incomplete even by last week.
But the great thing about the successful 2005s is their purity. They have power but they also have refreshment value. They have keeping potential, as witness the high levels of tannins in virtually all the wines, but in the best those tannins are fully ripe, beautifully managed and so well hidden by ripe fruit that the wines are already delicious. One would like to call the wines classic claret, but Bordeaux has surely never known a vintage quite like this. The Bordelais may be famous for touting their latest crop as ‘the vintage of the century’ every few years but, as Jean-Luc Thunevin, the impish creator of the archetypal garage wine Ch Valandraud explains about 2005, “in Bordeaux we say, ‘this year it’s true’ ”.
I found hundreds of wines to recommend and don’t feel that Frédéric Engerer was too close to hyperbole when he said “I think now we should retire; we can’t do anything better than this”.
But I also encountered too many wines that were spoilt by winemakers who could not accept that Nature had given them perfection and were vainly determined to improve upon it. More detail on all this and my favourite wines next week.
Jancis Robinson
DECANTER MAGAZINE
Two things stood out during the 2005 en primeur tastings. The first was the absolutely outstanding quality of the wines right across the board and the second was no talk whatsoever of price. The concentration, the precision, the freshness, the exuberance, the harmony, even the perfection of what we were tasting meant that commercial questions were left to another day. At Chateau Margaux, Paul Pontallier described his 2005 as 'a wine that until now we have only dreamt of achieving', while Pontet-Canet's Alfred Tesseron summed up 2005 as 'the best Bordeaux vintage ever'. On the right bank, Pierre Lurton at Cheval Blanc used just one word: 'exceptional'.
Already 2000 and 2003 are suffering in comparison, for they were not perfect, despite the hype. 1990, 1989 and 1982 were mentioned, but 1961 and 1949 came nearer, yet the quality of vineyard management and winemaking in those days was nothing like it is today. Nature and man appear to have created something truly wonderful.
Here was a vintage winemakers felt they didn't need to 'make' and as long as it was kept on the rails technically, intervention was unnecessary. Alcohols and tannins were at record levels, but acidity remained fresh, Chateau Palmer pointing out that 'it wasn't in the numbers, but in the balance'. On the sorting tables very little needed to be eliminated; in the cellar there was no saignée and no artificial concentration. Everything remained as nature had provided. The 2005s are not to be missed.
Steven Spurrier
BORDEAUX 2005: BARGAINS AND VAST MARK-UPS
Adam Lechmere in Bordeaux
Prices for top Bordeaux 2005 look set to go through the roof, though most proprietors and chateaux directors refuse to be drawn on the subject of price.
While it is impossible to get a definitive answer, what is certain is that the high quality of the vintage across Bordeaux is going to throw up some bargains. If the price tags of the top growths are stratospheric, lower down the scale there are going to be excellent wines reasonably priced.
It is likely, however, that the top dozen properties are going to be beyond the reach of ordinary mortals. It might even be that decanter.com's original estimate of 300% mark-ups on last year is not beyond the bounds of possibility.
'I agree with that estimate,' said Jean-Guillaume Prats of Cos d'Estournel. 'I can see the first growths going to the consumer for €350-500 a bottle. We may see a situation where two bottles of first growths are selling for the equivalent of 900 litres of Bordeaux bulk wine.'
At this time of year, such a bold statement is rare from someone in Prats' position. Many professionals here decry such straight talk as irresponsible.
But what is also certain is that the top dozen properties will be able to ask almost any price for their wines in certain markets.
One prominent Bordeaux negociant told decanter.com that since early in the year he had been approached by brokers – primarily from Asia – offering 'literally any price he cared to mention' for top properties.
BORDEAUX 2005: STATS ARE ALL THAT'S LEFT
Adam Lechmere in Bordeaux
It's a numbers game in Bordeaux this week – the producers have run out of superlatives and are turning to statistics to get their point across.
The world's wine hacks are inundated with figures and indices – measures of sugar and alcohol, tannin and acid. Ancient cellarmen's memories are invoked to give credence to the claim that this is the best vintage in living memory.
Paul Pontallier at Margaux first described the gossamer airiness of his wines, and then turned to the IPT tannin index. Quantity of tannins is measured on the total polyphenol index (IPT). 'In 2000 it was 70, in 2003 it was 73. This year it is 78. Just to put that in perspective, in 1982 it was between 62 and 63.'
Pontallier said the Merlot alcohol levels were the highest that had been seen in 100 years – 'it went up to levels unheard of.' However he made clear that the higher-alcohol Merlot was only used for the second wine, Pavillon Rouge.
Margaux itself is a powerful, though balanced wine. It was 'no special effort,' he said, 'to make the biggest, most concentrated wine. It is even more concentrated than the 2003.' Steven Spurrier said, 'It is wonderful, seductive. It is final proof of an appellation of distinction.'
Pontallier was also at pains to point out there are limits to alcohol levels. For the Margaux terroir, there would never be a truly great wine at 13.5% or above. 'For me, high alcohol is a real enemy of fine wine.' With the spectre of global warming in mind he added, 'Ideally nature will stop here.'
At Chateau Teyssier in St Emilion, Jonathan Maltus was picking Merlot at 15.5% alcohol – two degrees higher than normal, and Philippe Blanc at Chateau Beychevelle said, 'the Merlot has never reached levels as high as this. Many batches were coming in at 14.2 or 14.3.' The normal level is 13.5 degrees.
If sugar and alcohol are high, tannin measurements are equally unusual. Mouton-Rothschild's director Herve Berland said various parcels had 'enormous' IPT of 'more than 100'.
Berland stressed that IPT measures quantity not quality. This year of course, as in everything, quality is excellent. 'The tannins are ripe, well put-together, and clear.'
There are properties at which the levels of acidity, tannin and alcohol are high but not astronomical. At Pichon Lalande, technical manager Thomas Do-Chi-Nam recognised 'quite high acidity' but made clear that 2005 is actually bringing the levels back to normal. 'In previous years – especially 2003 – acidity has been too low.'
