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Home Browse Wines Vintage Report Order Form
All Wines Investment Tips Best Value Early Drinkers Top 20

Please select the bordeaux commune you are interested in


The Chateaux release their prices over several weeks during the Spring and early summer after the vintage. Where the price has not been launched we have given the wines an estimated, indicated (+), based on last year's price and any market forces which may affect demand. This estimated price will be replaced with (a buy button) when the wine has been officially released.

AGASSAC CRU BOURGEOIS HAUT MEDOC Estimated Price £68

ALTER EGO DE PALMER MARGAUX  Estimated Price £200+
W J Gardener ( 14.5/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2010-2015
Delicious impact of ripe fruit instantly charming, a real compote. Gentle and rich early drinker.

ANGELUS 1ER GRAND CRU ST.EMILION   Estimated Price £650+
W J Gardener ( 17.5/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2016-2035
Good depth of colour, very oaky nose, rich and creamy palate, very full and complex, chocolatey and fresh intesity, very impressive length. Excellent.
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 96-98 ) Drinking Dates : 2010-2030
Could this be the most profound Angelus yet made by the brilliant Hubert de Bouard since he turned this once under-achieving estate around in the mid-eighties? A blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, the spectacular, inky/blue/purple-hued 2005 (7,080 cases; 14.5% natural alcohol) exhibits an extraordinary projected nose of blueberries, blackberries, liqueur of minerals, flowers, and subtle, toasty new oak. Magnificently concentrated, displaying a seamless integration of acidity, wood, tannin, and alcohol, a soaring mid-palate, and a finish that lasts over 60 seconds, this is a wine of compelling potential.

AUSONE 1ER GRAND CRU ST.EMILION   Estimated Price £3000+
W J Gardener ( 18.5/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2020-
Almost black, the nose is perfumed but not as open as the La Chapelle; opening gradually some oaky vanilla notes coming through, flowers, very compact on the palate, lots of power and acidity, very tight, loads of dimension here underneath, simmering, a giant of a wine which will need plenty of patience.
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 96-100 ) Drinking Dates : 2020-2100
I’m not going out on a limb saying the 2005 Ausone is better than the 2003, 2000, etc., but it is certainly at the same level. It is a wine of great intensity with extraordinary extract as well as a seamless integration of huge levels of tannin and alcohol. Amazingly deep and multilayered, but so ethereal it must be tasted to be believed, it is a rich, full-throttle offering that should outlive us all. It should not be consumed before 2020, but I suspect 95% of it will be long gone by then. Kudos to Alain Vauthier for pushing the envelope as far as anyone in Bordeaux is doing today.

BAHANS HAUT BRION PESSAC LEOGNAN  Price £ 425
W J Gardener ( 15/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2012-2020
A broader nose than the Chapelle. Spicy and open, soft and elegant, maybe slightly less polished than the Chapelle, but the tannins are ripe and the fruit is prominent, will come together nicely in time.
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 90-92 ) Drinking Dates : 2006-2018
The 2005 Bahans-Haut-Brion is a lighter, more accessible version of its more famous sibling. Dark ruby with smoky currant and sweet cherry aromas, this wine is already complex and generous in delivering fruit, glycerin, and silky tannin. Drink it over the next 10-12 years.

BATAILLEY 5TH CRU PAUILLAC  Estimated Price £150+
W J Gardener ( 15/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2015-2025
Bright purple, menthol nose, soft generous palate weight, lots of tannin, good overall feel and balance.
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 90-92 ) Drinking Dates : 2013-2030
Always a serious vin de garde that requires considerable patience, Batailley’s 2005 may be their finest effort in the last forty years. An inky/ruby/purple color is accompanied by classic aromas of black currants, flowers, licorice, and spice box. With huge tannin, medium to full body, impressive concentration, and good depth, it will be drinkable between 2013-2030.

BEAUREGARD POMEROL  Estimated Price £175+
W J Gardener ( 14.5/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2012-2020
Inky colour, medium power on the nose, lots of intense primary fruits, nice weight and quite full, always a delicate complete wine.

BEAUSEJOUR BECOT 1ER GRAND CRU ST.EMILION Price £ 480
W J Gardener ( 15/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2012-2025
Full colour creamy nose pleasant elegant fruit, juicy, spicy & peppery, good weight, very attractive finish. Nice easy balance not overly extracted.

BELLEVUE MONDOTTE ST EMILION   Estimated Price £1200+
W J Gardener ( 18/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2013-2030
This is incredibly deep as deep as I have seen anywhere. The yield is only 15hl/ha! Almost a solid block of blackness, nose of blackberries, very sweet, intense cassis, wow this is so concentrated, the fruit is so ripe and rich on the palate, this wine is very modern , californian in style but at the same time the minerality is there and the balance is very fine. A monster in the making.
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 96-98 ) Drinking Dates : 2010-2030
The quintessential garage wine, Bellevue Mondotte emerges from a five acre vineyard acquired by Chantal and Gerard Perse in 2002. Situated on pure limestone above the Perse’s two other vineyards, Pavie and Pavie Decesse, the average age of the vines is 45 years, and the blend tends to be dominated by Merlot (90%) with tiny dollops of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. A prodigious wine of extraordinary intensity, it differs from Pavie in that it is more open-knit, expansive, and ripe, and not as strikingly intense in minerality. Boasting colossal proportions, the inky/purple-hued 2005 reveals a sumptuous nose of creme de cassis, kirsch, licorice, new saddle leather, and roasted meats. Dense, opulent, and voluptuous with high tannin, this tour de force in winemaking should be among the more precocious of Perse’s 2005s.

BERLIQUET GRAND CRU ST EMILION Estimated Price £160+
W J Gardener ( 14/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2011-2020
Attractive good legs; fresh nose of strawberries, cool grip, quite pure and intense nice roundness medium weight, nice length.

BEYCHEVELLE 4TH CRU ST. JULIEN   Price £ 325
W J Gardener ( 16/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2013-2025
Deep plum with a pale rim, soft entrée, very juicy fruit, nice evolution and length, with a classy Cabernet finish. Very good.
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 91-93 ) Drinking Dates : 2006-2036
The most profound Beychevelle since the 1982, the elegant yet powerful 2005 exhibits an opaque purple color as well as a sweet nose of plums, black currants, flowers, and minerals. Medium to full body, refreshing acidity, good definition, and strong flavors characterize this top-flight effort. It should easily last for 25-30 years.

BRANAIRE DUCRU 4TH CRU ST JULIEN   Estimated Price £300+
W J Gardener ( 16/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2015-2025
Fuller colour than some, very intense, cerise, rich and exotic nose, full with some animal notes, this is big and burly a large frame with concentrated fruit and excellent length
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 94-96 ) Drinking Dates : 2011-2030
Branaire, which has been ratcheting up the quality level over the last 5-6 years, made such a great 2003, I am hesitant to suggest the 2005 is as good, or even better. It will undoubtedly come down to consumer’s personal preference, with the 2003 more exotic and flamboyant, and the 2005 more structured or “classic.” In any event, the 2005 is one of the top Branaires ever made. Its inky/ruby/purple color is followed by sweet aromas of spring flowers interwoven with black cherries, cranberries, cassis, plums, and hints of forest floor, wet rocks, and new oak. With wonderful purity, full body, terrific fruit intensity, a beautiful, expansive texture, and a stunning 45-50-second finish, it should be at its peak between 2011-2030.

BROUSTET 2ND CRU CLASSE BARSAC Estimated Price £142

BROWN PESSAC LEOGNAN   Price £ 122
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 88-90 )  
 

CALON SEGUR 3RD CRU ST. ESTEPHE  Price £ 650
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 93-96 ) Drinking Dates : 2012-2030
This is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon (as ripe and impressive as Madame Gasqueton has ever seen) and 40% Merlot. The Merlot was harvested between September 15-22 and the Cabernet Sauvignon was brought in during the first two weeks of October. The result is a classic Calon-Segur exhibiting a dense purple color, ripe black cherry, cassis, smoke, earth, and new oak characteristics, powerful but sweet tannin, a huge texture, and broad, concentrated flavors. It will undoubtedly close down after bottling.

CANON 1ER GRAND CRU ST.EMILION Estimated Price £300+
W J Gardener ( 14.5/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2015-2025
Good depth of colour, quite closed on the nose. Delicacy and spice on the palate good grip, a little rigid maybe but peppery and graceful certainly very good.

CANON LA GAFFELIERE GRAND CRU ST.EMILION Price £ 615
W J Gardener ( 15/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2012-2025
This is quite deep, often less so than some. Complex nose, some creaminess, very rich, intense. The palate is medium weight, good backbone, vibrant but lacks a little of the mid-palate which is often so emphatic here. Only very good.
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 92-94 ) Drinking Dates : 2006-2021
The qualitative equal of this estate’s top-notch 2000, 1998, and 1990, the 2005 Canon-La-Gaffeliere is a stunning effort from proprietor Stephan von Neipperg. A blend of 55% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, it possesses complex, fragrant aromas of spice box, black currants, sweet cherries, and licorice. Dense, opulent, full-bodied, pure, and layered, it is an impressively endowed St.-Emilion that should evolve slowly, and last for 15 or more years.

CANTEMERLE 5TH CRU HAUT MEDOC   Estimated Price £125+
W J Gardener ( 14/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2015-2025
This is quite animal on the nose, usually denoting a certain concentration. There is potential here on the attack, jammy fruits with good acidity, a lively wine with good overall feel. Long and promising. Very good for a 5th Cru.

