Important Update From the Founder
Read message >
19th Annual Lyon 10 Year Retrospective
Chez Lyon in Eugene, OR
Tasted November 1, 2015 by Grinner with 759 views
Introduction
I quit tasting my '05 Bordeaux for a few years starting late in 2011. Tight, closed, tannic, etc, etc. Early in 2015 we tried some with LONG decants...hmmm that's helping. So here we went with decanting starting around 8pm on Saturday for a 1pm Sunday event! We had the usual 2 person "shell game" with the bagged wines to ensure a ringer in every flight and some different appellations as well.
Flight 1 - The Openers (2 notes)
White - Sparkling
2005 Argyle Extended Tirage Brut
94 points
Another great one in this line! Argyle knows to "de-class" when it's not good enough (and they haven't made this in a couple years), so it was great to see this wine show up, just in time for this tasting. Bought it at the winery on our road trip 2 weeks before the event. Both elegant and deep, it has some classic citrus, tart apple pie w/ crust/bread, and saline notes. Fine mousse and finish. Consensus pick for the bubbly match-up.
1 person found this helpful
Comment
White - Sparkling
2005 Henriot Champagne Brut Millésimé
92 points
A great wine just a bit outclassed by the Argyle. Not quite the depth of fruit and more chalk/ mineral notes. Some of the same citrus and apple/crust flavors and long finish. Now-2020.
Flight 2 - The Perspective (1 note)
Red
2005 Château du Grand Bos
87 points
A first for this (19th) tasting: a non-blind red wine to begin the sit down phase; what we are going to call "the First Ice Skater". Pretty much knowing it can't win, we had this nice little Graves to set the stage, break the ice, and otherwise warm up the palate. A "medium" wine in every way (color, depth, fruit, finish, etc.). Tannins there but mellow compared to most of the later wines. May not be on plateau, but I'm not sure there's a lot to be gained from waiting.
Flight 3 - The Serious Reds Begin (5 notes)
I
Red
2005 Château Monbousquet
92 points
Double decant 17 hours ahead of time and this was the first of the "serious" wines in this tasting: nice deep plum, stone, mocha, and some cedar in balance with the fruit. Tannins moderate now, so they are tamer than my last bottle 3 years ago when I said "WAIT". 92 on day two.
Red
2005 Andrew Will Sorella
90 points
4 hour double decant as I knew it wouldn't need the time like the '05 Bordeaux in this tasting. More red than black fruit; raspberry, black cherry, and spice. Some obvious oak, lack of classic Bordeaux notes (and the tannins of the vintage) gave it away as the ringer in the first flight. Medium length and very smooth. 89 on day 2.
Red
2005 Château Faugères
93 points
Over performed a bit in this blind tasting. Deep black fruit, earth, and licorice notes stood out, as did the tannic finish not evident in the previous wine. 93 on day 2, and still tannic after 48 hours.
1 person found this helpful
Comment
Red
2005 Château Branaire-Ducru
93 points
Still a tight nose but nice deep cassis, black plum, wet stone, cedar, and spice notes. Tannins a bit mellower than some. We correctly guessed Left Bank in this blind tasting. 92 on a day 2.
Red
2005 Château Pontet-Canet
94 points
WOTFlight, this was BIG, dark, and deep with stone notes vying with the cassis, blackberry, earth, and cedar. Tannic and long. Wait, decant (we did 17 hours), and wait some more. Next in 2-3 years. 93 on day 2.
3 people found this helpful
Comment
Flight 4 (5 notes)
II
Red
2005 Château Kirwan
95 points
Over performed in this blind tasting for its beautiful nose (more open than most this afternoon), the depth of black fruit, and some classic Left Bank notes. Some spice/pepper also show up on the very long finish. When unbagged, we were not terribly surprised to see that a wine from Margaux was more ready/drinkable than others. 94 on day 2. Now with long decant-2030.
4 people found this helpful
Comment
Red
2005 Château Destieux
90 points
Seemingly more ripe than many, then the tannins clamp down and bite. Still an outstanding wine with almost jammy black fruit flavors and a touch of cigar. This one finished slightly hot. 89 on day 2.
