The fruit is getting a bit tired, in my view it's a bit early for that. Also there is a bite to this wine that I think is some form of acidity that is very displeasing. I suspect this bottle is spoiled in some way, but I don't fully understand it. NR because I think there's a flaw, though I'm not sure which one. I'll drink my last one soon.
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Like some 2005, this seemed clamped down in the beginning and not talkative. Luckily, some 2 hours of decant did the trick, it opened up and showed multilayered secondary and tertiary notes lying on a bed of smooth tannins, nicely melted and giving it this silky, inky flow of matured Bordeaux. Dark throughout, but deliciously balanced, the wines shows good acidity and rounds out gorgeously in the finish. Good for some 10 more years i would guess with some evolution ahead. But absolutely good to go now.
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Sort of a MILF that turns out didn't pick up any skill or freak along the way. Drink now, but you prob won't enjoy it unless you like faded wines that are just numb. Bottle seemed fine just dull. Fruit gone, tannins still there, zero secondary notes other than the unpleasant raisiny funk.
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Splash decanted off small amount of sediment, drank over several hours. Blackberry, cassis, leather and tobacco. Bit of a scorched note. Medium+ body, tannins resolved, but not quite silky. Comes across a bit brooding and rustic. Still relatively youthful. Drink now with decant.
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13% alcohol. CS 65%, M 25%, CF 5%, PV 5% according to the website, but I am not sure about the proportions 18 years ago; just from tasting I would suspect more M. The cork is above average, both in length and in quality; no wine penetration. Decanted an hour ahead. Dark colour all the way to the rim. The nose is all dark fruit and ink, with no oak in evidence. Somewhat lighter in the mouth but by no means insubstantial; good grip with a juicy character. Menthol in the finish adds to the feel of freshness. There are short intervals, not much more than glimpses, when the wine comes across less well, showing either an alcoholic whiff, or a hint of pre oxidation. As a result, I would suggest drinking this wine sooner rather than later. Not completely harmonious perhaps but still very good.
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Tannic and backwards at first. Still young and needed 8+ hours in the decanter to open up. A lovely wine which will be at its best in about five years. Not great QPR at $85, but still enjoyable.
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Chateau Gloria was the selected wine to be served in first class from the late Varig Brazilian Airlines Rio de Janeiro to New York. Varig is gone, but this wine continues to be a delicious and voluptuous Saint Julien.
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Olive and dried leather in the nose. Pretty mossy The palate is slightly astringent with very light red fruit. Some currant. An angular finish for something this old. Maybe wasn't a rock star to begin with. Definitely a DRINK NOW. 87 pts
Olive and dried leather in the nose. Pretty mossy The palate is slightly astringent with very light red fruit. Some currant. An angular finish for something this old. Maybe wasn't a rock star to begin with. Definitely a DRINK NOW. 87 pts
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Monthly tasting - Cabernet Sauvignon / Blends (JM (SL)): A somewhat controversial wine, the final bottle after an evening of mostly Australian Cabernets and Cabernet-dominant wines. The majority of the table guessed this as Australian (except the author of this TN, haha). The wine is almost opaque, garnet with a faint bronze hue. Topnotes of cassis interspersed with graphite and cigar box. Medium to full-bodied, savoury and still tightly wound with slightly chunky tannins, the spirity and charred oak finish is low rent and mars the overall experience. There's clearly still the structure for further ageing, however I don't think the finish will ever ameliorate. [SL]
Note: this tasting note taken on the 2nd night after opening, 1/3 bottle remaining.
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This 2005 is a blend of 61% CS, 30% M, 5% CF and 4% PV with 13% alcohol. It was uncorked 2 hours before the tasting, the level being simply lowered to the shoulders of the bottle. The nose, slightly restrained but elegant and pure, displays a timid bouquet of black fruits, cedar, graphite and a little dark tobacco. The palate is of great finesse. However, the structure is still incredibly tight, supported by plenty of fine and velvety tannins. The sap, delicate and harmoniously balanced, offers a distinguished aromatic palette of a pretty Médoc classicism enhanced with a hint of violet. The finish, which stretches moderately, highlights fresh minty notes, smoky flavors, cedar and a stunning touch of truffle. This wine is an example of plenitude. It's drinking terribly well now but I feel that keeping it in the cellar for a few more years can be beneficial. I congratulate Domaines Henri Martin for this successful Saint-Julien and for their fair consumer-friendly pricing policy. [Photo on Instagram]
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Developing well. Tannins have softened a bit. Nice red fruited win with raspberry notes in a soft St Julien style. Should peak in 3-5 years and hold well for another decade.
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Light ruby with Garnett showing on the edge. Gentle aromas of stone and red fruits with hints of barnyard. Moderate acidity and tannins, with a warm, soft mouthfeel and hints of silk. Red fruits dominate the palate with subtle tobacco.
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Drank last night. This bottle had a fair amount of sediment, so we strained and decanted it for 2 hours. Medium bodied, mellow and still very drinkable. We enjoyed it but not particularly remarkable.
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Kind of a basic bitch. Especially for the infamous 2005 vintage. Tannins nicely resolved. Color still great, limited bricking. Just kind of flat. Cheers!
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A Friday evening With my friends seb and Arnaud in Singapore. Pairing with the French cheese plate. Medium ruby Color. Beautiful nose with dried red fruits, vanilla, chocolate and cigar. Med acidity, Med body, med alcohol, Med tannins, Med flavor intensity, Med+ finish. Very nice mouth of mature raspberries and blueberries, smoke, pepper and chocolate. This is excellent and perfect to drink now.
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Ready to go. Classic bordeaux in my estimation. Not overwhelming fruit with medium body and tannins that have mostly resolved after 16 years. A very nice wine, but not a show-stopper.
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This 16 years old bottle of Château Gloria is a Glorious wine. It used to be served at first class on Varig airlines, which was considered top first class on board service, in the World. This bottle it is like the golden times. Dark red, classic Bordeaux style of Saint Julien, is well balanced, round, smooth, perfect wine, the best French / price wine I have drunk by far. Cheers
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This one was great! Not at all too old, in fact I think this one needed more time. Deep and dark, some forest floor, dark fruit, minerals. Good length, nice finish. yummy
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Still young - not ready yet. Huge ripe fruit ... really torrid and over ripe in fact. Blueberry, succulent, opulent, thick... the opposite of power without weight, this is weight without power!