What every producer is hoping for, as always, is balance, and it seems this year that the elements have come together to create this equilibrium. The wines are not big in the sense of over-extracted – successive critics across the region attest to this – but they are 'voluptuous, and silky' as Jean-Guillaume Prats described his Cos d'Estournel.
This is true of wines in all regions of the left bank, from St Estephe to the Graves and Sauternes. But many critics are sounding notes of caution when it comes to the right bank.
One tasting in particular, the new grouping of the Cercle du Rive Droit – some 120 wines primarily from St Emilion, Pomerol and satellites – has come as a relative disappointment. Tasters consider some the wines not up to the general standard – 'some are overextracted, overly oaked, even showing some green notes,' one prominent critic said.
Additional reporting by Panos Kakaviatos
EN PRIMEUR PINK AND PRONOUNCED 'PERFECT'
Adam Lechmere in Bordeaux
Chateau d'Yquem was decked out in shimmering pink for the start of one of the most hotly anticipated En Primeur campaigns for years, or decades – or centuries, if the excited buzz is anything to go by.
This year in the fabled Sauternes chateau, it was all very un-Bordeaux, with the entire courtyard lit up in pink, pink orchids hanging from the austere iron columns of the chai, and pink tablecloths offset by black chair covers and racy black napkins. The catering staff completed the effect with pink neckcloths.
The party, thrown for the international press, traditionally opens the week of Bordeaux barrel tastings.
Yquem's director Pierre Lurton opened the dinner by congratulating the assembled hacks. 'Last year there were 92 – this year you are 115. Every year the tastings attract a larger audience.' This year, he implied, would be worth it 'like no other'.
To add to the impression that Bordeaux has suddenly gone Las Vegas, there was an American film crew – cameramen, presenter, and several gorgeous assistants with perfect teeth – there to make a documentary about 'the passion for wine' as producer Mark Garrison put it.
Slated for 'a major national network', this is going to go coast to coast and will be a series. Garrison has celebrities in his sights: Kevin Bacon and Al Jarreau – both allegedly wine fans – are on his hit list.
The TV people were mobbed. Garrison didn't need to cast his net wide to catch first of all Hubert de Bouard of Chateau Angelus, eminent consultant Denis Dubordieu, and any number of other Bordeaux stars.
As to the wine, the international press has tasted so far parts of St Emilion and most of Sauternes, and pronounced it extraordinary.
Decanter's veteran critic Steven Spurrier told decanter.com he thought 25 words far too long for the tasting notes. 'It's going to be boring – they are all going to be the same thing because the wines are all perfect.'
The right bank wines he has tasted so far, he says, are fresh, lean and tannic – and uniformly good. The Sauternes is 'pure – the botrytis is absolutely clean, with no hint of any other kind of rot in the wines.'
The proprietors are also upbeat. They are optimistic every year of course, but this year, as with everything else about 2005, there is no defensiveness.
Veronique Sanders of Haut-Bailly, for example, said even the weakest parcels on the property had turned in the highest-quality fruit. So blending was interesting: 'Normally you build up the blend, but this year it's been a question not of what you put in, but deciding what you are going to leave out.'
Paul Pontallier of Margaux said, 'This is a dream vintage.' The alcohol and tannin levels in the merlot and cabernet are the highest since they started keeping records in the early 1900s. But the depth of fruit is such that the tannin and oak is absorbed, leaving the wine 'ethereal', perfumed and with an intensity that caused Pontallier to be 'slightly moved,' as he put it.
At Chateau Palmer the maitre de chais, who is in his 80s, compared the vintage in greatness to the legendary 1945.
There are notes of dissent, however. Some tasters consider that Sauternes, for example, while uniformly good is not perhaps 'great' as they had expected. Even so, it's difficult to find anyone who can speak of the red wines with anything but hyperbole.
Of course, it must be remembered that while the classed growths of Bordeaux are confident that with the greatest vintage for decades they can sell their wine many times over, vast swathes of the region have been in economic crisis for over two years. In parts of Bordeaux, banks are threatening to foreclose on many properties and across the region other, even quite respectable, properties are up for sale, their owners unable to sell their wine.
Adam Lechmere in Bordeaux
BORDEAUX 2005 LIKELY TO 'ZOOM UP'
Adam Lechmere
Prices of the 2005 Bordeaux vintage are likely to be stratospheric – in some cases 300% up on last year – experts reckon.
The quality of the vintage is considered so extraordinary that excitement reached fever pitch almost before the grapes were off the vines. Some proprietors say they are already getting faxes and emails from merchants pledging more than the asking price for a good allocation.
Consultant Denis Dubourdieu told decanter.com that 2005 is better than any vintage he had seen since he came to Bordeaux in 1972, surpassing such legendary years as 1982 and 2000, a sentiment that has been echoed across the region.
Last week Berry Brothers sales director Simon Staples raised hackles by announcing he was 'speechless' after tasting the 'incredibly decadant' 2005, with its 'lashings of fruit and lots of soft tannins.'
He awarded Cos d'Estournel 19/20 points a full six weeks before the en primeur barrel tastings start on 3 April, and namechecked Trotte Vieille and Batailley, giving them 17 points each.
The London trade has reacted with annoyance to this breaking of the convention that merchants avoid discussing the vintage before en primeur. One senior commentator said it was 'ridiculous' to score the wines so early, and Jancis Robinson said many would wish Staples had kept to his initial promise of speechlessness.
The chief objection to breaking ranks is the effect it may have on prices. Sam Gleave of Bordeaux Index said, 'I see no benefit to the consumer. It simply gives a blank cheque to the owners.'
Many however argue that Bordeaux can hardly be unaware it is sitting on a winner.
'It is arguably a legendary vintage,' Laurent Ehrmann of negociants Barrieres Freres said. He stopped short of agreeing a 300% increase was possible but said the first growths might well release a first tranche at 100% above the 2004 price, with possibly a similar increase on subsequent tranches.