Red
2005 Beringer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Chabot Vineyard
93 points
My score is from day 2. In the tasting I gave it 92 blind. Black fruit and oak on the nose. I loved the rich smooth, glycerin laden palate. Black velvet coat on your tongue and a nice break from the tannins of the Bordeaux. 4 hour double decant. Now-2025.
Red
2005 Château Calon-Ségur
93 points
Maybe a notch better than the bottle 8 mos ago. Same long decant, the savory notes are competing with the big black fruit hits. Tannins are still in charge, like a referee who gets into the fight, instead of patiently watching and advising. 92 on day 2.
1 person found this helpful
Comment
Red
2005 Château Bellefont-Belcier
94 points
I liked this a lot for its more open nose and the deep dusty black fruit, mocha and earth on the finish. Not to mention the TANNINS!!! They moderated substantially on day 2, 93 points. Needs the LONG decant.
1 person found this helpful
Comment
Flight 5 (5 notes)
III
Red
2005 Château Malescot St. Exupéry
93 points
Another Margaux wine drinking well in this tasting. Sexy, long, and smooth with tannins integrating better than many. Blackberry, plum, floral, and earth notes linger. 93+ on day 1, 93 on day 2. Now-2025.
Red
2005 Château la Bienfaisance
92 points
Significantly better than my last in 7/11. Same flavors noted in my blind tasting notes this time: black fruit, plum, earth, and spice. Tannins are just letting a peek through the door now after a 17+ hr decant. 92 on day 2.
Red
2005 Château La Tour Figeac
91 points
This had one of the more open noses of the tasting and was very nice and inviting. Ok, I've been invited but where's the party (in your mouth)? There's substantial black fruit and hints of cocoa, wood, and earth. Tannins get serious quickly despite the long decant. Better on day 2, 92pts.
Red
2005 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate
94 points
Fascinating to see the evolution of this (and my notes). In this blind tasting it did better than my last three bottles in a fairly clear progression. We got some minty cassis, blackberry, oak and earth notes, all sitting on a glycerin laden palate with tannins more integrated than everything so far. Stood out as a New World'er in the flight for playing nice on the palate. 94 on day 2.
1 person found this helpful
Comment
Red
2005 Château Montrose
93 points
The 93 score was from day 2. In this blind tasting and despite the 18 hr double decant, this particular bottle was a brute. Very dark, tight, and tannic. You had to use a little imagination to get much out of it. It still has a purple color in its core. There's cassis, cigar box, and some tar mixed with espresso. Blind, I gave it 90 pts during the tasting. It was obviously better on day two and seems to have even more potential, our co-tasters agreed it was great. Give this to your children...
3 people found this helpful
Comment
Flight 6 (5 notes)
IV
Red
2005 Château Pibran
91 points
There was a little more "sweetness" to the fruit in this wine as opposed to many in this tasting. Black fruit, stone, plum and some pencil. Blind, I thought something from Margaux -- oops. 91 on day 2, the tannins were still holding firm... now-2025.
Red
2005 Anakota Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Dakota Vineyard
91 points
More ripe and some obvious glycerin made it stand out as the ringer in this flight. Tannins are there but nicely integrated. The fruit leans towards the black and blue end of the spectrum with some nice spice notes, but it seemed a little short. 90 on day 2.
Red
2005 Château Pipeau
92 points
I was pleasantly surprised when the bag was pulled off this bottle. A great "go-to" Bordeaux annually, you're never sure how it will do blind. Lots of black plum, earth, and cocoa notes made me think Right Bank. Tannins are still huge for a Merlot based wine, it needed all of the long decant. 92 on day 2. Would still wait: 2017-2025
4 people found this helpful
Comment
Red
2005 Château Lagrange (St. Julien)
93 points
Did a notch better in this tasting than my previous notes. I still love the dark black fruit bouncing off the stone and mineral notes. Just a touch of graphite and earth. Obvious Left Bank origin in this blind tasting. Fell of a bit on day 2, 91 pts.
Red
2005 Château La Confession
94 points
WOTF (flight winner), this was more suave and sexy than anything lately in this tasting. Black plum, berry, mocha, and smoke with a looong finish. Still more tannic than I'd expect or want from a 10 yr old wine - a recurring theme with '05 Bordeaux. 94 on day 2. 2017-2030, this was about a 19 hr double decant...