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Well the 2005 vintage sure has proved to be reticent to reveal any ready to drink wines at this 15+ year mark. I had purchased 24 assorted bottles of the vintage and have uncorked a few with 17 left in the cellar. I gave this the benefit of a long decant and sampled this over a 4+ hour window before, during and after dinner of grilled ribeyes. The cork was in very good shape. The color was ripe purple with no sign of aging. On the nose not much happening. I missed the leather and cigar box notes of what I have grown used to in an aged Bordeaux wine. On the palate it did have a medium finish with nice dried fruit and tannins. Not really impressed so far by 2005 as I am not sure any more bottle age would have coaxed out any more interesting flavors or scents from this bottle. Well I've got a few more big names like Cos d'Estournel and Pontet-Canet in the racks so hopefully they will deliver the promise of this vintage.
Good teardrops in the glass. Freah dark fruit on the nose. Young blueberry, cherries and some hazlenut on the palate. Medium to long length. Some complexity. Keep the rest of the bottles to see how they develop further maturity over time. Very good wine and love the blueberry and cream finish but still has some way to go to be a great wine.
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A vibrant, fruity nose of black raspberry, blackberry coulis and subtle raisin. A little surprising at first, but the rest is classic Bordeaux, with cedar chest, pipe tobacco, turned earth, wild herbs and a smoky, chocolately vibe that goes nicely with a little red fruited snap and spice on the finish. On the palate, it’s fleshy and muscular, with brooding fruit, typical for the vintage. Slightly chunky and a little rough around the edges but drinking very nicely. No rush on this. 18,000 cases made.
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drank sept. 2020 double decanted for 2 hours good cork bought on release and kept in correct conditions
robe - showing a little age, beginning to brick, looks like bordeaux : ) nose - at first, the nose was a bit timid and started to arrive after some time in the glass. surely smells like aging cabernet with dark cherries, notes of tobacco but never very complex. palate - this was showing decent length, duty tannins and well balanced with acidity. very 2oo5. the problem was intensity. 2oo5 should be producing the best expression of the wine and here, it just is not there. it is as if someone had turned the volume down. If this was served blind, i would be very disappointed to hear it was Gloria, o5. I kept some for day two and it still never showed very well. Last year though, I opened a bottle of the o9 and that wine has a lot more promise than this does. this was my only btl of o5 but i have 3 more btls of the o9. i am happy that i did not buy more of this.. drink up 88 - 89
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Excellent. 13% alc. From the great Bordeaux year. These notes arte from the 2nd night, since the wine remained very closed on the 1st night. Have also saved some for 3rd night. Colour: dense black berries Bouquet: dark fruits, especially black currant and blackberry, slightly jammy like a Barossa version, some chocolate and light spice, leather and tannins. Palate: full bodied, big soft fine grained tannins; the wine expands in your mouth. Great depth of fruit and power. Dark fruits, pencil shavings, leather, spice, dark chocolate, some tobacco leaf, long clean dry finish. Becoming quite voluptuous as it opens out. August 2020
To date I’ve only tried petit chateau from this vintage. So my first proper 2005 at 15 years. Youthful colour with no fade. Deep garnet. Nose is classic with cassis to the fore. To taste, youthful, softened slightly but approachable. Not quite at its early drinking phase yet but not far off. Give it a couple more years but it should drink well for another 20. Power is the key characteristic. Great depth of fruit, that should open up more with time. Classed growth quality and already impressive. 2-3 hour decant is best.
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1 hour decant. Nice floral nose. Meaty, nicely structured, good fruit (black berries), pencil shave, great balanced tannins. Dry, medium-length finish. Very likeable and lovely.
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This bottle does offer some nice aromatics and on the palate. shows some pencil lead, dark red fruit (albeit fading quite a bit), and forest floor. It is time to drink these up.
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This was a much better showing than my previous bottles. There must be some significant bottle variation. This bottle has been open for about an hour and it has good red fruit, albeit it is fading a bit, led pencil, forest floor, saddle leather and a medium finish. It is not an inspiring Bordeaux, but it is an okay drink without too much contemplation.
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This bottle was much better than the previous two that I had drunk recently. It had nice dark red fruits, forest floor, a little lead pencil, and a medium finish. I hope the rest of my bottles from this vintage are as good or better.
Seeing the mediocre reviews makes me feel better in saying this, but if someone served me this blind I'd think they were pranking me serving me my own wine. With some air, the nose opens up well and shows pretty typical Saratoga fruit, like it could even be Domaine Eden or something. The palate is a let down. Kind of indistinct, light, mushy fruit, with gritty tannin. At two hours pop-n-pour, the nose of new pours is falling apart, but then starts picking up with tertiary and tobacco notes. This certainly has the structure to age a long time. What else is there will never be great, but I think may find a better spot. Not worth the $45 I paid.
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Opened night before. OK, drinkable, but ditto comments below. Seemed overly acidic. This bottle not worth the dough to me, far different from 1996 bottle enjoyed so much two years ago.
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This is not my favorite vintage of Gloria by a long shot as it is not that interesting. Yes, it does have good red fruit, but kind of bitter, not supple at all. Also, the tannins still seem to be prominate.
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Meh. This was an overripe bomb. Flabby and uninteresting. Raisins and some dust, but not interesting. It was a distraction from my meal. Never a good thing.
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Color on this bottle of Gloria was dark ruby with slight hints of pink. And moderate to fast legs. On the nose red and black fruits,some earth, plum brandy, and raisin. Something that reminded me of Peychaud’s bitter and anise. The palate was tight and clingy even after a good 1.5 hour decant. It was not showing off a lot of fruits at all other than just some generic red and black fruits. The finish was a little short and shallow. As a lot of other CT comments state, the finish is lacking, the mid palate is hollow and it’s still pretty tight and selfish, not really wanting to give up anything. Not the best example of Gloria I’ve ever had.
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Easy drink, obvious tannins, astringent but smooth, chocolate-ish, kind of hollow finish, was looking for some more complexity, but not there, otherwise would score higher. Still a good drink for the price.
