March 5, 2024 - Decanted about an hour. This was in the zone! Has improved noticeably since last tasting 5 years ago. Beautiful nose, like a first growth. Ripe fruit, very elegant and layered, overall a complex wine that just kept pulling me back for more. Loved it!
February 3, 2024 - Pinch of sediment. Very dark - red quite to the edge of the glass. Nose reticent upon opening: smoke, tobacco, earth, pepper. Perfectly balanced, tannins well integrated, formidable backbone. Not showing its age per se but clearly past the ebullience of youth.
After 3h in the decanter it's really opening up. Nose reveals nutmeg, thyme, cedar. Subdued dark, dark cherries with mushrooms, cocoa and that subtle Pauillac funk. Dry, dry, dry, but worked perfectly in the classic pairing with a seared ribeye. Really enjoyed the bottle this evening, but there's absolutely no rush on these - they have many years left.
December 16, 2023 - This super second is beginning to enter a very nice drinking window. The color was still a very deep purple red, little sign of bricking, likely still a long road ahead. The nose really developed well over the evening, also a sign of potential interesting evolution yet to come. First 30 minutes or so were softer mocha and tobacco, migrating to a firmer espresso, iron and pencil as the evening wore on. Tannins nicely present still holding everything together and still very firm on the finish which was also wonderful. The only thing preventing a 95+ score was that I felt the fruit was just a bit shy. Not sure if this is a “2005 thing” or this particular wine, but I have a few more bottles so we’ll see. Baron, like Ducru and Montrose, almost never disappoints and this bottle easily holds up its stellar reputation.
September 29, 2023 - Tannic and young, but after a 12-hour decant, it was a really fabulous wine. It will be much better in 10 years time. If you patiently wait, it will be worth the money. If you decide to drink now, I recommend 10+ hours of decanting.
September 2, 2023 - After a sublime 2003 PB last night I thought I would follow up with an 05. This is inky purple - the light barely shines through it. Super concentrated with some Lead pencil, dark fruits blackberries and cassis. A bit of tart finish that the 03 didn't have with a bit of spice and pepper. The tannins linger forever. I have some magnums of this that need another at least another 10 years I suspect. I recommend hold for now. This did improve markedly in the glass so I would suggest a decant instead of pop and pour. Recorked and spent another night in the cellar. Notes consistent and drinking even better. This could merit 1 or 2 points more with time.
August 26, 2023 - Double decanted for 2.5 hrs, deep ruby, dark fruit, med/firm tannins, long finish; outstanding, but still young, entered its drinking window (barely), drink or preferably hold
August 14, 2023 - Side by side with 2010 Dominus and ribeye. Lots of earthy funk which I loved, my wife less so. This is in a very good place right now, but still needs a good 2 HR decant. Wonderful mouthfeel. First one of my 6 that I opened and I will have to exercise restraint...
August 1, 2023 - Feels very young still. Dense palate with lots of iodine and earth notes. Great quality. Best after 2028. 95-96
June 8, 2023 - Now it is at the beginning, wonderful 05, i love this vintage, but you must have patient. So still on the upside, luckily still several bottles in my cellar, so next try might be in three years. This is a really good price performance compared what is coming up specially with the 22.
April 25, 2023 - Very early maturity for this with a 40/60 balance between aged profiles and fruit. It’s just in that delicious stage now where it’s so cute to sip repeatedly but as it warms and starts flaunting those clay and barnyard notes, you know you are drinking this too fast, too cold, and probably too early. Long light footed and classy finish. Still a HOLD for my taste.