'But there will inevitably be a cooling off period,' he cautioned.
'Prices will be high,' Gleave said. 'Some will be sensible and value the wine according to status, but others will go for a big raise. Somewhere like Montrose could go up 300% and get away with it. And if Ducru Beaucaillou went up that much on 2004 it would not be unusual.'
On jancisrobinson.com, Robinson says she 'fears the worst', with the top tier 'drawing away from the pack' and being priced only for the 'super rich.' Further down the hierarchy she also fears the 'soft underbelly of the left bank classed growths' may go for 'robust prices.'
As for the chateaux themselves, few will comment before their wines are released. One proprietor, Anthony Barton of Chateau Leoville-Barton, who prices 'for consumers' rather than investors, put out a general plea for calm.
'The market will go crazy, there's no doubt of that, and prices will zoom up because in the US in particular they will pay any price. I just hope people will be sensible.'
2005 BORDEAUX FIRST GROWTHS
Steven Spurrier & James Lawther MW
Chateau Haut-Brion, 1er Cru Classe Graves, Pessac-Leognan 2005
5 Stars
A magical wine that just has it all. Elegant bouquet of dark fruits with a note of violet and added pinch of complexity. Beautifully textured palate of layered fruit and fine, silky tannins. Great depth and wonderful freshness and balance. Drink 2015-2040. (19.5 points)
Chateau Margaux, 1er Cru Classe, Margaux 2005
5 Stars
Marvellously dense colour, double the concentration of flavour compared to Pavillon Rouge, marvellously lifted, extraordinary depth and poise, remarkable purity and density of expression. Drink 2015-60. (20 points)
Chateau Lafite Rothschild, 1er Cru Classe, Pauillac 2005
5 Stars
Black velvety red, colour sticking to the glass, superb fragrance and intensity, concentrated ripeness, immense depth but overall an impression of fragrance and elegance, a perfect wine. Drink 2015-50. (20 points)
Chateau Latour, 1er Cru Classe, Pauillac 2005
5 Stars
Black-red, big and spicy, almost New World ripeness, but none of the New World fat, all in length and balance, chalky tannins, firm and understated on the palate, a sense of 'hidden fruit', a wine of great beauty, the most modern, the most seductive Latour ever, while totally reflecting its terroir. Drink 2015-50. (20 points)
Chateau Mouton Rothschild, 1er Cru Classe, Pauillac 2005
5 Stars
Black-red colour, exotic spicy aromas, black chocolate and coffee bean, explosive fruit, lush and very seductive but packs power as well, very sophisticated and exciting wine, classic Mouton. Drink 2015-45. (19 points)
Sauternes
As with the rest of Bordeaux, the drought was the outstanding feature of the summer. 2005 was the second driest year since 1897, just after 1906 and just ahead of 1989, both great Sauternes vintages. As for temperatures, between June and October, it ranks as the fifth hottest vintage in 110 years, after 2003, 1949, 1921 and 1899, but ahead of 1906 and 1947 - all of them great years for Sauternes. But to start botrytis, you need moisture, and between the 8th and 12th September about 30mm of rain fell, more than for the entire months of August, July or May. This was followed by perfect anti-cyclonal conditions, with the classic morning fogs and afternoon sunshine. All the producers emphasise the purity of the botrytis and the resulting must. 'We can’t remember having such a pure first 'trie' even in 2001,' said Berenice Lurton at Climens. In terms of power and elegance, the vintage is closer to 2001 than it is to the ultra-powerful 2003s. Eventually, it may even take its place alongside 1989 and 1947 at the very summit of what Sauternes can produce. The wines are very rich, though less so than 2003, and lower pH gives them great freshness and hence balance and complexity.
David Peppercorn MW
Chateau d'Yquem, 1er Cru Superieur, Sauternes 2005
5 Stars
Once again, first among firsts. The bouquet highlights the great concentration and sheer beauty and purity of the fruit. The wine has enormous length and opulence with exceptional succulence. Tropical, (especially pineapple) fruit aromas and flavours. All this enlivened with a lovely freshness - simply 'hors classe'.
Chateau Lafaurie-Peyraguey, 1er Cru Classe, Sauternes 2005
5 Stars
A return to top form for this great cru. The nose is very perfumed and unctuous. The wine has great richness and beautiful concentration; not quite finished but the potential shines through.
Chateau de Fargues, Sauternes 2005
5 Stars
Not for the first time is it clear that this unclassified cru can make wines of 1er cru classé quality. The nose shows marvellously heady opulence and richness, also complex fruit aromas of real beauty. The flavour simply goes on and on, with great complexity, richness and breed.
Chateau de Rayne Vigneau, 1er Cru Classe, Sauternes 2005
5 Stars
It is a pleasure to record that this famous old cru has really reclaimed its position after several years of steady progress. The fruit is both intense and very scented may blossom on the nose. The wine is particularly complex with lovely vinosity and concentration; great purity of fruit and finesse %u2013 a great Sauternes.
Chateau la Tour Blanche, 1er Cru Classe, Sauternes 2005
5 Stars
For this cru, placed at the very top of the Premiers Crus Classés in 1855, the return to top form started in 1988, 1989 and 1990 but has sometimes faltered since. This is back to the very best. The nose has beautiful fruit concentration and elegance; the flavour is wonderfully succulent and long. A wine of real complexity and finesse.
Chateau Suduiraut, 1er Cru Classe, Sauternes 2005
5 Stars
The improvement here continues unabated. The nose shows a terrific perfume and unctuousness plus great breed. The wine has great concentration and opulent fruit - a glorious wine with a wonderfully honeyed finish.
Chateau Rieussec, 1er Cru Classe, Sauternes 2005
5 Stars
Chateau Rieussec has been among the very top wines for several years now, and this is one of the best. The nose has a lovely perfume with intensity, freshness and beauty. The wine has a terrific finish; concentration with a light touch because of the freshness, finesse, a lovely vinosity and perfect balance.
