Third bottle from the case and first one I liked. Maybe bottle variation, maybe it just needed the time. Fruity and earthy, medium-bodied. Needs 30 min decant.
A fascinating contrast against the Leoville-Barton 2005. It was quite full plump and generous, tasting of dark fruits flavoured with game. Quite rich, a touch bretty, softer and more extracted. Not quite the classic style I have come to admire, but still a very fine wine. CHP 91pts
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Great - complex multi-layer slightly austere classic Bordeaux, with black fruits, scent of graphite, maybe a subtle note of pickle brine, light fine aromas, fresh structure. It is ready to drink, but will probably further improve with aging
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Delicious wine with classic pencil shaving, ripe black fruit, tannins still present but melded, great depth of flavour and providing a long, satisfying finish. Tasted alongside a Pichon Longueville La Lande and it came second. Fantastic nonetheless.
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I love this wine. It has a punch of blueberry that’s perfectly balanced with other beautiful dark fruit flavors. As the wine unfolds, an intriguing note of zaatar emerges, a testament to the wine's layered complexity. This hint of exotic spice adds a savory edge that beautifully complements the fruit, introducing a dimension of earthiness that's both unexpected and delightful. The zaatar intertwines with a distinct stony minerality.
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This is starting to enter a nice drinking window. Decanted for about 90 minutes, definitely improved but the nose was rocking right off the bat. Would be fun to taste this along side other 05's and see how it stacks up, but definitely a beautiful Bordeaux wine with plenty of character, gorgeous now but plenty of time ahead.
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3 hour decant, which softened it a bit, but really wasn't absolutely necessary. Powerful, modern with dark fruit, as you'd expect for the vintage. Not heavy or acid deficient at all. I would've happily had another half bottle. Early in what will no doubt be a long window, but lots of pleasure right now, not just intellectually interesting for what it will be.
With ribeyes and green peppercorn sauce.
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A very fishy looking bottle from auction. My case still pristine I thought, well you know , let’s try the new one. Label looked like it spend time in a submarine but cork was perfect. And then that wine … i sure have a problem with quite some 2005, but certainly not this one! Not muted or reductive, just plain explosion of classic Bordeaux, nicely balanced cabernet and merlot, all ripe to perfection, and sublime poise, with melted but vibrant tannins, superbe flow, crispy fruit on blackberry, cloves allspice and, do i really say that, banana…
Excellent saint Julien, still powerful, and a delight to drink now. I would ignore future improvements and go for it. Though it feels like a long distance runner with easy some 15-20 years in the tank.
Stunning, modern and meaty. Marzipan, Spanish cedar, rich wily tannins, marmite, perfect texture. This is modern Bordeaux at its pinnacle. So refined, so textural. This could well achieve perfection in years to come, but as a savoury and refined expression of St. Julien, there is little to complain about.
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Popped this at 6pm and we approached this 3 hrs later. Definitely too young. Great fruit, structure & layers but felt the oak still over powering. Suggest to approach this in another 5-10 yrs
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This example, ex-chateau, is more open than another recent example. In the mouth, it is a classic, superb Poyferré, packed with blueberry and potpourri; pillowy, powdery, and intense - yet with finesse to match.
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After a four hour decant this really shone. Dark and red fruits, blackcurrent and strawberry, vanilla, tobacco, spice, earth and a hint of flowers. Lovely long finish, flavors layered and complex. Lovely acidity and tannins well integrated. Very nice bottle.
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NYE wine 3. Paired with steak course. Dark red fruited with coffee and tobacco. Pretty smooth at this point with no rough edges. Nice food wine as isn’t trying to overwhelm things.
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Already entered drinking window. Pronounced nose intensity with notes of cassis, smoke, cedar, vanilla, violet. Medium+ acidity and high tannin. Tannin is fine. Long finish.
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Perfumed nose of cassis, grilled plum and blonde tobacco, with touches of cedar, coffee and smoked meats. Velvety plushness in the mouth, with beautifully concentrated soft fruit, yet still retaining freshness and a lick of spiced tannic grip at the back end.
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Decanted off sediment. But the wine also really benefitted of 1-2 hours in the decanter. Lovely and complex notes of cassis, dark cherries, leather, cedar wood, also some forest floor, pine tree, graphite/lead pencil minerality, also some sweet spices and some horsesaddle. It‘s medium-full bodied, with pretty high acidity, some medium+ tannin that has melted away a little more. Long finish with nice complexity. This is not my „cleanest“ bottle, there could be a touch of brett, but overall a great old-school Bordeaux from this very good year. If the bottle was even more pristine, I would probably rate it even higher.
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Double decanted for 3 hrs, deep ruby, classic left bank with black cherry, tobacco, leather, & a touch of green pepper, med/firm tannins, long finish; outstanding, just entering peak drinking, drink or hold
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Opaque. Aromas of grilled meat, cassis, blackberry, tobacco, cardamom, licorice and coffee. Full body. Firm yet juicy tannins. Blackcurrant acids and black coffee bitterness. Palate of cassis, cigar box, singed wood, chocolate fudge and wet tarmac. A young, complex and typical undeveloped Medoc with lovely dark fruit, cacao bitterness and elegantly integrated oak. Cellar for 10 years.
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Lovely, developed nose showing blackcurrant, fine cigars and vanilla. Layers of earth, cedar and black coffee. Tannins have started to soften on the medium bodied palate. Excellent freshness and a long savoury touched, dried black cherry finish. Probably the most ready of the '05 left banks I have tried but no rush!
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This puppy feels like it's just beginning to enter its drinking window. It's beginning to show tertiary notes, but still has a ton of fruit. I have one more bottle that I will try to sit on for another 5+ years to see how it develops.
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First of a case. In fabulous shape but no rush to drink if you’re at the end of a case or only have a bottle or two. That rich peppery taste is in abundance. Great length. Everything dances on the tongue. What a delight to have this as the first of 12.
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Consumed over 2 days (stored in Somm du Vin), note from day 2. Appearance: Medium garnet with slight clouding and browning on the edge. Nose: Clean, medium intensity with developed aromas of leather, mushroom, blackberry, baking spice, and bell pepper. Palate: Dry, medium+ tannins are soft and resolved, medium acid, medium+ body, medium intensity, 13.5% abv with flavors of baking spice, leather, blackberry, and bell pepper and a long, but subtle, finish.
Balance: Outstanding - wonderful balance of tertiary characteristics and primary dark fruit characteristics. Length: Excellent - subtle, but lengthy Intensity: Excellent Complexity: Excellent
Purchased as a future in 2006 and stored in temperature controlled unit since. Overall, I think I hit the sweet spot here - wonderful balance between the tertiary leather and earthy notes but still some nice ripe dark fruit to balance it out. If properly stored there's up to a decade left to enjoy, but it is drinking exceptionally well today.
Teaspoon of sediment. Color is dark, tinged with brown hues, translucent at the edge of the glass but elsewhere opaque. Nose is open right out of the bottle: whiff of bell peppers upon opening, quickly turning to leather, oak, earth and mushrooms. On the palate quite balanced, tannins well integrated, good finish, hint of saline, but not giving much away immediately.
Over the next three hours, the nose continued to blossom. The palate certainly mellowed with the predominant impression being mushroom, chocolate, port, wet leaves and a delicious salinity. Great length. This wine was so much fun to drink and possessed that delicious "funk" that I so love in (somewhat) aged Bordeaux. There's no rush to open this bottle but I do think this wine is open for business.
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The 2005 Léoville Poyferré is actually quite giving today, though I wouldn’t say it’s quite ready to go. Despite showing a fair amount of red fruit right out of the gate, this moves quickly in a blueberry/blackcurrant direction with more air. There’s lots of cedar, salinity, a little licorice, and a subtle potpourri note alongside. These complexities - and the wine’s depth - are better appreciated with half an hour of air, though it closes down again after about an hour and a half in the decanter and never fully re-opens (even the next day). It hasn’t quite eaten its oak yet, but it’s pretty close and is an enjoyable drink now if you catch it in an open window. Though this is only 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, the plate shows no lack of tannin. It’s a funny contrast with the pretty, red-fruited, lipsticky finish.
62% CS, 28% M, 8% PV, 2% CF. 13.5% ABV.
94-95 points
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Despite the typical black cherry taste and its astonishing length, the wine showed some bitchy tendencies. Personally, I don't think it has reached maturity but maybe entering another quiet period for a mere 5 years? Suggest leaving this vintage on the side in your cellar and re-visit by the end of this decade again.
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Decanted for several hours. Didn’t really open up until hour 6 & 7. Muted barnyard nose but not so much. Black fruits dominate. My WOTN not surprising for me. Tar, graphite, cassis, cigar box and other typical LB traits I love. Medium body and more feminine. Quite delicate but lots of flavor layers. Could be 95. Lots of life ahead. Agree with Mark1npt’s review.
I had not had this one since back at the Chateau during lunch back in '17. Rick, our host was most kind to pull one from his cellar and put it into a decanter for our CO event. This one was dark garnet in the glass, no bricking noticeable. Nose of barnyard at the pnp and for about 3 hours afterward before it blew off and evolved into your typical graphite, earth with dark red Bdx fruit. Always a fav of mine this continued to evolve throughout the night over 6-7 hours of air getting classier and more refined every hour. Borders on a 95 for my palate by the end of the night. I suspect it may need even more air than we were able to afford it from this afternoon and throughout the evening. There may be another 1-2 points yet to come. Thanks so much for opening this one for us tonight, my friend! Nice to go back and revisit a wine I haven't had in 6 years!
Addendum: forgot to mention that as the night wore on and this one benefitted from 6-7 hours of air a wonderful cigar box profile emerged on the nose and palate.....quite enjoyable at that point!
Open the bottle and wait for around 2 hours, no decant. Fruity and juicy, with some earthy note. Medium-bodied with balanced acidity. Medium finish. Not as seducing as 2005 Ducru-Beaucaillou, nor its complexity, but still a good wine. For me, the wine is in its good drinking window.
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Tannic and needed at least 2 hoirerdecant. Still feels yoing but delispis and approachable. Heavy nose and mouth filling oalate of licorice and red fruits. Wait a few years to try again.
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Early maturity of what's likely to be an extremely long life. Certainly tannic, but they've softened enough to make this pleasurable. Dark, dark fruit and some secondary aroma development.
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The Four Seasons Tasting 2005 Bordeaux Second Growth (Aubergine Restaurant): (Tasted Blind) 68 CS, 26 Merlot, 6 PV. The bouquet reveals cedar, graphite, cherry stone, cigar stub and dry earth. This opens to more cassis notes and ripe dark plum. Some more development is noted here with a cola tonic element. The entry is more earthy and feral with a savoury complexity. There are dried herbs and more plums with a zesty acid note. The tannins feel thicker, and the wine is more extracted. Whilst there is the backbone, it hasn’t the depth of the Barton and feels a little muted in comparison. A long length, the feral note expands whilst some more evolved elements of undergrowth and leather appear.
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Still quite young, popped and poured at Lung Hing Keen Hong Kong.
Prominent dark black fruits on the note, surprising for a wine of this age. Tobacco, leather, hint of forest floor, cedar on the nose. Palette confirms the aromas. Very strong flavors suggest longevity of this wine. Tannins have mellowed down but still very structured.
Given youthful characteristics - I would say try again in 10 years, this needs patience.
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Quite surprised based on others comments. This 05 is further along than many I've had, which is always what I would suspect with this chateau.
Mixed berry aromatics, saddle leather on popping. Well rounded and persistent, with velvety tannins. Early drinking window and really in a good spot for those that prefer a slightly youthful balance of primary/tertiary notes.
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World Cup final BBQ: Rather modern with an overt vanilla nose, showed the warmth but surprisingly not the structure of 2005. Quite soft and approachable albeit without much complexity.
Dinner at Cassia. Deep purple. Tannins resolved. Well balanced and structured with lots of depth and concentration. No signs of plateauing, has a long way to go. This is the best LP I have had so far (other LPs tasted include 1982, 1995, 2003, 2006, 2008).
An enormous wine, with dark sweet ink, and typical LP depth.
This is day one with this wine. It needs to gather something in complexity. At the moment, it is a little one-dimensional. So I will come back tomorrow.
Vide.
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Opened and decanted an hour prior to serving, the 2005 Leoville Poyferré is simply stunning. Showing a dense purple, ruby tinged hue; mesmerizing scents of red cherries, raspberry jam, and damask rose roll out of the glass with each swirl. Medium bodied and opulent with a core of blackcurrant, cherries, and plums that is wrapped in supple and velvety tannins. This comes across as younger than it’s 17 years would lead you to believe but with time secondary notes of leather, spice, and tobacco begin to emerge. Balanced acidity and a slightly smoke tinged long and lingering finish round out a wonderful experience. This seems to be just reaching full maturity and I can’t wait to try it again with a few more years on it.
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Decanted two hours but still painfully young... unresolved tannins... with air and time... it showed dense red fruit, hint of dill pickle/olive that I've picked up in 30+ year old Leoville Poyferre. Try again in 5 years?
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2+ hours in the decanter, paired with ribeye. Just a beautiful wine all around, leather and tobacco and stone fruit, long finish. Made the steak better and the steak made the wine better - it's a wine that cries out to be drunk with a ribeye or a filet mignon
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Decanted for 2 hours. Dominant aromatics of mint and eucalyptus at first, rather overwhelming and intense. Further notes emerge of crushed black and blue berries, lilac, and leather. Integrated on the palate, medium body, gravel, tobacco, smoke, lacking just a little in intensity and drive. While this will hold, I do think it’s ready to go.
Deep ruby color. On the nose, the 2005 Poyferre has cedar, blackberry, eucalyptus, leather, pepper. On the palate, the wine needs 2hrs aeration. It is dry, medium acidity, med+ tannin, med alcohol level, full-bodied, and balanced. Good nice finish. Pronounced flavor of blackberry, cassis tobacco graphite. It has a long way to go! Amazing!
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2 hours in the decanter and another 1-2 in the bottle. Sweaty leather, graphite, and some secondary red fruit on the nose but swirling brings out fresh ripe blackberry and cassis. The palate is in great balance with a medium body, medium tannin, and medium + acid. Finish is relatively long and acidic with notes of gravel. Midpalate is somewhat lacking in concentration which is my only critique, but the midpalate still had great tension and this was still coming alive at the end of the night. I don't believe this is quite in its drinking window yet, hold it for a few more years. Great expression of St. Julien and fruit driven at the same time.
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Decanted for 2 hours, back to bottle and followed over steak dinner. This was an "aha moment" wine.
Amazing nose. Leather, dusty earth, gravelly rock, deep red fruit that is starting to dry, think dried cranberries. Palate is medium body, lovely tannins that are fine grained, drying red fruit, cedar, tobacco, and leather. Beautiful structure with acid and tannin that provides a serious backbone. The finish is long and lots of crushed rock and red earth.
I have had mostly “eh” experiences with Bordeaux and never understood the hype. Now I do. This is absolutely phenomenal. I need to drink much more BDX from here out.
Drinking beautifully now with a 2h decant but will last another 10+ years in the cellar.
Approaching maturity, this drank really well but still needs a few more years before it peaks. One of the more ready 2005's I have tasted in the last few years. If you have a bunch, doesn't hurt to give one a try.
The intoxicating nose kicks off with its showy display of flowers, smoky red fruits, fresh-brewed espresso, smoke, licorice, blackberry, and currants. The tannins have started to soften, though still, they need more time before you can really begin to enjoy the multiple layers of sweet, fresh, soft, energetic, and generous. The wine is concentrated, and fresh, perfectly balanced between its sweet, ripe fruits, tannins, and plushness. Drink from 2027-2055.
Opened at 730 Am decanted at 530 PM served at 730 PM On opening it had a fresh Cabernet cassis aroma and juicy flavor and despite the air time tended to be more shut at the time we at (beef fillet roast). I feel this is still early adolescent and would wait on my other bottles. This paled in comparison to 2005 Cos d'Estournel (also not ready but much larger scale and depth wine) and 2012 Ridge Monte Bello which was in its prime.
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Big and ripe fruity nose for a 17 year old wine - as stated by everyone, this wine just smells amazing. Med+/Pronounced intensity, big dense black and blue fruits, blackberry and blueberry compote, black cherry, cassis. Fruit is starting to mature and the oak is one with the wine now with tertiary notes starting to creep in. This wine still has a great tannic structure and balance, as well as still having very St. Julien characteristics. Compared to the 2010, has a little less oomph and a bit more elegance (but still big and masculine). Can definitely hold, but honestly this is great to drink right now. 94-95 pts
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This is superb. In typical Poyferre style, this is a sensual, slightly sexy St. Julien with ripe (but in no way too ripe) fruit, luxurious oak and already nice tertiary aromas. While still years away from its peak, this is certainly one of the 2005s that is ready to go - at least from this bottle. Others here report a much more muted wine.
TN: Expressive nose full of wonderful tobacco, black truffles, dark fruit and minerality. A nose I couldn't stop smelling. On the palate this shows bright dark fruit, some blue fruits, herbs, tobacco, some hints of chocolate, loads of minerality. Less pronounced tertiary aromas. Very round and sensual with a wall of velvety tannins, good freshness and a creamy texture with some weight but no excess. Quite long and fruit-driven finish.
Decanting: Decanted for roughly two hours good from the start.
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Double-decanted and consumed from the carafe which worked well. Tertiary notes of truffles and forest floor frame a fruit of ripe red cherry and dark cherry. Furthermore black tea, dried herbs, mineral notes of coal. Perfectly integrated with good acidity and firm but well built-in tannins.
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yet another gem from uncle victor’s cellar... this is still young and needed air. but once decanted, this opened up to reveal a knockout nose! …mineral-laden, floral, and by the last glass, lots of blackberry, black currant, white pepper. this is a delicate, more ethereal and sophisticated wine. better suited to being paired with a hearty meal to do it justice. slightly astringent initially, with time to breathe over 3hrs and paired with a 20 ounce ribeye and gnocchi for four, this showed so well and left us all wanting more, even after delicious cocktails and a stunning 2001 ornellaia.
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Bright and delicate bouquet of fresh dark fruit, cassis, and rose petals, with hints of white pepper and pencil shavings. Initial acidity and tannins softened after a couple hours (requires minimum 2 hour decent) and married perfectly with grilled ribeye. Lovely wine, early in its drinking window - looking forward to great things from this case in the years ahead.
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Drank at Chateau Grand-Luce in Loire Valley. A nice aged Poyferre with some character. Good, strong cassis flavor, other muddled berry notes. Definitely has something to say. Was happy to enjoy over a nice dinner, not exceptional but good.
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Decanted 2 hours. Young but the 2005 vintage is already very good and surprisingly accessible. Already a lot of fun and will certainly be even better with more age. 94 pts. at the moment.
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I tried a bottle of this 14 months ago and was very disappointed. Pleased to report that this bottle was excellent. Dark ruby with no bricking. Slight barnyard and petrol nose upon opening. Decanted for a couple of hours. Dark red fruit on the palate with secondary vegetal, leather notes. Very balanced. Nice, complex finish. A very fine bottle of wine.
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1 hour decant produced a very nice experience. Half bottle so probably in its peak range but could easily go another 5-10 years. All components nicely composed.
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Dark purple in color. PnP. Beautiful nose, all the bdx earth/tobacco/cedar box, dark fruit, still a bit closed, easily agebale for another 20+ years. Palate was quite similar- great structure, well smooth tannins, medium finish.
Drank at Zoldering. Ripe dark fruit, blackberries, some green herbs, cigar box and spice. Tannins are still very present but after a while and with food this was an amazing wine. This still feels so young yet is so delicious. Hope to try this again in five years time.
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Second bottle in a couple of months. Surprisingly aged profile compared to the first bottle, very earthy. But with a bit of time in the glass ripe fruity, perfumed and floral flavours started to push through. A settled down palate, but with plenty of tension and structure. A nicely polished wine, ready to enjoy or keep cellaring. Would definitely decant for 1-2h at this stage which I didn’t do.
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Obviously too young still, but I harvested the 1987 vintage from the château, so it means something special to me and I wanted to drink it on my 50th birthday together with the family. A treat.. I wish I had more (for my 60th B)...
Brief notes only from memory. Decanted 2h+ hours. Fresh minty notes. Red currant, dark cherry, earth and leather just at the margin. Great balance with freshness, soft tannins and nothing giving away the age. Looks like very early drinking window and want to revisit rather sooner than later.
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Dark wine, with a slight brick edge. The nose is complex with its floral aromas followed by distinctive notes of black fruit, melted tar and graphite. The mouth beautifully achieves density and elegance at the same time, with flavors of primary black fruits and secondary spices and smoky flavors. The mouthfeel is silky and very refined, yet there is an enormous amount of sap behind. The tannins are refined but still very present. In the beginning of its drinking window. Finishes fresh and salty, with good length. This is the epitome of power and elegance and the wine will improve further with more cellaring. What a great vintage !
