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2005 Bordeaux
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2005 Bordeaux April 2009

 

  Listed in "alpha" order, many are at BEST PRICE in the COUNTRY!

 


 

                        

      THE 2005 BORDEAUX 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.” – Robert Parker Jr.

 


  1. Ausone St.Emilion - $24,000.00 cs/6 - (perfect 100) "A tiny production of just over 1,300 cases will make the 2005 Ausone impossible to find, but proprietor Alain Vauthier continues to exhibit the Midas touch with his perfectionist efforts at this estate. This brilliant, blue/black-hued offering reveals an extraordinarily youthful, but promising nose of incense, blueberries, blackberries, currants, licorice, and crushed rocks. This intense 2005 boasts powerful, super-layered, multidimensional flavors with tremendous extraction, yet they come across as incredibly sublime, even delicate for such a stunningly concentrated, full-bodied effort. A masterpiece of concentration and balance, it will no doubt be drinking well a century from now. Anticipated maturity: 2030-2080+."
  2. Cos d'Estournel  - $3,500.00 cs/12 ($295.00) –  Parker 98pts."upgraded from: 95-97pts. "While I am not convinced the 2005 Cos d’Estournel will eclipse the compelling 2003 Cos, it is unquestionably another superb classic from proprietor Michel Reybier and his brilliant winemaker, Jean-Guillaume Prats. Made from an unusually high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon (78%) and the balance mostly Merlot with a tiny dollop of Cabernet Franc, this superb effort requires plenty of time in the bottle. It boasts an inky/purple color as well as a glorious perfume of licorice, Asian spices, creme de cassis, blackberries, and toasty oak. This full-bodied St.-Estephe is exceptionally powerful, pure, and dense with a layered mid-palate that builds like a skyscraper. While there are massive tannins, they are remarkably velvety and well-integrated in this big, backstrapping effort that should enjoy an unusually long life. Forget it for 8-10 years, and drink it between 2017-2040. b)"made from an unusual blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, and 3% Cabernet Franc. The Merlot was picked during the last nine days of September, and the Cabernets were finished by the 9th of October. The 2005's 13.85% alcohol is the highest this estate has ever achieved. The implementation of such Burgundian winemaking techniques as malolactic in barrel and aging on its lees are resulting in wines of extraordinary texture as well as elegance. The 2003 may be more opulent, and for my taste a more compelling wine, but the 2005 is at the same level. Made from yields of 40 hectoliters per hectare, it exhibits an inky/purple color as well as a gorgeous nose of sweet red and black fruits, camphor, cedar, and pain grille. Extraordinarily well-defined, nuanced, and powerful, with high tannin as well as magnificent texture and richness, this classic offering will be uncommonly long-lived. It will not be close to drinkability for another 5-7 years, and should last for 30 or more. A fabulous wine!"     and again Apr.'07 "A classic in the making, the 2005 Cos has become even more backward and structured, making it one of the most inaccessible examples of this wine made in the last twenty years. There is an unusually high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon (78%) blended with 19% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc. The wine boasts a dense purple color along with a gorgeous bouquet of creme de cassis intermixed with licorice, pain grille, spice, and cedar. Medium to full-bodied, powerful, rich, and dense, with a sweet middle as well as huge tannins in the finish, it will be approachable in 8-10 years. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2035+."
  3. L'Angelus - $4,500.00 cs/12 ($375.00) - Parker 98pts. "upgraded from 96-97" "This 7,000 case blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc will rival or perhaps eclipse vintages such as 2000, 1998, 1990, and 1989. Its dense purple color is followed by an extraordinary perfume of charcoal, espresso roast, blackberries, blueberries, and a hint of wood. In spite of its thick texture, terrific acidity, high tannins, and enormous intensity as well as richness, it is surprisingly approachable, but given how slowly the 1989 and 1990 have aged, I would recommend cellaring it for 8-10 yrs. Should keep for 3 decades. A brilliant wine!"
  4. Laforge St.Emillion - $1,000.00 cs/12  - Parker upgraded to 95pts. (April ’08) - "Tasting far superior than it did from cask, the bottled 2005 Laforge is fabulous. Moreover, there are 2,500 cases of this offering from the brilliant Englishman, Jonathan Malthus, who has proven he can turn quite a qualitative trick in both Bordeaux and Australia’s Barossa Valley. This dense purple-hued St.-Emilion offers up a glorious nose of graphite, blueberry and blackberry liqueur, licorice, and a whiff of acacia flowers. Full-bodied, thick, and juicy, this blend of 92% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc possesses terrific purity, an extravagantly rich mouth feel, and wonderful precision. The result is a provocative, compelling wine that should be drinkable between 2013-2028."  - Parker 90-92pts. (Apr.'07) "The Wine Advocate Sweet black cherry and currant fruit interwoven with pain grille, white chocolate, and earth emerge from this chewy, well-made, impeccably pure, nicely textured, medium to full-bodied, St.-Emilion. Should drink well 10-15 years."