Chateau Climens, 1er Cru Classe, Barsac 2005
4.5 Stars
A five-star wine in the making. The final 'assemblage' was not made, so one could only taste elements of the wine. But even from this, the exceptional quality was clear. The total crop was 24 hl/ha; nearly twice the average for 1995-2004. This is indicative of the exceptional conditions in the vineyard throughout the harvesting. My notes keep retuning to words like intensity and freshness of the perfume, citrus/pineapple aroma, enormous, rich flavours with long, lingering freshness, finesse and sweetness and acidity balance.
Chateau La Clotte Cazalis, Sauternes 2005
4.5 Stars
The second of the two wines tasted after the Union des Grands Crus tasting. It has belonged to the Lacoste family since 1779 and after 40 years 'en fermage' has been reclaimed by the family. The first vintage was 2001 and a mother and daughter, Bernadette and Marie-Pierre, are responsible. There are only five hectares with 95% Sèmillon. The wine has great purity of fruit and concentration, quite superb. Well worth seeking out.
Chateau de Myrat, Cru Classe, Sauternes 2005
4.5 Stars
Every year now, this cru gains in stature. The nose has good concentration and scented freshness. The flavour emphasises the lovely, ripe fruit flavours, length and finish. The breed of a classic Barsac.
Chateau Cantegril, Barsac 2005
4.5 Stars
After the Union des Grands Crus tasting, I tasted two unclassified wines which I felt to be four-star quality - and which are likely to represent exceptional value. The first, Chateau Cantegril, comes from Denis Dubourdieu, so no great surprise here. The gorgeous, rich fruit and breed are a delight.
Chateau Raymond-Lafon, Sauternes 2005
4.5 Stars
Very pure and fresh, elegant botrytis fruit on the nose. Very long flavour, rich without being too sweet; really fine and quite restrained at present.
Chateau Rabaud-Promis, 1er Cru Classe, Sauternes 2005
4.5 Stars
This cru has yet to reach the heights to which its pedigree points but this is not far from it. There is concentration and vinosity on the nose, a lot of concentration and richness on the palate but without the finesse of the very best.
Chateau Nairac, Cru Classe, Barsac 2005
4.5 Stars
Nairac has sometimes struggled to produce a sample in condition, but not so this year. There is real breed and finesse, the wine tastes sweeter than expected but is not quite together yet. Should get even better.
Chateau Sigalas-Rabaud, 1er Cru Classe, Sauternes 2005
4.5 Stars
In recent vintages, this cru has outshone its neighbour Lafaurie-Peyraguey, but not this year. The concentration and succulence with the lovely fruit and freshness in the after-taste are present and it could yet be a five star wine; but these are early days.
Chateau Doisy-Vedrines, Cru Classe, Barsac 2005
4.5 Stars
Again, a good wine from a very consistent producer. There is good, medium weight, concentration and finesse. Persistence of flavour and freshness and style, with a creamy texture as an extra plus. Plenty to enjoy here.
Chateau Filhot, Cru Classe, Sauternes 2005
4.5 Stars
This cru now seems to have rediscovered its consistency and undoubted class. There is a lovely, scented freshness and the flavour shows richness, sweetness and length on the finish. A very stylish wine.
Chateau Guiraud, 1er Cru Classe, Sauternes 2005
4.5 Stars
While we wait to hear who the new owner will be, Xavier Planty has made another superb wine, very close to being five stars at this early stage. The wine is very perfumed with lovely concentration and imposing length, fruit and elegance.
Chateau Clos Haut-Peyraguey, 1er Cru Classe, Sauternes 2005
4.5 Stars
There is good concentration and freshness, great fruit and richness, but not at this stage, quite the length or finish to put it up with the very top wines.
Chateau de Malle, Cru Classe, Sauternes 2005
4.5 Stars
One of the most consistent performers among the 2eme crus since 1990. The nose was still very unevolved, but the wine shows well-integrated richness and fruit but only medium weight; stylish and fine.
Chateau d'Arche, Cru Classe, Sauternes 2005
4.5 Stars
The best wine I can remember from what has been an under-achiever. Lovely intense scent and balance, without great richness. The flavour is long with more richness than expected and breed; real style and balance.
Chateau Coutet, 1er Cru Classe, Barsac 2005
4.5 Stars
The wine has all the Coutet virtues of scent, delicacy and freshness on the nose. The flavour has more weight than one expects, with fine vinosity and elegance. Very near to being five stars at this point, opulent and smooth.
Chateau Doisy-Daene, Cru Classe, Barsac 2005
4.5 Stars
The nose has that lovely fruit acidity of a great German Riesling Auslese. The wine is very complex and fresh; length and real class without great weight but so much finesse that this could almost be five stars. This is the sort of wine Denis Dubourdieu and his father Pierre want to make.
Pauillac
A very successful commune, with most châteaux going to the maximum to preserve the marvellously ripe Cabernet fruit. The 2005 vintage is definitely a Pauillac year.
Steven Spurrier
Chateau Mouton Rothschild, 1er Cru Classe, Pauillac 2005
5 Stars
Black-red colour, exotic spicy aromas, black chocolate and coffee bean, explosive fruit, lush and very seductive but packs power as well, very sophisticated and exciting wine, classic Mouton. Drink 2015-45. (19 points)
Chateau Latour, 1er Cru Classe, Pauillac 2005
5 Stars
Black-red, big and spicy, almost New World ripeness, but none of the New World fat, all in length and balance, chalky tannins, firm and understated on the palate, a sense of 'hidden fruit', a wine of great beauty, the most modern, the most seductive Latour ever, while totally reflecting its terroir. Drink 2015-50. (20 points)
Chateau Lafite Rothschild, 1er Cru Classe, Pauillac 2005
5 Stars
Black velvety red, colour sticking to the glass, superb fragrance and intensity, concentrated ripeness, immense depth but overall an impression of fragrance and elegance, a perfect wine. Drink 2015-50. (20 points)
Chateau Batailley, Grand Cru Classe, Pauillac 2005
4.5 Stars
Big extracted colour, concentrated almost iron-based nose, lots of ripeness and richness, supple tannins, quite voluptuous with good acidity. Drink 2010-2025. (17 points).