CAP DE MOURLIN GRAND CRU CLASSE ST.EMILION   Estimated Price £120+
W J Gardener ( 14/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2010-2020
Good legs, appears deep, brooding nose with a hint of black cherries, chewy cool palate, quite dense, lots of tannin, this is excellent for this estate, must be one of the values of the vinatge.

CARBONNIEUX PESSAC-LEOGNAN   Price £ 195
W J Gardener ( 14/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2011-2020
Good sweet nose rich and plummy, nicely plump mid-palate, big structure, nice full example of the commune, needs time.

CARRUADES DE LAFITE PAUILLAC    Estimated Price £260+
W J Gardener ( 17/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2012-2025
Very dark, nice sweetness, broody insenity, spicy, very oily and silky palate, coating the teeth with lush spicy tannins, lovely acidity, this is exceptional, stand a pencil up in it its so concentrated, very fresh, lovely wine for me.

CHAPELLE D'AUSONE ST EMILION   Estimated Price £300+
W J Gardener ( 16.5/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2012-2020
Wow the nose is amazing, violets and crushed flowers combined with oaky notes, the palate is pure and fresh. The fruit is pinpoint, an elegant wine with power. Another great 2nd wine.
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 92-94 ) Drinking Dates : 2010-2025
Once again, proprietor Alain Vauthier sets the bar remarkably high for this cherished/hallowed terroir on the southern hillside slopes of St.-Emilion. Amazingly, Vauthier has again produced a brilliant second wine from this tiny parcel. The inky/purple-tinged 2005 Chapelle d’Ausone reveals pure scents of black raspberries, crushed rocks, and spring flowers, full-bodied, intense flavors, sweet tannin, and a long, 45-second finish. As astonishing as it sounds, this second wine is better than many Ausones from the sixties and seventies!

CHASSE SPLEEN MOULIS Estimated Price £145
W J Gardener ( 13.5/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2012-2020
Very deep colour, nose is a bit closed, medium weight, the palate is compact, lacks a bit of charm.

CHEVAL BLANC 1ER GRAND CRU   Estimated Price £2500+
W J Gardener ( 18.5/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2040-2020
Very deep, intense power on the nose. Very pure and focused fruit. Vibrant and racy. Fine grained ripe tannins coating the mouth, powdery. Earthy leathery notes, spicy ripe power, an elegant wine with class. Complex and imposing, one of the best Chevals from cask in recent years.
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 95-98 ) Drinking Dates : 2014-2030
A prodigious Cheval Blanc that should challenge the 2000 and 1998 as the finest Cheval since the 1990, the 2005's final blend consisted of 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot. The Merlot harvest began on September 15th and lasted until the Cabernet Franc was finished around October 6th. Administrator Pierre Lurton told me, “I prefer to pick the Merlot a little early, and the Cabernet Franc a little late.” The deep ruby/purple-colored 2005 reveals an extraordinary projected, surreal bouquet of menthol, red, blue, and black fruits, and hints of mocha, licorice, and sweet oak. This opulent, tremendously concentrated Cheval Blanc possesses undeniable finesse, elegance, and freshness as well as a vibrant, nuanced, delineated personality. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2030+. The estate’s second wine, the 2005 Le Petit Cheval (55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Franc) is one of the better efforts over recent years.

CITRAN CRU BOURGEOIS HAUT MEDOC Estimated Price £115
W J Gardener ( 14.5/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2012-2025
Very dark as always here, the nose is dark chocolatey, promising chewy palate, generous with good acidity. This is always very good in a ripe year.

CLERC MILON 5TH CRU PAUILLAC  Estimated Price £250+
W J Gardener ( 15.5/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2015-2025
Nice deep intensity on the nose, warn fruit, classic pauillac nose, quite oaky too, creamy rich exotic style on the palate, fleshy, finishes well. Very good.
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 90-92 ) Drinking Dates : 2009-2020
Medium to full-bodied, tannic, fresh, vibrant, and, as the French would say, croquant (crunchy), the 2005 deep ruby/purple-tinged Clerc-Milon reveals good acidity, a fresh, lively mouthfeel, surprisingly high alcohol (13.5%) that is at odds with the brightness/freshness found in the wine’s power and richness. The final blend was 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc, and a smidgen of Petit Verdot.

CLIMENS 1ER CRU BARSAC  Estimated Price £500+
James Suckling / The Wine Spectator ( 95-100 )  
 

CLINET POMEROL   Price £ 725
W J Gardener ( 165.5/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2025-2015
Full colour, horse hair with a rich plumminess on the nose, quite pronounced compared to some, nice cool silkiness here on the palate. Lots of tannin, concentrated, even quite extracted, a full impressive effort, nice length, very good.
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 94-96 ) Drinking Dates : 2010-2036
The most profound Clinet since the prodigies produced by the late Jean-Michel Arcaute in 1989 and 1990, the 2005 boasts a fabulous nose of blueberries, violets, truffles, subtle wood, and cold steel. Inky/purple-hued, full-bodied, and multilayered with adequate acidity, this exceptionally well-endowed, pure effort is a tour de force in winemaking. Although it is high in tannin, there is so much fruit and glycerin (the alcohol must be 14+%) that it should be drinkable in 4-6 years, and keep for three decades.

CLOS DE L'ORATOIRE GRAND CRU ST. EMILION   Price £ 289
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 91-94 ) Drinking Dates : 2006-2021
Fashioned by Stephan von Neipperg, the 2005 is one of the best Clos de l’Oratoires ever made. A blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, the yields were small and the fruit was picked very ripe. Along with low acidity as well as loads of tannin, it reveals great fruit, and an exotic, flamboyant bouquet of cedar, spice box, black fruits, and a hint of roasted coffee. This full-bodied, opulent, sumptuous effort will be one of the few 2005s that will be impossible to resist upon release. It should drink well for 10-15 years.

CLOS FOURTET 1ER GRAND CRU ST. EMILION    Estimated Price £300+
W J Gardener ( 18/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2015-
This is very deep in colour. This is also very intense on the nose. Lots of new oak here. A different level, lovely coolness and concentration on the palate, silky and compact, very intense. Tannins are plentiful but overcoated with generous mouthfeel. Decandent stuff. For me this is one of the vintages superstars and great value.
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 94-96 ) Drinking Dates : 2012-2030
Under the guidance of its new owner, Monsieur Cuvelier, Clos Fourtet has enjoyed a dramatic renaissance. I did not think the estate could eclipse its other-worldly 2003, but the remarkable 2005 may do just that. A blend of 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine is given a Burgundian-styled malolactic in barrel, and is aged 5 months on its lees with batonnage. There are 6,000 cases of the 2005, which achieved 14% natural alcohol. The striking thing about Clos Fourtet is that one can see its fabulous terroir along with great purity, and stunning nobility and complexity. Its inky/purple color is accompanied by beautiful notes of blueberries, blackberries, plums, and flowers. This full-bodied wine cascades over the palate with huge concentration, high tannin, and freshness as well as sweetness. This brilliant effort should be at its peak between 2012-2030.

COS D'ESTOURNEL 2ND CRU ST ESTEPHE Estimated Price £600+
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 95-97 ) Drinking Dates : 2036-2011
The 2005 Cos d’Estournel is 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!

COS LABORY 5TH CRU ST.ESTEPHE  Price £ 189
W J Gardener ( 15/20 )  
Very deep colour, wow this is concentrated, chewy and intense palate, finishes a little gritty and brutal, a big bruiser of a wine.
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 88-91 ) Drinking Dates : 2013-2023
Cos Labory is another estate that has made its finest wine in decades. The medium-bodied, structured, pure 2005 exhibits notes of creme de cassis, roasted herbs, and blueberries. Consume this impressively endowed St.-Estephe between 2013-2023.

COTE DE BALEAU SAINT EMILION    Estimated Price £114+
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 90-92 ) Drinking Dates : 2006-2021
Following some indifferent efforts between 2002-2004, the Reiffers family has had resounding success with all three of their 2005s (Cote de Baleau, Grandes Murailles, and Clos St.-Martin). The dense purple-colored Cote de Baleau offers up notes of kirsch liqueur and black fruits in its sweet, concentrated, full-bodied personality. With ripe tannin as well as decent acidity, it will offer lovely drinking over the next 12-15 years.

CROIZET BAGES 5TH CRU PAUILLAC   Estimated Price £140+
W J Gardener ( 14.5/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2012-2020
Not as deep as some, quite sweet straewberry nose, the palate is soft with a good solid core, well put together this year.

CROS MARSALETTE PESSAC LEOGNAN   Price £ 149
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 90-92 ) Drinking Dates : 2006-2016
A small Pessac-Leognan estate owned by Stephan von Neipperg, who has accomplished brilliant things at his St.-Emilion and Cotes de Castillon properties, this is the finest wine Clos Marsalette has yet produced. A provocative, fragrant blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Franc, it offers a dense ruby/purple color, a smoky, earthy, black cherry and currant-scented bouquet, a lovely texture, sweet tannin, fine freshness, and admirable definition, size, and balance. It should drink well for a decade or more.

D'AIGUILHE COTES DE CASTILLON Price £ 185
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 89*91 ) Drinking Dates : 2006-2018
Owned by Stephan von Neipperg, this sensational Cotes de Castillon exhibits a dense purple colour as well as a gorgeously sweet bouquet of melted chocolate, blackberries, cassis, and cherries. A blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, it is an opulent, rich effort to enjoy during its first 10-12 years of life.