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After reading my note from last year I was excited for this bottle. Either there is bottle variation or this wine is still in the process of shutting down. This one was hard as nails. Showed signs of ripe fruit but it was hiding behind a wall of acid and tannin. I feel like this needs another 10 years! I'll probably drink another next year though because I don't have that kind of discipline.
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Wonderful wine. Beautiful finish. Still many years left in this one, but we were ready! Had with NY Times Eggplant, Lamb, and Yogurt casserole. Delicious!!!
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Note: I use a scale on which 85 represents a very good wine.
Very good, but no outstanding. Given the chateau and the vintage I expected more -- perhaps unrealistically. Regardless, took a little while to open up. I recommend decanting for an hour or so before serving. My primary reservation was that although the flavors were what you would expect from a St. Julien, they were no that pronounced. Not necessarily faded, (there was no dryness or staleness), just not that intense.
I will see what the others are like.
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Just lovely paired with a main course of Beef Wellington. VERY closed out of the bottle but after a 1-2 hour decant, it was expressive with smooth tannins. A crowd pleasing dry red wine.
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Day 1. The wine was quite acidic and closed. Virtually no fruit present.
Day 2. Classic left bank aromas but with a reserved nose which requires quite a bit of inhaling to get to any aroma. The palette is black cherry, loamy earth and a very slight amount of cigar ash on the finish.
This wine requires hours and hours of decant to resolve and should not be just popped and poured.
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Outstanding wine. A slight lean toward a modern style, but it still needed food. It was fabulous with lamb chops. I decanted it for almost two hours. It had a round mouthfeel with a seamless texture. Lots of dark fruits and a bit a tannin. The tannins should melt away in the next year or two. I only have one more bottle. A shame!
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An excellent bottle of Gloria. Traditionalists might find it a touch modern with its ripe fruit and bitter chocolate notes, but it also has a lot of classy Bordeaux feeling. Still some unresolved tannins, suprisingly more so than the Duhart-Milon 2005 tasted alongside, but there is still lots of fruit left to guarantee a long life in bottle. Lovely wine. - 91 points
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This wine is all class right now. Well-balanced between acidity, fruit and tannins. Still has plenty of life but good to go with a short decant. Excellent!
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Inky dark color. It greatly benefited From a 45 minute decant. Plum fruit on the front end, roast meat on the mid palate, with a touch of acidity offering balance. Modest tannins. Nice finish. Remains a fine QPR. Mature and eminently ready to drink.
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Steely graphite nose with good fruit background the first night. 24 hours later the mineral/steel note had faded behind the fruit. The fruit is definitely ripe, a little on the plum side. Strong attack, a bit of a bite at the back side, moderately long finish, but it just a feeling at the end, not much fruit left. Tannins are pretty softened, I think this is ready to go.
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At first a bit flat and felt already too old. Tried two days later again and what a pleasant balanced surprise. Obviously still needs a lot of decanting. Either drink soon or hold a few years more - your decision.
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Deep crimson, dark, touch of brick at the edge. Nose: cherries, plums, leather, cherry lifesaver. Palate: moderate-high acid, soft but still present tannins, surprisingly light body (medium overall), earthy, touch of leather. Goes well with food.
I think if you age for longer, the acid would come forward more. So drink up. And this makes me want to age my own Bordeaux.
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our second bottle from this vintage. decanted, left 3 hours in smaller carafe and pourred back into bottle. then it was less then enjoyable, even with rumsteak, potatos and vegetables. 81 points. we had to change it out while eating ! on the nose, this bottle offered quite a nice bouquet but on palate it was austere, very dry and even bitter with a short finish. it has simply not enough flesh to equalize all that. this bottle is worse than the first we tried weeks ago. I might give it another try tomorrow, but think that those '05 Glorias will finally dry out pretty soon (like the '08). for instance, Ch. Gloria has lost a bit of its glory for me . . . . . UPDATE 4/16/2018 : better now, especially with food (hamburger), I did underestimate it a bit yesterday. still no star, deserves 85 points at this stage. holds perhaps 3 years yet.
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Blueberry on the nose and huge amount of blueberry on the pallet. A silky wine, but also a little bit flat. Nothing there in terms of tannins. No evolution throughout the night - I think this is past its prime. 89 points.
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I decanted the '05 gloria for 3 hours, and it was like this : beautiful classic st. julien nose, palate started to open finally. tasted on its own. in the mouth on the lean, tannic side. drinking it at a meal (with longer air supply) improved the wine : still on the tannic, herb side, it showed more nuanced and distinguished. will give a final update after dinner. not sure if it will improve or even dry out. 89 points before dinner. UPDATE: tasted better with dinner, 91 points. I wouldn't wait much longer with this wine. but it can be a nice wine by now if you give it enough air !
The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are fast. There is moderate sediment in the bottle. It smells like red currant, black currant (cassis), prune and cedar. It tastes like black currant (cassis), blackberry, stoniness, lead pencil, artichoke and tar. The body is medium. The wine has coarse texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has high acidity.
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Deep ruby purple, plums, cherries, candied and jammy, delicate tobacco leaf, farmyard, leather, hint of herbs and flowers. Intense on the palate, a bit jammy, full body, black fruit, herbs and tobacco. Long finish. Great wine for the price!
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PnP Color: Deep garnet (almost opaque at the core) with a ruby meniscus Smell: Scents of fresh tilled earth, faint floral notes, dark fruits, and leather. Taste: Cassis, blackberries, dark chocolate, and a lingering note of blueberries. Overall: This is really lovely...but nowhere near where I'd want it to be when opening. If you like aged (20-50+) Bordeaux this is about 10 years from being ready to open. If you want a beautiful, elegant, balanced wine that's young and fresh...this is ready now with little time in the decanter. Medium body, medium- acidity (this could be a problem in time) and a moderate length finish...on what is really just a lovely wine. Excellent - Outstanding in the present. I don't regret opening this...but this is clearly at the VERY beginning of it's life and approachability. Check in on my last bottle in 2025.
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Perfect drinking window from 750. It'll unwind further but the fruit is pure and beautiful, tannins resolved, no reason to wait, throwing sediment like crazy so decant or sit upright for a while.