Chateau Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, Grand Cru Classe, Pauillac 2005
4.5 Stars
Deep colour, full and fleshy, really seductive, some leafiness, but full of florality and exotic spices, a superbly smooth wine with more power than is evident now. Drink 2012-35. (18.5 points)
Chateau Lynch-Moussas, Grand Cru Classe, Pauillac 2005
4.5 Stars
Good deep colour, fine concentration of floral fruit, nice lift of acidity, shows both ripeness and elegance. Drink 2009-20. (17 points)
Chateau Pontet-Canet, Grand Cru Classe, Pauillac 2005
4.5 Stars
Black-red, quite smoky, concentrated fruit, shows great firmness and depth, high levels of tannin, a wine for the long term. Drink 2015-40. (18 points)
Chateau Pichon-Longueville-Baron, Grand Cru Classe, Pauillac 2005
4.5 Stars
Black-red, marvellous expression of very ripe Cabernet Sauvignon, with quite a bit of lifted florality over the cassis, intense fruit restrained and polished by finely grained tannins. Drink 2012-40. (18.5 points)
Les Carruades de Lafite Rothschild, Pauillac 2005
4.5 Stars
Black-red, full, fragrant, spicy, rich yet full of restrained elegance, superbly aromatic and supple, a gorgeous wine, true class. Drink 2010-20. (18 points)
Les Forts de Latour, Pauillac 2005
4.5 Stars
Deep extraction of fragrant, floral small berry Cabernet fruit, both creamy and crunchy, fresh and exuberant, much more approachable than expected due to perfect ripeness, very fine. Drink 2012-25. (18 points)
Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste, Grand Cru Classe, Pauillac 2005
4.5 Stars
Deep colour, big smoky nose, really fine expression of Pauillac Cabernet Sauvignon, floral, even a little understated, but great length and balance is there. Drink 2012-35. (18 points)
Le Petit Mouton de Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac 2005
4.5 Stars
Deep colour, lush depth of fruit, lots of spice and perfect maturity of tannins, and explosive, seductive wine. Drink 2009-18. (17 points)
Chateau d'Armailhac, Grand Cru Classe, Pauillac 2005
4.5 Stars
Finely concentrated fruit, shows natural ripeness and lift and extremely attractive elegance among a range of much bigger wines, very pretty style. Drink 2009/20. (17 points)
Chateau Clerc Milon, Grand Cru Classe, Pauillac 2005
4.5 Stars
Deep colour and fine leafy, fresh cassis fruit, fully ripe with good concentration with an attractive lift of coffee bean spice. Drink 2010-25. (17.5 points)
Chateau Lynch-Bages, Grand Cru Classe, Pauillac 2005
4.5 Stars
Black-red, quite massive, meaty wine, lots of extraction of floral, violetty fruit, very rich, voluptuous, marvellously ripe tannins, very successful. Drink 2010-35. (18 points)
Chateau Haut-Batailley, Grand Cru Classe, Pauillac 2005
4.5 Stars
Deep, fragrant and supple fruit for Pauillac, lovely concentration, suavity and depth, a touch of chocolate, smooth, rich yet fresh. Drink 2010-25. (17 points)
Chateau Haut-Bages-Liberal, Grand Cru Classe, Pauillac 2005
4.5 Stars
Deeply concentrated, very pronounced cassis fruit, smoky and quite briary and lifted by natural acidity. Lively style, good depth and concentration. Drink 2010-25. (17 points)
Chateau Duhart Milon Rothschild, Grand Cru Classe, Pauillac 2005
4.5 Stars
Deep colour, masses of structure and grip, a true Pauillac with florality, fragrance, structure and grip, fine firm tannins. Drink 2012-30. (18 points)
Chateau Grand-Puy-Ducasse, Grand Cru Classe, Pauillac 2005
3.5 Stars
Concentrated colour and fruit, intense cassis and good plummy impression, quite forward style. Drink 2009-18. (16.5 points)
Margaux
The message has got through: Margaux is now producing splendid wines for the most part, those châteaux that remained true to the classic style of their appellation producing beautifully balanced, classic wines.