D'ARMAILHAC 5TH CRU PAUILLAC   Price £ 255
W J Gardener ( 15/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2012-2022
Full plum colour, spicy and hot nose opening up nicely, cool pure fruit palte, nicely plump some nice ripe tannins on the back, round and ample, classic, good wine this year
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 90-93 ) Drinking Dates : 2010-2020
I think the 2005 d’Armailhac may turn out even better than its stable mate, Clerc-Milon. This combination of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot achieved 13.3% alcohol. Revealing lovely creme de cassis-like notes, a beautiful texture, brightness, and sweet tannin, it is an impressively endowed, medium to full-bodied, relatively approachable 2005, although it will undoubtedly display more tannin after bottling.

DE FIEUZAL PESSAC LEOGNAN  Price £ 179
W J Gardener ( 14.5/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2014-2025
This is very dark in colour and very intense on the nose, oaky black cherries, big structure, powerful and dominant with a hint of femininity, very good, an excellent value.

DE MALLERET CRU BOURGEOIS HAUT MEDOC   Price £ 92
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 85-87 )  
 

D'ISSAN 3RD CRU MARGAUX   Price £ 350
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 92-94 ) Drinking Dates : 2009-2025
While some octogenarians may argue that 1900 is better, this is the finest d’Issan I have ever tasted. The 2005 boasts a deep plum/ruby color as well as a beautiful projected bouquet of flowers, licorice, sweet currants, plums, cherries, and smoke. There is lovely purity in the mouth as well as an etched, precise character, stunning concentration, decent acidity, and an impressive finish that lasts nearly 45 seconds.

DOMAINE DE CHEVALIER BLANC PESSAC LEOGNAN Estimated Price £350+
W J Gardener ( 15.5/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2009-2020
This is more perfumed than most, elegant nose, the acidity is elevated, ample fruit a good Pessac finishes long.

DOMAINE DE CHEVALIER PESSAC LEOGNAN Price £ 370
W J Gardener ( 15/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2015-2030
Good deep robe, lovely intense pure raspberry coulis on nose, palate seems a bit heavy in structure but the finish is clean and ripe, a big wine needing some time in bottle. Sleeper.

DU TERTRE 5TH CRU MARGAUX   Estimated Price £150+
W J Gardener ( 15.5/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2012-2025
Lots of legs here, on the side of the glass., intense and clean focused black cherry fruit, silky weight, powerful, rich wine with a lovely graceful and charming finish. A serious value.
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 91-94 ) Drinking Dates : 2008-2020
A terrific, fruit-forward Margaux offering wonderful smoky, melted licorice, chocolate, espresso, creme de cassis, and wild mountain berry notes, the 2005 Du Tertre possesses a dense purple color, medium to full body, superb purity, a sweet, expansive texture, and surprisingly silky, but lofty tannins. This brilliant wine should be at its best between 2008-2020.

DUCRU BEAUCAILLOU 2ND CRU ST JULIEN Price £ 1250
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 92-94 ) Drinking Dates : 2013-2030
Bruno Borie has done a fabulous job at Ducru Beaucaillou. The 2003 may be the greatest Ducru produced in the last 3-4 decades, and the 2005 is not far behind. A more backward style of wine with higher tannin, more elevated acids, and extremely high alcohol (13.6%) for this estate, its inky/purple color is followed by notes of sweet cassis and plums intermixed with licorice, crushed rocks, and white flowers. Medium to full-bodied and structured with a whoppingly long finish, it needs 8-10 years of cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2030+. It is a blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon and 33% Merlot.

DUHART MILON 4TH CRU PAUILLAC   Price £ 308
W J Gardener ( 15.5/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2015-2030
Very dark again, hotter more meaty nose than the Carruades, beefy, again a lovely mouthfeel, more tannic and more edginess. Classic Duhart Lead pencil finish, ripe all here in a bundance. A little more four square, very long.
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 90-92 ) Drinking Dates : 2010-2025
Consumers should keep an eye on this estate as their wines are getting better and better. The 2005, while not at the level of the 2003, is an impressive blend of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon and 29% Merlot. It offers classic cassis notes along with some of the lead pencil character of its more famous sibling, Lafite Rothschild, medium body, good purity, moderate tannin, and undeniable elegance.

FERRIERE 3RD CRU MARGAUX Price £ 220

FIGEAC 1ER GRAND CRU ST. EMILION  Estimated Price £350+
W J Gardener ( 16/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2015-2025
Seems lighter in colour than some, not too much on the nose, though quite minty. Chunky cool fruit, tannic, there is an extra dimension with this wine, could be the quality of the Cabernet Sauvignon. Good length masculine style. Quite like this. One of the best Figeac I have tasted from cask. Sure to evolve into an exciting wine.
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 91-94 ) Drinking Dates : 2009-2020
The best Figeac since the 2000 and 1990, this dense plum/ruby/purple-tinged 2005 offers up sweet aromas of creosote, incense, fruitcake, black cherries, and cassis. With soft but noticeable tannin this impeccably elegant, medium-bodied, authoritatively-flavored, pure, long wine will be drinkable between 2009-2020.

FONBEL GRAND CRU ST EMILION   Estimated Price £100+
W J Gardener ( 13/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2009-2014
Very deep colour, intense nose, lots of acidity intense tannic palate, very full but there is serious fruit concentration here for a Grand Cru. Excellent again.

FOURCAS HOSTEN LISTRAC MEDOC   Price £ 89

FRANC MAYNE GRAND CRU ST. EMILION  Price £ 240
W J Gardener ( 14.5/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2012-2020
Quite deep, very at the heart, good density here on the palate, round and chunky. Finishes well. Good effort.

GISCOURS 2ND CRU MARGAUX Estimated Price £250+
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 90-93 ) Drinking Dates : 2009-2022
A full-bodied, powerful Giscours, the 2005 displays a deep ruby/purple color as well as sweet aromas of red and black fruits intermixed with loamy soil, dried herbs, and a hint of pain grille. Good acidity, a plump, corpulent attack and mouthfeel, medium to full body, superb depth of fruit, plenty of glycerin (it must approach 14% alcohol), and a lusty finish suggest this beauty will be approachable young. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2022.

GRAND MAYNE GRAND CRU ST. EMILION  Price £ 295
W J Gardener ( 16.5/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2015-2030
Full colour and nose here, delicacy and and extra silkyness again, has the power and richness of a very fine wine, seemless power. Very fine Grand Mayne. Superb length.

GRAND PUY DUCASSE 5TH CRU PAUILLAC  Estimated Price £150+
W J Gardener ( 14.5/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2015-2030
Full colour attractive, the nose is jammy and bold, the palate is dense and chunky, as usual starts life quite aggressive in its structure but there is considerable concentration and depth. A very good wine at an affordable price.
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 89-91 ) Drinking Dates : 2010-2020
This sleeper of the vintage is as stunning as Grand-Puy-Ducasse’s 2003. The deep purple-tinged 2005 possesses wonderful notes of sweet cherries, creme de cassis, smoke, creamy oak, and spice box. The sizeable tannins are well-concealed by the wine’s abundant glycerin, extract, and fruit. A beauty, it should be at its best between 2010-2020.

GRAND PUY LACOSTE 5TH CRU PAUILLAC Price £ 525
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 92-94 ) Drinking Dates : 2012-2025
Following a period of mixed performances, Grand-Puy-Lacoste’s 2005 is their finest effort since 2000 and 1996. It offers a deep ruby/purple color in addition to a beautiful, pure bouquet of creme de cassis, full body, moderately high tannin, and good precision, freshness, weight, and richness. Like many of the classified growths, it is a candidate to shut down after bottling.

GRUAUD LAROSE 2ND CRU ST JULIEN   Price £ 395
W J Gardener ( 16.5/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2020-2035
Full plum lots of legs, very tight, big attack, unyielding palate. A bit rigid at present. The concentration is huge. A massive wine for long keeping.

HAUT BAGES LIBERAL 5TH CRU PAUILLAC   Estimated Price £160+
W J Gardener ( 16/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2015-2025
Good full colour, straight away this has an extra dimension over the lesser classed growths from Pauillac, the nose is delicious very cakey, the palate is cool and with a silky vibrance, lots of dense fruit finishing with a lovely overall fell. Excellent as usual this is one of my value picks.

HAUT BERGEY PESSAC LEOGNAN  Price £ 195
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 91-93 ) Drinking Dates : 2009-2026
Unquestionably the finest wine Haut-Bergey has produced since 2000, this deep purple-colored beauty is a classic example of Pessac-Leognan’s smoky, earthy style. Sweet red and black currant fruit, scorched earth, and a subtle burning ember/smoky character emerge from this ripe, full-bodied effort. With terrific fruit, good acidity, and high but ripe tannin, it should hit its peak in 3-5 years, and last for two decades. It is a blend of equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

HAUT BRION 1ER CRU PESSAC LEOGNAN   Estimated Price £2500+
W J Gardener ( 19/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2020-2040
really, very deep, a powerhouse on the nose, hot and spicy with elegant feminine tones, crussed gravel and cassis, very silky weighty palate, seemingly higher acidity than the La Mission, very fresh and focused. The tannins are very ripe and spicy, vanilla on the finish, very long and complex wine, has a bit more umph than the La mission for me this year.
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 96-100 ) Drinking Dates : 2012-2040
The 2005 Haut-Brion is an extraordinarily broad, rich, full-bodied effort boasting huge aromas of scorched earth, plum sauce, sweet cherries, black currants, and a hint of toasty oak. The wine possesses huge tannins, which is somewhat deceptive given its viscosity and opulence. Despite its intensity, Haut-Brion is always a model of elegance and symmetry. The profound 2005, which will undoubtedly shut down after bottling, should be less seductive in its youth than either the 1989 or 1990, but it will be incredibly long-lived.