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Dark red color. Brooding ripe dark fruit bouquet. There is so much concentrated and ripe fruit here that tannins barely peak through. Round ripe, fat primary fruit flavor on the palate. This almost tastes like a barrel sample. What a long life this wine will have. I own 4 bottles of this and, at age 67, I may not live to see this fully mature. An extraordinary experience. Double decanted for 2 hours prior to tasting.
From Mark’s 2005 Bordeaux Vintage Tasting: Attended a 36 wine ‘05 Bordeaux tasting recently. The wine above is one of those wines. Served single-blind. All wines were tasted over a 2 day period, 18 per day. The wines served on the 1st day had their corks pulled two hours prior. The second day’s wines were served “ double-decanted”, 2 hours before the first flight. The overall tasting experience was quite different, as one would expect. Day 2 wines were softer, displaying more ripe fruit, and less harsh tannins. Kudos to Mark for both a fantastic experience as well as providing an instructive opportunity to evaluate the 2005 Bordeaux vintage.
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2005 Bordeaux at 16 years courtesy of Mark Taylor; 6/26/2021-6/27/2021 (Atlanta, GA): Funky, mushroom nose, acrid, some forest floor. Faintly smoky, is this Haut Brion? Moves to cherry and a massive wall of fruit, slightly tough tannins, but wow what a wine. Bloody and intense, dark brooding. My #3 and the group #2. I correctly guessed Leoville-Poyferre. It held its own easily with the first growths!
Needs decanting for sure . Definitely a richer and fleshier wine (Especially compared to the 2005 Montrose we had just before, Papies 94+) and needs its time to develop and open up. We only saw a glimpse of what this wine can deliver for sure and definitely we could feel the winemaker pushed for a riper and oakier wine at the time of its elevage (again having the Montrose as a frame of ref) and for sure the St Julien juiciness is present. Very solid still, nice dark fruit, soft spice and a full palate as expected from a 2005. Needs time and hopefully its evolution will be as promising as it is today. 92 for now but full of promise . At least we hope as we have some sleeping IB ..
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Always a favorite of mine in best vintages such as 2005. Cliffy dragged this one out. we all knew it would be too young. I was a little concerned it might still be very primary, tannic and oaky. but it wasnt. it was superb , very married up but set for long haul. fresh bright BlackBerry, mulberry and cigar box wrapped in Cabernet leaf. Balance of fruit, oak, tannin and acid all partying nicely. so at 16 years of age its just starting to drink superbly but if you lost the bottles in your cellar for another 2 decades it would not be a problem. what a cracking 05 Bordeaux and available in the market at great prices compared to some more expensive siblings. yummo
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This is really coming out of its shell now, much better than the last bottle a year+ ago. Creamy cedar, blue fruit dominated bouquet and a substantial rounded palate which finishes well. Elements all coming into balance now
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Not much to add to previous notes on flavor profile and I agree on score too. This is a big wine, dark fruits and tannic, lots of everything, but kept fresh and balanced by acidity. Upon opening, the nose was almost nonexistent but opened up a bit with a little over an hour in the decanter. Definitely give this one at least a couple hours in decanter, or maybe open it and set upright the morning of. Still quite primary, roughly the beginning of drinking window here. This is going to be a long distance runner and I suspect 30yrs will be a layup for well-stored bottles.
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This wine has transformed nicely over the last 5 years. Well integrated flavors and smooth tannic finish. The dark fruits are brambly, with forest floor, cedar, black pepper and, what we describe as, an old world funk component. Went great with our bison strip steak covered with lobster pad thai (dinner at the club).
Big round meaty wine. Smooth and rich (28% Merlot). Plenty of tannin still to carry it off but just lacking the freshness and zip of the Pontet Canet 2005 tasted alongside. Don't get me wrong, this is good stuff but it seems quite advanced. Will hold and develop further I'm sure, but for the better? That's another question. For my tastes, drink now.
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One of several great wines of the night, but the only French one. Impeccably stored. Decanted for 1.5 hours before drinking in 30 minutes. Drinking well now, but could hold for quite some time. Tanins well balanced.
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Decanted for about 30 minutes and drank over the following hour. Really gorgeous nose, very 05’ in style with a lot of richness but also good complexity and classic Bordeaux traits. This is definitely ok to drink (wish we could have decanted longer) and enjoyable now but probably worth waiting more a few more years as it will certainly get better.
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Decanted our half bottle for dinner at home of sweet and savory crepes. Deep purple. Cherry and hay on the nose. Full rich body with an astringent mouthfeel. Notes of blackberry, black cherry, sour cherry and quince. Long finish. Tight, perhaps still young.
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Aromas and flavors of pencil and mushroom, with lively fruit notes of blackberry. The palate shows vibrant fruit, with medium body, balanced tannins, and assertive acidity.
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Fresh, vibrant and juicy, with strong notes of tobacco, cedar, smoke, roasted fruits, espresso, thyme and currants. The wine is full-bodied and filled with ripe, crisp red berries, which come with a firm tannic grip that even with all this fruit, demands at least 4-5 more years to finish softening and rounding out. The wine is a blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot.
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Decanted 2+ hours. Improved since my last bottle 2 years ago but it's still pretty young. I'm confident that it will get even better with more age. 93 pts. at the moment.
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Intense and rather young nose with tobacco, cedar and black currents. Full bodied taste, a bit unbalanced with too much acidity, leaving an immature feeling. Too much wood? Might hopefully be polished of with time.
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Cellared since release, perfect cork and fill. Dark red to rim. Black cherry, cassis, earth and cedar on the nose. Ripe fruit, oak, medium-full body, good balance, tannic finish. Still young, no aged complexity. Excellent.
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This an impressive wine. Had at the East India Club, decanted for around an hour. Very powerful in nose, body and taste. It unfurls itself out of the glass. The freshest of fruits, shoe trees. Very very good. Swamped Calon 06 and Gloria 10 I had last weekend
Awesome st julien. Very well executed components with excellent balance throughout the experience. After 3.5 hr in decanter, the nose came alive - leather, red fruit, tea.
The pallet was soft, with the acidity balanced much more evenly with the oak and tannins than the 1989 LP I tried recently. Very well integrated acids kept the finish persistant and consistent with the mid pallet.
I find this wine regardless of the vintage finishes a smidge acid heavy, which can throw the experience out of balance (see 1989 note) but the 05 was refined enough to not make the acidity level unpleasant. In a few years, I will try the legendary 2010!
Great overall
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N - darkberry, graphite M - lush and rich, lovely complex fruit slightly funkified, give this 10 years to unfurl. Had next the 03 which was much more evolved. Impressive stuff. Powerful at age 15.
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I’m giving it an 89 and hoping that this bottle was off a bit. Brought a glass to my neighbor. He too thought it was off a bit. Not corked. Came around a little after several hours of air. Have several other bottles and will try again.
Cellared since release, perfect cork and fill. Dark red to rim. Black cherry, cassis, earth on the nose. Ripe fruit, oak, medium-full body, good balance, tannic finish. Still young, no aged complexity. Excellent.
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Had it all - Just a great bottle wine, showing some nice complexity but still very strong on its fruit. Great showing of a great bordeaux vintage. will last for decades. Pure class act.
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Covid Cassoulet (Robin Stark's, Cardiff-by-the-Sea): Drank this next to the '00 and it was clearly still in a more closed place. Showed riper, pretty fruits. Violets on the nose. Thinner feeling with a clamping grip. Tight but not completely closed. This one is still about potential. If the '00 is any indication five more years should make for a better showing.
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3rd wine of the night. Delicious, with the traditional Bordeaux funk that I love. Floral notes on the nose. Roses? Dark red fruit & coffee notes on the palate. Very balanced still. One glass was accidentally left out overnight and, while not up to the prior night, wasn’t vinegar as many go. Has at least another 10 years+. Will wait at least 5 years to open our remaining bottle.
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From a 375. 30 min in a decanter. Eucalyptus, sour cherry, mushroom, wet earth , damp forest floor. Deep dark color with a somewhat stiff tannic backbone carrying a medium-long sour cherry finish. No hurry here, but plenty of life left.
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We took out about 2 glasses Smelled like manure to begin with. Decanted 40 minutes. Now been 1.5 hours. Much better but I really don’t like it. Rucker 89.5 Tom 85
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I gave this bottle a full 3.5 hour decant. Color was dark ruby on the tilt, purple opaque from the bottom. Upon first sniff, the nose revealed loads of cassis and blackberries, some oak camphor and a little mint. On the palate, black currants, oak, some blackberries, noticeable patchouli oils. The finish was still tannic with a major oak component, some briar patch fruits, ash, blackberry compote. As much hype as there was over the 2005’s, I stlll think that the incredible balance of the 2000’s are going to overshadow most of these wines when it comes to 2000 vs. 2005 vintage comparisons.
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Vin de St-Julien qui possède une trame olfactive de haut niveau. Rose, fruits rouges. En bouche, le tout est long, complexe et d'un superbe grain de fruit. Excellent. 94 sur 100.
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Pitted against ‘05 Léoville Las Cases. Both surprisingly accessible. Las Cases was technically stronger with a firmer structure, more horsepower, and bigger tannin, but this was more approachable with higher aromatic high notes. Even a little fleshy (Merlot?) at times. Quite nice.
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Double decanted and recorked 8 hrs before serving and finished 2 days later. Surprisingly lifted and much lighter weight than I expected. An inner core of darker, classic bordeaux elements but showing both resolution and freshness. Overall well-made and enjoyable.
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Not as open as I had hoped. This needs more time to unfurl. Big fruited wine, lots of stuffing but quite tight even after a few hours in the decanter. I suggest hold for 5-10 more years.
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Trying this once more since my last bottle in 2015. This wine is certainly as big as I remember it! Wow. Its massive. A dark purple to black in the glass. Quite a lot of sediment already developing. Lots of blackcurrent and chocolate. Despite its size, its actually drinking quite well. It finds a way to be balanced, but this is youthful and needs time. This has decades left. Drink 2025-50+
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Very similar tasting note to my last one. A beautfiul St-Julien at the beginning of its drinking window. Love the complexity and balance here. Great bottle at a still pretty decent price for top notch aged Bordeaux.
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Beautifully aged, wonderful balance and integrated tannins, a nice musky mature nose with and wonderful finish. Everything is in the right place for this wine. Enjoyed over pasta at the National Exemplar with dad for his 80th Birthday. Perfect cork, i would say this wine will drink wonderfully and continue to evolve for another 7-12 years.
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New Year's Eve 2019 at the Wedge (Wanaka Wedge House, Queensberry, Central Otago, New Zealand): Absolutely textbook St. Julien from a great vintage. There is no reason to defer gratification with this bottle, although it is only just entering early maturity. Incredibly meaty, and intense. Dark, dark currant fruits, with a rich and deep leathery/smokiy complexity that lifts this wine far beyond the basic fruit and oak amalgamation of basic bordeaux. Thick and ripe tannins frame a wine cos considerable dimension, but the balance is pure class. Will be fabulous to follow over the coming decades. Grand wine. 97+
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Gorgeous bouquet with dark fruit, spice and oak. Ripe black cherries and vanilla flavors, a bit Napa-like, with a little more complexity. I found it very enjoyable though i prefer the 09 that i drank recently
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From a half-bottle. Nice quite dark ruby-garnet colour. On the nose upon opening, aromas of black cherries, olives, Autumn leaves, bread, and a touch of graphite and mint. On the palate, the attack is frank, direct arriving with fruit, quickly followed by ample rounded and ripe tannin, touch of acidity (a touch low to my taste) leading to a very good length. It is true that the length is rather equally made up of black fruit (blackcurrant and cherries) and a touch of raspberry, but also equally aromas from toasted oak - coffee, toast, olives and vanilla. This is my first contact with my Léoville-P 2005s - having tasted the 2000, 2006 and 2014 previously. The 2000 and 2006 seem clearly less oaked (autocorrect keeps replacing oaked with naked!) and the 2014 was very young. Anyhow, despite the oakiness, this has a good mouthfeel today and has nice aromas (though more muddled and less concentrated than in the 2000) and is a pleasure to drink. I’m not sure at this stage whether the fruit will ever overtake the oak or if they will enjoy a blissfully even marriage over the years to come. Regardless, this is delicious with a good steak - though I wouldn’t recommend it as a sipper without food. Good to go today (from halves, but I'd still wait 2-4 years for full bottles) and likely good for another 10 years from half-bottles and longer from fulls. With a few hours extra air - aromas of plum skins and blackcurrant become more pronounced and acidity rebounds to a sufficient level. Can be decanted a couple of hours before serving, ideally. 92-93
Belle robe rubis-grenat bien foncé. Au nez à l’ouverture, des arômes de cerises, olives, humus, pain et touche de graphite et de menthe. En bouche, l’attaque est franche, directe, fruitée avec des tannins présents mais fondus et mûrs et une légère acidité. Il y a une très bonne longueur des arômes perçus au nez. Il est vrai qu’aujourd’hui, on y trouve, en plus des arômes de fruits noirs et (un peu de framboise) rouge, des arômes issus du fût de chêne toasté - café, vanille, olive, vanille. Une partie de la longueur s’assoit sur ces arômes. C’est mon premier contact Léoville-P. dans ce millésime, ayant goûté précédemment les 2000, 2006 et 2014. Les 2000 et 2006 sont moins boisés et le 2014 était encore jeune. Enfin, dans tous les cas, le vin peut être bu aujourd’hui, étant mûr, et je ne sais pas si le boisé va se fondre plus au futur. Je crois simplement, qu’il sera toujours relativement boisé - mode des années 2000. Les arômes sont moins précis et moins sur le fruit que dans le millésime 2000 et la concentration est aussi moindre tout en étant bonne. Cela étant dit, en accompagnement d’une viande rouge, c’est un délice, mais c’est un peu moins un vin à déguster seul en méditation. 92-93
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Good concentration and overall flavour profile but at the moment, the oak is still a little charred and bitter. Maybe this will resolve with time but I'll never know because this was my one and only bottle.
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Vinetasters: 2005 Bordeaux 2nd Growths (Skokie, IL): Served double blind. The nose shows a bit of oak here, but also a nice amount of approachable fruit. Relatively speaking, this wine doesn’t show too tannic, and indeed is a little more approachable in that respect. The finish has a bit of a black cherry liqueur note, and while the intensity and complexity on the palate isn’t as good as some of the other wines, this is fairly approachable and enjoyable. My 1st, group's 4th.
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Classic and classy, this really stand out. Dry and balanced, Tobacco here, spices and a good, concentrated fruit - it is very much a left bank wine. #NYCGroup#Anarki
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A rockstar with a lovely dark color, cassis, blackberry, black cherry, cedar, leather, vanilla. Good depth of fruit and the well integrated tannins are sweet on the finish. Drinking very nicely after 2 hrs of air.
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A second time with the 2005 (first time was in 2014). This has evolved quite a lot and in 5 years or so this should be fine and score a couple of more points. The oak is still evident, but the deep fruit is starting to show, and I get the impression the concentration is good, however not supberb. Was the 2003 better? My score for the 2003 was signicantly higher and I'm not so sure that the 2005 will reach 95.
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We were puzzled at first by how tight this was, giving nothing aromatically. After a bit I did pick up the faintest of TCA aromas and after asking the sommelier to check it out this was confirmed. Shame.
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Chateau Leoville Poyferre vertical with Sarah Cuvelier (Le Cafe Descartes at the French Embassy): Expressive nose displaying youthful black fruit, crushed blackberry, blackberry jam, milk chocolate, a hint of lead pencil and earthy mineral. Excellent concentration, finely layered fresh black fruit, silky and polished, good acidity and mineral, noticeable but fine tannins and a long pure black fruit driven finish with lead pencil at the end. There is a hint of bitterness at the end which lowers my rating by a couple points. Showing very good balance and structure. Surprisingly, it is not a super concentrated blockbuster. The style is closest to the 00.
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Deep dark purple. Decanted a couple of hours. On the nose it was sweet wood. Surprisingly sweet actually. Palate was more balanced with earth, and structure/acidity. Needs a fatty red meat to go with this. Continue to easy hold.
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Much better than my last bottle. Medium to full-bodied plum and black current, tobacco, earthy and quite smooth. Tannins are not resolved yet but they are round and supple, though a very slight sharp vegetal note persisted on the finish. This bottle was stored in a fridge that broke during a heatwave, which may have affected its aging trajectory. … in fact with a couple hours of air in the glass the palette turned slightly bitter. 90 On day 2 it held up rather well and some of rough edges were smoothed out. 92
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Intense and full bodied. Dark plums / fruits, cherries, broody with peppers and bitterness. Needs decanting and it developed extraordinarily into a luscious, spicy, complex offering. Ok to drink now but got a feeling it’s peak has yet to come.
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Concentrated ripe and long. Still evolving with a long life ahead. Just starting to reveal itself. Leather, plumby fruit with pepper and black currant. Seamless with great balance. Its all here in spades. Stunning. Drink 2025-2040.
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Even in its adolescent years, it is hard not to find this thrilling to drink. Luscious, sensuous and concentrated, the tannins are ripe, the fruits combine freshness and purity and the finish just keeps on going. Drink now with 2 hours of air or wait a decade. Regardless, this is really stellar juice!
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Intense nose. Full bodied, very good balance. Still quite tannic. Full of youthful energy. Enjoyable now but will be best in 3-5 years and then will probably last another 20 after that. Very good.
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Tasted at Café Lavinal. A bit of barnyard and wet warth on the nose with some floral hints too, but not offensively so. Much more powerful than the 2011 or 2008. Excellent structure and very present dark fruit, but in balance with tannin and acid as well. Blackberry and smoke at the beginning, a slight pepper hint and warm spice.
P.S. why do people still smoke at cafes?
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Somptueux, ample, riche, velouté. Du fruit en masse sur des tanins de très belle qualité. Il a beaucoup de caractère. Très persistant. De la belle matière. (https://vinquebec.com/node/14846)
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Chez Ch., decanted 30 minutes, youthful, purple rim, primary nose, cassis, bramble, graphite, tobacco, classy, medium full, long, persistent, well balanced, sweet, fine tannins well covered by fruit, a little dumb as yet, just about drinkable now but should be much better in 5+ years. At least F+ (18).
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Decanted 1,5 hours consumed over 4 hours. This bottle was not as good as my last one. More tannic and a bit short. I don't know if it was closed or a slightly flawed bottle. I will wait at least a year before i try the next one. No rating.
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Bordeaux Kiosk (Lavinia - Madrid): A text-book Saint Julien: fragrant and delicate. Feminine. A little intrusive wood but harmonious in this wine. Aromas of plums, camphor and sand on the beach. In the mouth it is slightly tannic although tasty with the right amount of acidity and length. To be enjoyed with food right now. If you think of a wing chair I think it needs more time.
Un San Julián de libro: fragante y suave. Femenino. Un poco intrusiva la madera pero armoniosa en el conjunto. Aromas a ciruelas, a alcanfor y a arena de la playa. En ámbito en la boca se muestra ligeramente tánica aunque sabrosa con la acidez y longitud justas. Para disfrutar con comida ahora mismo. Si piensas en un sillón orejero creo que necesita más tiempo.
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Big wine but good enough to drink now. Needed an hours decant. Two cases of this one and at the price point I think this is worth the money compared to others in 2005. No rush to drink- the 2005s are as good as they are meant to be
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I was looking forward to retasting this as I had this last around 2 years ago and felt it was a tremendous wine then with great potential (rated 94 and 95 then). What has changed? In short, not much. Double decanted this the night before and left without cork for the night then recorked in the morning and took to restaurant for dinner where it was decanted and then drunk over 2 hours. The colour of this wine is almost blue purple, the nose soars with blue fruits and intense blueberry notes are also still dominant on the palate. Very little evolved in terms of secondary or beyond. But it is drinking with the prep it had in its youthful exuberance. High tannins but refined. I think this is a 40 year wine easy. Thinking that the 1990LP I feel is also still fairly youthful and I see similarities with the 05 and the 90 - probably more so then with the 96 for its fruit which is subdued in the 96. It probably is a hypothetical blend of 75pct 1990 and 25pct 1996, and that is certainly no bad thing. I have 4 cases of those and look forward to following this wine's path for as long as I can. Drink 2020-2050 (with sweetspot for my liking I'd forecast at 2030 onwards, but I won't wait that long for the next). In my view this is a very good value high quality 2nd growth from a great vintage. The Poyferre to buy given prices vis a vis other top vintages for sure. I must add that this was drank side by side a Canon 05 and the Canon was a tad more developed and showed beautifully to just best the Poyferre... On this occasion...
Enjoyed over two nights, more enjoyable the second night than the first night, nose (with coaxing) of black berry, saddle leather, cigar box, barnyard with hints of black cherry and boysenberry, same on the palate, big body, very smooth, tasty, 3 years to peak drinking window, easily last 15 years, great wine for the price with obvious Second Classified Growth Quality, and a medium/long, flavorful finish.