Steven Spurrier
Chateau Palmer, Grand Cru Classe, Margaux 2005
5 Stars
Hugely rich, tobacco leaves and cassis on nose, wonderful clarity of flavour, silky texture with powerful fruit and firm tannins. Drink 2012-50. (19 points)
Chateau Margaux, 1er Cru Classe, Margaux 2005
5 Stars
Marvellously dense colour, double the concentration of flavour compared to Pavillon Rouge, marvellously lifted, extraordinary depth and poise, remarkable purity and density of expression. Drink 2015-60. (20 points)
Chateau Boyd Cantenac, Grand Cru Classe, Margaux 2005
4.5 Stars
Deep, big meaty wine, floral and fragrant small berry Cabernet fruit, lush yet firm, broad yet elegant, Saint-Julien in style. Drink 2010-20. (17 points)
Pavillon Rouge du Chateau Margaux, Margaux 2005
4.5 Stars
Deeply fragrant, fleshy fruit from extraordinarily ripe Merlot grapes, terrific concentration and poise, lush for Margaux and very long. Drink 2010-20. (18 points)
Alter Ego de Palmer, Margaux 2005
4.5 Stars
Dense and fragrant small berry fruit, suave, concentrated yet balanced, lovely texture, poise and length. Drink 2009-16. (17 points)
Chateau d'Issan, Grand Cru Classe, Margaux 2005
4.5 Stars
Full, floral very seductive Margaux nose, lovely extraction of fragrant, lissom fruit. Drink 2009-20. (17 points)
Chateau d'Angludet, Cru Bourgeois Superieur, Margaux 2005
4.5 Stars
Very deep colour, concentrated small berry fruit, fragrant, herbaceous and wild violets, excellent concentration, dense, succulent, yet completely refreshing. Drink 2009-25. (17 points)
Chateau Brane-Cantenac, Grand Cru Classe, Margaux 2005
4.5 Stars
Deep colour with a fragrant lift of ripe Cabernet Sauvignon, shows strength of flavour without heaviness, leafy, very Margaux, long lingering finish. Drink 2010-25. (18 points)
Chateau Durfort-Vivens, Grand Cru Classe, Margaux 2005
4.5 Stars
Black-red, really fine natural concentration, slightly smoky, tobacco-leaf nose, even a touch of iron, flavours already complex, masses of energy and grip alongside the deeply fragrant fruit. Drink 2010-25. (18 points)
Chateau Giscours, Grand Cru Classe, Margaux 2005
4.5 Stars
Giscours (3G). Black-red, rich Cabernet fruit, totally ripe, even perhaps a little over-ripe, but sheer exuberance of fruit, not at all raisiny, bursting with energy, lovely ripe tannins. Drink 2009-20. (17.5 points)
Chateau Dauzac, Grand Cru Classe, Margaux 2005
4.5 Stars
Black-red, marvellously fragrant nose, cassis and violets, lovely ripeness, very seductive, very approachable, almost sweet, masses of charm, delicious. Drink 2008-18. (17.5 points)
Chateau Kirwan, Grand Cru Classe, Margaux 2005
4.5 Stars
Deep, richly extracted, good solid wine with fragrance and finely grained tannins to back up the rounded, rich fruit. Drink 2009-20. (17 points)
Chateau Malescot-Saint-Exupery, Grand Cru Classe, Margaux 2005
4.5 Stars
Black-red, fragrant fruit, blending red and blackcurrants, attractive natural acidity to balance the ripe fruit, good length and distinctive character. Drink 2010-20. (17 points).
Chateau Rauzan-Segla, Grand Cru Classe, Margaux 2005
4.5 Stars
Black-red, terrific concentration of floral, fragrant fruit, wonderful ripeness and sense of place, suave, smooth, totally ripe with superb tannins that add even more class. Drink 2010-30. (18.5 points)
Saint-Estephe
This commune impresses me more each year, as new châteaux emerge to challenge the vast array of established crus bourgoeis, that balance the small number of crus classés. The clay soils retained more water than further south in the Médoc, allowing the vines welcome respite from the drought, providing freshness as well as depth.
Steven Spurrier
Chateau Cos d'Estournel, Grand Cru Classe, Saint-Estephe 2005
5 Stars
Black-red, wonderful camphor spice, big, chocolatey, extraordinary expression of fruit, a true firework display on the palate, robust yet satiny, totally individual, superb effort. Drink 2012-40. (19 points).
Chateau Montrose, Grand Cru Classe, Saint-Estephe 2005
5 Stars
Huge colour and huge natural extraction of dense, clear Cabernet fruit, the real essence of Saint-Estephe from one of its greatest vineyards. Drink 2015-50. (19 points)
Chateau de Pez, Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel, Saint-Estephe 2005
4.5 Stars
Black-red, lots of ripe tobacco leaf fruit, rose-like florality, full and fleshy on the palate with finely grained tannins, a very good wine, truly elegant Saint-Estephe. Drink 2010-25. (17 points)
Chateau Lafon-Rochet, Grand Cru Classe, Saint-Estephe 2004
4.5 Stars
Concentrated colour and hugely concentrated fruit, a bit burly and leathery, almost raisiny at the moment, very good long term. Drink 2012-25. (17 points)
La Dame de Montrose, Saint-Estephe 2005
4.5 Stars
Black-red, full, smoky, classic Montrose/Saint Estephe, fleshy fruit and the firm tannins of a very fine wine. Drink 2009-20. (17 points)
Chateau Calon-Segur, Grand Cru Classe, Saint-Estephe 2004
4.5 Stars
Superb deep colour, lush and seductive fruit, really fine with silky tannins, fragrant and perfumed, a beautiful wine in a pure, elegant style. Drink 2010-40. (18.5 points)
Chateau Phelan-Segur, Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel, Saint-Estephe 2005
3.5 Stars
Deep colour and extracted, gamey nose, some wild violet fruit lifts the palate, intense yet smooth with length and class. Drink 2010-20. (16.5 points)
Chateau Serilhan, Saint-Estephe 2005
3.5 Stars
Big colour and fruit, a successful blend of very ripe Merlot, fine Cabernet Sauvignon and stunning Cabernet Franc (rare for the appellation). Drink 2010-20. (16 points)
Chateau les Ormes-de-Pez, Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel, Saint-Estephe 2005
3.5 Stars
Big colour and ripe, smooth extraction, lots of deep fruit and good balancing tannins. Drink 2009-18. (16.5 points)
Chateau Meyney, Cru Bourgeois Superieur, Saint-Estephe 2005
3.5 Stars
Big colour, big gutsy full-bodied, spicy Saint-Estephe, rich and earthy with robust fruit. Drink 2009-18. (16 points)
Chateau Haut-Marbuzet, Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel, Saint-Estephe 2005
3.5 Stars
Well-extracted, quite lifted Cabernet fruit, finely grained tannins and good length, very good expression, purity and length. Drink 2009-18. (16.5 points)
Graves
The red Graves follow the pattern of the vintage; a richness of alcohol (Haut-Brion weigh’s in at 14°), sweet-fruited inner core and powerful tannins for ageing. The latter appeared a little drier at the primeur tastings than the lusher Médocs hence the wines had slightly less éclat.