HAUT MARBUZET CRU BOURGEOIS ST. ESTEPHE Estimated Price £245+
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 90-92 ) Drinking Dates : 2009-2017
Proprietor Duboscq has achieved better integration of new oak over recent vintages, resulting in the most interesting Haut-Marbuzet since the 1990. The dark plum/purple-tinged 2005 exhibits a big, sweet, flamboyant bouquet of spice box, vanillin, black cherries, and currants. Medium to full-bodied and broad, with more acidity than usual as well as ripe tannin and impressive density, it should be at its peak between 2009-2017.

KIRWAN 3RD CRU MARGAUX   Price £ 325
W J Gardener ( 16.5/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2015-2025
This has an attractive nose, jammy red fruits, voluptuous palate, spicy, minty peppery finish, very concentrated and quite extracted, but all in balance. Very well made. Great value.
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 93-95 ) Drinking Dates : 2014-2050
Here we go again! This extraordinary wine is the greatest Kirwan made since some of the estate’s historic offerings of the mid-1800s. An inky/black/purple color accompanies a gorgeous perfume of incense, creme de cassis, licorice, and subtle wood. It boasts thrilling levels of richness, full body, layers of concentration, high glycerin as well as tannin, and a fabulous 60-second finish. This compelling effort possesses 50 or more years of aging potential. Kudos to Sophie Schyler, the charming proprietress who gave such a graceful performance while under attack in the disingenuous movie Mondovino. The 2005 Kirwan will be at its finest between 2014-2050+.

LA BIENFAISANCE ST EMILION   Estimated Price £125+
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 92-94 ) Drinking Dates : 2009-2026
As are many 2005s, this is the finest wine yet produced at this property. La Bienfaisance’s clay and limestone soils have resulted in a black/purple-colored effort displaying superb aromas of melted licorice, espresso roast, black fruits, and spice. Rich and pure, with good acidity, plenty of definition, and a heady, layered, powerful mouthfeel as well as texture, it will benefit from 3-4 years of cellaring, and drink well for 15-20 years.

LA CHAPELLE DE LA MISSION HAUT BRION   Estimated Price £260+
W J Gardener ( 16/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2012-2025
Very deep colour, the nose full, meaty and earthy, with lovely spices, very soft and silky entrance, the fruit is expressive, good acidity ripe tannins, holds on well to the earthy finish, a full mouthfeel and a charming wine, will be lovely in only 5 years or so.
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 90-92 ) Drinking Dates : 2006-2018
La Mission’s second wine, La Chapelle de la Mission, has become one of the better second wines of Bordeaux. The supple, exotic, seductive 2005 will provide immense pleasure during its first 10-12 years of life. Its deep plum/ruby/purple-tinged color is followed by sweet cassis fruit, scorched earth, and mineral characteristics.

LA CONSEILLANTE POMEROL Price £ 1050
W J Gardener ( 16/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2015-2035
Very attractive colour, more like burgundy than claret, lovely nose, ripe and raisiny, sherbety real class and distiction on the nose, as usual from this great estate. Very full silky and powerful on the palate. High toned, very fresh with lots of power and grip. I very lovely wine, very big for La conseillante.
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 93-95 ) Drinking Dates : 2009-2034
The finest La Conseillante since 2000, the dense purple-colored 2005 displays notes of sweet raspberries, creamy vanilla ice cream, spice box, and cedar. With good fruit, depth, and a broad, savory attack as well as mid-palate, this medium-bodied, finesse-styled, elegant wine represents a synthesis in style between a grand cru red Burgundy and a top-notch Bordeaux. Give it 3-5 years of bottle age, and drink it over the following 20-25.

LA COUSPAUDE GRAND CRU ST EMILION Estimated Price £300+
W J Gardener ( 16.5/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2012-2020
This is very deep almost black, a cocktail of flavours evolving here, rich open silky wine. Concentrated lots of oak; an impressive effort.

LA CROIX DU BEAUCAILLOU (2ND WINE DUCRU BEAUCAILLOU)   Price £ 210
W J Gardener ( 15/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2010-2018
With Ducru making such a sensational wine in 2005, the Croix is offering very good value, a super wine with great texture and style.

LA CROIX DU CASSE POMEROL  Price £ 195
James Suckling / The Wine Spectator ( 89-91 ) Drinking Dates : 2025-2015
Full colour, horse hair with a rich plumminess on the nose, quite pronounced compared to some, nice cool silkiness here on the palate. Lots of tannin, concentrated, even quite extracted, a full impressive effort, nice length, very good.

LA CROIX DU GAY POMEROL  Price £ 230
W J Gardener ( 14/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2012-2025
Very deep colour, strawberries on the nose jammy, a big mouthful, lots of tannin, round and substantial mid-palate. A bit burly but will be at least good.
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 88-90 ) Drinking Dates : 2006-2021
This is one of the finest efforts to yet emerge from this estate located on the plateau of Pomerol. A combination of 95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc, it tips the scales at nearly 14% alcohol. Exhibiting a deep ruby/purple hue as well as a sweet bouquet of loamy soil, blueberries, cherries, plums, and mocha, it possesses lovely ripeness, savory elegance, purity, and overall balance. Enjoy it over the next 15 years.

LA LAGUNE 3RD CRU LUDON  Estimated Price £265+
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 92-94 ) Drinking Dates : 2009-2031
Until now, my reference vintage for La Lagune has been 1982, with the 1990 running a close second. However, the 2005 has the potential to be the finest La Lagune I have ever tasted. Dense ruby/purple-colored with sweet, briery, mountain berry notes interwoven with flowers, cherries, pain grille, and spice, it is intense yet elegant with tremendous purity and precision. While always somewhat Burgundian in style, the 2005 possesses more muscle and power than usual. It should be drinkable in 3-4 years, and last for 25 or more. It is a brilliant effort from this chateau.

LA MISSION HAUT BRION PESSAC LEOGNAN   Price £ 4200
W J Gardener ( 18.5/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2020-2040
Very deep colour, very tight on the nose, spices, black fruits, very elegant. A massive mouthfeel, loads of seductive layers, well supported with admirable acidity and tannin, harmionious and decandent, only showing a glimpse of what is to come. A real;ly fine 2005
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 95-97 ) Drinking Dates : 2012-2030
The deep ruby/purple-hued 2005 La Mission-Haut-Brion is the finest offering from this estate since the 2000, a vintage it resembles in power, muscle, and structure. A gorgeous perfume of creosote, blueberries, and black fruits is followed by powerful, full-bodied flavors with great purity as well as remarkable freshness. Already revealing a certain unctuosity and thickness, it should continue to put on weight and develop magnificently for 25-30+ years. La Mission’s staff believes it is more similar to the 1990 than 2000, but it is too early for me to agree or disagree. Nevertheless, this is a profound La Mission-Haut-Brion.

LA POINTE POMEROL   Estimated Price £180+
W J Gardener ( 14.5/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2012-2020
Looks attractive; nose is a little closed, silky with nice acidity on the palate, quite full and fat. Stylish and charming as you would expect from Pomerol. Good future here.
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 88-90 ) Drinking Dates : 2006-2018
Undeniably the finest La Pointe I have ever tasted, this corpulent, fleshy, dark ruby/purple-tinged Pomerol exhibits sweet mocha and berry fruit, medium body, excellent purity, soft tannin, and low acidity (an anomaly for 2005). Drink it during its first 10-12 years of life.

LA TOUR BLANCHE 1ER CRU SAUTERNES Estimated Price £280
James Suckling / The Wine Spectator ( 95-100 )  
 

LA TOUR HAUT BRION PESSEAC LEOGNAN  Estimated Price £240+
W J Gardener ( 16/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2015-2030
The nose is quite light here, some toasty notes, a lovely elevated acidity holding up the ripe powdery tannins, very harmonious. Lead pencil finish, really well balanced, everything set to evolve beautifully. Always a great value.

LACOSTE BORIE PAUILLAC 2ND WINE OF GRAND PUY LACOSTE   Estimated Price £112
W J Gardener ( 15/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2008-2015
This is delicious, the 2nd wine of Grand Puy Lacoste, sweet fruit generous style early drinker, brilliant value!

LAFITE ROTHSCHILD 1ER CRU PAUILLAC   Price £ 5000
W J Gardener ( 19.5/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2020-2050
Almost black, a fine nose, very intense and concentrated, deep, complex spices, there is so much here, vanilla, very silky and powerful, focused precision and effortless presence in the mouth, the flovours sit on the finish for many seconds, a really emphatic personality, set to grow into immesnce proportions. Seductive, silky and round with enormous weight. Wow this is some wine and a great Lafite to rival the 1996.
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 93-96 ) Drinking Dates : 2015-2050
The 2005 Lafite is a lighter-styled effort than I expected, but of course, this estate is renowned for its delicacy and finesse. After the world-beating, off-the-charts 2003, which is a modern-day clone of the 1959, the 2005 seems pretty and restrained, but very noble as one would expect. Remarkably, the alcohol is actually higher in 2005 than in 2003, topping out at 13+%. The final blend was 88.8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10.7% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot. Production represented only 40% of the harvest. The wine’s dark plum/ruby/purple color is followed by Lafite’s tell-tale aromas of lead pencil shavings intermixed with flowers, minerals, sweet berries, and black currants. Medium-bodied, quintessentially elegant and finesse-styled with high but ripe tannin, it is an impeccably pure, exceptionally well-made effort. Despite its obvious charm, my instincts suggest it will shut down after bottling.