  5. La Grave A Pomerol - $600.00 cs/12 ($50.00) – ( 88-90) DRINKS EARLY - "Stylish and elegant, this 2005 has as much in common with a Cote de Beaune premier cru as it does with a Pomerol. Kirsch, raspberry, seaweed, and loamy soil aromas lead to a medium-bodied, finesse-styled claret possessing sweet tannin, pure fruit, and a sensual personality. It begs to be consumed over the next decade." and "A strong effort from this generally elegant, light-bodied, finesse-styled cuvee, the 2005 exhibits more depth than normal along with deep raspberry and black cherry fruit intermixed with licorice and resiny pine forest notes. Sweet tannin, a velvety texture, impressive ripeness, and more stuffing and structure than usual suggest it can be enjoyed over the next 10-15 years." and "The best effort from this endearing, charming Pomerol since the 1982, the deep plum/ruby-tinged 2005 offers sweet, ripe, cassis, and cherry fruit intermixed with spice box, herb, and loamy soil notes. The wine’s lovely sweetness, ripe tannin, supple texture, and plush finish suggest this sleeper of the vintage will drink well during its first 10-12 years of life."
  6. Le Bon Pasteur, Pomerol - $1,500.00 cs/12 ($125.00) - (94)  “A superb effort from proprietors Dany and Michel Rolland, the 2005 Bon Pasteur is the antithesis of the kind of wine Rolland’s critics claim he makes (which they ignorantly suggest are over-oaked, over-extracted, and over-the-top). Nothing could be further from the truth. Rolland, a brilliant oenologist, has done more than any other person alive today for the quality of Bordeaux. His 2005 Bon Pasteur is an elegant, subtle, deep ruby/purple-colored wine offering hints of graphite, sweet mocha, black cherries, and berries that build incrementally in the mouth, ending in a cascade of full-bodied, concentrated fruit with good acidity, beautiful tannin, and stunning precision as well as length. The tannin structure suggests 3-5 years of cellaring is warranted, but based on past examples (even the opulent 1982, which is still going strong), the 2005 should age for 25-30 years.”
  7. Leoville Poyferre - $1,300.00 cs/12 ($109.00) -  (92-95)."While perhaps not up to the standards of the extraordinary 2003, the 2005 is still a strong effort from an estate that has been doing everything right over the last two decades. Sweet toasty oak intermixed with jammy black currant, plum, and licorice aromas jump from the glass of this dense purple-hued wine. In the mouth, there is great fruit, tannin, body, structure, and delineation. This impressively endowed, well made St.-Julien will require considerable patience (as will most 2005 northern Medocs). Anticipated maturity: 2015-2030+."
  8. Marquis D'Alesme Becker (Margaux) – $499.99 cs/12($33.34) - (WS 91pts.)"A soft, fruity wine, with blackberry, coffee and light vanilla on the nose and palate. Full, with very velvety tannins and a long, flavorful finish. This is right on the mark now. Best after 2010. 5,830 cases made."
  9. Mouton Rothschild - Pauillac -  750mls. or MAGNUMS - $11,999.99  (94-96)."a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, and 1% Cabernet Franc which tips the scales at 13.2% alcohol, one of the highest percentages ever achieved at this estate. It does not possess the power or awesome depth of the 1986 or 1982, but it may represent a modern-day clone of the 1955. A tannic, backward, concentrated, powerful Mouton built for the ages, it will require 10-15 years to reach its full potential. An inky/blue/purple color is accompanied by classic notes of creme de cassis and smoke, but no trace of new oak. That in itself is a good indication of how rich and concentrated this wine must be to have absorbed all its oak at this stage of its evolution. One might also term it 1996-like in style given its fresh acidity and bright personality. Medium to full-bodied, impeccably elegant, powerful yet subtle and reticent at present, it will be extremely long-lived. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2050+"
  10. Pape-Clément  - $2,500.00 cs/12 ($208.34) -  (98) “Probably the greatest Pape-Clement ever made, the dense purple-colored 2005 (a blend of 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon) exhibits sumptuous notes of smoky scorched earth, graphite, melted licorice, and blackberries. Once past the exquisite perfume, the wine reveals full body, extraordinary concentration, plenty of chocolate, smoke, cassis, and blackberry flavors, and that unmistakable volcanic ash-like earthiness that comes from this appellation. The tannins are slightly sweeter than those found in most northern Medocs, but this is still a backward, large-scaled effort that requires 7-8 years of cellaring. It should last for 30-35 years.

BORDEAUX