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Bordeaux BYOB #7: nice primary fruit and berries, black currant, rich and mellow, warm. High tannins, some bitterness from excessive oak, slightly out of balance, needs more cellar time, minimum 5 years. Modern style Bordeaux. 91p, votes 0
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Decanted 90 min and drank over 2 hrs. This was a 375 so I had optimistic hope that was quickly dashed. Never really hit its stride but the stuffing is there. Barnyard and faint cherries, not a lot else. This wasn’t bad but was good either.
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Wonderful, classic Bordeaux nose of earth, must @ barnyard. Dark color, decanted 4 hours. Nose is muted. Taste is still closed and still too young to drink for my palate. Nice extraction but super smooth. Typical softer St Julien with soft, integrated tannins. Note to self...try again in 2020. Wine is beautiful but will get much better.
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What a gorgeous wine! Served at lunch at the estate with beef/potato/carrot/shallot main course. Absolutely perfectly paired. Still some dark fruit, velvety smooth in the mouth and a great ending of perfectly balanced fruit/tannins/acid with an elongated ending. A very nice wine.
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Decanted for 1 hour. Super complex notes of black cherries, cassis/black currant, cedar wood, forest floor, pine tree, graphite, lead pencil, soy sauce, sweet spices. Pretty full-bodied, with high acidity and medium-high tannin that is very good quality. Excellent length. A really really good classic but powerful St-Julien that has amazing freshness despite its bigger frame.
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Decanter for about 2 hours, on the nose; Blueberry, cassis, leather and white pepper. It is still tannic, but they are really beautiful and refined. Refreshing acidity keeps the ripe fruit in perfect balance. I will give this another 3-4 more years before the next one. Really lovely wine that will only get better
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Same experience as last tasting. Great wine, which represents perfectly well the finesse and elegance of the 2005 vintage. No hurry to drink this beauty, but you are in for a real treat. LP is in top-shape. The 2015 is a bargain.
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From Magnum. Decanted. This was spectacular and really loved by everyone at this 10 people BBQ dinner. Lots of dark fruit with a touch of pine, earth and smoke, very Medoc. Dense palate with solid structure and tons of fruit, almost of Napa proportions but with much more freshness. Awesome wine. Early drinking window.
I am not a Bordeaux kind of guy. However this wine is very good indeed. Balanced and structured. Good density and velvety on the palate. Fine-grained adn ripe tannins complement med+ alcohol and acidity. This is started to emerge from a long hibernation, it will live for a good decade easily.
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An excellent beef wine for sure. Well integrated with flavors of stewed black fruit, leather, tobacco, light black pepper and cedar. The dry medium tannic finish displays brambly fruit and cedar.
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Merlot is dominant now as the cab is a little tight & closed. Still needs more time but a wonderful, classic Bordeaux. I find this wine soft with minimal barnyard nose. This is a more subtle expression of fruit which is a nice departure from some more tannic & super powerful Chateau. I want to try a few more from this vintage as it's been a while since I've bought Bordeaux. A nice bottle which won't disappoint. Decanted 2 hours & drank over next hour.
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New Years dinner at Toto and Susan's. Great nose, needed 3-4 hours in decanter and then opened up beautifully. Good to drink at this stage, which is still relatively young, but can and will be even better.
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Solid 93 - nose with immediate lead pencil, earth and wet stones along with some soft dark fruit and a touch of barnyard that was not obtrusive. Palate medium bodies with structured but fine tannins and a medium length finish. Classic Bordeaux
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Kanskje var det senskadene etter Zind-Humbrecht Turckheim - men denne imponerte ikke så mye som forventet. Behagelige tanniner, solbær, noe fiol; god men ikke sååå god som jeg håpet.
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Even better than when I had it a month back, layered with juicy blackcurrant a, berries, mineral, leather and smoke. Secondary flavors more pronounced and really complementary to the overall palette. Good structure and a lengthy finish. Can get better even in 5 years.
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Still a bit early to drink. Tannins still very present. After 3 hours in the decanter already good with food, but I will wait another 5 years for my remaining bottles.
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Hard to beat anything drunk now from 05, this had a classic nose of the vintage, intense fruit, mineral, floral notes, pine, tar. Abounds with freshness from the glass. Concentrated blackberry, cherry with some sandalwood and chocolate. Tannins buttrress the wine and add a tactile dimension which accentuates its profile beautifully, never overpowering. Impressive structure and balance. Drinking well now but can go go go for a decade or more.
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During an introduction to Bordeaux speech I gave at a wine club in Singapore. Dark ruby, youthful color still. Expressive nose of cedar wood, forest floor, dark fruit, complex and very Medoc in style. Medium bodied on the palate with great freshness, fruit and structure. Textbook claret, high drinkability. This was the winner of the night with the men while the women loved the Hosanna 2008 even more. You can drink this with 2h decanting or wait as it is built for the long haul. Fantastic!
Drank this alongside a 2000 Ch. Giscours. Both wines were excellent and tasted remarkably similar with this wine being a bit more youthful and polished.
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Opaque purple color turning crimson at the rim with a transparent edge. The nose is incredibly perfumed, deeply concentrated and ripe with notes of dark berries, licorice, vanilla bean, and cocoa. The palate is full-bodied, luscious, utterly pure, and layered with complexity; velvety in texture. Beams of blackberry, black tea, boysenberry, fig paste, dark chocolate, espresso and smoke flavors abound. The wine is elegantly well-balanced; dashing vibrancy and plushness that's expressive of the vintage. Fantastic, amazing, complete wine. Finishes long and round on smooth, velvety tannin with hints of cola and pencil shavings. Drink now with a 20-minute decant until 2025.
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Really nice and not even near its peak. Will wait another decade for the next one but really nice. Old school style Bordeaux. Barnyard, leather nose. Tannins still strong. Classic.
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Decanted for an hour plus, this balanced purple prince pleases perfectly from nose to mouth to palate. Dates and chocolate cappuccino integrate the ripe plum and rich currant and cassis. Super smooth.
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Nose shows cherries and leather. Nice structure, elegant and long. Tannins are smooth. I was missing a bit the length for a 2005. Overall a solid Bordeaux which is now already approachable. Drink now - 2030.
Enjoyed a glass of this for lunch together with a glass of Montrose 05. This clearly was superior in the showing against the Montrose, it had beautiful black and red fruits - really a full throttle wine with amazing power that should age beautifully. The oak here is very hidden (which I like). May I dare say that compared to the 2010 Leoville Poyferre I tasted recently I think I prefer the 2005 quite a bit at this stage...? Although the 2010 certainly has great potential but think there the wood is just not integrated enough for me yet. Lovely stuff the 2005 already today and holding an awful lot of promise for the next 2 decades to come. One that in my humble opinion punches (well) above its RP score.
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Magnum shoot out - France vs. Italy (Switzerland): From Magnum, served blind. The most closed wine of the evening despite 2h decant, opened in the second half of the evening much more. Discrete nose of dark fruit, pine tree, forest floor, some oak. it is immediately clear that this is a Medoc wine that is still young. Very aristocratic, medium bodied, sappy. Great potential. Wait till 2020. 96+
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From Magnum bottle. First slightly closed, but opened up significantly over the course of the evening. Very classic and old-school St-Julien aromatics of dark berries (black currant/cassis, black cherries), pine tree, spices, some cedar wood, graphite/lead pencil... all in a cool/classic style. It's medium-full bodied with high acidity and high tannin that is present but very good quality. Good length. A very impressive classic and restrained kind of Bordeaux from this vintage, that produced very classic and old-school (in the best sense of the word) tasting wines. I would give it a few more years in the bottle though. (95+)
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Cigar box, tobacco, cassis, blackberry and wet earth scents pop as soon as the wine hits the glass. The fruit and tannins need more time and air before they can really be coaxed from their deep slumber. On the palate, the wine is powerful, full bodied and concentrated, with refined tannins, plush textures and layers of sweet, ripe, juicy, spicy fruits. If you enjoy young wines for their crisp fruit, you can drink this with a few hours of air, else this very strong wine will be much better, softer and more complex with another 5 more years of age. The wine was produced from a blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot. The wine reached 13.5% alcohol.
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A pure pleasure-- and, at risk of adolescent-cide, it is worth trying a bottle now. I recall well my first LP, the 1967 in 1976,and the quality difference is astounding. Rich, full of 2005 fruit With only a half hour decant, little tannin.
Of course a massive wine for this estate and for St Julien, the 2005 unfolds a rich robe of dark dark almost deep concentrated cherry/blueberry in the very center of the palate, with dark cherry and some cassis on the borders, a full finish. The nose has cedar,smoke, earth and of course black cherry.
The only thing missing, compared with its neighbor LLC, is complexity. Much will develop in time but this will not be a first growth in that regard.
But so what? Fine Bordeaux 2005 accessible early is worth a lot.
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Purchased as a future. Decanted for two hours. Drank over the course of a couple of hours. Color of dark red. Scents of black and dark red fruits. Tastes consistent with scents and tannins were integrated and not overpowering. Really enjoyed.
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Decanted for two hours and drank leisurely with red meat entre. Wonderfully balanced, this purple palate pleaser has a mouth feel close to perfect acidity with carob, date-like note with cocoa powder facets, black current and plum. Smooth as a silk. From the glass cassis, licorice, blackberry and boysenberry, roasted tobacco leaves swafting the senses combine with a hint of cappuccino and tonka bean. A superlative accomplishment from nose to finish.
Great intensity, dark fruit morello cherry, light coffee notes. Deep fine line of acidity / structure, layered fruit, lovely lift and freshness. Sill too young but beautiful and exciting.
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decanted for several hours. impressively barnyard on the nose mouth - lively sour plum, followed by some serious rough and tumble tannins. Tried next to the 2005 Clos l'Eglise, and this was by far the more unevolved wine. Has potential. Hold.
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2005 Bordeaux Retrospective (Morrell Wine, 1 Rockefeller Plaza): The nose was intense, showing bright cherry, with spice, baked confectionary notes, sweet crème, savory burnt butter and tobacco. On the palate, I found a display of silky, smooth textures with hints of tannic grip, more wood than varietal, yet beautifully balanced with ripe saturating dark red fruits and spice. Fine tannin resonated on the powerful finish contrasted through lasting fruit and hints of tobacco.
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Tasted single blind. Accessed via coravin left half an hour in glass. From nose guessed St julien, palate showed red fruits and tobacco leaf. I noted after half an hour more air getting better. For me second WOTN after Cos 2006 and ahead of Montrose 2005 for current gratification. i would not be surprised to see all this reversed though in ten years time. This wine has huge potential and I am glad to have a case. probably still "value" in the scheme of 05 prices. If you need to try now decant. If you can wait wait. Drink the less expensive surrounding 2004 or 2006 Poyferre now.
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2005 Bordeaux Tasting: Not my cup of tea. More modern than the barton and gruaud larose which were tasted along with obvious influence from the new oak. Quite acidic and not yet integrated.
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Tasted blind. This wine was awkward, unbalanced with acidity, tannin, and the wine each fighting each other. In a flight of the 2002, 2005, 2006, and 2007, the 2005 was the least favorite. Surprising results. 2002 was the favorite for immediate satisfaction, with 2007 most favored for cellaring—a bargain wine.
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Not easy to follow after 2010 and 2009, but the 2005 didn't disappoint. Showing a hint of evolution in terms in colour around the rim. Nice depth and finesse on the nose, a lot more accessible than 2010 at this stage, but more elegant and restrained than the 2009. On the palate great texture, grippy, with waves of ripe fruit, spicy, fresh, perfectly balanced. Very elegant. Wonderful finish. I would wait a couple of more years. 94-95+
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Drank from a half bottle (375ml). Medium to dark red in the glass with medium to quick legs. Earthy notes with some oak and very slight secondary flavours of leather developing. The wine highly tannic with a medium to full body.
After 24 hours opened but left in the fridge, the wine added more weight and became a full bodied powerhouse. This wine is built to last. I recommend not opening until 2018 and should last 20+ years.
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Bordeaux 2005 : Ten years on (Bordeaux Index London): By comparison with the Barton, a bit more jam on the nose. Rich and full bodied, much fruit almost ready to burst out of the house, but a bit harder at this stage. The Barton seems a bit juicier. A different style but also excellent.
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Dark purple in color. Took 3+ hours aeration to fully show itself. Black currant, cherry, chocolate, sweet tobacco, with hints of violet. Mouth-filling, rich, and silky. Grippy tannins that need softening. Long, lingering finish. This is a wine with obvious potential. It should enter its drinking window in 2 years, where it should remain for a very long time.
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Classic claret showing from a strong vintage. Dark cassis, well defined oak, smooth firm tannins and cigar tobacco finish. All lifted by hints of floral and plums juiciness.
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Wines tasted at Eriks vinbar (Eriks vinbar, Stockholm): Classical, powerful and rather young Bordeaux nose with blackcurrants and notes of even darker berries, some barnyard aromas and tar, a hint of dried herbs, and well integrated oak. The palate is medium bodied+, with blackcurrants, good acidity, some tar and pepper notes, tannins that are well integrated into the fruit, and an aftertaste dominated by dark berries with some tannins. Still on the young side, but somewhat accessible now, 94+ p.
Poyferré is usually called modern in style, but in the 2005 this is combined with a very fine balance on the palate and classical vibes.
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Mixed emotions. Starts out very promising, smooth, sweet and a bit closed, but with some signs of complexity. But after 30-60 minutes this turns out to be smooth, but not much more. I would say full bodied and definetly old school. From magnum
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Equally fine compared to the 05 Beychevelle, cool, poised and a wonderful blend of elegance and power. Polished and silky despite the firm tannin structure. Very very long. Outstanding. 95-96+
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This has more nose then anything else. Give it an 1hr and the aroma just oozed out. Full bodied with long finish. I have another bottle and will keep it for another couple more years.
Stylish wine with a very well balanced structure.
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An elegant nose of blackberry, leather, licorice, toasty oak, vanilla and a bit of an earthy herbal note which lead way to a silky full bodied palate that is very berry and black truffle driven with a long mouthcoating finish. The wine is still quite youthful but I think in time it will surprise to the upside.
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Nose: wood, dirt. Country fresh air just an awesome nose. I almost want to smell it more than drink it. Taste: raisins, wood, smooth with very light tannins,
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Decanted for an hour before dinner with Rib Roast. Classic bordeaux, its heritage very evident. Fine structure, mouth filling, luxuriant long finish. Masculine, yet elegant, with time left to spare. Dollar spent vs. dollar received, an extraordinary value.
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Drinking a little young, but this is really a great wine. Served it with lamb for Christmas dinner. All the guest agreed that the wine was great. I will wait a couple of years before opening the next bottle.
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Young and powerful, is the first that comes to mind! Next is the long finish, nearly a minute, and the rounded tannins which grips firmly. Purple to black in colour, charming oak mixed with berries. Decanted 30 min, and evolving nicely.. This Will be even more beautiful in 2 hours. Save if you have some, and drink 2018-2035.. Nice!
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Still dark in color, this looks like a new wine. Espresso bean, smoke, vanilla, boysenberry, blackberry and licorice notes fill your glass. The wine is full bodied, concentrated, long, deep, fresh, clean and balanced on the palate. The round silky tannins push along wave after wave of berries that move from black to red and back to black again. The wine is very young as you would expect. Give the beauty up to a decade before popping a cork and enjoy the ride.
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I found this wine to be fairly tannic. Mouthfeel and flavor were good. I would prefer a little more from it though. Not quite enough elegance. Not quite enough finish. However my review is based on a bottle purchased from a Tennessee retailer which means the bottle may have been subject to heat damage-- TN distributors don't care about protecting wine from heat at time of delivery to retailers.
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I think the below note was from a bad bottle, as this juice has power, finesse, concentration, and weight while maintaining a harmonious balance. Light on its feet, it exhibits a fair amount of succulant dark fruits for a stacked wine at such an early stage of development, including cassis and blackberry, a fantastic limestone minerality for a wine of lower acid, sous bois, pepper and asian spices.
The Merlot is quintessential 2005 (as I find all of the high pedigree 2005 wines' Merlot has a earthtoned ripeness that is very hard to find in other wines) and at roughly 30% Merlot, it is seeming to allow the wine to open up considering its vast phenolic concentration. Well dilineated on the palate, it has a balance that will only allow this wine to get better as it gets closer and closer to maturity, which seems a good 7-15 years off (and should have a long plateau after that).
The tannin count is high, but they are so velvety and fine grained; the level of tannin integration is much higher than one would expect, although it is a tannic powerhouse (although not anywhere close to that of Troplong or Pontet, which in this vintage will redefine your definition of tannin). The tannins are sweet and round.
It just isn't as good as the 2003, which is my only complaint on this wine. While I personally prefer the style of 2005 to 2003 from a sensory view, there is just something profound about the 2003 that this wine does not possess to the same extent (perhaps considering the longevity of this wine, this will change with more time in the bottle under ideal conditions).
Great juice, and if you like classically styled ripe vintaged BDX, this wine wont dissappoint! Finesse and masculinity combined, and its better than the high residual sugar fruit bombs that seem to come from everyone in California that are just too smooth...I would highly recommend this for the price, although I would probably recommend 2005 Pontet more if you can find it for the same price..
At the end of the half of the bottle I drank, about 2-3 hours in, some subtle cedar, gaminess and smoke emerged (very subtle for the game and smoke). GORGEOUS!
I bought this at $100 for my wife for new years. after reading these notes i opened it 24 hours early. i am not encouraged. it starts out thin and acidic with almost no flavor. yes the smell is wonderful, but it is not reflected in the taste of the wine. i corked it back up and hope this improves over the next day, but i will probably buy something else i can count on more, like a good california cab. for that money i could have bought a dunn howell mountain that has never disappointed, heck for less than that i have bought 10 year old conterno barolo. more later.....
Ok we started decanting it at about 5.30 and served it 2-3 hours later (it had been uncorked 18 hours earlier). My wife said she liked it but I had trouble drinking even one glass. My wife always says she likes everything, so I used the time honored verification method, did she drink it all? No,
after one glass she was not so insistent to have another and then she asked me to choose for her from the several open bottles. At the end of the night 1/3 of it is still in the bottle, the sure sign of a mediocre wine. This is probably the most disappointing $100 wine I have ever bought.
It will be a long time before I try this again, and it would have to come down by 2/3 in price. Finally, European wines are declining in quality and increasing in price to where CA and WA wines really are better, and better values. I agree a $300- $800 french bordeaux beats a $50 CA wine, but that's about it for tonight.
Let me be very specific. All of the Williamson winery wines I received for my winter club member shipment, averaging about $40, were better than this, much better.
Had it at a classic years vertical tasting of this wine ('82, '03, '05, and the famous 100 pt. '09), but I liked this one the most of the bunch!! Very deep and barely ready to drink, deep purple color with subdued earthy/terroir and subdued spiciness on the nose. Deep dark fruit flavors with very rich complex terroir and just the right spiciness showing nice balance, integration, and complexity on the palate. Most satisfying and will probably go well with a variety of dishes, from various casseroles, to baked and even pan-grilled meats. Very, very delicious . . . and will have to get me some . . .
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Decanted and drank over 2 hours. Dark, thick. Somewhat restrained nose of coffee, red fruit, wood and earth. Texture was silky. Not too much going on in the mouth. More red and black fruits, leather, cassis on the palate, but was holding back. Clearly this is young, but the 2000 and 2003 are young too and much more approachable. Medium finish.
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What a wonderful wine this is. I have not had many great Bordeaux wines for a while so this was really a treat. Black currant and earth. Stables and boiled vegetables. Very powerful and long but it still keeps its freshness and elegance
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This is really nice and unmistakenly, Bordeaux. Darkish, plum red in color with sediment finely and evenly distributed all around the glass. The nose gives scents of sweet soil with herbs, forest floor, and plums. Has a soft and savory mouthfeel, light to medium weight in body, but with just a drip of sugar on the finish. The alcohol is masked very well and intertwined on the palate with plums, cedar, and a good line of acidity, it's like a food. Real phenomenal balance of hedonism and restraint. The world might be full of drunks if a wine like this were plentiful and cheap. 93-94+
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Blend of 62% Cab sauv, 28% Merlot, 8% Petit verdot, 2% Cab franc. 13.5% alc
Dark red garnet color. The wine continued to open up over 1 h. Initially very closed and not giving up much, it started to open up after a while into a well developed and intense nose, really smoky and mineral: huge pencil shavings and ink aromas, red currant, cassis, green vegetables, cedar and even bacon fat. Beautiful and complex nose with singing Cabernet Sauvignon typicality. Extremely tight on the palate but very well structured. As much as this wine is closed now on the palate, it has everything in place to become a grand vin in time. Polished tannins, a velvety mouth-feel and really well balanced. Distinctive flavors of coffee, cocoa, green vegetables and cassis on the palate. Surprisingly mineral and long finish with good grip, and a pleasant cocoa-coffee like bitterness in the aftertaste. (93/100)
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To start with; this wine has become more and more new world style over the last decade; very luxurious, young already delicious and certainly the potential for ageing. This bottle; very luxurious bouquet with smoky oak, cassis, cigar box, graphite etc. On the palate the same impressions as well as some caramel. Very tempting and modern with a classical touch. Early puberty stage now. Keep this until 2020 and then try it (again). Will be worth waiting for. If you own several cases; try one each year; it is a feast already! 96-97+
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Blackcurrant . Red and black berries. With and coffee background On the palate a fruit explosion with being very very elegant. A silk glove. I've been hit by a very elegant train! Long long . Can wait much longer but ready now!! 92
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When first opened it was light, tart and acidic. Dark and opaque. Lots of cedar, green pepper, spice. But where's the fruit? It gained some life after vinturi and 8 hours of air, but despite some hints of class and elegance I never got that 'opulence' Parker was tasting (not that I was looking for heavy extraction). Perhaps its shut down but there's a greenness in the nose and palette that never went away and I'm somewhat skeptical of how this will turn out ...