LAFON ROCHET 4TH CRU ST. ESTEPHE  Price £ 275
W J Gardener ( 15/20 )  
This is also very deep in colour lovely creamy concentrated nose, full silky palate, very ripe, also a lttle asutere on the finish to be expected in a powerful vintage from Estephe.
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 91-93 ) Drinking Dates : 2012-2025
Although it does not yet display much complexity, this stunning, opaque purple-colored wine exhibits sweet creme de cassis fruit, enormous concentration, loads of tannin, and superb purity as well as length. A medium to full-bodied, structured effort, it will require time in the bottle.

LAGRANGE 3RD CRU ST JULIEN  Price £ 330
W J Gardener ( 15.5/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2020-2035
Very deep colour, nose is closed a little, wome vanilla notes. Dense palate, cool fruit light firm tannins, good acidity, a bit less expressive than the Branaire at the moment, this is a much bigger mmore sturdy wine than usual, potentially great wine.
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 92-94 ) Drinking Dates : 2012-2030
Once again the provocative words “the best ever made” appear in my tasting notes. In twenty-eight years, I have never tasted a Lagrange as amazing as this 2005. Its dense ruby/purple color is accompanied by pure notes of creme de cassis, cedar, spice box, and a hint of cherries. Full-bodied, powerful, and opulent, with high tannin as well as extract in addition to great freshness, definition, and length, this long-lived beauty should be at its finest between 2012-2030.

LANESSAN CRU BOURGEOIS HAUT MEDOC Estimated Price £86
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 88-90 ) Drinking Dates : 2010-
 

LANGOA BARTON 4TH CRU ST. JULIEN   Estimated Price £220+
W J Gardener ( 17.5/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2015-2035
Really very deep in colour, right to the rim, excellent nose, very ripe rich character of raspberries, cool rich fruit here. So fine with a huge wrapping of ripe tannin. Finish of vanilla. Excellent good keeper.
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 90-92 ) Drinking Dates : 2015-2035
A behemoth possessing huge tannin, density, and extract as well as mouth-searing levels of firepower, this inky/purple-tinged St.-Julien is a classic vin de garde offering notes of high class tobacco smoke, cedar, black currants, incense, and subtle wood. Potential purchasers over the age of 50 may want to reconsider, as this wine will require a decade of cellaring.

LARCISSE DUCASSE GRAND CRU CLASSE ST. EMILION    Estimated Price £250+
W J Gardener ( 16.5/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2012-2022
This is deep, good legs, bright, nose is very intense, low yields? Excellent acidity and focused pure charming mid-palate. A great wine from this estate this year.
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 95-98 ) Drinking Dates : 2010-2030
The most profound wine made at this great terroir since the 1945, 2005 is the wine fans of this estate have been waiting for for decades. The brilliant partnership of Nicolas Thienpont and Stephane Derenoncourt, which began managing Larcis Ducasse in 2002, has hit a home run, producing a prodigious St.-Emilion of legendary proportions. This blend of 78% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon receives malolactic in barrel and aging on its lees for 7-10 months. Displaying the type of complexity that can only come from the finest vineyards, it boasts a big, spicy, cedar, grilled herb, pot roast, sweet currant, kirsch liqueur, plum, and blackberry-scented bouquet. The wine is full-bodied and velvety-textured, with superb definition, freshness, and intensity as well as a sense of lightness. This immortal effort is one of the monuments of the vintage.

LASCOMBES 2ND CRU MARGAUX   Price £ 525
W J Gardener ( 16/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2015-2030
Probably the deepest colour of all the Margaux. Lovely nose, rich aromas. Silky palate, chewy and dense. Some obvious oak, unfolding on the finish like a rose. A crafted wine with long-lived potential.
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 94-96 ) Drinking Dates : 2010-2030
The most profound Lascombes produced under the new ownership, the 2005 is a 25,000-case blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, and 3% Petit Verdot. It boasts an inky/blue/purple color in addition to an extraordinary perfume of charcoal, barbecue smoke, grilled meats, and sweet blackberries, cherries, and violets. With tremendous intensity, purity, freshness, definition, palate presence, and a moderately tannic finish (the tannin is sweet and well-integrated), this blockbuster is rich and concentrated yet maintains its Margaux typicity.

LATOUR 1ER CRU PAUILLAC   Estimated Price £3000+
W J Gardener ( 19/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2020-2050
Very deep, slightlly more to the rim than the Les Forts, the nose is closed, some herny notes, smoky and grilled, very pure fruit, tight cabernet Sauvignon linearity, pure and powerful palate, lots of generosity cobvering the structure, the tannin content is very high in this wine. This combined with the ripeness and concentrated fruit makes for a formidable wine with a great future. Classic.
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 98-100 ) Drinking Dates : 2015-
The colossal 2005 Latour (44% of the total production) is a wine for the ages. A blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot, it possesses the highest alcohol of recent vintages. Different both structurally and texturally from the extraordinary 2003 (which I tend to prefer, although Frederic Engerer clearly disagrees), the black/purple-hued 2005 exhibits high tannin, prodigious concentration, unbelievable purity, amazing freshness and vibrancy, and almost surreal definition and nuances for such a young wine. It is a huge, fresh, backward yet incredibly pure effort that represents a modern day classic, but don’t expect the opulence and exotic sweetness of the 2003. It will close down after bottling, and require at least a decade of cellaring before consuming.

LE GAY POMEROL Estimated Price £650+
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 94-96 ) Drinking Dates : 2014-2035
The 2005 is unquestionably the finest Le Gay since 1982, 1975, and perhaps even 1947. Kudos to consulting winemaker Michel Rolland and the estate’s relatively new proprietor, Catherine Pere-Verge, for pushing the envelope to this level. Reminiscent of an old style Le Gay or Lafleur, it boasts an inky/blue/purple color as well as an exquisite perfume of raspberry and blueberry liqueur intermixed with flowers, kirsch, licorice, and earth. This dense, powerful, concentrated, full-bodied yet well-balanced and symmetrical Pomerol possesses a boatload of tannin, but it is largely concealed by the lofty alcohol, glycerin, and extract. A brilliant effort, it represents a new reference point for Le Gay.

LEOVILLE BARTON 2ND CRU ST. JULIEN    Price £ 850
W J Gardener ( 18/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2017-2035
The depth of colour is tremendous, very fine intense cassis nose, very pure, sexy fruit, voluptuous, very high acidity, massive concentrated, everything is elevated above the norm, a powerhouse Bordeaux. Will be fantastic.
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 94-96 ) Drinking Dates : 2015-2055
A monumental beast possessing dramatic levels of concentration, tannin, and potential, Leoville-Barton’s opaque purple-hued 2005 reveals amazingly sweet notes of black currants, damp forest floor, and spice box. It is a deep, powerful, unctuously-textured effort with enough acidity to provide freshness as well as definition. Broader and more masculine than the 2000, and more classic than the 2003, the 2005 is a monster meant for long-term aging.

LEOVILLE LASCASES 2ND CRU ST. JULIEN  Estimated Price £650+
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 92-94 ) Drinking Dates : 2015-2030
For Jean-Hubert Delon, Leoville Las-Cases’ 2005 is reminiscent of the 1996 and 1986. Only 37% of the production made it into the final blend of 87.6% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7.6% Merlot, and 4.8% Cabernet Franc. The 13.1% alcohol content is actually lower than the 2002's, because of the high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon. The vibrant, fresh 2005 reveals high tannin along with a beautiful deep ruby/purple color, and classic notes of cassis and cherries intermixed with minerals and a judicious touch of toasty oak. This concentrated, classically built, structured claret is meant for the long haul, but it will not provide much pleasure over the next decade.

LEOVILLE POYFERRE 2ND CRU ST. JULIEN   Estimated Price £350+
W J Gardener ( 17/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2015-2030
Again very deep and vibrant, nmeaty nose, a bit more sedate than extpected, thye palate is polished and smooth, dense and concentrated, peppery tannins, long and fine.
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 92-94 ) Drinking Dates : 2013-2030
As superb as Leoville Poyferre’s 2005 is, it does not appear to be as profound as their 2003, but I may be proven wrong once the wine is bottled. Flowery creme de cassis aromas interwoven with hints of blackberries, licorice, and pain grille jump from the glass of this opaque purple-colored St.-Julien. Possessing medium to full body, sweet tannin, an expansive, multilayered mid-palate, good acidity and freshness, and a blockbuster finish, this powerful, impressively endowed effort will require patience.

LES FORTS DE LATOUR PAUILLAC  Price £ 750
W J Gardener ( 17/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2015-2025
Very dark colour, rich intense nose, muscular yet with a delicacy. Minty cassis, great depth, a seamless texture, ample tannins underneath, very well covered, fabulous weight, good mid-palate, quite earthy on the finish, not overly extracted, very well balanced and fine.
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 92-94 ) Drinking Dates : 2006-2026
The second wine, the 2005 Les Forts de Latour, represents 45% of the production. A blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon and 24% Merlot, it appears to be the finest Forts de Latour since the 1982 (which I had the good fortune of drinking out of an Imperiale and Jeroboam at Restaurant Daniel on the occasion of Daniel Boulud’s receipt of France’s Legion of Honor on March 12th). The 2005 Les Forts de Latour reveals a striking minerality in addition to gorgeous notes of creme de cassis, forest floor, plum, minerals, and subtle oak. This full-bodied, superbly concentrated, fresh wine should evolve gracefully for two decades.