Flight 7 (5 notes)
V
Red
2005 Château Smith Haut Lafitte
97 points
WOTN for me in this blind tasting. I ripped it in my 4/11 note but had hope for the future. With an 18 hr double decant and in this setting of so many brute force tannic '05 Bordeaux, this came across magically with deep dark fruit, pencil, stone, mineral, and oak notes. Crazy long, but the balance is what led me to the score. 95 on day 2, unblinded, and still wishing we had more for the "retasting".
3 people found this helpful
Comment
Red
2005 The Winemakers' Collection Michel Rolland Cuvée No. 1 Château d'Arsac
93 points
Another nice wine in this flight, and again fairly dark and brooding. Black fruit, plum, earth, spice, and some hints of cigars/cedar. 93 on day 2. Now-2025
Red
2005 Corrina Rayment Shiraz Expatriate
92 points
WHAT? a wine with black and red fruit, pepper, and integrated tannins in this tasting?! Must be a ringer. Very nice wine on it's own and smooth, soft and 90 pts on day 2.
Red
2005 Château d'Aiguilhe
93 points
This bottle did REALLY well in this blind tasting, I was bouncing back and forth on scoring it even higher. One of the most open noses helped its cause, and despite how big it is, there's excellent balance. Black fruit, black licorice, black coffee, and 83% cacao dark chocolate (yeah, right). It remains smooth and classic, maybe more defined with some spice on day 2: 93+pts!
1 person found this helpful
Comment
Red
2005 Château Rol Valentin
91 points
Like most of the Bordeaux in this event, the RV needs time. Let it get down the road! Love the black fruit and spice notes, but the tannins did not quit and still clamp down on day 2: 91pts.
1 person found this helpful
Comment
Flight 8 (5 notes)
VI
Red
2005 Beringer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve
95 points
I can't remember the last time a ringer started a flight in this annual event; it makes you wonder... The nose was more open than most, then the ripe fruit and glycerin give it away as New World. Beyond that, the depth of blackberry, cassis, chocolate cherry, spice and oak notes fruit just pull you back into the glass and make it hard to spit or pour out -- but I must. No, I won't. Second WOTN for me. Now-2025
Red
2005 Château Quinault L'Enclos
90 points
This bottle was one of the most tannic, in an afternoon of tannins... Black fruit, dark chocolate, and tar was as much as I could get out of it this late in this tasting, despite the 20 hr decant. I would wait (and hope): 2018-2025.
1 person found this helpful
Comment
Red
2005 Château Fleur Cardinale
92 points
I gave this 91 pts blind on day one: it has cassis, stone, cocoa, and spice notes. Even better integrated on day two and hence my 92 rating.
1 person found this helpful
Comment
Red
2005 Château d'Issan
93 points
Very similar to my 2/15 note. This time I picked up some blueberry in addition to the cassis, cocoa, and earth notes. Despite the 20 hour decant, the tannins are still in need of fatty meat, a long decant, or another decade! 93 on day 2.
Red
2005 Château Lusseau
92 points
My initial thought was GREAT! Ripe black fruit, some minerals, tar, cigar, and mocha...then bang, the tannins clamp down. In a way, it's appropriate that the tasting ended with that kind of a "tannin bomb", so close to Xmas. No drop on day 2.
Flight 9 - Dessert (1 note)
White - Sweet/Dessert
2005 Domaine des Baumard Quarts de Chaume Grand Cru
95 points
I still love this, despite whatever BAL I/we had at the end of this 10 year Retro tasting. This is like a liquid SweeTart, with honeyed, ripe stone fruit, pear, and tropical fruit. It has a lush texture and a finish that goes on and on with good acidity to clean up the palate. I can see where some folks would prefer Sauv Blanc to Chenin Blanc as the base for their dessert wine; thank goodness we don't all like the same things! That would make things really $$$...
2 people found this helpful
Comment
Closing
Wow! I'm going to try and wait a few more years before hitting any remaining bottles from this vintage again. Perhaps my colder cellar (high 40's in winter, o/w 58) preserved these a bit too well.
It was a great time and it was also fun to have some folks over for day two! Even with that help there was still some wine left for day 3 and despite no formal notes, I can tell you things were hanging on and in some cases, still improving!