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Sat in a decanter for about an hour, but was consistently open and expressive the whole time. Inky black and youthful with big fruit and a wall of tannins, but really really good and tons of potential for the future. From other CT notes, I was a bit bearish, but this was a real winner, and will really get better with time.
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I cannot wrap my mind around this bottle of wine. At first I thought it was a pure modern-day spoof-bomb. What with all of the oak, and the near over-ripeness and alcohol... I said near. The fruit is quite ripe, but it holds the line between over-ripeness. It is fluid and loaded with spices, spice cake, nut bread. It also has a lovely florality and nice mineral. There is a ton of oak, but maybe not too much toast? If the fruit, mineral, floral components can trounce the wood then the wine will be good/great. It is certainly much better than say Cos, or Pape Clement, et. al., utter modern nightmares. I cannot recommend this wine today, but if it helps, I kept all of my remaining bottles. I sold Cos d'Estournel, Angelus, Pavie, Pavie Maquin, Pape Clement, from the same vintage.
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Expressive aromas of blackberry, pencil shaving, floral and deep mineral core that provide the freshness and added better complexity with ash and smoke. Fresh, the integration is superb that resulted in a very dense wine with lots of power but has this lightness and elegance to it, the mouth watering acidity keep the wine in great focus with razor sharp precision. This 2005 Poyferre is flirting with its youth and integration, silky fine long finish, there is a little trace of alcohol heat poking out at the very end which distract a little bit. Buy - Maybe.
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NC Cindy tasting. Very dark red color, still looks young. On the nose, very tight, but bits of cassis, black pepper, and mint. On the palate, solid cherry base, with nice structure and overall good balance, but just not very impressive depth of flavor. The finish is surprisingly short. I don't know if this is a dumb phase, but the wine as a whole is just not what I would expect from a 2em Cru Bordeaux from a very good year. If you have this, I would say hold on for a couple years and hope it gets better, but taste another one before you serve this at a special event.
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Bibendum Tasting of 2009 Bordeaux Lord's Cricket Ground. Also Showing Leoville Poyferre 2005: Will be very good indeed, needs another 7 years+. Very fine tannins.
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WGS: 2005 Bordeaux; 4/17/2010-4/18/2010 (Hilton Hotel Singapore): Inkish, green cabbagey, black licourice. Excellent fruit quality. Round, inviting and nicely ripe. Delicious. Looking at past notes, this wine seems like going through a stabilization phase. At the moment, it seems slightly less expressive again like when first tasted in 2008. Maybe its going to shut down soon.
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Bordeaux 2005 and 2006 Tasting; 10/22/2009-10/26/2009 (Wine For Asia Singapore Suntec): Very open. Perfumey flowery and elegant nose. Getting past the flowers, I get sweet cassis, hinted by roasted ethopian coffeee, some dessicated coconuts. A very layered nose. Smooth rounded plums , dark berry fruits with a exotic spiced finish. A wine of class and avant garde fashion. Compared to previously, I think this has developed very nicely into an extremely classy effort of a legendary vintage. 88-92pts
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WFA Bordeaux 2005/2006 Tasting by the Wine Review (Suntec Convention Centre, Singapore): Excellent. This was one of the stand-out wines. Better than the last showing by far. Oak was more controlled for one thing. What showed really well was the purity of fruit on this - the nose still had woody, toasty, coffee notes, but there were great depths of powerful cassis and plum tones washing all over that. Palate was marked on the attack by gripping, almost tough tannins, but again, the sheer purity of fruit, cassis here, shone through. Lots of density on the wine, but also plenty of fresh acid to balance it all, so much so that it came across rather complete. Finish had excellent length too, with depth of flavour stretching away and into little lingers of toast and tobacco. This needs lots of time, but it will be a beauty in a couple of decades.
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WFA Bordeaux Tasting 05 & 06: More expressive as compared to Barton with good freshness and cassis. Palate was rather light and does not seem to have the stuffing Barton offers.
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Nice wine. Nice concentration and fruit. The palate has wonderful depth, although not as complex as I would have hoped for. Drinking well even this young. Long finish. Cassis, blackberry, earth, and tobacco. Solid wine, nice terroir. God bless the French.
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nose: wonderful and deep nose filled with glycerin, rich tones of cassis, dark cherries, cedar, berries, and bits of melted black licorice. Extremely elegant on the nose with a real youthful zest to it that makes it extremely attractive
taste: great depth and purity with big tannins backed by a full bodied feel with wonderful tones of glycerin, cassis, dark cherries, cedar, and all sorts of dark berry tones. The tannins are very big right now, and this is obviously very young
overall: this is a blockbuster in the making. While maybe not on the same level as the 90 and 03, this to me had a lot of similarity to the 82, and there'd be nothing wrong with that at all. This just oozes elegance and richness with deft balance, a real treat to drink
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Berry Bros & Rudd - Bordeaux Psyche (Berry Bros, London): Nose: Rich, fruity but not stewed jammy fruit. Underlying savoury meatiness that sits there insisting that you drink it. Mouth: Massive fruit, tannin and acidity, some pepper, huge finish. Best wine of the evening for me. I'm not a big fan of huge wines but this is just so good. More for the cellar I suspect.
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White and Red 2005 Bordeaux (The Wine Club, San Francisco): Dark with slight lightening at the edge. Some upfront wood, but very attractive plum and violet. Excellent concentration and this has some airiness to it as well. Underlying sweet fruit, subtle pine notes, good acidity, ripe, regal tannins, and great length. I think that there is more than enough here to deal with the wood. Most impressive and very promising structure and balance for aging.
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Union des Grand Cru Tasting (Lighthouse (Pier 61, Chelsea Piers)): At UGC Grand Tasting in New York. Below expectations. This was quite similar to the 06, which retails for less than half the price of the 05. Bright and fruit. Maybe this will improve with age, but the 06 is definitely drinking well now. Disappointing finish.
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decanted for about an hour nose was blunted blackberries some pepper. taste was muted but smooth mild chalky finish. consistent over the night, next morning no oxidation, chalkiness gone, still muted but nice
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2005 Bordeaux Test Drive (North Square): Quiet nose of gingerbread cookies. Alluring, but couldn't get much out of this wine after that. Enters dry, feels dry, finishes dry. At this point it's hard to distinguish between the tannins in this wine and the buildup of tannin and extract in my mouth from all the previous ones.
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Drank right after receiving shipment -- especially because one bottle arrived broken and I feared the whole lot had been mistreated. Never fear, though. This is a sturdy red and still very young. I'm not touching the rest for at least another five years. Deep purple-red color, complex aromatics (mulling spices, cedar, smoke, cassis), great fruit on the palate with some interesting asphalt notes. I agree it is a little curt and dry on the finish and the wood is not sitting just right yet. Not my favorite Poyferre (1995 rules!). Yet.
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At Beltramos tasting. I enjoyed tasting the 2004 very much so I expected a lot more from the 2005 and while it certainly is a very nice wine it did not blow me away. Well balanced with fine tannins and minimal heat. Nice color - medium garnet. An elegant wine with great black fruit and mineral characteristics. It was a pleasure to taste but I will wait quite some time before opening.
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Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux 2005 vintage tasting and dinner (Conrad Interntational, Singapore): UGC tasting. Not bad, but certainly not as good as expected, especially looking back at the last few vintages when the Poyferre had really stood out from St Julien. Lovely nose, with mint, cassis and earth. Great freshness, and firm, but fine tannins that showed a little bitter and spicy at the end. A little alcoholic heat. I'm not sure whether it is due to bottle variation, but I certainly am not as impressed by this as some of the other people who have tasted it.
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Very fine white flower elements on the nose. The palate has depth and power, somewhat foreboding, tight. The tannins finish with a soft expression, maintaining an underlying power on the subtle, yet persistent finish. Very fine.
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2005 Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux Tasting (Drake Hotel, Chicago, Illinois): 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 5% Petite Verdot. I was less impressed than many others. Soft tannins in this light to medium bodied wine. It had a soapy character which seemed out of place. Lacking in fruit because of the tannins and rustic in style. A far cry from the fabulous 2000. Parhaps a slightly off bottle? 90-91+ points.
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UGC 2005 Bordeaux Tasting (and dinner) (The Drake): Medium coffee red color. Slightly candied black fruit nose with some spice and perhaps just a hint of reduction. Big black friut palate with good stuffing and potential.
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This is packed and stacked with sweet, ripe, black fruits, oak and soft tannins. There is ample fruit and structure to allow this wine to age and evolve for decades.
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Loaded with black fruits and very full bodied. The tannin is of a good structure and there is a good dose of acidity. This is a great wine with a long future.
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BORDEAUX 2005 / Cabernet rules; 4/5/2006-4/10/2006 (Bordeaux): A lovely nose of cassis and cedar precedes a smooth palate (malolactic fermentation in barrel helps for better barrel tastings), with nice “wet” tannins and a fine mineral aspect, showing both elegance and power. Very nice. 92-94
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4/14/2024 - WestfalenGG Likes this wine: 92 Points
Third bottle from the case and first one I liked. Maybe bottle variation, maybe it just needed the time. Fruity and earthy, medium-bodied. Needs 30 min decant.
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4/9/2024 - platpeeps Likes this wine: 91 Points
A fascinating contrast against the Leoville-Barton 2005. It was quite full plump and generous, tasting of dark fruits flavoured with game. Quite rich, a touch bretty, softer and more extracted. Not quite the classic style I have come to admire, but still a very fine wine. CHP 91pts
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4/7/2024 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 94 Points
A private dinner with friends (Café Parlotte, Amsterdam, NL): Rich fruit, powerful and concentrated, energetic, firm structure. Everything that it should be.
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3/23/2024 - martin_e Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great - complex multi-layer slightly austere classic Bordeaux, with black fruits, scent of graphite, maybe a subtle note of pickle brine, light fine aromas, fresh structure. It is ready to drink, but will probably further improve with aging
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3/19/2024 - bacchus of knockholt Likes this wine: 92 Points
Delicious wine with classic pencil shaving, ripe black fruit, tannins still present but melded, great depth of flavour and providing a long, satisfying finish. Tasted alongside a Pichon Longueville La Lande and it came second. Fantastic nonetheless.
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3/8/2024 - Harfouch Likes this wine: 97 Points
I love this wine. It has a punch of blueberry that’s perfectly balanced with other beautiful dark fruit flavors. As the wine unfolds, an intriguing note of zaatar emerges, a testament to the wine's layered complexity. This hint of exotic spice adds a savory edge that beautifully complements the fruit, introducing a dimension of earthiness that's both unexpected and delightful. The zaatar intertwines with a distinct stony minerality.
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2/17/2024 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 93 Points
Outstanding. Drinking quite well at present and seems to be fully mature or at least at plateau.
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2/14/2024 - wchisling@gmail.com wrote:
Drank with a rack of lamb. Did not have a chance to decant and was still fantastic. Fruit forward and definitely in it’s drinking window.
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2/9/2024 - SonnyChiba wrote: 95 Points
This is starting to enter a nice drinking window. Decanted for about 90 minutes, definitely improved but the nose was rocking right off the bat. Would be fun to taste this along side other 05's and see how it stacks up, but definitely a beautiful Bordeaux wine with plenty of character, gorgeous now but plenty of time ahead.
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2/2/2024 - ducster72 Likes this wine: 95 Points
3 hour decant, which softened it a bit, but really wasn't absolutely necessary. Powerful, modern with dark fruit, as you'd expect for the vintage. Not heavy or acid deficient at all. I would've happily had another half bottle. Early in what will no doubt be a long window, but lots of pleasure right now, not just intellectually interesting for what it will be.
With ribeyes and green peppercorn sauce.
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1/28/2024 - Willi Vinotti wrote: 94 Points
A very fishy looking bottle from auction. My case still pristine I thought, well you know , let’s try the new one. Label looked like it spend time in a submarine but cork was perfect. And then that wine … i sure have a problem with quite some 2005, but certainly not this one! Not muted or reductive, just plain explosion of classic Bordeaux, nicely balanced cabernet and merlot, all ripe to perfection, and sublime poise, with melted but vibrant tannins, superbe flow, crispy fruit on blackberry, cloves allspice and, do i really say that, banana…
Excellent saint Julien, still powerful, and a delight to drink now. I would ignore future improvements and go for it. Though it feels like a long distance runner with easy some 15-20 years in the tank.
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1/26/2024 - Marc wrote: 97 Points
Stunning, modern and meaty. Marzipan, Spanish cedar, rich wily tannins, marmite, perfect texture. This is modern Bordeaux at its pinnacle. So refined, so textural. This could well achieve perfection in years to come, but as a savoury and refined expression of St. Julien, there is little to complain about.
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1/24/2024 - Romz Likes this wine: 92 Points
23012024 - OUG Jade Lou Sang with the Gang.
My contribution tonight tasted blind.
Popped this at 6pm and we approached this 3 hrs later. Definitely too young. Great fruit, structure & layers but felt the oak still over powering. Suggest to approach this in another 5-10 yrs
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1/24/2024 - englishman's claret wrote: 96 Points
This example, ex-chateau, is more open than another recent example. In the mouth, it is a classic, superb Poyferré, packed with blueberry and potpourri; pillowy, powdery, and intense - yet with finesse to match.
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1/14/2024 - Mleh Likes this wine: 94 Points
After a four hour decant this really shone. Dark and red fruits, blackcurrent and strawberry, vanilla, tobacco, spice, earth and a hint of flowers. Lovely long finish, flavors layered and complex. Lovely acidity and tannins well integrated. Very nice bottle.
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1/8/2024 - Shugs_Claret wrote: flawed
Bret
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12/31/2023 - yeti575rider wrote: 92 Points
NYE wine 3. Paired with steak course. Dark red fruited with coffee and tobacco. Pretty smooth at this point with no rough edges. Nice food wine as isn’t trying to overwhelm things.
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12/29/2023 - Sean Tay Likes this wine: 96 Points
Already entered drinking window. Pronounced nose intensity with notes of cassis, smoke, cedar, vanilla, violet. Medium+ acidity and high tannin. Tannin is fine. Long finish.
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12/25/2023 - Sun_Ship Likes this wine: 95 Points
Perfumed nose of cassis, grilled plum and blonde tobacco, with touches of cedar, coffee and smoked meats. Velvety plushness in the mouth, with beautifully concentrated soft fruit, yet still retaining freshness and a lick of spiced tannic grip at the back end.
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12/17/2023 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted off sediment. But the wine also really benefitted of 1-2 hours in the decanter. Lovely and complex notes of cassis, dark cherries, leather, cedar wood, also some forest floor, pine tree, graphite/lead pencil minerality, also some sweet spices and some horsesaddle. It‘s medium-full bodied, with pretty high acidity, some medium+ tannin that has melted away a little more. Long finish with nice complexity. This is not my „cleanest“ bottle, there could be a touch of brett, but overall a great old-school Bordeaux from this very good year. If the bottle was even more pristine, I would probably rate it even higher.
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12/15/2023 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Double decanted for 3 hrs, deep ruby, classic left bank with black cherry, tobacco, leather, & a touch of green pepper, med/firm tannins, long finish; outstanding, just entering peak drinking, drink or hold
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12/10/2023 - Araldinho Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opaque.
Aromas of grilled meat, cassis, blackberry, tobacco, cardamom, licorice and coffee.
Full body. Firm yet juicy tannins. Blackcurrant acids and black coffee bitterness.
Palate of cassis, cigar box, singed wood, chocolate fudge and wet tarmac.
A young, complex and typical undeveloped Medoc with lovely dark fruit, cacao bitterness and elegantly integrated oak. Cellar for 10 years.
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11/21/2023 - Irish_Wine Likes this wine: 95 Points
Lovely, developed nose showing blackcurrant, fine cigars and vanilla. Layers of earth, cedar and black coffee. Tannins have started to soften on the medium bodied palate. Excellent freshness and a long savoury touched, dried black cherry finish. Probably the most ready of the '05 left banks I have tried but no rush!
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11/8/2023 - RoosterBird Likes this wine: 93 Points
This puppy feels like it's just beginning to enter its drinking window. It's beginning to show tertiary notes, but still has a ton of fruit. I have one more bottle that I will try to sit on for another 5+ years to see how it develops.
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10/28/2023 - AlanM68 Likes this wine: 94 Points
First of a case. In fabulous shape but no rush to drink if you’re at the end of a case or only have a bottle or two. That rich peppery taste is in abundance. Great length. Everything dances on the tongue. What a delight to have this as the first of 12.
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10/22/2023 - prasm Likes this wine: 93 Points
Consumed over 2 days (stored in Somm du Vin), note from day 2. Appearance: Medium garnet with slight clouding and browning on the edge. Nose: Clean, medium intensity with developed aromas of leather, mushroom, blackberry, baking spice, and bell pepper. Palate: Dry, medium+ tannins are soft and resolved, medium acid, medium+ body, medium intensity, 13.5% abv with flavors of baking spice, leather, blackberry, and bell pepper and a long, but subtle, finish.
Balance: Outstanding - wonderful balance of tertiary characteristics and primary dark fruit characteristics.
Length: Excellent - subtle, but lengthy
Intensity: Excellent
Complexity: Excellent
Purchased as a future in 2006 and stored in temperature controlled unit since. Overall, I think I hit the sweet spot here - wonderful balance between the tertiary leather and earthy notes but still some nice ripe dark fruit to balance it out. If properly stored there's up to a decade left to enjoy, but it is drinking exceptionally well today.
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10/10/2023 - dhwesley Likes this wine: 93 Points
Teaspoon of sediment. Color is dark, tinged with brown hues, translucent at the edge of the glass but elsewhere opaque. Nose is open right out of the bottle: whiff of bell peppers upon opening, quickly turning to leather, oak, earth and mushrooms. On the palate quite balanced, tannins well integrated, good finish, hint of saline, but not giving much away immediately.
Over the next three hours, the nose continued to blossom. The palate certainly mellowed with the predominant impression being mushroom, chocolate, port, wet leaves and a delicious salinity. Great length. This wine was so much fun to drink and possessed that delicious "funk" that I so love in (somewhat) aged Bordeaux. There's no rush to open this bottle but I do think this wine is open for business.
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9/3/2023 - englishman's claret wrote: 95 Points
The 2005 Léoville Poyferré is actually quite giving today, though I wouldn’t say it’s quite ready to go. Despite showing a fair amount of red fruit right out of the gate, this moves quickly in a blueberry/blackcurrant direction with more air. There’s lots of cedar, salinity, a little licorice, and a subtle potpourri note alongside. These complexities - and the wine’s depth - are better appreciated with half an hour of air, though it closes down again after about an hour and a half in the decanter and never fully re-opens (even the next day). It hasn’t quite eaten its oak yet, but it’s pretty close and is an enjoyable drink now if you catch it in an open window. Though this is only 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, the plate shows no lack of tannin. It’s a funny contrast with the pretty, red-fruited, lipsticky finish.
62% CS, 28% M, 8% PV, 2% CF. 13.5% ABV.
94-95 points
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7/28/2023 - luHar1423 wrote: 94 Points
Despite the typical black cherry taste and its astonishing length, the wine showed some bitchy tendencies. Personally, I don't think it has reached maturity but maybe entering another quiet period for a mere 5 years? Suggest leaving this vintage on the side in your cellar and re-visit by the end of this decade again.
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7/6/2023 - WineGuyDelMar Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted for several hours. Didn’t really open up until hour 6 & 7. Muted barnyard nose but not so much. Black fruits dominate. My WOTN not surprising for me. Tar, graphite, cassis, cigar box and other typical LB traits I love. Medium body and more feminine. Quite delicate but lots of flavor layers. Could be 95. Lots of life ahead. Agree with Mark1npt’s review.