LES ORMES DE PEZ CRU BOURGEOIS ST. ESTEPHE  Estimated Price £150+
W J Gardener ( 15/20 )  
Sweet black fruits on the nose, chewy soft excellent mouthfeel, again very good Saint Estephe result.

L'EVANGILE POMEROL Estimated Price £600+
W J Gardener ( 16.5/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2015-2030
Quite deep in colour, nose is a little dumb, complexity is underneath. Good generous style on the palate. Layered on the tongue, coating tannins and oak. The finish is not too forced like some. Very Elegant wine.
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 93-95 ) Drinking Dates : 2010-2030
The finest l’Evangile since the 2000 and 1998 (the chateau’s staff believes it will eclipse those two vintages), the 2005 is a blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc produced from yields of 39 hectoliters per hectare. It is aged in 100% new oak and some lots enjoy malolactic in barrel. A saturated purple color is accompanied by sweet aromas of blackberries, mocha, camphor, and hints of licorice as well as spice. Finely etched tannins provide considerable support and definition to this full-bodied, opulent Pomerol. It easily conceals its lofty tannin and sizeable alcohol (13.2%). Undeniably a top effort from one of Pomerol’s finest terroirs, it should be at its peak between 2010-2030.

LYNCH BAGES 5TH CRU PAUILLAC    Price £ 650
W J Gardener ( 18/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2018-2040
Very deep colour, huge legs down the side of the glass, enticing clean nose, complex yet closed. Decadent fruit here, very rich exciting depth and size, all in balance, exotic, fine finish wow, the length is exceptional, one of the wines the vintage for me.
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 91-93 ) Drinking Dates : 2009-2031
This dense inky/purple-hued, elegant Lynch Bages will not make tasters forget the 2000, 1996, 1990, or 1989, but it is a big improvement over some recent indifferent efforts. Although lacking the massiveness expected in a vintage such as 2005, it possesses copious quantities of creme de cassis, licorice, smoke, and minerals. With good precision, lively acidity, wonderful purity and elegance, it may represent a modern-day clone of the brilliant 1955 fashioned by charismatic proprietor, Jean-Michel Cazes’, father. The 2005 will require 3-5 years of cellaring, and should evolve for 20-25 years.

LYNCH MOUSSAS 5TH CRU PAUILLAC  Price £ 195
W J Gardener ( 15/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2015-2025
Bright and vibrant colour, lovely cerise nose very open. Del;ightful mouthfeel very good fruit a touch hot and hllow on the finish but will fill out without doubt into a tremendous value Pauillac.
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 89-91 ) Drinking Dates : 2010-2020
An idea of just how good the 2005 vintage truly is can be gained by noting the success of Lynch-Moussas, one of Pauillac’s perennial underachievers. It possesses a dense ruby/purple color as well as lovely aromas of sweet blueberries, black currants, flowers, and pain grille. Medium-bodied and elegant, with rich fruit, noticeable glycerin, and moderate tannin, it will be drinkable at an earlier age than most northern Medocs.

MALARTIC LAGRAVIERES PESSAC LEOGNAN Price £ 290
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 90-93 ) Drinking Dates : 2009-2031
This estate has been resurrected over the last decade under the inspired leadership of Belgian proprietor, Alexandre Bonnie. The incredibly elegant 2005 is a classic Graves offering wonderfully sweet aromas of berries, scorched earth, flowers, and spice. Elegant, vibrant, super-endowed, textured, rich, fresh, and lively, it should be approachable in 3-4 years, and last for 25 or more.

MALESCOT ST. EXUPERY 3RD CRU MARGAUX    Estimated Price £250+
W J Gardener ( 17/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2014-2030
Very deep in colour, almost black, a lovely fruit bomb concoction on the nose. Open but focused. Elegant, this is lovely multi-layered, rich, good weight will be a blockbuster. Really lovely and classic Margaux. One of my must buy tips for this vintage.
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 90-93 ) Drinking Dates : 2010-2030
The 2005 is a prodigious effort from this estate, which, despite some dazzling wines over recent vintages, rarely receives the attention it deserves. This cuvee is off the charts in terms of richness, intensity, power, and overall elegance. A stunning black/purple color is accompanied by scents of graphite, blackberries, cassis, and minerals. Incredibly pure, beautifully textured, and medium to full-bodied with sweet tannin for a 2005, this compelling Margaux will be at its finest between 2010-2030+.

MARGAUX 1ER CRU MARGAUX   Estimated Price £2500+
W J Gardener ( 19/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2020-2045
The is dark but difficult to judge in the cellar, the nose less expressive than the Pavillon. Some vanilla notes, a solid black power house, very concentrated, big burst of attack for Margaux, the acidity is pronounced. Chunky mid-palate, hot and spicy on the finish. A very precise, pure wine which unfolds in the mouth. An old viney character coming through, a fabulous wine , complex and charming. Surely one of the best ever. We tasted the 2004 alongside which was showing great promise, a relative bargain!
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 96-100 ) Drinking Dates : 2015-2060
This is another superb vintage from this grand dame estate. Administrator Paul Pontallier has overseen the production of so many great Margaux, it is senseless to say 2005 is better than all its predecessors, but it is an extraordinary effort. A blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot, it is a gorgeously pure, intense, deep purple/ruby-tinged effort offering exquisite, surprisingly nuanced and complex aromatics for such a young Chateau Margaux. The mouthfeel is one of opulence, silk, purity, full-bodied concentration, terrific intensity, unbelievable freshness and vibrancy, and sweet tannin. The tannin levels are the highest ever measured at this estate, but the alcohol is only around 13%, not particularly high by this vintage’s standards. Yields were 43 hectoliters per hectare. This powerful effort is built along the lines of the 1996, but is seemingly even more impressive, layered, and potentially grand. It is a candidate for 50+ years of evolution.

MARJOSSE BORDEAUX ROUGE   Price £ 85
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 87-88 )  
This well priced estate is under the guidance of Pierre Lurton the administrator of bothe Cheval Blanc and Chateau Yquem

MAUCAILLOU MOULIS   Price £ 125
W J Gardener ( 14/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2012-2020
Very deep colour again, Chewy and sweet on the palate, good ripe wine, with charm for early drinking and decent length, a very good Moulis style.

MONBOUSQUET GRAND CRU ST. EMILION Price £ 395
W J Gardener ( 16/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2012-2025
Very deep colour, intense nose not as open as some but clean and correct. The palate is very full ripe and intense. Together here, complex finish, spicy an impressive well made wine.
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 92-94 ) Drinking Dates : 2010-2023
There are 7,000 cases of this 60% Merlot/30% Cabernet Franc/10% Cabernet Sauvignon blend from the home estate of Chantal and Gerard Perse. Although this is not considered to be one of St.-Emilion’s finest terroirs, everything is done in an artisinal manner - including hand harvesting, hand sorting, a draconian selection in both the vineyard and the cellars, and Burgundy-like treatments of malolactic in barrel and aging sur-lie. Monbousquet has been a stunning success ever since Perse took over the property. Earlier vintages continue to suggest that this cuvee has far greater longevity than expected given the opulence and enormous fruit. For example, the 1998 and 1999 remain infants in terms of development, and the 1995 is just coming into a pre-adolescent stage. The 2005 (13.5% alcohol) possesses a saturated blue/purple color as well as a big, sweet nose of pain grille, roasted herbs, grilled meats, black cherry jam, blackberries, and spice. Powerful, full-bodied, and dense yet elegant, deep, and layered, its pure fruit, concentration, and overall quality hide the moderately high tannin.

MONBRISON CRU BOURGEOIS MARGAUX   Estimated Price £150+
W J Gardener ( 14.5/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2012-2020
 

MONTROSE 2ND CRU ST ESTEPHE Price £ 750
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 92-94 ) Drinking Dates : 2015-2035
The big news in Bordeaux is the potential sale (it had not been finalized at the time of publication) of Chateau Montrose. The 2005 Montrose does not quite measure up to the 2003, but it is a beautiful effort. A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc as well as a dollop of Petit Verdot, it possesses an inky/blue/purple color in addition to a sweet, provocative nose of creme de cassis, crushed rocks, graphite, and subtle wood. Medium to full-bodied, elegant yet powerful, fresh, and nuanced, the acids are higher and the pH lower in 2005 than in 2002. The 2005 should be a long-lived classic, but patience will be required despite the relatively high alcohol (13.2%), which is counterbalanced by some of the highest tannins ever measured.

MOULIN ST. GEORGES GRAND CRU SAINT EMILION   Estimated Price £200+
W J Gardener ( 16/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2013-2025
Again very dark colour pure intense and oaky nose,minerally and elegant , the palate has lots of intense fruit flavours, this wine gets better and better under the direction of Alain Vautier, very powerful, excellent.
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 91-93 ) Drinking Dates : 2011-2025
The second most well-known estate of perfectionist proprietor Alain Vauthier (the best-known is Ausone), the inky/purple-tinged 2005 Moulin-St.-Georges offers sumptuously sweet aromas of candied cassis, crushed rocks, flowers, and incense. Intense, full-bodied, and deep, with fabulous purity, texture, and freshness as well as a 40+ second finish, this may be the finest Moulin-St.-Georges Vauthier has yet produced.