James Lawther MW
Chateau Haut-Brion, 1er Cru Classe Graves, Pessac-Leognan 2005
5 Stars
A magical wine that just has it all. Elegant bouquet of dark fruits with a note of violet and added pinch of complexity. Beautifully textured palate of layered fruit and fine, silky tannins. Great depth and wonderful freshness and balance. Drink 2015-2040 (19.5 points)
Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte, Cru Classe Graves, Pessac-Leognan 2005
4.5 Stars
Rich and modern with unctuous dark fruit and integrated mocha notes. Palate full and generous with firm, ripe tannins that build and lift. Warm, round texture and finish. Drink 2013-2025. (18 points)
Chateau la Tour Haut-Brion, Cru Classe Graves, Pessac-Leognan 2005
4.5 Stars
Fine, fragrant, floral bouquet. Clean, fresh and linear in style with a purity of fruit and long, elegant tannins. Drink 2012-2025. (17.5 points)
Le Bahans du Chateau Haut-Brion, Pessac-Leognan 2005
4.5 Stars
Dark cassis-edged fruit, sober but pure. Palate has some of the elegance of Haut-Brion. Sweet-centred with fine, velvety tannins. Long, fresh finish. Drink 2013-2025. (17.5 points)
Chateau les Carmes Haut-Brion, Pessac-Leognan 2005
4.5 Stars
Vibrant dark fruit. Full and fleshy on the palate. Lovely generosity of fruit. Firm, ripe tannins behind. Driink 2018-2025. (17 points)
Chateau Pape-Clement, Cru Classe Graves, Pessac-Leognan 2005
4.5 Stars
Very ripe, modern wine. Red berry fruit with definite confit notes. Oak a little apparent but has a huge depth of fruit and firm, gripy tannins. Drink 2014-2025. (17 points)
Chateau Malartic-Lagraviere, Cru Classe Graves, Pessac-Leognan 2005
4.5 Stars
Beautiful dark, creamy fruit. Rich and intense with a really firm, ripe tannic frame. Lovely length and precision. Drink 2013-2025 (18 points)
Chateau Haut-Bailly, Cru Classe Graves, Pessac-Leognan 2005
4.5 Stars
Lovely precision of fruit. Vibrant dark fruit notes. Reserved but intense. Clean and fresh with firm, fine tannins. Suave medium-bodied texture. Drink 2013-2030. (18 points)
Chateau la Mission Haut-Brion, Cru Classe Graves, Pessac-Leognan 2005
4.5 Stars
A classic La Mission, broad-shouldered and powerful with a greater percentage of Merlot than usual. Intense, brooding nose, huge volume of fruit and big, firm tannic frame. Monolithic but balanced. Drink 2015-2035. (18.5 points)
Chateau Olivier, Cru Classe Graves, Pessac-Leognan 2005
4.5 Stars
Deep colour. Lovely morello cherry aroma. Rich, dark fruit extract, sweet ripeness but balancing freshness and tight, fine tannins. Very pure and long. Drink 2013-2025. (18 points)
Domaine de Chevalier, Cru Classe Graves, Pessac-Leognan 2005
4.5 Stars
Real poise and elegance. Fine nose with a beautiful pitch of fruit. Depth and intensity. Palate rich, smooth, even a touch of opulence with fine, silky tannins and great length. Drink 2014-2030 (18.5 points)
Saint-Julien
'There are very few holes here,' quoted Bruno Borie on his robust Ducru-Beaucaillou, and the same applies to this splendid appellation. Less forward in general than the Margaux wines, more innate structure, great length.
Steven Spurrier
Chateau Leoville-Las-Cases, Grand Cru Classe, Saint-Julien 2005
5 Stars
Black-red, crunchy ripe fruit with really great depth and unforced elegance, silky and sumptuous, but enough firmness for a long life, pure vineyard quality, a great wine. Drink 2014-50. (19 points)
Chateau Leoville Poyferre, Grand Cru Classe, Saint-Julien 2005
4.5 Stars
Black-red, big meaty wine, masses of natural concentration and very good depth of fruit, more power than complexity at the moment. Drink 2011-35. (17.5 points)
Chateau Leoville Barton, Grand Cru Classe, Saint-Julien 2005
4.5 Stars
Black-red, deeply concentrated cassis fruit overlayed with tobacco and a little spice, very long, very pure, a future classic. Drink 2012-40. (18.5 points)
Chateau Gruaud-Larose, Grand Cru Classe, Saint-Julien 2005
4.5 Stars
Very attractive impression of gamey fruit, open and rich, chocolatey, spicy and seductive. Drink 2010-25 (17 points)
Chateau Langoa Barton, Grand Cru Classe, Saint-Julien 2005
4.5 Stars
Deeply concentrated and wonderfully fragrant, lush fruit tightened by natural vineyard acidity, beautiful length and balance, delicious. Drink 2010-25. (18 points)
Chateau Lagrange, Grand Cru Classe, Saint-Julien 2005
4.5 Stars
Black-red, deeply concentrated fruit with suppleness and lift, fine, pure expression of perfect ripeness in the vineyard, complex and long, very good. Drink 2010-25. (17.5 points)
Chateau Branaire-Ducru, Grand Cru Classe, Saint-Julien 2005
4.5 Stars
Fine concentrated colour and lovely cassis fruit with purity and elegance, plus a dimension of ripeness and depth, lots of charm as well as length. Drink 2010-25. (17.5 points)
Chateau Saint-Pierre, Grand Cru Classe, Saint-Julien 2005
4.5 Stars
Deep velvety red, rich and plummy with a touch of new wood, spicy and lifted with good depth, seductive fruit, firm tannins. Drink 2010-25. (17 points)
Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou, Grand Cru Classe, Saint-Julien 2005
4.5 Stars
Massive colour, spicy and rich, smoky and dense, very robust Saint-Julien, powerful and long. Drink 20015-30. (17.5 points)
Chateau Talbot, Grand Cru Classe, Saint-Julien 2005
3.5 Stars
Fine concentrated colour, solid cassis, intense, rounded and good length for the future. Drink 2010-20. (16.5 points)
Chateau Beychevelle, Grand Cru Classe, Saint-Julien 2005
3.5 Stars
Nice extraction of attractive, leafy fruit, elegant, quite forward style. Drink 2008-16. (15.5 points)
Clos de Marquis, Saint-Julien 2005
3.5 Stars
Dense colour, soft and spicy with lots of charm, supple fruit, balance and purity, more forward style than usual. Drink 2010-18. (16.5 points)
Haut-Medoc
Deep colour and fragrant fruit characterises all the Médoc appellation wines in 2005, and it would have needed a very poor winemaker to introduce vegetal notes and a stupid one to over-extract. Wines with charm and persistence. As for Haut-Médoc, the Cabernets shone out in 2005, adding grip and length to the very ripe (but not over-ripe as in many 2003s) Merlots. A vast selection of successful wines, all representative of their terroir.