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7/5/2023 - Mark1npt Likes this wine: 94 Points
I had not had this one since back at the Chateau during lunch back in '17. Rick, our host was most kind to pull one from his cellar and put it into a decanter for our CO event. This one was dark garnet in the glass, no bricking noticeable. Nose of barnyard at the pnp and for about 3 hours afterward before it blew off and evolved into your typical graphite, earth with dark red Bdx fruit. Always a fav of mine this continued to evolve throughout the night over 6-7 hours of air getting classier and more refined every hour. Borders on a 95 for my palate by the end of the night. I suspect it may need even more air than we were able to afford it from this afternoon and throughout the evening. There may be another 1-2 points yet to come. Thanks so much for opening this one for us tonight, my friend! Nice to go back and revisit a wine I haven't had in 6 years!
Addendum: forgot to mention that as the night wore on and this one benefitted from 6-7 hours of air a wonderful cigar box profile emerged on the nose and palate.....quite enjoyable at that point!
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6/11/2023 - Ohlawuly Likes this wine: 93 Points
Open the bottle and wait for around 2 hours, no decant. Fruity and juicy, with some earthy note. Medium-bodied with balanced acidity. Medium finish. Not as seducing as 2005 Ducru-Beaucaillou, nor its complexity, but still a good wine. For me, the wine is in its good drinking window.
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6/9/2023 - alphalam Likes this wine: 93 Points
Bought at the Chateau. Person there said they don't have a private cellar from past vintages so these are bought from merchants.
Cacao, leather, hint of herbaceous on the nose. Well balanced and lively acidity. Great Bordeaux!
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5/29/2023 - edjBoca Likes this wine: 93 Points
This takes a few hours to get its fruit showing best.....Good balance ....should do well over the next 5-10 years.
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5/26/2023 - mpoel Likes this wine: 96 Points
Battle with John - star of the evening. Winner in battle with Montrose 2005, Dominus 2003 and Diamond creek 1999.
Licious and very juicy. Drinking at its sweet spot for me.
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5/13/2023 - ASMB Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drank incredibly well. Limited time to open, but ready to go.
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4/16/2023 - Romol Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. Still young, though already very good. The wine will probably get even better with another 5+ years in the cellar. 93 pts.
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4/9/2023 - LARich Likes this wine: 95 Points
Tannic and needed at least 2 hoirerdecant. Still feels yoing but delispis and approachable. Heavy nose and mouth filling oalate of licorice and red fruits. Wait a few years to try again.
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3/31/2023 - ducster72 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Early maturity of what's likely to be an extremely long life. Certainly tannic, but they've softened enough to make this pleasurable. Dark, dark fruit and some secondary aroma development.
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3/24/2023 - rikipedia Likes this wine: 92 Points
The Four Seasons Tasting 2005 Bordeaux Second Growth (Aubergine Restaurant): (Tasted Blind) 68 CS, 26 Merlot, 6 PV. The bouquet reveals cedar, graphite, cherry stone, cigar stub and dry earth. This opens to more cassis notes and ripe dark plum. Some more development is noted here with a cola tonic element.
The entry is more earthy and feral with a savoury complexity. There are dried herbs and more plums with a zesty acid note. The tannins feel thicker, and the wine is more extracted. Whilst there is the backbone, it hasn’t the depth of the Barton and feels a little muted in comparison. A long length, the feral note expands whilst some more evolved elements of undergrowth and leather appear.
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2/6/2023 - lim.calvinb wrote: 95 Points
Still quite young, popped and poured at Lung Hing Keen Hong Kong.
Prominent dark black fruits on the note, surprising for a wine of this age. Tobacco, leather, hint of forest floor, cedar on the nose. Palette confirms the aromas. Very strong flavors suggest longevity of this wine. Tannins have mellowed down but still very structured.
Given youthful characteristics - I would say try again in 10 years, this needs patience.
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2/1/2023 - vide Likes this wine: 93 Points
Depth and burnt complexity.
vide.
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1/23/2023 - Shugs_Claret wrote: 94 Points
Quite surprised based on others comments. This 05 is further along than many I've had, which is always what I would suspect with this chateau.
Mixed berry aromatics, saddle leather on popping. Well rounded and persistent, with velvety tannins. Early drinking window and really in a good spot for those that prefer a slightly youthful balance of primary/tertiary notes.
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12/18/2022 - melvinyeowq wrote: 91 Points
World Cup final BBQ: Rather modern with an overt vanilla nose, showed the warmth but surprisingly not the structure of 2005. Quite soft and approachable albeit without much complexity.
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12/16/2022 - LARich Likes this wine: 96 Points
Nearly perfect!
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11/27/2022 - vide wrote: 93 Points
Day 2, and it has maderised, somewhat. Yes, a little more complexity. But, I don't know. Something missing here in complexity and secondary notes.
It all depends on what you want from a wine. Perhaps there are no absolutes of judgment.
Only relative absolutes.
vide.
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11/26/2022 - SGoenophile Likes this wine: 96 Points
Dinner at Cassia. Deep purple. Tannins resolved. Well balanced and structured with lots of depth and concentration. No signs of plateauing, has a long way to go. This is the best LP I have had so far (other LPs tasted include 1982, 1995, 2003, 2006, 2008).
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11/26/2022 - vide Likes this wine: 92 Points
An enormous wine, with dark sweet ink, and typical LP depth.
This is day one with this wine. It needs to gather something in complexity. At the moment, it is a little one-dimensional. So I will come back tomorrow.
Vide.
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11/24/2022 - JSLevine05 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Opened and decanted an hour prior to serving, the 2005 Leoville Poyferré is simply stunning. Showing a dense purple, ruby tinged hue; mesmerizing scents of red cherries, raspberry jam, and damask rose roll out of the glass with each swirl. Medium bodied and opulent with a core of blackcurrant, cherries, and plums that is wrapped in supple and velvety tannins. This comes across as younger than it’s 17 years would lead you to believe but with time secondary notes of leather, spice, and tobacco begin to emerge. Balanced acidity and a slightly smoke tinged long and lingering finish round out a wonderful experience. This seems to be just reaching full maturity and I can’t wait to try it again with a few more years on it.
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11/20/2022 - jmht wrote: 91 Points
Decanted two hours but still painfully young... unresolved tannins... with air and time... it showed dense red fruit, hint of dill pickle/olive that I've picked up in 30+ year old Leoville Poyferre. Try again in 5 years?
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11/6/2022 - Bolzano2022 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Felt light, still quite sharp acidity shows youth. Black fruits and vanilla. I felt that it is still very young.
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11/6/2022 - DannyB1991 Likes this wine:
2+ hours in the decanter, paired with ribeye. Just a beautiful wine all around, leather and tobacco and stone fruit, long finish. Made the steak better and the steak made the wine better - it's a wine that cries out to be drunk with a ribeye or a filet mignon
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10/30/2022 - 83Vintage wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. Dominant aromatics of mint and eucalyptus at first, rather overwhelming and intense. Further notes emerge of crushed black and blue berries, lilac, and leather. Integrated on the palate, medium body, gravel, tobacco, smoke, lacking just a little in intensity and drive. While this will hold, I do think it’s ready to go.
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10/29/2022 - Bew Naweera Likes this wine: 97 Points
Deep ruby color.
On the nose, the 2005 Poyferre has cedar, blackberry, eucalyptus, leather, pepper. On the palate, the wine needs 2hrs aeration. It is dry, medium acidity, med+ tannin, med alcohol level, full-bodied, and balanced. Good nice finish. Pronounced flavor of blackberry, cassis tobacco graphite. It has a long way to go! Amazing!
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10/1/2022 - Acove Likes this wine: 93 Points
2 hours in the decanter and another 1-2 in the bottle. Sweaty leather, graphite, and some secondary red fruit on the nose but swirling brings out fresh ripe blackberry and cassis. The palate is in great balance with a medium body, medium tannin, and medium + acid. Finish is relatively long and acidic with notes of gravel. Midpalate is somewhat lacking in concentration which is my only critique, but the midpalate still had great tension and this was still coming alive at the end of the night. I don't believe this is quite in its drinking window yet, hold it for a few more years. Great expression of St. Julien and fruit driven at the same time.
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9/30/2022 - Rbhan12 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted for 2 hours, back to bottle and followed over steak dinner. This was an "aha moment" wine.
Amazing nose. Leather, dusty earth, gravelly rock, deep red fruit that is starting to dry, think dried cranberries. Palate is medium body, lovely tannins that are fine grained, drying red fruit, cedar, tobacco, and leather. Beautiful structure with acid and tannin that provides a serious backbone. The finish is long and lots of crushed rock and red earth.
I have had mostly “eh” experiences with Bordeaux and never understood the hype. Now I do. This is absolutely phenomenal. I need to drink much more BDX from here out.
Drinking beautifully now with a 2h decant but will last another 10+ years in the cellar.
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9/15/2022 - Serge Birbrair Likes this wine:
Ready for business
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8/19/2022 - jonanator wrote: 93 Points
Approaching maturity, this drank really well but still needs a few more years before it peaks. One of the more ready 2005's I have tasted in the last few years. If you have a bunch, doesn't hurt to give one a try.
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7/8/2022 - Jeff Leve wrote: 95 Points
The intoxicating nose kicks off with its showy display of flowers, smoky red fruits, fresh-brewed espresso, smoke, licorice, blackberry, and currants. The tannins have started to soften, though still, they need more time before you can really begin to enjoy the multiple layers of sweet, fresh, soft, energetic, and generous. The wine is concentrated, and fresh, perfectly balanced between its sweet, ripe fruits, tannins, and plushness. Drink from 2027-2055.
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6/24/2022 - VoteferPedro Likes this wine:
Opened at 730 Am
decanted at 530 PM
served at 730 PM
On opening it had a fresh Cabernet cassis aroma and juicy flavor and despite the air time tended to be more shut at the time we at (beef fillet roast). I feel this is still early adolescent and would wait on my other bottles. This paled in comparison to 2005 Cos d'Estournel (also not ready but much larger scale and depth wine) and 2012 Ridge Monte Bello which was in its prime.
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6/22/2022 - LHH001 wrote: 90 Points
Beautiful nose, but very closed in the mouth. Disappoint.
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6/9/2022 - Michael Hung Likes this wine: 95 Points
Big and ripe fruity nose for a 17 year old wine - as stated by everyone, this wine just smells amazing. Med+/Pronounced intensity, big dense black and blue fruits, blackberry and blueberry compote, black cherry, cassis. Fruit is starting to mature and the oak is one with the wine now with tertiary notes starting to creep in. This wine still has a great tannic structure and balance, as well as still having very St. Julien characteristics. Compared to the 2010, has a little less oomph and a bit more elegance (but still big and masculine). Can definitely hold, but honestly this is great to drink right now. 94-95 pts
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5/15/2022 - Cailles wrote: 96 Points
This is superb. In typical Poyferre style, this is a sensual, slightly sexy St. Julien with ripe (but in no way too ripe) fruit, luxurious oak and already nice tertiary aromas. While still years away from its peak, this is certainly one of the 2005s that is ready to go - at least from this bottle. Others here report a much more muted wine.
TN: Expressive nose full of wonderful tobacco, black truffles, dark fruit and minerality. A nose I couldn't stop smelling. On the palate this shows bright dark fruit, some blue fruits, herbs, tobacco, some hints of chocolate, loads of minerality. Less pronounced tertiary aromas. Very round and sensual with a wall of velvety tannins, good freshness and a creamy texture with some weight but no excess. Quite long and fruit-driven finish.
Decanting: Decanted for roughly two hours good from the start.
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5/14/2022 - sirpat00 wrote: 95 Points
Double-decanted and consumed from the carafe which worked well. Tertiary notes of truffles and forest floor frame a fruit of ripe red cherry and dark cherry. Furthermore black tea, dried herbs, mineral notes of coal. Perfectly integrated with good acidity and firm but well built-in tannins.
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4/15/2022 - Burgundy Al wrote:
Some Wine Before/During/After a Seder (The Krengels - Bannockburn IL): Decanted several hours in advance, which barely helped. Firm, powerful and backward. Lots here, but not even close. Just slightly more approachable vs 2005 Lynch Bages tasted next.
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4/11/2022 - Bruce 1er wrote: 93 Points
Classic Bordeaux in character. Fully mature. Plums, roast beef.
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3/22/2022 - #1 or #2? wrote: 94 Points
yet another gem from uncle victor’s cellar... this is still young and needed air. but once decanted, this opened up to reveal a knockout nose! …mineral-laden, floral, and by the last glass, lots of blackberry, black currant, white pepper. this is a delicate, more ethereal and sophisticated wine. better suited to being paired with a hearty meal to do it justice. slightly astringent initially, with time to breathe over 3hrs and paired with a 20 ounce ribeye and gnocchi for four, this showed so well and left us all wanting more, even after delicious cocktails and a stunning 2001 ornellaia.
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3/22/2022 - Uncle Victor Likes this wine: 94 Points
Bright and delicate bouquet of fresh dark fruit, cassis, and rose petals, with hints of white pepper and pencil shavings. Initial acidity and tannins softened after a couple hours (requires minimum 2 hour decent) and married perfectly with grilled ribeye. Lovely wine, early in its drinking window - looking forward to great things from this case in the years ahead.
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3/20/2022 - Frank Schneider wrote: 95 Points
Great Bdx ! Still grippy. Improved over 3 h in the decanter. Real treat. Drink or hold
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3/16/2022 - Nontaco Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drank at Chateau Grand-Luce in Loire Valley. A nice aged Poyferre with some character. Good, strong cassis flavor, other muddled berry notes. Definitely has something to say. Was happy to enjoy over a nice dinner, not exceptional but good.
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3/6/2022 - Romol Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted 2 hours. Young but the 2005 vintage is already very good and surprisingly accessible. Already a lot of fun and will certainly be even better with more age. 94 pts. at the moment.
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2/20/2022 - DannyB1991 Likes this wine:
More than lived up to expectations
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1/27/2022 - Yarden Fan Likes this wine: 95 Points
The wine is still complex and full of life, can continue to age
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1/11/2022 - Woody18 Likes this wine: 93 Points
I tried a bottle of this 14 months ago and was very disappointed. Pleased to report that this bottle was excellent. Dark ruby with no bricking. Slight barnyard and petrol nose upon opening. Decanted for a couple of hours. Dark red fruit on the palate with secondary vegetal, leather notes. Very balanced. Nice, complex finish. A very fine bottle of wine.
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1/4/2022 - troger Likes this wine: 93 Points
1 hour decant produced a very nice experience. Half bottle so probably in its peak range but could easily go another 5-10 years. All components nicely composed.
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12/31/2021 - partymonk Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark purple in color. PnP. Beautiful nose, all the bdx earth/tobacco/cedar box, dark fruit, still a bit closed, easily agebale for another 20+ years. Palate was quite similar- great structure, well smooth tannins, medium finish.
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12/13/2021 - Peter Spijker Likes this wine:
Drank at Zoldering. Ripe dark fruit, blackberries, some green herbs, cigar box and spice. Tannins are still very present but after a while and with food this was an amazing wine. This still feels so young yet is so delicious. Hope to try this again in five years time.
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10/29/2021 - sirpat00 wrote: 94 Points
Second bottle in a couple of months. Surprisingly aged profile compared to the first bottle, very earthy. But with a bit of time in the glass ripe fruity, perfumed and floral flavours started to push through. A settled down palate, but with plenty of tension and structure. A nicely polished wine, ready to enjoy or keep cellaring. Would definitely decant for 1-2h at this stage which I didn’t do.
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10/1/2021 - merlotsmile Likes this wine: 93 Points
Vinminnen 5
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9/14/2021 - psi wrote: 93 Points
Obviously too young still, but I harvested the 1987 vintage from the château, so it means something special to me and I wanted to drink it on my 50th birthday together with the family. A treat.. I wish I had more (for my 60th B)...
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9/11/2021 - sirpat00 wrote: 94 Points
Brief notes only from memory. Decanted 2h+ hours. Fresh minty notes. Red currant, dark cherry, earth and leather just at the margin. Great balance with freshness, soft tannins and nothing giving away the age. Looks like very early drinking window and want to revisit rather sooner than later.
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7/15/2021 - Mag357 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark wine, with a slight brick edge. The nose is complex with its floral aromas followed by distinctive notes of black fruit, melted tar and graphite. The mouth beautifully achieves density and elegance at the same time, with flavors of primary black fruits and secondary spices and smoky flavors. The mouthfeel is silky and very refined, yet there is an enormous amount of sap behind. The tannins are refined but still very present. In the beginning of its drinking window. Finishes fresh and salty, with good length. This is the epitome of power and elegance and the wine will improve further with more cellaring. What a great vintage !
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7/9/2021 - VinhoVerde Likes this wine: 98 Points
Dark red color. Brooding ripe dark fruit bouquet. There is so much concentrated and ripe fruit here that tannins barely peak through. Round ripe, fat primary fruit flavor on the palate. This almost tastes like a barrel sample.
What a long life this wine will have. I own 4 bottles of this and, at age 67, I may not live to see this fully mature. An extraordinary experience.
Double decanted for 2 hours prior to tasting.
From Mark’s 2005 Bordeaux Vintage Tasting:
Attended a 36 wine ‘05 Bordeaux tasting recently. The wine above is one of those wines. Served single-blind.
All wines were tasted over a 2 day period, 18 per day. The wines served on the 1st day had their corks pulled two hours prior. The second day’s wines were served “ double-decanted”, 2 hours before the first flight. The overall tasting experience was quite different, as one would expect. Day 2 wines were softer, displaying more ripe fruit, and less harsh tannins.
Kudos to Mark for both a fantastic experience as well as providing an instructive opportunity to evaluate the 2005 Bordeaux vintage.
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6/27/2021 - Eric wrote:
2005 Bordeaux at 16 years courtesy of Mark Taylor; 6/26/2021-6/27/2021 (Atlanta, GA): Funky, mushroom nose, acrid, some forest floor. Faintly smoky, is this Haut Brion? Moves to cherry and a massive wall of fruit, slightly tough tannins, but wow what a wine. Bloody and intense, dark brooding. My #3 and the group #2. I correctly guessed Leoville-Poyferre. It held its own easily with the first growths!
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6/7/2021 - Papies wrote: 92 Points
Needs decanting for sure . Definitely a richer and fleshier wine (Especially compared to the 2005 Montrose we had just before, Papies 94+) and needs its time to develop and open up. We only saw a glimpse of what this wine can deliver for sure and definitely we could feel the winemaker pushed for a riper and oakier wine at the time of its elevage (again having the Montrose as a frame of ref) and for sure the St Julien juiciness is present. Very solid still, nice dark fruit, soft spice and a full palate as expected from a 2005. Needs time and hopefully its evolution will be as promising as it is today. 92 for now but full of promise . At least we hope as we have some sleeping IB ..
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5/14/2021 - JGinMO wrote: 95 Points
In absolutely great spot, with vibrant layered fruit but showing that classic transition to an aged Bordeaux.
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5/11/2021 - yodamark Likes this wine: 96 Points
Always a favorite of mine in best vintages such as 2005. Cliffy dragged this one out. we all knew it would be too young. I was a little concerned it might still be very primary, tannic and oaky. but it wasnt. it was superb , very married up but set for long haul. fresh bright BlackBerry, mulberry and cigar box wrapped in Cabernet leaf. Balance of fruit, oak, tannin and acid all partying nicely. so at 16 years of age its just starting to drink superbly but if you lost the bottles in your cellar for another 2 decades it would not be a problem. what a cracking 05 Bordeaux and available in the market at great prices compared to some more expensive siblings. yummo
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4/30/2021 - Andice wrote: 94 Points
This is really coming out of its shell now, much better than the last bottle a year+ ago. Creamy cedar, blue fruit dominated bouquet and a substantial rounded palate which finishes well. Elements all coming into balance now
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4/10/2021 - bullmrkt wrote: 92 Points
Not much to add to previous notes on flavor profile and I agree on score too. This is a big wine, dark fruits and tannic, lots of everything, but kept fresh and balanced by acidity. Upon opening, the nose was almost nonexistent but opened up a bit with a little over an hour in the decanter. Definitely give this one at least a couple hours in decanter, or maybe open it and set upright the morning of. Still quite primary, roughly the beginning of drinking window here. This is going to be a long distance runner and I suspect 30yrs will be a layup for well-stored bottles.
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3/24/2021 - Bob in NC Likes this wine: 92 Points
This wine has transformed nicely over the last 5 years. Well integrated flavors and smooth tannic finish. The dark fruits are brambly, with forest floor, cedar, black pepper and, what we describe as, an old world funk component. Went great with our bison strip steak covered with lobster pad thai (dinner at the club).