What is wrong with this wine? Nothing! It is not sneaky... it comes at you with very little subtlety and lots of flash. But nothing overbearing. Friendly, gregarious, universally popular. Recognizably Bordeaux. It reeks of prunes and ripe plums and dark cherries and, I dunno, orange rind? Plenty of acid and just that hint of bitterness. Looong finish. Will it get better? Who cares? I'm drinking mine now. It might be at it's peak. But then again... It definitely will not dry out any time soon, there is still that bit of tannic bite to it that I can imagine gradually receding over the next, say, five years. I'm going to have to try some of my other '05s...
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PnP. Deep, dark, opaque garnet with almost no fading to the edges and no bricking despite the age of this wine. Somewhat closed, but delightful bouquet of cassis, slate, cinnamon bread and a hint of eucalyptus. Somewhat tight to start so put it aside with some swirling over the next 30-45 minutes. In my opinion, this is not a PnP wine, but rather would benefit from at least a one hour decant. Bouquet remains consistent, but starts to become more expressive with some air time and adds a note of crushed violets. This is a smooth and delicious Bordeaux with a very rich, rounded texture and nice integrated oak finish. Cassis, blackberry jam and sour cherry blend, with cigar box. Full body, medium acidity and very fine tannins. Very long finish. Not terribly complex, but great flavor profile that drinks easily. Although this has the backbone to cellar for some additional time, the fruit has softened and I don't think it is going to get better than it is now.
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Wonderfully drinkable now - mild, with nice minerality and ripe cherry/dark fruit. Some bricking, but expected more honestly. Would drink soon. Did not need/want to decant.
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Two bottles opened and decanted 2 hours before a beef Easter Sunday family lunch. Tannins and acid mostly resolved leaving smooth hints of chocolate behind ample fruit and some complexity.
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2005 Bordeaux wine tasting. Double decant. Stored at 57 degrees. Beautiful aroma and a very nice wine. Cab dominates but lots going on. Black currant, cherry, chocolate, nutty hint, blueberry, cigar box, and leather. Spicy finish with some bell pepper.
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intense blueberry explosion upon opening this settled down into a beautiful integrated delicate gem this has more life for sure, but if you have a bunch try one and I think you will be rewarded
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We found this to be spectacular. Let it breathe for 2 hours, decanted for another 2 and bingo! Strong bell pepper nose, but graphite and cigar box taste along with dark fruit. Continued to open up as the evening went along, so we finished it. LOTS of sediment, some stuck to the bottle, the cork was evidence that there was no air leakage into the bottle AT ALL. Best Bordeaux we have had of the 2005's and it appears they may be ready at last. This is drink now, assuming you give it air as we did. Had it with home made beef stroganoff and baby broccoli over pappardelle noodles. Wine of the year for us on January 1. Would drink this in 2017.
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Bell pepper nose. Cassis, liquorice, pencil shaving, and tobacco on the palate. Very traditional bordeaux. The fruit is bit too restrained relative to the tannins. Not sure this will come into balance with more time.
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A solid mid-level Bordeaux. Dusty, dry black fruit with balanced oak notes, pine, shiitake mushroom and black pepper. Dusty fruit blossomed into lush ripe cherry on the mid palate once our streaks were served.
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Decanted and left for 2 hours, this wine has great legs, slight inkiness and is like velvet on the palette, feels like the right time to drink, love it.
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Double decanted and drunk over 2 nights. In a great drinking window(wouldn't hold for much longer). Quite a closed nose but with a hint of leather on day 2. Palate well integrated, medium+ bodied. Decent tannins with olives dominant. Drunk alongside the Ch Jean Faure 2005 and the Gloria won.
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15months since last bottle. Same impression. There's blackcurrants, blackberries, wood and pepper. There's just not a lot of depth. It's a fine wine, but not up there with there with the greats. There's little tannin and the fruit is not going to get any stronger so I'd drink up and make the most of it.
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Popped and poured and served to me blind by my wife. A little bit funky on the nose at first but that blew off with some air. The nose is a bit non-descript, and a little dusty. No signs of real age in the color, but perhaps a bit watery and lighter on the edges. Medium bodied with a fair amount of mixed red and black fruit. Old world acidity. Medium light tannin. With air hints of bell pepper, mint and licorice emerge. I guessed fairly young, modern styled Bordeaux. This improved with air so I would decant the next one for an hour or so. We both enjoyed it.
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Deep ruby color, having thrown a modest amount of sediment. Modest bouquet of leather, pencil shavings, prunes, and blackberry. Medium-bodied with a disappointingly short finish. Drinking well now and should hold for a few more years, but probably not going to get a lot better.
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During a tasting. Medium ruby. Muted nose as well here, Aromas of oak, dark fruit, abit of vanilla and forest. Enters the palate medium bodied and delicate/fresh like all 2005. Decent length. Not fully mature yet.
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Chocolate, cedar, a bit of earth on the nose. Bright fruit on the palate. Well balanced. Plenty of acid and tannins. It is mature. Licorice on the finish, which is not all that smooth.
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opened to bright floral nose and tasty bright fruit flavors...lots of tannins left that leave this glass beautifully balanced and drinking perfectly now, deep Garnett in the glas, but lighter on the palette ...dont think time can improve this, but it has plenty of time left, tho .this is not a big bold wine, but rather a smooth, supple Bordeaux with hints of cedar/cigar/leather on the finish.. The wine did "fall off" considerably the longer exposed to air, and plateaued at a very enjoyable glass pf St Julien. Enjoy with a good pasta sauce
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Showing light ruby with bricking in the color, the earthy, tobacco and cedar chest nose, with its medium bodied, soft, red berry finish is clearly in a good place today. However, a few more years could help soften the tannins and bring out a bit more in the nose.
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This wine has, in 375, begun to hit its stride. With so many questioning its worth early on, it is now clear that Gloria has indeed ascended in quality and depth in this great vintage. While of course not a complex claret, this wine delivers lots of pleasure right now, covering the tongue in a rich black/ red velvet, with classic garnet, brambleberry,tobacco, and oak notes, with a full finish and nice expressive nose of cassis and smoke. This is the second 375 from 2005 in the. Past couple of weeks and these more modest growths are showing nicely.