MOUTON ROTHSCHILD 1ER CRU PAUILLAC   Price £ 3850
W J Gardener ( 18/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2020-2045
Very dark colour, solid block, meaty. Lots of exotic flavours underneath, lead pencily, lovely pure palate weight, very broad, impenetrable. The finish is impressive, long and expressive, a powerful four square wine with great potential.
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 94-96 ) Drinking Dates : 2015-2050
The 2005 Mouton-Rothschild (a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, and 1% Cabernet Franc) 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.

PALMER 3RD CRU MARGAUX  Estimated Price £600+
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 94-96 ) Drinking Dates : 2015-2050
A classic vin de garde as well as a Palmer for the ages, the 2005 will last for 40-50 years. Representing 50% of the production, it is a blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and 7% Petit Verdot. An inky/blue/purple color is accompanied by a beautiful bouquet of flowers, cassis, spice box, forest floor, and subtle wood. Boasting extraordinary intensity, a huge entry on the palate, full body, high tannin, and good underlying acidity, this is a massive as well as exquisitely elegant, pure effort.

PAPE CLEMENT PESSAC LEOGNAN ROUGE  Estimated Price £500+
W J Gardener ( 16/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2017-2035
Deep colour, very atttactive nose; generous and silky palate, lots of charm with a burly backbone. Classy smokey finish.
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 96-100 ) Drinking Dates : 2010-2036
The greatest Pape-Clement ever produced? There is no question that proprietor Bernard Magrez, backed up by the eminent consulting winemaker, Michel Rolland, has produced a succession of brilliant wines over the last decade or more. The 2005, a potential legend, boasts a dense purple color along with a glorious, smoky bouquet displaying notions of graphite, plums, cassis, licorice, and subtle oak. Full-bodied with magnificent intensity, beautiful fresh acidity, tremendous definition, and a powerful, moderately tannic, super-concentrated finish, this beauty should come into its own by 2010, and last for three decades or more. It is a prodigious effort!

PAVIE 1ER GRAND CRU CLASSE ST EMILION   Price £ 2250
W J Gardener ( 18/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2020-2040
Incredibly deep in colour, a minty intensity on the nose, the palate is very full round and lush, lots of tannin and seemingly acidity, good balance as usual, a very powerful impressive wine. Very big structure.
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 98-100 ) Drinking Dates : 2015-2050
It is increasingly apparent that the simplistic bashing by some wine writers of Gerard Perse and his wines as well as the “American taste,” is undermining their credibility ... as it should. As each new vintage gets released, consumers can taste Pavie and the other Perse wines and see for themselves how profound Pavie is. There is a reason why the highly respected Grand Jury European rated Pavie ahead of all other Bordeaux chateaux in 2000 and 1999. It is obviously a profound wine. When Jean-Francois Moueix (the owner of Petrus) and I were discussing this, he mentioned that his late father, Jean-Pierre, always believed that after Ausone, Pavie possessed the greatest terroir of St.-Emilion. While it was never exploited to its full potential by its previous owners, Gerard Perse has brought it to the forefront, consistently making one of the top wines of Bordeaux. Moreover, Perse’s offerings are meant to age for five or more decades. It’s hard to judge at this early stage whether the 2005 will be better than the 2003 or 2000, but it is unquestionably a thrilling wine to smell, taste, and reflect upon. Only 7,000 cases are produced from this 112-acre vineyard with an extraordinary exposition. In 2005, yields were a minuscule 30 hectoliters per hectare, the average age of the vines is 43 years, and the blend was 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine receives a 4-5 week maceration, malolactic in barrel a la top Burgundies, and aging on its lees. Perse, who neither fines nor filters, ages the wine for 26 months in barrel. He has recently gone to the additional expense of buying his own trees and having the wood air-dried and coopered to his specifications by the cooperage firm of Sylvain and Nadalie. The 2005 Pavie is reminiscent of some of the great 1900s, 1929s, 1945s, and 1949s. Inky/purple to the rim, with that extraordinary liqueur of minerals interwoven with creme de cassis, blackberries, and juicy cherries, it reveals a subtle note of smoky oak, massive body, a multilayered mid-palate and texture, incredibly high tannin, and dramatic levels of fruit, glycerin, and extract. The alcohol came in at 14% naturally in 2005, higher than in either 2000 or 2003. This is a wine of extraordinary purity, precision, and monumental aspirations.

PAVIE DECESSE 1ER CRU ST.EMILION   Estimated Price £600+
W J Gardener ( 17/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2013-2030
This is very deep in colour, meaty concebtration, very ripe and intense here. Lots of vigour and tannins and grip, high alcohol, very intense and long here excellent wine. The length is as impressive as anything I have tasted this week!
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 96-100 ) Drinking Dates : 2012-2030
As it did in 2000 and 2003, this tiny garagiste estate (just over 8 acres) owned by Chantal and Gerard Perse has produced a monumental wine in 2005. A blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc fashioned from yields of 33 hectoliters per hectare, it receives a 4-5 week maceration, malolactic in barrel, and aging on its lees, a la top Burgundies. There are only 415 cases, and the wine achieved 14% alcohol. Forgetting its off-the-charts analytical numbers, it is a prodigious effort boasting an inky/blue/purple color, followed by rich aromas of camphor, crushed rocks, sweet blueberries, black raspberries, creme de cassis, and pain grille. Possessing superb intensity, skyscraper-like layers, and huge tannins, it should be forgotten for 5-7 years, and drunk over the following two decades.

PAVIE MACQUIN GRAND CRU CLASSE ST EMILION   Price £ 1295
W J Gardener ( 17.5/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2015-2025
This is deep, a really charming nose, not overstated, very high toned, intensity here on the palate, full, tannins are restrained, ripe and silky on the finish. A stylish wine.
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 94-96 ) Drinking Dates : 2006-2036
Looking more like a young vintage port than a Bordeaux, Pavie-Macquin’s inky/purple-colored 2005 exhibits notes of graphite, melted licorice, espresso roast, crushed rocks, white flowers, blackberries, and creme de cassis. Packed and stacked and stuffed with extract, power, and tannin, this 75% Merlot/20% Cabernet Franc/5% Cabernet Sauvignon blend’s technical numbers are unprecedented. It should enjoy a remarkably long life of three decades or more. The 2005 is capable of challenging this estate’s brilliant 2003 and 2000.

PAVILLON ROUGE DE CHATEAU MARGAUX    Price £ 600
W J Gardener ( 17/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2012-2025
Very lovely expressive nose, perfumed vanilla, and spice. This is lovely. Piercing acidity, the tannin sits so perfectly on the palate, you hardly notice it but feel the weight in the texture of the wine. A wonderful Pavillon and one of the best value wines of the vintage.
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 90-93 ) Drinking Dates : 2006-2021
The best second wine yet made by Chateau Margaux is undoubtedly the 2005 Pavillon Rouge du Chateau Margaux, a blend of nearly 50% Merlot and the rest primarily Cabernet Sauvignon with a touch of Petit Verdot. Extremely rich in color, flesh, fruit, and glycerin, this amazingly opulent, full-bodied effort tips the scales at 14% alcohol ... a full degree higher than its grander sibling. Serious consumers should consider purchasing this gorgeous offering as it is probably better than just about any Chateau Margaux produced between 1963 and 1977. It should drink well for 15 or more years.

PETIT CHEVAL ST EMILION  Price £ 895
W J Gardener ( 15/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2011-2020
Medium plum, quite a simple nose, clean and fresh, easy style soft on the palate, intense, spicy warm finish, good early drinker.

PETIT VILLAGE POMEROL   Estimated Price £285+
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 90-92 ) Drinking Dates : 2008-2026
The finest Petit Village produced in many years, this estate no doubt enjoyed the enormous success the Pomerol appellation achieved in 2005. A deep ruby/purple color accompanies a sweet bouquet of red and black fruits, licorice, and a hint of truffles. Made from 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon (from the oldest vines in Pomerol), it reveals beautiful texture, superb purity, a medium to full-bodied, concentrated style, silky tannin, and adequate acidity. It will offer gorgeous drinking in 2-4 years, and should keep for 15-20.

PHELAN SEGUR CRU BOURGEOIS ST. ESTEPHE  Estimated Price £150+
W J Gardener ( 15.5/20 )  
Very deep colour, the nose is quite animal and leathery, soft and velevety palate texture, nice acidity, this is a very exciting Phalan.
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 88-90 )  
Space limitations did not allow complete tasting notes for this Cru Bourgeois, but 2005 is the finest vintage for these wines since 1982. The range of scores for these wines should give readers an idea of just how consistent this vintage is at this level. Given the style of the vintage, most of these wines should be accessible young yet evolve for a decade or more because of their concentration and tannic structure.

PICHON BARON 2ND CRU PAUILLAC  Price £ 850
W J Gardener ( 17/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2015-2030
Not quite as deep as the Lynch Bages; bit more open on the nose, with black frits ,nice density on the palate, this is well balanced, good acidity. An excellent Baron.
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 93-95 ) Drinking Dates : 2012-2030
Yield of 35 hectoliters per hectare and a final blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Franc have produced a black/purple-colored 2005 boasting gorgeous intensity as well as sweet, classic creme de cassis notes interwoven with incense, camphor, and graphite. Powerful and full-bodied with abundant glycerin, high tannin, endearing freshness and sweetness, and a long, 45-second finish, this hefty (13.6% alcohol) Pauillac should be at its finest between 2012-2030+.