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3/19/2021 - gouldcampbell77 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Big round meaty wine. Smooth and rich (28% Merlot). Plenty of tannin still to carry it off but just lacking the freshness and zip of the Pontet Canet 2005 tasted alongside. Don't get me wrong, this is good stuff but it seems quite advanced. Will hold and develop further I'm sure, but for the better? That's another question. For my tastes, drink now.
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3/19/2021 - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Likes this wine: 94 Points
One of several great wines of the night, but the only French one. Impeccably stored. Decanted for 1.5 hours before drinking in 30 minutes. Drinking well now, but could hold for quite some time. Tanins well balanced.
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3/19/2021 - SonnyChiba wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for about 30 minutes and drank over the following hour. Really gorgeous nose, very 05’ in style with a lot of richness but also good complexity and classic Bordeaux traits. This is definitely ok to drink (wish we could have decanted longer) and enjoyable now but probably worth waiting more a few more years as it will certainly get better.
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3/14/2021 - Dib cellar wrote: 94 Points
Can still be stored
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2/18/2021 - 312 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted our half bottle for dinner at home of sweet and savory crepes. Deep purple. Cherry and hay on the nose. Full rich body with an astringent mouthfeel. Notes of blackberry, black cherry, sour cherry and quince. Long finish. Tight, perhaps still young.
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2/14/2021 - richardkim Likes this wine: 92 Points
Aromas and flavors of pencil and mushroom, with lively fruit notes of blackberry. The palate shows vibrant fruit, with medium body, balanced tannins, and assertive acidity.
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2/10/2021 - Jeff Leve wrote: 94 Points
Fresh, vibrant and juicy, with strong notes of tobacco, cedar, smoke, roasted fruits, espresso, thyme and currants. The wine is full-bodied and filled with ripe, crisp red berries, which come with a firm tannic grip that even with all this fruit, demands at least 4-5 more years to finish softening and rounding out. The wine is a blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot.
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1/31/2021 - Romol Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted 2+ hours. Improved since my last bottle 2 years ago but it's still pretty young. I'm confident that it will get even better with more age. 93 pts. at the moment.
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1/6/2021 - wilhelmarnor Likes this wine: 92 Points
Intense and rather young nose with tobacco, cedar and black currents. Full bodied taste, a bit unbalanced with too much acidity, leaving an immature feeling. Too much wood? Might hopefully be polished of with time.
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12/21/2020 - dbg wrote:
Cellared since release, perfect cork and fill. Dark red to rim. Black cherry, cassis, earth and cedar on the nose. Ripe fruit, oak, medium-full body, good balance, tannic finish. Still young, no aged complexity. Excellent.
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12/10/2020 - ajburgess88 Likes this wine: 95 Points
This an impressive wine. Had at the East India Club, decanted for around an hour. Very powerful in nose, body and taste. It unfurls itself out of the glass. The freshest of fruits, shoe trees. Very very good. Swamped Calon 06 and Gloria 10 I had last weekend
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12/6/2020 - parkline_wine Likes this wine: 95 Points
Awesome st julien. Very well executed components with excellent balance throughout the experience. After 3.5 hr in decanter, the nose came alive - leather, red fruit, tea.
The pallet was soft, with the acidity balanced much more evenly with the oak and tannins than the 1989 LP I tried recently. Very well integrated acids kept the finish persistant and consistent with the mid pallet.
I find this wine regardless of the vintage finishes a smidge acid heavy, which can throw the experience out of balance (see 1989 note) but the 05 was refined enough to not make the acidity level unpleasant. In a few years, I will try the legendary 2010!
Great overall
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12/5/2020 - soyhead wrote:
N - darkberry, graphite
M - lush and rich, lovely complex fruit slightly funkified, give this 10 years to unfurl. Had next the 03 which was much more evolved. Impressive stuff. Powerful at age 15.
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11/2/2020 - RayOB wrote: 94 Points
Drank at 67
Maturing beautiful, drinking now but a long life ahead
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10/27/2020 - Woody18 wrote: 89 Points
I’m giving it an 89 and hoping that this bottle was off a bit. Brought a glass to my neighbor. He too thought it was off a bit. Not corked. Came around a little after several hours of air. Have several other bottles and will try again.
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9/17/2020 - Plabella Likes this wine: 94 Points
this is a beautifully crafted full body wine with soft integrated tannins. It has a long mouthfeel with dark fruit a spice.
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8/18/2020 - dbg wrote:
Cellared since release, perfect cork and fill. Dark red to rim. Black cherry, cassis, earth on the nose. Ripe fruit, oak, medium-full body, good balance, tannic finish. Still young, no aged complexity. Excellent.
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8/16/2020 - mpoel Likes this wine: 96 Points
Had it all - Just a great bottle wine, showing some nice complexity but still very strong on its fruit. Great showing of a great bordeaux vintage. will last for decades. Pure class act.
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6/19/2020 - WetRock wrote:
Covid Cassoulet (Robin Stark's, Cardiff-by-the-Sea): Drank this next to the '00 and it was clearly still in a more closed place. Showed riper, pretty fruits. Violets on the nose. Thinner feeling with a clamping grip. Tight but not completely closed. This one is still about potential. If the '00 is any indication five more years should make for a better showing.
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6/18/2020 - Wine&GardenLover Likes this wine: 94 Points
3rd wine of the night. Delicious, with the traditional Bordeaux funk that I love. Floral notes on the nose. Roses? Dark red fruit & coffee notes on the palate. Very balanced still. One glass was accidentally left out overnight and, while not up to the prior night, wasn’t vinegar as many go. Has at least another 10 years+. Will wait at least 5 years to open our remaining bottle.
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5/17/2020 - Geaux Tigers wrote: 94 Points
From a 375. 30 min in a decanter. Eucalyptus, sour cherry, mushroom, wet earth , damp forest floor. Deep dark color with a somewhat stiff tannic backbone carrying a medium-long sour cherry finish. No hurry here, but plenty of life left.
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5/5/2020 - JHH51 wrote: 91 Points
PNP, and delicious. Barnyard smells blew off quickly and cassis and deep fruits with good balance and a long finish.
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4/18/2020 - TMethvin1 wrote:
We took out about 2 glasses
Smelled like manure to begin with.
Decanted 40 minutes.
Now been 1.5 hours.
Much better but I really don’t like it.
Rucker 89.5
Tom 85
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2/20/2020 - redhead6971 Likes this wine: 90 Points
I gave this bottle a full 3.5 hour decant. Color was dark ruby on the tilt, purple opaque from the bottom. Upon first sniff, the nose revealed loads of cassis and blackberries, some oak camphor and a little mint. On the palate, black currants, oak, some blackberries, noticeable patchouli oils. The finish was still tannic with a major oak component, some briar patch fruits, ash, blackberry compote. As much hype as there was over the 2005’s, I stlll think that the incredible balance of the 2000’s are going to overshadow most of these wines when it comes to 2000 vs. 2005 vintage comparisons.
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2/2/2020 - mat600 wrote: 94 Points
Vin de St-Julien qui possède une trame olfactive de haut niveau. Rose, fruits rouges. En bouche, le tout est long, complexe et d'un superbe grain de fruit. Excellent. 94 sur 100.
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1/26/2020 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 92 Points
Pitted against ‘05 Léoville Las Cases. Both surprisingly accessible. Las Cases was technically stronger with a firmer structure, more horsepower, and bigger tannin, but this was more approachable with higher aromatic high notes. Even a little fleshy (Merlot?) at times. Quite nice.
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1/22/2020 - jmw17 Likes this wine:
Double decanted and recorked 8 hrs before serving and finished 2 days later. Surprisingly lifted and much lighter weight than I expected. An inner core of darker, classic bordeaux elements but showing both resolution and freshness. Overall well-made and enjoyable.
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1/17/2020 - soyhead wrote:
Not as open as I had hoped. This needs more time to unfurl. Big fruited wine, lots of stuffing but quite tight even after a few hours in the decanter. I suggest hold for 5-10 more years.
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1/10/2020 - _water.into.wine_ Likes this wine: 93 Points
Trying this once more since my last bottle in 2015. This wine is certainly as big as I remember it! Wow. Its massive. A dark purple to black in the glass. Quite a lot of sediment already developing. Lots of blackcurrent and chocolate. Despite its size, its actually drinking quite well. It finds a way to be balanced, but this is youthful and needs time. This has decades left. Drink 2025-50+
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1/10/2020 - Claret & CdP Gang Likes this wine:
Decanted for 2 hours, so soft & pretty, sweet & pure silk, ready to drink, lovely Poyferre
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1/9/2020 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 96 Points
Very similar tasting note to my last one. A beautfiul St-Julien at the beginning of its drinking window. Love the complexity and balance here. Great bottle at a still pretty decent price for top notch aged Bordeaux.
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1/8/2020 - stschutz Likes this wine: 96 Points
Beautifully aged, wonderful balance and integrated tannins, a nice musky mature nose with and wonderful finish. Everything is in the right place for this wine. Enjoyed over pasta at the National Exemplar with dad for his 80th Birthday. Perfect cork, i would say this wine will drink wonderfully and continue to evolve for another 7-12 years.
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12/31/2019 - Marc wrote: 97 Points
New Year's Eve 2019 at the Wedge (Wanaka Wedge House, Queensberry, Central Otago, New Zealand): Absolutely textbook St. Julien from a great vintage. There is no reason to defer gratification with this bottle, although it is only just entering early maturity. Incredibly meaty, and intense. Dark, dark currant fruits, with a rich and deep leathery/smokiy complexity that lifts this wine far beyond the basic fruit and oak amalgamation of basic bordeaux. Thick and ripe tannins frame a wine cos considerable dimension, but the balance is pure class. Will be fabulous to follow over the coming decades. Grand wine. 97+
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12/19/2019 - wineappreciation wrote: 93 Points
Classic nose of blackberry, graphite, gravel, cigar box; smooth, extended, long finish, pure, well balanced, straightforward and delightful
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12/14/2019 - Plabella Likes this wine: 95 Points
open beautiful red fruit aged extremely well
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12/8/2019 - MarcelloW Likes this wine: 92 Points
This really needs air...best after 5 hour in the decanter...and this needs food...still kind of young...a bit rustic with still quite harsh tannins...
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11/17/2019 - kr522 wrote: 93 Points
Gorgeous bouquet with dark fruit, spice and oak. Ripe black cherries and vanilla flavors, a bit Napa-like, with a little more complexity. I found it very enjoyable though i prefer the 09 that i drank recently
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11/15/2019 - Plabella Likes this wine: 94 Points
delicious wine full body great dark fruit & spices
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11/9/2019 - ChristopherB Likes this wine: 92 Points
From a half-bottle. Nice quite dark ruby-garnet colour. On the nose upon opening, aromas of black cherries, olives, Autumn leaves, bread, and a touch of graphite and mint. On the palate, the attack is frank, direct arriving with fruit, quickly followed by ample rounded and ripe tannin, touch of acidity (a touch low to my taste) leading to a very good length. It is true that the length is rather equally made up of black fruit (blackcurrant and cherries) and a touch of raspberry, but also equally aromas from toasted oak - coffee, toast, olives and vanilla. This is my first contact with my Léoville-P 2005s - having tasted the 2000, 2006 and 2014 previously. The 2000 and 2006 seem clearly less oaked (autocorrect keeps replacing oaked with naked!) and the 2014 was very young. Anyhow, despite the oakiness, this has a good mouthfeel today and has nice aromas (though more muddled and less concentrated than in the 2000) and is a pleasure to drink. I’m not sure at this stage whether the fruit will ever overtake the oak or if they will enjoy a blissfully even marriage over the years to come. Regardless, this is delicious with a good steak - though I wouldn’t recommend it as a sipper without food. Good to go today (from halves, but I'd still wait 2-4 years for full bottles) and likely good for another 10 years from half-bottles and longer from fulls. With a few hours extra air - aromas of plum skins and blackcurrant become more pronounced and acidity rebounds to a sufficient level. Can be decanted a couple of hours before serving, ideally. 92-93
Belle robe rubis-grenat bien foncé. Au nez à l’ouverture, des arômes de cerises, olives, humus, pain et touche de graphite et de menthe. En bouche, l’attaque est franche, directe, fruitée avec des tannins présents mais fondus et mûrs et une légère acidité. Il y a une très bonne longueur des arômes perçus au nez. Il est vrai qu’aujourd’hui, on y trouve, en plus des arômes de fruits noirs et (un peu de framboise) rouge, des arômes issus du fût de chêne toasté - café, vanille, olive, vanille. Une partie de la longueur s’assoit sur ces arômes. C’est mon premier contact Léoville-P. dans ce millésime, ayant goûté précédemment les 2000, 2006 et 2014. Les 2000 et 2006 sont moins boisés et le 2014 était encore jeune. Enfin, dans tous les cas, le vin peut être bu aujourd’hui, étant mûr, et je ne sais pas si le boisé va se fondre plus au futur. Je crois simplement, qu’il sera toujours relativement boisé - mode des années 2000. Les arômes sont moins précis et moins sur le fruit que dans le millésime 2000 et la concentration est aussi moindre tout en étant bonne. Cela étant dit, en accompagnement d’une viande rouge, c’est un délice, mais c’est un peu moins un vin à déguster seul en méditation. 92-93
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10/7/2019 - gouldcampbell77 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Good concentration and overall flavour profile but at the moment, the oak is still a little charred and bitter. Maybe this will resolve with time but I'll never know because this was my one and only bottle.
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10/6/2019 - acyso wrote: 90 Points
Vinetasters: 2005 Bordeaux 2nd Growths (Skokie, IL): Served double blind. The nose shows a bit of oak here, but also a nice amount of approachable fruit. Relatively speaking, this wine doesn’t show too tannic, and indeed is a little more approachable in that respect. The finish has a bit of a black cherry liqueur note, and while the intensity and complexity on the palate isn’t as good as some of the other wines, this is fairly approachable and enjoyable. My 1st, group's 4th.
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8/15/2019 - beatles wrote: 94 Points
Classic and classy, this really stand out. Dry and balanced, Tobacco here, spices and a good, concentrated fruit - it is very much a left bank wine.
#NYCGroup#Anarki
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7/14/2019 - MJReb wrote: 93 Points
Blind tasting chez Said: tobacco, leather, concentrated with a lot of freshness, accessible, but still young, give a number of years more.
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7/12/2019 - Portland Seth Likes this wine: 95 Points
A rockstar with a lovely dark color, cassis, blackberry, black cherry, cedar, leather, vanilla. Good depth of fruit and the well integrated tannins are sweet on the finish. Drinking very nicely after 2 hrs of air.
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6/6/2019 - Sundbyberg wrote: 92 Points
A second time with the 2005 (first time was in 2014).
This has evolved quite a lot and in 5 years or so this should be fine and score a couple of more points.
The oak is still evident, but the deep fruit is starting to show, and I get the impression the concentration is good, however not supberb.
Was the 2003 better? My score for the 2003 was signicantly higher and I'm not so sure that the 2005 will reach 95.
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5/24/2019 - phynes wrote: 92 Points
Drank the Leoville Poyferre ‘05 alongside the GPL ‘05. Both super-pleasant wines and surprisingly open but exhibiting less power than I had expected.
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4/27/2019 - BenBlu wrote: flawed
We were puzzled at first by how tight this was, giving nothing aromatically. After a bit I did pick up the faintest of TCA aromas and after asking the sommelier to check it out this was confirmed. Shame.
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4/25/2019 - Philip Yang Likes this wine: 95 Points
Absolutely love his wine. Consistently good. Good nose, very balanced. Flawless. My drinking partner wants to give it a 98.
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4/6/2019 - TMethvin1 wrote:
Tom loved it
5
Amy not like it
Too heavy
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3/29/2019 - AndersLov Likes this wine: 97 Points
Starting to enter drinking phase. Fantastic now and will only get better. I love this Chateau!
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3/23/2019 - cubswinws wrote: 94 Points
Beautiful wine. Really opened up after 2 hour decant.
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1/18/2019 - dcwino wrote: 94 Points
Chateau Leoville Poyferre vertical with Sarah Cuvelier (Le Cafe Descartes at the French Embassy): Expressive nose displaying youthful black fruit, crushed blackberry, blackberry jam, milk chocolate, a hint of lead pencil and earthy mineral. Excellent concentration, finely layered fresh black fruit, silky and polished, good acidity and mineral, noticeable but fine tannins and a long pure black fruit driven finish with lead pencil at the end. There is a hint of bitterness at the end which lowers my rating by a couple points. Showing very good balance and structure. Surprisingly, it is not a super concentrated blockbuster. The style is closest to the 00.
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1/5/2019 - mye wrote:
Deep dark purple. Decanted a couple of hours.
On the nose it was sweet wood. Surprisingly sweet actually. Palate was more balanced with earth, and structure/acidity. Needs a fatty red meat to go with this. Continue to easy hold.
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12/30/2018 - Hazeo wrote: 92 Points
Much better than my last bottle. Medium to full-bodied plum and black current, tobacco, earthy and quite smooth. Tannins are not resolved yet but they are round and supple, though a very slight sharp vegetal note persisted on the finish. This bottle was stored in a fridge that broke during a heatwave, which may have affected its aging trajectory. … in fact with a couple hours of air in the glass the palette turned slightly bitter. 90
On day 2 it held up rather well and some of rough edges were smoothed out. 92
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12/28/2018 - Donjcorleone wrote: flawed
Corked.
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12/25/2018 - dnnk88 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Intense and full bodied. Dark plums / fruits, cherries, broody with peppers and bitterness. Needs decanting and it developed extraordinarily into a luscious, spicy, complex offering. Ok to drink now but got a feeling it’s peak has yet to come.
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10/20/2018 - Poisey wrote: 96 Points
Concentrated ripe and long. Still evolving with a long life ahead. Just starting to reveal itself. Leather, plumby fruit with pepper and black currant. Seamless with great balance. Its all here in spades. Stunning. Drink 2025-2040.
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10/12/2018 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
Even in its adolescent years, it is hard not to find this thrilling to drink. Luscious, sensuous and concentrated, the tannins are ripe, the fruits combine freshness and purity and the finish just keeps on going. Drink now with 2 hours of air or wait a decade. Regardless, this is really stellar juice!
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9/18/2018 - Philip Yang Likes this wine: 94 Points
Intense nose. Full bodied, very good balance. Still quite tannic. Full of youthful energy. Enjoyable now but will be best in 3-5 years and then will probably last another 20 after that. Very good.
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8/19/2018 - Plabella Likes this wine: 94 Points
delicious well balanced Poyferre. Dark fruit good after taste.
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8/10/2018 - SeattlePaul wrote: 96 Points
Tasted at Café Lavinal. A bit of barnyard and wet warth on the nose with some floral hints too, but not offensively so. Much more powerful than the 2011 or 2008. Excellent structure and very present dark fruit, but in balance with tannin and acid as well. Blackberry and smoke at the beginning, a slight pepper hint and warm spice.
P.S. why do people still smoke at cafes?
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7/1/2018 - AlbertaOenologist Likes this wine: 93 Points
I very much enjoyed the structure and balance. -tobacco leaf notes on finish
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6/10/2018 - Marc André Gagnon wrote: 97 Points
Somptueux, ample, riche, velouté. Du fruit en masse sur des tanins de très belle qualité. Il a beaucoup de caractère. Très persistant. De la belle matière.
(https://vinquebec.com/node/14846)
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5/4/2018 - liber Likes this wine: 93 Points
Chez Ch., decanted 30 minutes, youthful, purple rim, primary nose, cassis, bramble, graphite, tobacco, classy, medium full, long, persistent, well balanced, sweet, fine tannins well covered by fruit, a little dumb as yet, just about drinkable now but should be much better in 5+ years. At least F+ (18).
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3/30/2018 - Romol Likes this wine:
Decanted 1,5 hours consumed over 4 hours. This bottle was not as good as my last one. More tannic and a bit short. I don't know if it was closed or a slightly flawed bottle. I will wait at least a year before i try the next one. No rating.
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3/8/2018 - Harley1199 Likes this wine:
Bordeaux Kiosk (Lavinia - Madrid): A text-book Saint Julien: fragrant and delicate. Feminine. A little intrusive wood but harmonious in this wine. Aromas of plums, camphor and sand on the beach.
In the mouth it is slightly tannic although tasty with the right amount of acidity and length. To be enjoyed with food right now. If you think of a wing chair I think it needs more time.
Un San Julián de libro: fragante y suave. Femenino. Un poco intrusiva la madera pero armoniosa en el conjunto. Aromas a ciruelas, a alcanfor y a arena de la playa.
En ámbito en la boca se muestra ligeramente tánica aunque sabrosa con la acidez y longitud justas. Para disfrutar con comida ahora mismo. Si piensas en un sillón orejero creo que necesita más tiempo.