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This wine has character, expressing itself today through a portrait of berry fruit heavily framed by still rigid tannins. Thoroughly enjoyable but I think time and air will soften the textures nicely. The actual bottle I drank was a personally meaningful bottle that traveled with me from one home to another. There's a bigger story here but suffice to say I'm stoked to be enjoying this now. Cheers.
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Gave this around 90 min of air before serving. Dark violet core with a ruby rim. The nose is classic Bordeaux with cedar & black currant. Full bodied, shows more red fruited elements at first, but takes on darker more brooding black fruit as it opens up. Structured still, but would like to see the oak elements integrate on the same path as the tannins. Always a great value wine.
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Bordeaux 2005 : Ten years on (Bordeaux Index London): Seems to have more color than the Talbot, tasted alongside. Bright red fruit aromatics. Meaty yet fruit filled, too, and ready to drink today, even if the tannins could melt further to be optimal. I could easily enjoy this with steak, like a mini Gruaud Larose in 2005. Lovely – and a veritable bargain for the vintage.
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Second bottle of 9. I'm holding to my 91, though it has improved since last time and will continue to get better. I drank this with a 2006, and the 2005 was considerably more refined and had a noticeably better and longer finish. This was a very solid bordeaux that paired well and held its own with a spicey lamb tagine.
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Fairly harsh on first opening, but after 2 hours in a claret jug and further time in the glass this opened really nicely. Cedary aroma, perhaps not as full flavoured as I might have expected but with plenty of structure and tannin at the end. I think this is just entering its drinking window, and will improve further
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For a left bank wine, it was light. Took a while to get the nose going - yes blackcurrants, but not strong. Perfumed on the palate, slightly sweet but ultimately watery. I'd drink up within the next couple of years. Lovely on its own but will not stand up to strong foods.
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Interesting the diversity of opinion here. Earthy and on the lighter side. Freshness with cassis and other dark fruit. Plenty of earth and mineral aromatics and on the palate. Tannins are relaxed and nicely integrated. This is a very good food wine.
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Decanted 2 hours then gave it a swirl and sip, seemed a little watery with some earth but not much secondary flavors. It really didn't open up until about 5 hours when the fruit, tannin, acidity, and typical BDX flavors came together. A good but not great wine. If I had another I would probably give a couple more cellar years. Otherwise a longer decant
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Inky earthy and lean. Loads of cassis with the typical profile. Salty sea marl aftertaste with blue and blackberry fruit and a hint of spice. Fine grained yet smooth tannin that grip on the back end. Lots of power here.
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Disappointing. I had this very young and it was bursting with fruit and tannin. Not much of either in this bottle. Was a bit musty on opening which improved some but did not come around, even on the 2nd night.
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Disappointed with this wine. Opened 3 1/2 hours before drinking. Smelt and tasted like past it's peak, which isn't right for a 2005. Or maybe it's still way too young, I don't know. Bought it from a reputable shop and kept it properly, so it shouldn't be bad storage. I has high expectations for that bottle, but the previous ratings were right. Disappointing. If you have one of these, try to keep it 5 more years before drinking. I don't think it can get worse, maybe it will get better. Good luck.
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Fell a little flat for me - shows blackberry, with some meat and smoke character on the nose, and a medium-bodied palate of berry and light vanilla. Seems to lack acidity and the fruit was tired - maybe in a closed phase or maybe not stored properly (provenance of this bottle was questionable).
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Totally flat. Maybe still closed, bizarre for an 8 years wine... Waiting time for open the other cellared, but not sure it will be different. Disappointment. Around 40 €.
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Full body. Plenty of supple tannins. Gorgeous wine: potent, rich, heady, still plenty of black fruit as well as chocolate and tobacco notes. Give it a two hour decant or better yet a couple more years in the cellar.
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Clear dark garnet. Nose of smoke, blackberry, plum, cassis, mint, and leather. Medium-weight, ripe, fruit-forward palate of blackberry, cassis, blueberry, plum, graphite, dust, leather, and graphite. Excellent length. Very nice acidity. Integrated tannins and oak. Surprisingly accessible and drinkable. Really liked it.
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dark red. intense. almost ready to drink. real bordeaux. The wine looks Inky colored. The legs are Medium. The body is Medium/Full. The wine has Polished texture. The wine finishes Medium.
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Crimson colored with legs that softly fell down the side of the glass. A solid whiff of the nose gives Lead Pencil and Tobacco, followed by black currant (cassis) and Plum on the palate. The medium body wine is easy to drink with its polished texture. The finish is not among the longest, but provides ample pleasure.
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Classic claret in dark maroon color with a purplish hue and a ruby rim. Thick legs indicate a higher sugar content, probably due to this being one of the legendary vintages in the Medoc. On the nose are pronounced smells of damp earth and truffles followed by marked notes of sweetness, all encased in a thin veil of smoke and tobacco. The wine has very good structure and is thick yet soft on the palate, all the while providing spice, cassis and maple syrup. Not much acidity to speak of but the astringent end is a tell-tale sign that another 5 years would yield more integrated tannins.
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PnP. Ruby purple color. Med/Fast legs. Earth, Currant and Cedar on the nose. Pencil Lead, Cherry and Blackberry on the palette. Soft texture. Medium finish. 13% ABV.
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A very pleasant Bordeaux 375. Still needs time to express more complexity. The wine has now come to be accessible after a little decanting and has a very typical moss, forest,cassis, hint of red velvet and a little blackberry to it. Not great. Even with more age this will be a middle range experience with a decent finish and a nice food wine.
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Deep purple ruby in color with aromas of red spicy berries and charred plum flesh. Dense and chewy with chalky tannins and balanced acidity. A very rich wine with a defined spicy character with tons of earth and minerals. Blackberry, cassis, herb, and a bit of cedar. The chalky tannins break down the fruit leaving behind a hot and spicy concoction. This is a good wine but I'm not big on it.
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Decanted a couple hours prior. Expressive fruit filled nose with back berries, currants and cassis along with some smokiness and oak aspects that stand apart from the fruit. Palate is nicey defined, with a lushness and polished quite prominent tannins. Prominent, concentrated red fruit palate, really showing blackberries and strong cassis that continue on through a lengthy finish. Oak comes back here, with an interesting gamy/sage aspect. Much more accessible than I expected, though the oak isn't integrated yet and became more dominant with air. That being said, has the great fruit underneath with a classic red fruit St. Julian profile. Will be very good in 5yrs though reasonable now if you own several bottles.