PICHON LALANDE 2ND CRU PAUILLAC Estimated Price £600+
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 89-91 ) Drinking Dates : 2010-2026
Only 50% of the production made it into this blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. The Merlot harvest began on September 20, and the Cabernet Sauvignon was brought in in early October. Deep ruby-hued with purple highlights, the lighter-styled 2005 Pichon-Lalande (reminiscent of Pinot Noir) is a racy, elegant, finesse-filled Pauillac without the power, flesh, and substance of previous vintages. Its delicacy and vibrancy have resulted in a singularly styled effort for this impeccably run estate. I would not be surprised to see the 2005 put on more weight after 4-5 years of bottle age; it should keep for two decades.

PONTET CANET 5TH CRU PAUILLAC    Price £ 600
W J Gardener ( 17.5/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2015-2035
Verty deep, massive legs, lovely nose very intense and broody, very concentrated palate pure and ripe tannins all in focus very sizable wine, balanced. Superb effort. This Chateau goes from strength to strength.
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 94-96 ) Drinking Dates : 2012-2062
Absolutely spectacular, Pontet-Canet’s 2005 receives the full attention of dedicated proprietor Alfred Tesseron. Produced from yields of 35 hectoliters per hectare (25% less wine than in 2004), it is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Merlot. The first vintage vinified in tiny cement cuves with pigeage for some lots, this wine will have 40-50 years of longevity, and should turn out to be the greatest Pontet-Canet since such ancient classics as 1961, 1945, and 1929. It boasts an inky/purple color as well as pure creme de cassis aromas, first-growth nobility and raciness, massive body, tannin, and extract, and a finish that lasts nearly a minute. With extraordinary purity and density, it is unapproachable at present, and is best cellared until 2012, and drunk over the following 50 years.

POTENSAC CRU BOURGEOIS MEDOC   Estimated Price £100+
W J Gardener ( 15/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2015-2022
 

POUJEAUX MOULIS  Price £ 185
W J Gardener ( 14.5/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2015-2025
Very dark attractive nose. Black cherries, lots on the attack, very full earthy finish with plenty of oaky finesse.

PRIEURE LICHINE 4TH CRU MARGAUX  Estimated Price £175+
W J Gardener ( 15.5/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2012-2025
Deep colour here, exotic almost over-ripe nose, lively and vibrant attack on the palate, expessive and charming, there is harmony on the finish will evolve well.
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 91-94 ) Drinking Dates : 2010-2025
Even considering some of the great vintages produced under the late Alexis Lichine, this estate has never made a wine as impressive as their 2005. Consultant Stephane Derenoncourt is obviously realizing this vineyard’s full potential. The deep ruby/purple color is accompanied by an open-knit, exotic bouquet of spice, incense, flowers, and sweet black cherries and blackberries. Rich and opulent, with ripe tannin, a savory, voluminous mouthfeel, and wonderful definition as well as elegance, this gorgeous wine is a tour de force for Prieure-Lichine.

QUINAULT L'ENCLOS GRAND CRU ST. EMILION Price £ 310
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 92-94 ) Drinking Dates : 2010-2030
Proprietor Alain Raynaud has produced a beautifully elegant, noble, racy 2005 Quinault l’Enclos that ranks alongside his 1998, 2000, and 2001. A blend of 77% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Franc, and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon (the average age of the vines is 50 years), it was cropped at 32 hectoliters per hectare, and receives the Burgundian treatment of malolactic in barrel, aging on its lees for 6-10 months, and no filtering at bottling. The inky/blue/purple-tinged 2005 reveals a pure nose of charcoal, spring flowers, sweet raspberries, black cherries, and cassis. The wine is gorgeously textured, medium-bodied, and elegant yet intensely flavored with a power and texture that build on the palate. The tannin is sweet, but noticeable, and the finish is long.

RAUZAN SEGLA 2ND CRU MARGAUX   Price £ 575
W J Gardener ( 17.5/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2015-2030
Very deep but not so as the Gassies. Deep concentrated black fruits on the nose, round and fat, very silky palate. This is exceptional this year. An extra dimension one of the best Margaux, intense and long.
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 92-94 ) Drinking Dates : 2012-2030
Owned by the Wertheimer brothers of Chanel fame, this is another estate that has produced their finest wine in many years. Administrator John Kolasa is exceptionally happy with what he has achieved in 2005 from yields of 39 hectoliters per hectare. Only 48% of the production made it into the final blend of 54.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Exhibiting a wonderfully precise nose of sweet black currants, loamy soil, incense, and subtle herbs, oak, and spice, a fabulous attack, a medium to full-bodied, layered texture, superb purity, good underlying acidity, and a blockbuster yet elegant finish, it should be at its finest between 2012-2030+.

RAYNE VIGNEAU 1ER CRU SAUTERNES Estimated Price £214
James Suckling / The Wine Spectator ( 92-94 )  
 

RIEUSSEC 1ER CRU SAUTERNES  Estimated Price £395
James Suckling / The Wine Spectator ( 95-100 )  
"Loads of spicy honey and apple character. Full-bodied, medium-sweet, with a solid core of fruit and lots of botrytis character. Very racy...
Jancis Robinson MW ( 18/20 )  
Coppery. Diffuse rather toasty nose. Very very sweet but with enormous acidity too and depth..."

ROL VALENTIN SAINT EMILION Price £ 420
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 92-94 ) Drinking Dates : 2011-2020
Former rugby player Eric Prissette continues to demonstrate a sure touch with his small plots planted in different sections of St.-Emilion. Yields in 2005 were a tiny 27 hectoliters per hectare, and the blend was 97% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Winemaking consultant Stephane Derenoncourt has fashioned an elegant, but powerful, dense blue/purple-colored 2005 revealing a sweet nose of blue and black fruits intermixed with notions of crushed rocks, subtle oak, creme de cassis, and blueberries. Full-bodied, with moderately high tannin, good acidity, and superb definition as well as length, it should be at its peak between 2011-2024.

SAINT PIERRE 4TH CRU SAINT JULIEN Price £ 369
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 92-94 ) Drinking Dates : 2012-2036
A dense ruby/purple color along with superb black cherry, currant, forest floor, herb, and new saddle leather aromas, huge ripeness, massive structure, and tremendous concentration emerge from this broodingly backward, formidably muscular St.-Julien. It will require 6-8 years of cellaring, but should keep for 25-30. A top-notch effort, the 2005 may be the finest wine I have ever tasted from Saint-Pierre.

SAINTE COLOMBE COTES DE CASTILLON   Price £ 60
W J Gardener ( 13.5/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2010-2015
Some decent cherry and strawberry notes, very juicy and ripe, the palate apprears ripe and the length is good. Surprisingly so for this price bracket.

SANSONNOT GRAND CRU ST EMILION   Price £ 192
James Suckling / The Wine Spectator ( 92-94 )  
 

SARGET DE GRUAUD LAROSE   Estimated Price £104+

SMITH HAUT LAFITE BLANC PESSAC LEOGNAN Price £ 395
W J Gardener ( 17/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2010-2015
This is very fresh and vibrant on the nose, lovely intense concentration, limey honeyed character, the finish is awesome here.

SMITH HAUT LAFITE PESSAC LEOGNAN  Price £ 460
W J Gardener ( 16.5/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2015-2030
Full plum, attractive strawberry nose, soft palate not too aggressive like some, silky, nicely ripe, lovely gravelly finish this is delicious.
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 93-95 ) Drinking Dates : 2006-2036
I know it sounds like a broken record, but this may be the best Smith-Haut-Lafitte ever made. A prodigious effort, the 2005 boasts an inky/blue/purple color, sweet aromas of graphite, white chocolate, espresso, and blue, red, and black fruits, extraordinary density, moderately high tannin, medium body, fabulous layers, and an enticing texture. However, it comes across as delicate and fresh because of its acidity. This ageworthy Graves should last for 25-30+ years.

SOCIANDO MALLET CRU BOURGEOIS HAUT MEDOC   Price £ 350
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 92-94 ) Drinking Dates : 2015-
As one might expect, proprietor Jean Gautreau has produced an uncompromisingly, potentially enormously long-lived 2005 that is as good as most Medoc cru classes. Based on previous vintages, it will undoubtedly require 10-12 years of cellaring. Its saturated blue/purple color is followed by a sumptuous bouquet of blueberries, white flowers, and minerals. Fresh, full-bodied, well-defined, and already revealing plenty of nuances, this intensely concentrated, impeccably pure effort is a classic vin de garde.

SUDUIRAUT 1ER CRU SAUTERNES Price £ 395
James Suckling / The Wine Spectator ( 95-100 )  
 

TALBOT 4TH CRU ST JULIEN Price £ 350
Robert Parker, The Advocate ( 88-90 ) Drinking Dates : 2008-2018
A deep ruby/blue/purple hue and an earthy, spicy, sweet currant, and leather-scented bouquet are present in this pretty effort. Although somewhat light in the context of the vintage, it possesses good freshness and the potential to be excellent, possibly outstanding if it fleshes out. It will be one 2005 to enjoy early in life.

TEYSSIER GRAND CRU ST EMILION   Price £ 125
W J Gardener ( 14/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2009-2015
Probably the best wine so far produced by the English led team, by Jonathan Malthus, at Chateau Teyssier. Lovely concentrated fruit well supported, sweet early drinking style with a good life ahead.

TROPLONG MONDOT GRAND CRU CLASSE ST. EMILION  Estimated Price £350+
W J Gardener ( 17/20 ) Drinking Dates : 2015-2030
Very deep as expected. This has excellent purity and intensity on the nose. Creamy. Very full fat palate, silky excellent weight, the tannins are here as expected on the finish. Troplong at its best.


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