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3/3/2018 - HENNO1 wrote: 92 Points
Big wine but good enough to drink now. Needed an hours decant. Two cases of this one and at the price point I think this is worth the money compared to others in 2005. No rush to drink- the 2005s are as good as they are meant to be
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2/27/2018 - BenBlu Likes this wine: 94 Points
I was looking forward to retasting this as I had this last around 2 years ago and felt it was a tremendous wine then with great potential (rated 94 and 95 then). What has changed? In short, not much. Double decanted this the night before and left without cork for the night then recorked in the morning and took to restaurant for dinner where it was decanted and then drunk over 2 hours. The colour of this wine is almost blue purple, the nose soars with blue fruits and intense blueberry notes are also still dominant on the palate. Very little evolved in terms of secondary or beyond. But it is drinking with the prep it had in its youthful exuberance. High tannins but refined. I think this is a 40 year wine easy. Thinking that the 1990LP I feel is also still fairly youthful and I see similarities with the 05 and the 90 - probably more so then with the 96 for its fruit which is subdued in the 96. It probably is a hypothetical blend of 75pct 1990 and 25pct 1996, and that is certainly no bad thing. I have 4 cases of those and look forward to following this wine's path for as long as I can. Drink 2020-2050 (with sweetspot for my liking I'd forecast at 2030 onwards, but I won't wait that long for the next). In my view this is a very good value high quality 2nd growth from a great vintage. The Poyferre to buy given prices vis a vis other top vintages for sure. I must add that this was drank side by side a Canon 05 and the Canon was a tad more developed and showed beautifully to just best the Poyferre... On this occasion...
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1/31/2018 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 92 Points
Enjoyed over two nights, more enjoyable the second night than the first night, nose (with coaxing) of black berry, saddle leather, cigar box, barnyard with hints of black cherry and boysenberry, same on the palate, big body, very smooth, tasty, 3 years to peak drinking window, easily last 15 years, great wine for the price with obvious Second Classified Growth Quality, and a medium/long, flavorful finish.
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1/17/2018 - Markus IWC wrote: 91 Points
Bordeaux BYOB #7: nice primary fruit and berries, black currant, rich and mellow, warm. High tannins, some bitterness from excessive oak, slightly out of balance, needs more cellar time, minimum 5 years. Modern style Bordeaux. 91p, votes 0
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1/7/2018 - Geaux Tigers wrote: 88 Points
Decanted 90 min and drank over 2 hrs. This was a 375 so I had optimistic hope that was quickly dashed. Never really hit its stride but the stuffing is there. Barnyard and faint cherries, not a lot else. This wasn’t bad but was good either.
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1/3/2018 - mpoel Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for One hour. Drinking very nicely now. Tannins fully integrated. Soft and smooth, but great intensity.
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12/23/2017 - WineGuyDelMar Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wonderful, classic Bordeaux nose of earth, must @ barnyard. Dark color, decanted 4 hours. Nose is muted. Taste is still closed and still too young to drink for my palate. Nice extraction but super smooth. Typical softer St Julien with soft, integrated tannins. Note to self...try again in 2020. Wine is beautiful but will get much better.
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12/19/2017 - heythatslife wrote: 92 Points
#2 of 3 in Leoville-Poyferre vertical. A bit closed now, but definitely has the right structure to develop into an elegant, classic bordeaux.
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12/10/2017 - Marcosuru Likes this wine: 95 Points
superb wine emerging adulthood.
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11/11/2017 - ToddArisWonderwines wrote:
Opened bottle for 30 mins before having it with lunch, quite a good valuable wine.
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9/17/2017 - Mark1npt Likes this wine: 95 Points
What a gorgeous wine! Served at lunch at the estate with beef/potato/carrot/shallot main course. Absolutely perfectly paired. Still some dark fruit, velvety smooth in the mouth and a great ending of perfectly balanced fruit/tannins/acid with an elongated ending. A very nice wine.
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9/8/2017 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted for 1 hour. Super complex notes of black cherries, cassis/black currant, cedar wood, forest floor, pine tree, graphite, lead pencil, soy sauce, sweet spices. Pretty full-bodied, with high acidity and medium-high tannin that is very good quality. Excellent length. A really really good classic but powerful St-Julien that has amazing freshness despite its bigger frame.
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9/7/2017 - BigJ Likes this wine:
Decanter for about 2 hours, on the nose; Blueberry, cassis, leather and white pepper.
It is still tannic, but they are really beautiful and refined.
Refreshing acidity keeps the ripe fruit in perfect balance.
I will give this another 3-4 more years before the next one. Really lovely wine that will only get better
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8/20/2017 - FrancoisD Likes this wine: 94 Points
Vin profond et dense, mais avec delicatesse toutefois.
Cerises noires, tabac, cedre, truffes.
Prêt à boire, mais pas encore à son appogé.
Un régal!
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8/15/2017 - tbuysse wrote: 95 Points
Same experience as last tasting. Great wine, which represents perfectly well the finesse and elegance of the 2005 vintage. No hurry to drink this beauty, but you are in for a real treat. LP is in top-shape. The 2015 is a bargain.
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8/9/2017 - Collector1855 wrote: 98 Points
From Magnum. Decanted. This was spectacular and really loved by everyone at this 10 people BBQ dinner. Lots of dark fruit with a touch of pine, earth and smoke, very Medoc. Dense palate with solid structure and tons of fruit, almost of Napa proportions but with much more freshness. Awesome wine. Early drinking window.
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5/5/2017 - mye Likes this wine:
Hold for 5 years.
Dark purple, still medium high tannins, great fruit showing.
tobacco and earthiness showing through.
enjoyable now, but gotta let the tannin resolve for greatness.
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4/8/2017 - bigop Likes this wine: 92 Points
I am not a Bordeaux kind of guy. However this wine is very good indeed. Balanced and structured. Good density and velvety on the palate. Fine-grained adn ripe tannins complement med+ alcohol and acidity. This is started to emerge from a long hibernation, it will live for a good decade easily.
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3/16/2017 - Bob in NC Likes this wine: 92 Points
An excellent beef wine for sure. Well integrated with flavors of stewed black fruit, leather, tobacco, light black pepper and cedar. The dry medium tannic finish displays brambly fruit and cedar.
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2/19/2017 - WineGuyDelMar Likes this wine: 92 Points
Merlot is dominant now as the cab is a little tight & closed. Still needs more time but a wonderful, classic Bordeaux. I find this wine soft with minimal barnyard nose. This is a more subtle expression of fruit which is a nice departure from some more tannic & super powerful Chateau. I want to try a few more from this vintage as it's been a while since I've bought Bordeaux. A nice bottle which won't disappoint. Decanted 2 hours & drank over next hour.
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2/14/2017 - Romol Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted 2.5 hours. Deep red colour and a lot of fruit. Felt very young. The 2005 still needs a few years. Very good. 93 pts.
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12/31/2016 - WKC Likes this wine: 94 Points
New Years dinner at Toto and Susan's. Great nose, needed 3-4 hours in decanter and then opened up beautifully. Good to drink at this stage, which is still relatively young, but can and will be even better.
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12/5/2016 - J-Sho Likes this wine: 93 Points
Solid 93 - nose with immediate lead pencil, earth and wet stones along with some soft dark fruit and a touch of barnyard that was not obtrusive. Palate medium bodies with structured but fine tannins and a medium length finish. Classic Bordeaux
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10/27/2016 - Krokfjord Likes this wine: 90 Points
Kanskje var det senskadene etter Zind-Humbrecht Turckheim - men denne imponerte ikke så mye som forventet. Behagelige tanniner, solbær, noe fiol; god men ikke sååå god som jeg håpet.
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7/6/2016 - bengti Likes this wine: 93 Points
Even better than when I had it a month back, layered with juicy blackcurrant a, berries, mineral, leather and smoke. Secondary flavors more pronounced and really complementary to the overall palette. Good structure and a lengthy finish. Can get better even in 5 years.
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6/18/2016 - MarcelloW Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still a bit early to drink. Tannins still very present. After 3 hours in the decanter already good with food, but I will wait another 5 years for my remaining bottles.
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5/18/2016 - bengti wrote: 93 Points
Hard to beat anything drunk now from 05, this had a classic nose of the vintage, intense fruit, mineral, floral notes, pine, tar. Abounds with freshness from the glass. Concentrated blackberry, cherry with some sandalwood and chocolate. Tannins buttrress the wine and add a tactile dimension which accentuates its profile beautifully, never overpowering. Impressive structure and balance. Drinking well now but can go go go for a decade or more.
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3/6/2016 - Collector1855 wrote: 96 Points
During an introduction to Bordeaux speech I gave at a wine club in Singapore. Dark ruby, youthful color still. Expressive nose of cedar wood, forest floor, dark fruit, complex and very Medoc in style. Medium bodied on the palate with great freshness, fruit and structure. Textbook claret, high drinkability. This was the winner of the night with the men while the women loved the Hosanna 2008 even more. You can drink this with 2h decanting or wait as it is built for the long haul. Fantastic!
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2/7/2016 - Bob in NC wrote: 93 Points
Drank this alongside a 2000 Ch. Giscours. Both wines were excellent and tasted remarkably similar with this wine being a bit more youthful and polished.
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1/1/2016 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 wrote: 95 Points
Opaque purple color turning crimson at the rim with a transparent edge. The nose is incredibly perfumed, deeply concentrated and ripe with notes of dark berries, licorice, vanilla bean, and cocoa. The palate is full-bodied, luscious, utterly pure, and layered with complexity; velvety in texture. Beams of blackberry, black tea, boysenberry, fig paste, dark chocolate, espresso and smoke flavors abound. The wine is elegantly well-balanced; dashing vibrancy and plushness that's expressive of the vintage. Fantastic, amazing, complete wine. Finishes long and round on smooth, velvety tannin with hints of cola and pencil shavings. Drink now with a 20-minute decant until 2025.
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12/31/2015 - fournet Likes this wine: 94 Points
Really nice and not even near its peak. Will wait another decade for the next one but really nice. Old school style Bordeaux. Barnyard, leather nose. Tannins still strong. Classic.
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12/30/2015 - Leonis Likes this wine: 93 Points
still need to age for 5-10 years.
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11/15/2015 - yukoner Likes this wine: 93 Points
long life ahead!
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9/27/2015 - gsquireh Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for an hour plus, this balanced purple prince pleases perfectly from nose to mouth to palate. Dates and chocolate cappuccino integrate the ripe plum and rich currant and cassis. Super smooth.
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8/10/2015 - Wine_lvr Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nose shows cherries and leather. Nice structure, elegant and long. Tannins are smooth. I was missing a bit the length for a 2005. Overall a solid Bordeaux which is now already approachable. Drink now - 2030.
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7/22/2015 - BenBlu Likes this wine: 95 Points
Enjoyed a glass of this for lunch together with a glass of Montrose 05. This clearly was superior in the showing against the Montrose, it had beautiful black and red fruits - really a full throttle wine with amazing power that should age beautifully. The oak here is very hidden (which I like). May I dare say that compared to the 2010 Leoville Poyferre I tasted recently I think I prefer the 2005 quite a bit at this stage...? Although the 2010 certainly has great potential but think there the wood is just not integrated enough for me yet. Lovely stuff the 2005 already today and holding an awful lot of promise for the next 2 decades to come. One that in my humble opinion punches (well) above its RP score.
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7/7/2015 - Collector1855 wrote: 96 Points
Magnum shoot out - France vs. Italy (Switzerland): From Magnum, served blind. The most closed wine of the evening despite 2h decant, opened in the second half of the evening much more. Discrete nose of dark fruit, pine tree, forest floor, some oak. it is immediately clear that this is a Medoc wine that is still young. Very aristocratic, medium bodied, sappy. Great potential. Wait till 2020. 96+
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7/3/2015 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 95 Points
From Magnum bottle. First slightly closed, but opened up significantly over the course of the evening. Very classic and old-school St-Julien aromatics of dark berries (black currant/cassis, black cherries), pine tree, spices, some cedar wood, graphite/lead pencil... all in a cool/classic style. It's medium-full bodied with high acidity and high tannin that is present but very good quality. Good length. A very impressive classic and restrained kind of Bordeaux from this vintage, that produced very classic and old-school (in the best sense of the word) tasting wines. I would give it a few more years in the bottle though. (95+)
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6/28/2015 - Jeff Leve wrote: 95 Points
Cigar box, tobacco, cassis, blackberry and wet earth scents pop as soon as the wine hits the glass. The fruit and tannins need more time and air before they can really be coaxed from their deep slumber. On the palate, the wine is powerful, full bodied and concentrated, with refined tannins, plush textures and layers of sweet, ripe, juicy, spicy fruits. If you enjoy young wines for their crisp fruit, you can drink this with a few hours of air, else this very strong wine will be much better, softer and more complex with another 5 more years of age. The wine was produced from a blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot. The wine reached 13.5% alcohol.
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6/13/2015 - Sotto325 wrote: 93 Points
A pure pleasure-- and, at risk of adolescent-cide, it is worth trying a bottle now. I recall well my first LP, the 1967 in 1976,and the quality difference is astounding. Rich, full of 2005 fruit With only a half hour decant, little tannin.
Of course a massive wine for this estate and for St Julien, the 2005 unfolds a rich robe of dark dark almost deep concentrated cherry/blueberry in the very center of the palate, with dark cherry and some cassis on the borders, a full finish. The nose has cedar,smoke, earth and of course black cherry.
The only thing missing, compared with its neighbor LLC, is complexity. Much will develop in time but this will not be a first growth in that regard.
But so what? Fine Bordeaux 2005 accessible early is worth a lot.
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6/13/2015 - dase13 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Purchased as a future.
Decanted for two hours. Drank over the course of a couple of hours.
Color of dark red. Scents of black and dark red fruits. Tastes consistent with scents and tannins were integrated and not overpowering.
Really enjoyed.
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6/11/2015 - gsquireh Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted for two hours and drank leisurely with red meat entre. Wonderfully balanced, this purple palate pleaser has a mouth feel close to perfect acidity with carob, date-like note with cocoa powder facets, black current and plum. Smooth as a silk. From the glass cassis, licorice, blackberry and boysenberry, roasted tobacco leaves swafting the senses combine with a hint of cappuccino and tonka bean. A superlative accomplishment from nose to finish.
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5/30/2015 - Bob in NC Likes this wine: 93 Points
A wonderful Left bank Bordeaux in it drinking window..
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4/17/2015 - le-gourmand Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great intensity, dark fruit morello cherry, light coffee notes. Deep fine line of acidity / structure, layered fruit, lovely lift and freshness. Sill too young but beautiful and exciting.
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4/11/2015 - soyhead wrote:
decanted for several hours.
impressively barnyard on the nose
mouth - lively sour plum, followed by some serious rough and tumble tannins. Tried next to the 2005 Clos l'Eglise, and this was by far the more unevolved wine. Has potential. Hold.
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3/30/2015 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 93 Points
2005 Bordeaux Retrospective (Morrell Wine, 1 Rockefeller Plaza): The nose was intense, showing bright cherry, with spice, baked confectionary notes, sweet crème, savory burnt butter and tobacco. On the palate, I found a display of silky, smooth textures with hints of tannic grip, more wood than varietal, yet beautifully balanced with ripe saturating dark red fruits and spice. Fine tannin resonated on the powerful finish contrasted through lasting fruit and hints of tobacco.
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3/26/2015 - BenBlu Likes this wine: 94 Points
Tasted single blind. Accessed via coravin left half an hour in glass. From nose guessed St julien, palate showed red fruits and tobacco leaf. I noted after half an hour more air getting better. For me second WOTN after Cos 2006 and ahead of Montrose 2005 for current gratification. i would not be surprised to see all this reversed though in ten years time. This wine has huge potential and I am glad to have a case. probably still "value" in the scheme of 05 prices. If you need to try now decant. If you can wait wait. Drink the less expensive surrounding 2004 or 2006 Poyferre now.
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3/9/2015 - Doni.Bertolami wrote: 91 Points
2005 Bordeaux Tasting: Not my cup of tea. More modern than the barton and gruaud larose which were tasted along with obvious influence from the new oak. Quite acidic and not yet integrated.
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3/8/2015 - Arthur4wine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Just great. Served with rib-eye steak and guest just loved it.
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2/4/2015 - Lipsman wrote: 88 Points
Tasted blind. This wine was awkward, unbalanced with acidity, tannin, and the wine each fighting each other. In a flight of the 2002, 2005, 2006, and 2007, the 2005 was the least favorite. Surprising results. 2002 was the favorite for immediate satisfaction, with 2007 most favored for cellaring—a bargain wine.
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2/2/2015 - rossi.wine wrote: 95 Points
Not easy to follow after 2010 and 2009, but the 2005 didn't disappoint. Showing a hint of evolution in terms in colour around the rim. Nice depth and finesse on the nose, a lot more accessible than 2010 at this stage, but more elegant and restrained than the 2009. On the palate great texture, grippy, with waves of ripe fruit, spicy, fresh, perfectly balanced. Very elegant. Wonderful finish. I would wait a couple of more years. 94-95+
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2/2/2015 - tbuysse wrote: 96 Points
Perfect balance between power and elegance. Great now, and will last for at leat 5 more years. Top!
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1/31/2015 - _water.into.wine_ Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank from a half bottle (375ml). Medium to dark red in the glass with medium to quick legs. Earthy notes with some oak and very slight secondary flavours of leather developing. The wine highly tannic with a medium to full body.
After 24 hours opened but left in the fridge, the wine added more weight and became a full bodied powerhouse. This wine is built to last. I recommend not opening until 2018 and should last 20+ years.
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1/29/2015 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine: 93 Points
Bordeaux 2005 : Ten years on (Bordeaux Index London): By comparison with the Barton, a bit more jam on the nose. Rich and full bodied, much fruit almost ready to burst out of the house, but a bit harder at this stage. The Barton seems a bit juicier. A different style but also excellent.
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1/18/2015 - DrinkBordeaux wrote: 94 Points
Dark purple in color. Took 3+ hours aeration to fully show itself. Black currant, cherry, chocolate, sweet tobacco, with hints of violet. Mouth-filling, rich, and silky. Grippy tannins that need softening. Long, lingering finish. This is a wine with obvious potential. It should enter its drinking window in 2 years, where it should remain for a very long time.
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12/25/2014 - Alex H wrote: 89 Points
Classic claret showing from a strong vintage. Dark cassis, well defined oak, smooth firm tannins and cigar tobacco finish. All lifted by hints of floral and plums juiciness.
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12/21/2014 - Vintomas wrote: 94 Points
Wines tasted at Eriks vinbar (Eriks vinbar, Stockholm): Classical, powerful and rather young Bordeaux nose with blackcurrants and notes of even darker berries, some barnyard aromas and tar, a hint of dried herbs, and well integrated oak. The palate is medium bodied+, with blackcurrants, good acidity, some tar and pepper notes, tannins that are well integrated into the fruit, and an aftertaste dominated by dark berries with some tannins. Still on the young side, but somewhat accessible now, 94+ p.
Poyferré is usually called modern in style, but in the 2005 this is combined with a very fine balance on the palate and classical vibes.
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12/21/2014 - Sundbyberg wrote: 91 Points
Mixed emotions. Starts out very promising, smooth, sweet and a bit closed, but with some signs of complexity. But after 30-60 minutes this turns out to be smooth, but not much more. I would say full bodied and definetly old school. From magnum
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11/15/2014 - rossi.wine wrote: 96 Points
Equally fine compared to the 05 Beychevelle, cool, poised and a wonderful blend of elegance and power. Polished and silky despite the firm tannin structure. Very very long. Outstanding. 95-96+
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9/25/2014 - Solidgold wrote: 92 Points
This has more nose then anything else. Give it an 1hr and the aroma just oozed out. Full bodied with long finish. I have another bottle and will keep it for another couple more years.
Stylish wine with a very well balanced structure.
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4/25/2014 - Donjcorleone Likes this wine: 93 Points
An elegant nose of blackberry, leather, licorice, toasty oak, vanilla and a bit of an earthy herbal note which lead way to a silky full bodied palate that is very berry and black truffle driven with a long mouthcoating finish. The wine is still quite youthful but I think in time it will surprise to the upside.
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3/11/2014 - ewasowicz wrote: 95 Points
Nose: wood, dirt. Country fresh air just an awesome nose. I almost want to smell it more than drink it.
Taste: raisins, wood, smooth with very light tannins,
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12/26/2013 - theearl Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for an hour before dinner with Rib Roast. Classic bordeaux, its heritage very evident. Fine structure, mouth filling, luxuriant long finish. Masculine, yet elegant, with time left to spare. Dollar spent vs. dollar received, an extraordinary value.
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12/26/2013 - Arthur4wine wrote: 93 Points
Drinking a little young, but this is really a great wine. Served it with lamb for Christmas dinner. All the guest agreed that the wine was great. I will wait a couple of years before opening the next bottle.
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11/15/2013 - ewasowicz wrote: 92 Points
Nose: floral, light oak
Taste: low tannins, black cherries, woody. Very nice but probably needs to sit for a few more years.