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With a perfume of blackberries, tobacco, herbs, cassis and black cherry, this medium/full bodied St. Julien is already showing well. A few more years and this should be at perfection.
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Black ruby color and frankly impenetrable on day one. After 48 hours, with the last glass in a wide decanter it has "opened up" to become a very brooding, dark cassis, stony fruit, and dark chocolate, tannic beast. Dense, and while not austere, certainly not plush. Structured and taciturn. This is very dense, and to be honest I have been out of the Bordeaux buying game pre 05 aside from a couple wines, but if this is indicative of vintage, truly a vin de garde, massive structure and I suspect this will be very enjoyable in 20 years. 90++pts
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Decanted for 1 hour and probably needs 2 or more hours. Nice but not strong nose. Mostly crushed rocks and black fruit on the palate. Overall, a good wine but a great one.
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Decanted for one hour. Black-garnet, with a ruby rim. Blackberry, crushed rock, coffee grounds, red licorice and fresh cut lilys. A dense Gloria with a fruity palate and velvety tannins. A well-endowed finish, while showing an obvious freshness. Satisfying and long. Honestly the most complex and enjoyable Gloria yet. Like Margaux and Pomerol, I have not tasted a bad wine from St. Julien in '05. Not faint, but oh-so clean and complex. Another year could help but if it were opened now, decant. Evident cellar potential. No due date on this. Drink 2012 -.
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Surrprisingly approachable (having a 375 may help). Ruby, slight coffee nose. Mild graphite, minimally chewy with slight black fruit and earth. Reasonable acidity I think this will be exceptional in about 5 years, but not at all an unpleasant drink now
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Had this after a bottle of Poulsard and thought it was way too heavy. Much better on day three on it's own, but still not my favorite style of wine these days.
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The tannins are a bit rugged. There's more oak here than I recall from my last time tasting it a couple years ago. This is a very nice St. Julien, with licorice, cedar, great fruit all around. Splendid opaque purple color. Lots of wood dominating the nose. Overall, though, I really liked this wine. It is a healthy mouthful of a wine, with lots of fruit and tannins, but is drinking beautifully now and for at least twenty years to come. This is my kind of wine. It really strikes you as well-made, it is clear that there was real quality selection and quality control here, or maybe it is just that this was a vintage where it was tough to screw things up. It pretty significantly out-classed the 2005 Grand Corbin Despagne on points this evening with dinner.
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LEt the half bottle breathe for 2 hours or less. It drank rather harshly at first but then toward the end demonstrated a richer deep center with somewhat harsh and almost green edges. I have had many wines from this estate over the past decades and suppose that he 05 vintage must be so large that it just means having patience for another few years.
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My first reach of the '05 Glorias in the cellar. Surprisingly approachable with excellent nose of cedar, graphite, and liquorices’. Palate starts with a nice balance of ripe fruit with sweet cherries, smoke, sage, and black currants. Very good mid palate with a creamy texture. Finish is quite good and long with a touch of earth. This wine will provide terrific early drinking for those that like younger Bordeaux.
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Violets on the nose, with licorice, blackberry and fresh cépe. On the palate, some really tart acidity. Needs more age to balance out better. Strong tannin. I'd estimate it will be great in another 5-10 years. - Tasted at Marché Bacchus 8/7/10
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Nose - Nice. Blueberry. Rasberry. Palette - Much more tannic (then say a Langoa Barton). Blackcurrent. Fairly bitter. Just not ready yet. I had another 2005 Gloria a while ago that was better (or I enjoyed it more at that time).
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Decanted for about 2 hours. Deep purple in color. Very impressive nose, with wonderfull and consentrated aromas of black fruits. Also scents of smoke, ink and licorice. Medium to full bodied with still harsh tannins and flavors of cherry liqueur, oaky vanilla, cedar, graphite and spice box. Not very long aftertaste with a tannic finish.
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Black currant, blackberry, graphite, with a touch of cedar on the nose. Spicy black currant fruit on the palate, silky and quite long on a finish with beautifully elegant tannin. One gets the sense that this is holding back on the fruit, both in terms of complexity and depth, but I very much like the refinement to the mouthful and structure, and can only imagine what beauty lies behind.
taste: silky and elegant medium body with big tannins. Shows off the youth with the tannins along with balanced tones of cedar, tobacco, dark red cherries and some dark berry tones
overall: it's no shock that this is a very young wine. Balanced and showing off a lot of poise, this will turn into a real beauty with some time. There is good elegance to it and good depth already, it's just hiding behind a wall of tannins and a tight nose right now
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Dark purple color. Smoky essence followed by cocoa and dark fruits. Excellent old world character of subtle fruit, spices and earthnotes. Very nice acidity and balance, makes me wonder what this wine will develop into when it reaches its potential in 3-4 years.
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Nose - blackcurrent, redcurrent. Lovely. Lots of fruit. Colour - Purple, some gradation. Body - Medium full Palette - black current, redcurrent. Ample fruit. Sweet tanins. Drinkable now, but will be even better in 5 years.
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I decided to pop one open to see how well its showing at this early stage...Quite tight on the nose which is no surprise..I get some chocalate, pencil lead and a hint of tobacco..Not showing much at this point..On the palate I get red fruit, vanilla, wood and some earth notes..Its fresh and ripe but very tight at this point..I will try another next year..Cheers!!
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Chocolate and tobacco nose, good acids in the midpalate, short finish but consistent flavors throughout. In all a very enjoyable wine. I suspect more earth as it ages but not much there beyond 10 years
Dark purple colour with almost black core, vivid red rim. Initial spicy nose gives way small red fruit, vanilla-tones, cacao and coffee note shining through. Not big on the nose, but elegant. Concentrated tight attack opening up somewhat subdued fruit and chocolate in the middle palate. Beautiful silky tannins complement the fruit, medium-bodied. Finish is lovely, soft and long. At least 5 - 10 more years to develop. Sample tasted 2-3 hrs later was even better structured, more complete and more enjoyable. With grilled rib-eye, cous cous salad. Yummie!