Steven Spurrier
Chateau Sociando-Mallet, Haut-Medoc 2005
4.5 Stars
Big smoky, bacony wine, wild violets, lots of extract of Cabernet fruit, a real classic. Drink 2011/2-25. (17 points)
Chateau Senejac, Cru Bourgeois Superieur, Haut-Medoc 2005
4.5 Stars
Deep colour, lively fragrant style with pure vineyard fruit and definite elegance. Drink 2009-18. (17 points)
Chateau la Lagune, Grand Cru Classe, Haut-Medoc 2005
4.5 Stars
Black-red, great concentration of ripe blackcurrant fruit with gamey, even leathery overtones, rich, plummy with crunchy fragrance, lively personality and a seductively long finish. Drink 2009-25. (17 points)
Chateau Belle-Vue, Haut-Medoc 2005
3.5 Stars
Huge colour, concentrated cassis with firm edge, a muscular wine, good long term. Drink 2011-20. (16.5 points)
Chateau Cantemerle, Grand Cru Classe, Haut-Medoc 2005
3.5 Stars
Ripe, concentrated small berry fruit, good depth of flavour and quite lifted and leafy, very Médoc, elegant with good intensity. Drink 2009-18. (16.5 points)
Chateau Verdignan, Cru Bourgeois Superieur, Haut-Medoc 2005
3.5 Stars
Deep colour, good meaty wine, well-extracted, good potential. Drink 2010-18. (16 points)
Chateau Belgrave, Grand Cru Classe, Haut-Medoc 2005
3.5 Stars
Black-red, smoky, tobacco leaf nose, impressive freshly crushed blackcurrant fruit, crunchy and concentrated, supple tannins and good length. Drink 2009-20. (16.5 points)
Chateau Malescasse, Cru Bourgeois Superieur, Haut-Medoc 2005
3.5 Stars
Good concentration of cassis fruit, good solid wine with more structure than elegance. (16 points)
Steven Spurrier & James Lawther MW for Decanter
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Is it a Bird? A Plane? It's 707!
Meet the Winemakers Behind Today's Penfolds Great Reds
Bin Files: Penfolds 389 vs Grange
Treasured Bottles - Yarra Yering
The Evolution of New Zealand Pinot Noir
SINGLE VENDOR AUCTION DEC 2009
Opera Australia Christmas 2009 Auction
Classic Wines of Australia 1961-1970
Parker Review - Tuscany 2006 & 2007
French wine remains the worlds reference point
PINOSOPHY – Brian Croser’s Pinot Noir Manifesto
Penfolds Primary Reds Rise Above Stock Market Blues.
Langton’s Top 500 Australian Wine Prices 2007
The Great Wine Estates of Western Australia “2007 En-Primeur Campaign”
147 Vente Des Vins - Des Hospices de Beaune
LANGTON’S Classic PENFOLDS Wine Auction
Jasper Hill – The life and works of Ron and Elva Laughton
McWilliam’s Mount Pleasant Lovedale Semillon – Hunter Valley
Robert Parker Jr.’s top 180 Wines of the 2006 Vintage + Andrew Caillard's Bordeaux Impressions
Opening Gambit - Andrew Caillard MW en route to Bordeaux
Heritage & Evolution: A Tasting
Certainty! The Claret Drinker's Song
Wine Investment – Swim between the flags
Penfolds Classified Wines
Classic Penfolds Wine Auction
The Siren’s Song – Bass Phillip
Exchange Current Listings
Andrew Caillard MW reviews Bordeaux 2005
Bordeaux 2005 – Does it get any better than this? What the international reviewers are saying
Nicky Riemer – the new Head Chef at Langton’s Restaurant
Langton's Exchange in 2006
Langton’s 2005 Classification IV – International Reception, Predictions and Tastings
Langton’s 2005 Classification IV – International Reception, Predictions and Tastings
LANGTON’S EXCHANGE – BUY NOW and SAVE 15%
Great Wines Estates of WA Live Auction (V) – Open for Bidding Online October 21 to November 12
Langton’s 2005 Classification IV
2005 Classification in Gourmet Traveller WINE
Bordeaux 2004 – A Classic Vintage
Penfolds Grange Auction – Now Open
MCWILLIAMS Celebrity Blend-Off for Charity Wine Auction
Grange Auction Open for Bidding
LANGTON’S EXCHANGE – BUY NOW!
1998: Vintage of the Century
A Vertical Tasting of De Bortoli Noble One
The Story of Grange by Max Schubert (1915–1994)
Penfolds Grange Auction June 13 - July 14, 2003
A Lazy Eye on Pink Cliffs & One Eye
Henschke Hill of Grace and Mount Edelstone
Selling at Langton’s in 2003
Australian Wine Exchange offers Giaconda Chardonnay
Large Format Grange Sets Records
The Sensational 2002 Central Otago Pinot Noir Vintage
Central Otago Pinot Noir Celebration and Barrel Auction
The John (Jack) W Henderson Collection - Auction Closes February 3, 6pm
Shiraz Australia II Auction
Seppelt Para 100 Year Old Liqueur Vintage Tawny Barossa Valley - Vintages 1878-1903
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