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9/5/2013 - Johndolk Likes this wine: 94 Points
Young and powerful, is the first that comes to mind! Next is the long finish, nearly a minute, and the rounded tannins which grips firmly. Purple to black in colour, charming oak mixed with berries. Decanted 30 min, and evolving nicely.. This Will be even more beautiful in 2 hours. Save if you have some, and drink 2018-2035.. Nice!
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7/25/2013 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
Still dark in color, this looks like a new wine. Espresso bean, smoke, vanilla, boysenberry, blackberry and licorice notes fill your glass. The wine is full bodied, concentrated, long, deep, fresh, clean and balanced on the palate. The round silky tannins push along wave after wave of berries that move from black to red and back to black again. The wine is very young as you would expect. Give the beauty up to a decade before popping a cork and enjoy the ride.
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4/11/2013 - ChinonRouge wrote: 90 Points
I found this wine to be fairly tannic. Mouthfeel and flavor were good. I would prefer a little more from it though. Not quite enough elegance. Not quite enough finish. However my review is based on a bottle purchased from a Tennessee retailer which means the bottle may have been subject to heat damage-- TN distributors don't care about protecting wine from heat at time of delivery to retailers.
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2/12/2013 - ludwigbpm wrote: 96 Points
Sans notes
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1/20/2013 - Brmaso wrote: 94 Points
I think the below note was from a bad bottle, as this juice has power, finesse, concentration, and weight while maintaining a harmonious balance. Light on its feet, it exhibits a fair amount of succulant dark fruits for a stacked wine at such an early stage of development, including cassis and blackberry, a fantastic limestone minerality for a wine of lower acid, sous bois, pepper and asian spices.
The Merlot is quintessential 2005 (as I find all of the high pedigree 2005 wines' Merlot has a earthtoned ripeness that is very hard to find in other wines) and at roughly 30% Merlot, it is seeming to allow the wine to open up considering its vast phenolic concentration. Well dilineated on the palate, it has a balance that will only allow this wine to get better as it gets closer and closer to maturity, which seems a good 7-15 years off (and should have a long plateau after that).
The tannin count is high, but they are so velvety and fine grained; the level of tannin integration is much higher than one would expect, although it is a tannic powerhouse (although not anywhere close to that of Troplong or Pontet, which in this vintage will redefine your definition of tannin). The tannins are sweet and round.
It just isn't as good as the 2003, which is my only complaint on this wine. While I personally prefer the style of 2005 to 2003 from a sensory view, there is just something profound about the 2003 that this wine does not possess to the same extent (perhaps considering the longevity of this wine, this will change with more time in the bottle under ideal conditions).
Great juice, and if you like classically styled ripe vintaged BDX, this wine wont dissappoint! Finesse and masculinity combined, and its better than the high residual sugar fruit bombs that seem to come from everyone in California that are just too smooth...I would highly recommend this for the price, although I would probably recommend 2005 Pontet more if you can find it for the same price..
At the end of the half of the bottle I drank, about 2-3 hours in, some subtle cedar, gaminess and smoke emerged (very subtle for the game and smoke). GORGEOUS!
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12/30/2012 - mathwonk Does not like this wine:
I bought this at $100 for my wife for new years. after reading these notes i opened it 24 hours early. i am not encouraged. it starts out thin and acidic with almost no flavor. yes the smell is wonderful, but it is not reflected in the taste of the wine. i corked it back up and hope this improves over the next day, but i will probably buy something else i can count on more, like a good california cab. for that money i could have bought a dunn howell mountain that has never disappointed, heck for less than that i have bought 10 year old conterno barolo. more later.....
Ok we started decanting it at about 5.30 and served it 2-3 hours later (it had been uncorked 18 hours earlier). My wife said she liked it but I had trouble drinking even one glass. My wife always says she likes everything, so I used the time honored verification method, did she drink it all? No,
after one glass she was not so insistent to have another and then she asked me to choose for her from the several open bottles. At the end of the night 1/3 of it is still in the bottle, the sure sign of a mediocre wine. This is probably the most disappointing $100 wine I have ever bought.
It will be a long time before I try this again, and it would have to come down by 2/3 in price. Finally, European wines are declining in quality and increasing in price to where CA and WA wines really are better, and better values. I agree a $300- $800 french bordeaux beats a $50 CA wine, but that's about it for tonight.
Let me be very specific. All of the Williamson winery wines I received for my winter club member shipment, averaging about $40, were better than this, much better.
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12/27/2012 - Arthur4wine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still drinking young, but an excellent wine.
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10/27/2012 - MoTheMan wrote: 96 Points
Had it at a classic years vertical tasting of this wine ('82, '03, '05, and the famous 100 pt. '09), but I liked this one the most of the bunch!!
Very deep and barely ready to drink, deep purple color with subdued earthy/terroir and subdued spiciness on the nose. Deep dark fruit flavors with very rich complex terroir and just the right spiciness showing nice balance, integration, and complexity on the palate.
Most satisfying and will probably go well with a variety of dishes, from various casseroles, to baked and even pan-grilled meats.
Very, very delicious . . . and will have to get me some . . .
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10/24/2012 - Porchino wrote: 93 Points
Destroyed delhinger Goodrich at Paris airport tasting
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9/22/2012 - dougie wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for 4 hours. Great velvet, deep fruit and complex. Wait 3 years for the next. It will last a long time.
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8/22/2012 - johnh1001 wrote: 91 Points
Decanted and drank over 2 hours. Dark, thick. Somewhat restrained nose of coffee, red fruit, wood and earth. Texture was silky. Not too much going on in the mouth. More red and black fruits, leather, cassis on the palate, but was holding back. Clearly this is young, but the 2000 and 2003 are young too and much more approachable. Medium finish.
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6/20/2012 - St Paul wrote: 95 Points
What a wonderful wine this is. I have not had many great Bordeaux wines for a while so this was really a treat. Black currant and earth. Stables and boiled vegetables. Very powerful and long but it still keeps its freshness and elegance
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5/4/2012 - nss1 wrote: 92 Points
Needs a few more years to shine
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4/29/2012 - GA wrote: 93 Points
4/12 Velvet mouth feel _ balanced fruit with long_lasting finish - ready now with tie. 93 pts.
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4/28/2012 - Robert Pavlovich wrote: 94 Points
This is really nice and unmistakenly, Bordeaux. Darkish, plum red in color with sediment finely and evenly distributed all around the glass. The nose gives scents of sweet soil with herbs, forest floor, and plums. Has a soft and savory mouthfeel, light to medium weight in body, but with just a drip of sugar on the finish. The alcohol is masked very well and intertwined on the palate with plums, cedar, and a good line of acidity, it's like a food. Real phenomenal balance of hedonism and restraint. The world might be full of drunks if a wine like this were plentiful and cheap. 93-94+
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10/22/2011 - cosmin_grozea wrote: 93 Points
Blend of 62% Cab sauv, 28% Merlot, 8% Petit verdot, 2% Cab franc. 13.5% alc
Dark red garnet color. The wine continued to open up over 1 h. Initially very closed and not giving up much, it started to open up after a while into a well developed and intense nose, really smoky and mineral: huge pencil shavings and ink aromas, red currant, cassis, green vegetables, cedar and even bacon fat. Beautiful and complex nose with singing Cabernet Sauvignon typicality. Extremely tight on the palate but very well structured. As much as this wine is closed now on the palate, it has everything in place to become a grand vin in time. Polished tannins, a velvety mouth-feel and really well balanced. Distinctive flavors of coffee, cocoa, green vegetables and cassis on the palate. Surprisingly mineral and long finish with good grip, and a pleasant cocoa-coffee like bitterness in the aftertaste. (93/100)
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10/7/2011 - Zweder wrote: 96 Points
To start with; this wine has become more and more new world style over the last decade; very luxurious, young already delicious and certainly the potential for ageing. This bottle; very luxurious bouquet with smoky oak, cassis, cigar box, graphite etc. On the palate the same impressions as well as some caramel. Very tempting and modern with a classical touch. Early puberty stage now. Keep this until 2020 and then try it (again). Will be worth waiting for. If you own several cases; try one each year; it is a feast already! 96-97+
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8/31/2011 - curtr wrote:
Young and tannic.
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8/10/2011 - leonardo_de_araujo wrote: 92 Points
Blackcurrant . Red and black berries. With and coffee background
On the palate a fruit explosion with being very very elegant. A silk glove.
I've been hit by a very elegant train!
Long long . Can wait much longer but ready now!!
92
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5/17/2011 - Hazeo wrote:
When first opened it was light, tart and acidic. Dark and opaque. Lots of cedar, green pepper, spice. But where's the fruit? It gained some life after vinturi and 8 hours of air, but despite some hints of class and elegance I never got that 'opulence' Parker was tasting (not that I was looking for heavy extraction). Perhaps its shut down but there's a greenness in the nose and palette that never went away and I'm somewhat skeptical of how this will turn out ...
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5/3/2011 - dannyk8232 wrote: 93 Points
Sat in a decanter for about an hour, but was consistently open and expressive the whole time. Inky black and youthful with big fruit and a wall of tannins, but really really good and tons of potential for the future. From other CT notes, I was a bit bearish, but this was a real winner, and will really get better with time.
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3/30/2011 - Porchino wrote: 90 Points
googd but for an 05 not worth the price had in vegas
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3/8/2011 - Charlie Carnes wrote:
I cannot wrap my mind around this bottle of wine. At first I thought it was a pure modern-day spoof-bomb. What with all of the oak, and the near over-ripeness and alcohol... I said near. The fruit is quite ripe, but it holds the line between over-ripeness. It is fluid and loaded with spices, spice cake, nut bread. It also has a lovely florality and nice mineral. There is a ton of oak, but maybe not too much toast? If the fruit, mineral, floral components can trounce the wood then the wine will be good/great. It is certainly much better than say Cos, or Pape Clement, et. al., utter modern nightmares. I cannot recommend this wine today, but if it helps, I kept all of my remaining bottles. I sold Cos d'Estournel, Angelus, Pavie, Pavie Maquin, Pape Clement, from the same vintage.
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3/8/2011 - Sleepy Dave wrote:
Expressive aromas of blackberry, pencil shaving, floral and deep mineral core that provide the freshness and added better complexity with ash and smoke. Fresh, the integration is superb that resulted in a very dense wine with lots of power but has this lightness and elegance to it, the mouth watering acidity keep the wine in great focus with razor sharp precision. This 2005 Poyferre is flirting with its youth and integration, silky fine long finish, there is a little trace of alcohol heat poking out at the very end which distract a little bit. Buy - Maybe.
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10/9/2010 - viking60 wrote: 87 Points
Disappointing. Tons of sediment, fruit was really lacking, austere, will come back in a few years, but not impressing. Sad actually
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10/8/2010 - Phredd wrote: 87 Points
NC Cindy tasting. Very dark red color, still looks young. On the nose, very tight, but bits of cassis, black pepper, and mint. On the palate, solid cherry base, with nice structure and overall good balance, but just not very impressive depth of flavor. The finish is surprisingly short. I don't know if this is a dumb phase, but the wine as a whole is just not what I would expect from a 2em Cru Bordeaux from a very good year. If you have this, I would say hold on for a couple years and hope it gets better, but taste another one before you serve this at a special event.
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10/3/2010 - slywka7 wrote: 90 Points
Had some decent fruit but this is nowhere near ready to drink. Needed at least an 8 hour decant. Still nice showing but perhaps too expensive.
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4/21/2010 - Remony wrote: 92 Points
Bibendum Tasting of 2009 Bordeaux Lord's Cricket Ground. Also Showing Leoville Poyferre 2005: Will be very good indeed, needs another 7 years+. Very fine tannins.
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4/18/2010 - Alex H wrote: 86 Points
WGS: 2005 Bordeaux; 4/17/2010-4/18/2010 (Hilton Hotel Singapore): Inkish, green cabbagey, black licourice. Excellent fruit quality. Round, inviting and nicely ripe. Delicious. Looking at past notes, this wine seems like going through a stabilization phase. At the moment, it seems slightly less expressive again like when first tasted in 2008. Maybe its going to shut down soon.
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10/23/2009 - Alex H wrote: 90 Points
Bordeaux 2005 and 2006 Tasting; 10/22/2009-10/26/2009 (Wine For Asia Singapore Suntec): Very open. Perfumey flowery and elegant nose. Getting past the flowers, I get sweet cassis, hinted by roasted ethopian coffeee, some dessicated coconuts. A very layered nose. Smooth rounded plums , dark berry fruits with a exotic spiced finish. A wine of class and avant garde fashion. Compared to previously, I think this has developed very nicely into an extremely classy effort of a legendary vintage. 88-92pts
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10/23/2009 - Paul S wrote: 93 Points
WFA Bordeaux 2005/2006 Tasting by the Wine Review (Suntec Convention Centre, Singapore): Excellent. This was one of the stand-out wines. Better than the last showing by far. Oak was more controlled for one thing. What showed really well was the purity of fruit on this - the nose still had woody, toasty, coffee notes, but there were great depths of powerful cassis and plum tones washing all over that. Palate was marked on the attack by gripping, almost tough tannins, but again, the sheer purity of fruit, cassis here, shone through. Lots of density on the wine, but also plenty of fresh acid to balance it all, so much so that it came across rather complete. Finish had excellent length too, with depth of flavour stretching away and into little lingers of toast and tobacco. This needs lots of time, but it will be a beauty in a couple of decades.
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10/22/2009 - astroman wrote:
WFA Bordeaux Tasting 05 & 06: More expressive as compared to Barton with good freshness and cassis. Palate was rather light and does not seem to have the stuffing Barton offers.
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8/3/2009 - pian0_player wrote: 93 Points
Nice wine. Nice concentration and fruit. The palate has wonderful depth, although not as complex as I would have hoped for. Drinking well even this young. Long finish. Cassis, blackberry, earth, and tobacco. Solid wine, nice terroir. God bless the French.
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5/15/2009 - KeithAkers wrote: 93 Points
nose: wonderful and deep nose filled with glycerin, rich tones of cassis, dark cherries, cedar, berries, and bits of melted black licorice. Extremely elegant on the nose with a real youthful zest to it that makes it extremely attractive
taste: great depth and purity with big tannins backed by a full bodied feel with wonderful tones of glycerin, cassis, dark cherries, cedar, and all sorts of dark berry tones. The tannins are very big right now, and this is obviously very young
overall: this is a blockbuster in the making. While maybe not on the same level as the 90 and 03, this to me had a lot of similarity to the 82, and there'd be nothing wrong with that at all. This just oozes elegance and richness with deft balance, a real treat to drink
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5/11/2009 - chatters wrote: 94 Points
Berry Bros & Rudd - Bordeaux Psyche (Berry Bros, London): Nose: Rich, fruity but not stewed jammy fruit. Underlying savoury meatiness that sits there insisting that you drink it.
Mouth: Massive fruit, tannin and acidity, some pepper, huge finish.
Best wine of the evening for me. I'm not a big fan of huge wines but this is just so good. More for the cellar I suspect.
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4/25/2009 - drwine2001 wrote:
White and Red 2005 Bordeaux (The Wine Club, San Francisco): Dark with slight lightening at the edge. Some upfront wood, but very attractive plum and violet. Excellent concentration and this has some airiness to it as well. Underlying sweet fruit, subtle pine notes, good acidity, ripe, regal tannins, and great length. I think that there is more than enough here to deal with the wood. Most impressive and very promising structure and balance for aging.
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1/26/2009 - jrobs7777 wrote:
Union des Grand Cru Tasting (Lighthouse (Pier 61, Chelsea Piers)): At UGC Grand Tasting in New York. Below expectations. This was quite similar to the 06, which retails for less than half the price of the 05. Bright and fruit. Maybe this will improve with age, but the 06 is definitely drinking well now. Disappointing finish.
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1/26/2009 - ews3 wrote: 89 Points
Union des Grand Crus 2005 & 2006 Bordeaux Tasting - NYC (Lighthouse, NYC): Very similar profile to the '06, but with a surprisingly weak finish.
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1/24/2009 - peternelson wrote: 90 Points
UGC LA: Tobacco, sweet leaf, classic, nice bal, rich.
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12/26/2008 - blockboy wrote:
decanted for about an hour nose was blunted blackberries some pepper. taste was muted but smooth mild chalky finish. consistent over the night, next morning no oxidation, chalkiness gone, still muted but nice
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12/2/2008 - MRichman wrote:
2005 Horizontal (North Square, NYC): Very nice. Smooth, classy. Some dark notes. Good acid, muscular. Very young.
B++
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12/2/2008 - Keith Levenberg wrote:
2005 Bordeaux Test Drive (North Square): Quiet nose of gingerbread cookies. Alluring, but couldn't get much out of this wine after that. Enters dry, feels dry, finishes dry. At this point it's hard to distinguish between the tannins in this wine and the buildup of tannin and extract in my mouth from all the previous ones.
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7/15/2008 - hfindlay wrote:
Drank right after receiving shipment -- especially because one bottle arrived broken and I feared the whole lot had been mistreated. Never fear, though. This is a sturdy red and still very young. I'm not touching the rest for at least another five years. Deep purple-red color, complex aromatics (mulling spices, cedar, smoke, cassis), great fruit on the palate with some interesting asphalt notes. I agree it is a little curt and dry on the finish and the wood is not sitting just right yet. Not my favorite Poyferre (1995 rules!). Yet.
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6/15/2008 - aaronwine wrote: 92 Points
At Beltramos tasting. I enjoyed tasting the 2004 very much so I expected a lot more from the 2005 and while it certainly is a very nice wine it did not blow me away. Well balanced with fine tannins and minimal heat. Nice color - medium garnet. An elegant wine with great black fruit and mineral characteristics. It was a pleasure to taste but I will wait quite some time before opening.
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6/1/2008 - Alex H wrote: 85 Points
Union des Grand Crus de Bordeaux: Review of 2005 Vintage (Conrad Centennial Singapore): Oaky and greenish with some dark blueberries. Alcohol showing. 82 to 87pts.
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5/26/2008 - Paul S wrote: 91 Points
Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux 2005 vintage tasting and dinner (Conrad Interntational, Singapore): UGC tasting. Not bad, but certainly not as good as expected, especially looking back at the last few vintages when the Poyferre had really stood out from St Julien. Lovely nose, with mint, cassis and earth. Great freshness, and firm, but fine tannins that showed a little bitter and spicy at the end. A little alcoholic heat. I'm not sure whether it is due to bottle variation, but I certainly am not as impressed by this as some of the other people who have tasted it.
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3/9/2008 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine:
Very fine white flower elements on the nose. The palate has depth and power, somewhat foreboding, tight. The tannins finish with a soft expression, maintaining an underlying power on the subtle, yet persistent finish. Very fine.
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1/22/2008 - Vino Me wrote: 91 Points
2005 Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux Tasting (Drake Hotel, Chicago, Illinois): 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 5% Petite Verdot. I was less impressed than many others. Soft tannins in this light to medium bodied wine. It had a soapy character which seemed out of place. Lacking in fruit because of the tannins and rustic in style. A far cry from the fabulous 2000. Parhaps a slightly off bottle? 90-91+ points.
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1/21/2008 - winefool wrote: 93 Points
UGC 2005 Bordeaux Tasting (and dinner) (The Drake): Medium coffee red color. Slightly candied black fruit nose with some spice and perhaps just a hint of reduction. Big black friut palate with good stuffing and potential.
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1/20/2008 - Jeff Leve wrote: 94 Points
This is packed and stacked with sweet, ripe, black fruits, oak and soft tannins. There is ample fruit and structure to allow this wine to age and evolve for decades.
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1/19/2008 - hcampana wrote: 93 Points
2005 Bordeaux @ Union des Grand Crus (San Francisco, CA): Solid core of fruits and offering attractive minerality. Full bodied, intense and very tannic at this point. Great potential if it rounds up a little.
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1/19/2008 - tanglenet wrote:
Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux (San Francisco): Tasted at the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux in SF. Quick notes: soft ripe fruit with cherry, plum and a dry finish. Very Good.
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12/9/2007 - Zweder wrote: 94 Points
Loaded with black fruits and very full bodied. The tannin is of a good structure and there is a good dose of acidity. This is a great wine with a long future.
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4/5/2006 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine: 93 Points
BORDEAUX 2005 / Cabernet rules; 4/5/2006-4/10/2006 (Bordeaux): A lovely nose of cassis and cedar precedes a smooth palate (malolactic fermentation in barrel helps for better barrel tastings), with nice “wet” tannins and a fine mineral aspect, showing both elegance and power. Very nice. 92-94
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3/28/2006 - Burgundy Al wrote:
2005 Bordeaux en Primeur; 3/26/2006-3/28/2006 (Bordeaux France): En Primeur tasting. Brighter black fruit vs Barton, but not as complex. Good balance, probably better young. still very good 89-92 point potential.
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