Very good wine with tremendous potential. Found cherries and chocolate on the nose. But still tight and needs more time. If you must, decant and you will enjoy.
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Make no mistake, this is a very good wine. Make no mistake, this is still a [former] Cru Bourgeois. What I mean is: Don't expect too much (i.e., don't expect second or third growth quality at half the price). Fresh, ripe nose and flavors are followed by a disappointingly short finish given the intensity of this wine on the palate. Concentrated and inky. Loads of woody, dark fruit flavor.
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mostly closed down, i was disappointed, though with some vigorous aeration and food you could coax out the red fruit ever so slightly. Good back end tannins. Needs to sit. Points largely on potential.
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Stunning. Cedar, tobacco, leather, sweet red cherry and cassis. This is a killer bordeaux with minimal oak, minimal tannins and tons of fruit. The most accessible bordeaux I have ever had at such a young age. I need more bottles of this!!
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Excellent wine. Decanted for 1.5 hours. Initial taste was lots of fruit (and some oak). As we ate dinner (Rare Prime Filet), the wine grew on us and the wine picked up some complexity, expecially on the mid-palate and the finish. A great one to lay down for the next 5-10 years If you drink now please decant.
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Showing better than from 3/08 tasting. Deep garnet. Asian spice aromatics upon opening. Intially restrained with black cherry, graphite and tannins dominant. Marked improvement on second day with cassis coming to the fore. Try in 2-3 years.
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Nice ruby red color. Strong earthy odor at first but fades after a few minutes. Strong full tastes of cassis and chocolate. A nice wine but not sure it is worth the price.
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Dark purple / garnet color. On day 1 there was some reserved dark fruit character on the nose & palate, primarily cassis, but really was all about tobacco leaf, cedar plank, dark chocolate, coffee, smoke and earth. However, on the second day, the fruit really stood out, with cassis, blackberry, blueberry & plum. Still also getting some of the more developed flavors, but not nearly as strong. Sleek velvety mouthfeel, with medium acidity and ample tannins. Should continue to improve for many years to come. Paired very well with medium rare steak and roasted veggies.
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This was a very elegant wine. It's amazing how the freshness of strawberries came throw with a little bit smoke and even maybe tobacco hints. A little tannic, but still very enjoyable!
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Garnet with a mahogany rim. Casis and blackberry on the nose, powerful. Bountiful, concentrated, fresh flavors of strawberry, cassis, blueberry, smoke, coffee, and earth in the mouth, delicious. Dry with medium acidity, full-bodied, and harmonious balance, showing off a long finish. Excellent.
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Pop, decant and Pour--wine was balanced and surprisingly accessible right from the start. Typical St. Julien characteristics of black currant and smoke with a hint of cedar and tobacco. It drank like a friendly zin with tasty fruit and smooth structure but not a lot of depth; a bit hollow in the mid palate and a medium finish. Day two however this wine fell apart; tannins roughed up, balance was gone and the fruit went acidic. I poured the glass back into the decanter and will try again tonight. 88 right now for day one, could go up a bit if it shows better tonight (day 3.)
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Not at all in the style that I've come to expect from 2005 Bordeaux. More like a 2001 stylisticly. Sweet-ish fruit with some baking spices, somewhat soft, low acid. That's right, a low acid 2005. A bit flat and bland with some dark notes. C+
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Opened Thursday. This note is from Sunday, with the half-full bottle in the fridge in between. Deep red color. Very complex steely nose with ripe cassis fruit, anise, and a little eucalyptus underneath. In the mouth there is rich fruit, and the acidity prevents this from feeling soupy or dull. It finishes without any bitterness, and even 72 hours after opening this bottle the tannin is still showing. I suspect this'll be a tremendous food wine in about 8-10 years. Right now it's terrific (with the extended open time).
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13% alcohol. Not a thrilling wine, but nicely balanced. Mark Golodetz mentioned recently that he found 2005 a classic vintage and I think I'm seeing what he's talking about. As with my recent notes of the 2005 Sociando Mallet, I can best describe the 2005 Gloria by what it is not: Not oaky, not sweet, not alcoholic, not over-extracted. Not rustic. Very representative of St. Julien. Nice pure ruby color. Nothing sharp about the smooth ripe tannins. Nothing hot or herbal, not jammy. A good steak wine. I know Jacques was not real enamored with this wine, but I'm wondering, Jacques, if you had this at a Zachy's tasting with a group of other wines or by itself during dinner? I can see how this balanced effort might get lost in a tasting. But during the course of a several-hour steak dinner it is real solid. Not a tremendous amount of development during dinner but some nice earth and tobacco elements in the final sips. A very nice effort. A bit pricey at the $39 I paid in N.H., but worth the purchase of another two or three bottles at $35 or under. "Best Gloria ever." This is very St. Julien, very Bordeaux. There's hope yet! Rating: 90 points.
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2005 Bordeaux: Episode 2 (Wine Exchange - Orange, CA): Masculine aromas of cassis, blackberries, dried herbs, stem, and earth. Surprisingly soft on the palate, with notes of black cherries, blackberries, and Indian spices. WA 90-92, WS 92.
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2005 Bordeaux Report: Episode 2 (Wine Exchange - Orange, CA): The nose consists of medley of berries with a slight herbal tone and a note of slate. The tannins are somewhat firm and herbal on the palate but they are really well balanced by the sweet savory fruit. Very unique character. Excellent.
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4/17/2024 - grossie wrote:
The fruit is getting a bit tired, in my view it's a bit early for that. Also there is a bite to this wine that I think is some form of acidity that is very displeasing. I suspect this bottle is spoiled in some way, but I don't fully understand it. NR because I think there's a flaw, though I'm not sure which one. I'll drink my last one soon.
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4/7/2024 - Willi Vinotti Likes this wine: 92 Points
Like some 2005, this seemed clamped down in the beginning and not talkative. Luckily, some 2 hours of decant did the trick, it opened up and showed multilayered secondary and tertiary notes lying on a bed of smooth tannins, nicely melted and giving it this silky, inky flow of matured Bordeaux. Dark throughout, but deliciously balanced, the wines shows good acidity and rounds out gorgeously in the finish. Good for some 10 more years i would guess with some evolution ahead. But absolutely good to go now.
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4/7/2024 - alamoave Likes this wine: 89 Points
Respectable. Drink now.
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3/11/2024 - alamoave wrote: 89 Points
Rough on Day 1, OK on Day 2 but far from Glori(ous). Drink now. Preferably with someone who doesn’t know how a left bank 2005 can taste in top form.
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1/12/2024 - Honest Horse Does not like this wine: 80 Points
Sort of a MILF that turns out didn't pick up any skill or freak along the way. Drink now, but you prob won't enjoy it unless you like faded wines that are just numb. Bottle seemed fine just dull. Fruit gone, tannins still there, zero secondary notes other than the unpleasant raisiny funk.
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11/17/2023 - Maphill01 wrote:
Splash decanted off small amount of sediment, drank over several hours. Blackberry, cassis, leather and tobacco. Bit of a scorched note. Medium+ body, tannins resolved, but not quite silky. Comes across a bit brooding and rustic. Still relatively youthful. Drink now with decant.
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9/17/2023 - Eudemis Likes this wine:
13% alcohol. CS 65%, M 25%, CF 5%, PV 5% according to the website, but I am not sure about the proportions 18 years ago; just from tasting I would suspect more M. The cork is above average, both in length and in quality; no wine penetration. Decanted an hour ahead. Dark colour all the way to the rim.
The nose is all dark fruit and ink, with no oak in evidence. Somewhat lighter in the mouth but by no means insubstantial; good grip with a juicy character. Menthol in the finish adds to the feel of freshness.
There are short intervals, not much more than glimpses, when the wine comes across less well, showing either an alcoholic whiff, or a hint of pre oxidation. As a result, I would suggest drinking this wine sooner rather than later.
Not completely harmonious perhaps but still very good.
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4/16/2023 - Oliverl1 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Tannic and backwards at first. Still young and needed 8+ hours in the decanter to open up. A lovely wine which will be at its best in about five years. Not great QPR at $85, but still enjoyable.
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2/19/2023 - the shrub wrote: 90 Points
Not really showing secondary flavours yet so still needs a decant or a bit more time.
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2/13/2023 - libero wrote: 93 Points
Chateau Gloria was the selected wine to be served in first class from the late Varig Brazilian Airlines Rio de Janeiro to New York.
Varig is gone, but this wine continues to be a delicious and voluptuous Saint Julien.
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7/16/2022 - Rayburn wrote: 87 Points
Olive and dried leather in the nose. Pretty mossy
The palate is slightly astringent with very light red fruit. Some currant. An angular finish for something this old.
Maybe wasn't a rock star to begin with. Definitely a DRINK NOW. 87 pts
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7/16/2022 - Rayburn wrote:
Olive and dried leather in the nose. Pretty mossy
The palate is slightly astringent with very light red fruit. Some currant. An angular finish for something this old.
Maybe wasn't a rock star to begin with. Definitely a DRINK NOW. 87 pts
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6/27/2022 - lightning wrote: 87 Points
Monthly tasting - Cabernet Sauvignon / Blends (JM (SL)): A somewhat controversial wine, the final bottle after an evening of mostly Australian Cabernets and Cabernet-dominant wines. The majority of the table guessed this as Australian (except the author of this TN, haha). The wine is almost opaque, garnet with a faint bronze hue. Topnotes of cassis interspersed with graphite and cigar box. Medium to full-bodied, savoury and still tightly wound with slightly chunky tannins, the spirity and charred oak finish is low rent and mars the overall experience. There's clearly still the structure for further ageing, however I don't think the finish will ever ameliorate. [SL]
Note: this tasting note taken on the 2nd night after opening, 1/3 bottle remaining.
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6/4/2022 - FamousWine Likes this wine:
This 2005 is a blend of 61% CS, 30% M, 5% CF and 4% PV with 13% alcohol. It was uncorked 2 hours before the tasting, the level being simply lowered to the shoulders of the bottle. The nose, slightly restrained but elegant and pure, displays a timid bouquet of black fruits, cedar, graphite and a little dark tobacco. The palate is of great finesse. However, the structure is still incredibly tight, supported by plenty of fine and velvety tannins. The sap, delicate and harmoniously balanced, offers a distinguished aromatic palette of a pretty Médoc classicism enhanced with a hint of violet. The finish, which stretches moderately, highlights fresh minty notes, smoky flavors, cedar and a stunning touch of truffle. This wine is an example of plenitude. It's drinking terribly well now but I feel that keeping it in the cellar for a few more years can be beneficial. I congratulate Domaines Henri Martin for this successful Saint-Julien and for their fair consumer-friendly pricing policy.
[Photo on Instagram]
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5/15/2022 - kevin h wrote: 90 Points
Developing well. Tannins have softened a bit. Nice red fruited win with raspberry notes in a soft St Julien style. Should peak in 3-5 years and hold well for another decade.
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4/30/2022 - kerryychuang Likes this wine: 92 Points
After 3+ hrs of decanting it was delicious. Dark fruit on the nose and soft tannins on the palate. Amazing how this wine held up.
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4/12/2022 - csnash22 wrote: 95 Points
Light ruby with Garnett showing on the edge. Gentle aromas of stone and red fruits with hints of barnyard. Moderate acidity and tannins, with a warm, soft mouthfeel and hints of silk. Red fruits dominate the palate with subtle tobacco.
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3/13/2022 - HG123 wrote: 91 Points
Still tightly wound but with enermous potential as it evolved with air - decant for a few hours or leave in the cellar for another few
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3/7/2022 - chantelle wrote: 88 Points
Drank last night. This bottle had a fair amount of sediment, so we strained and decanted it for 2 hours. Medium bodied, mellow and still very drinkable. We enjoyed it but not particularly remarkable.
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1/22/2022 - Hawkeye_Addict wrote: 90 Points
Kind of a basic bitch. Especially for the infamous 2005 vintage. Tannins nicely resolved. Color still great, limited bricking. Just kind of flat. Cheers!
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12/13/2021 - wynnewood500 wrote:
Last bottle and drinking wonderfully!
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9/10/2021 - bram_epicurien Likes this wine: 92 Points
A Friday evening With my friends seb and Arnaud in Singapore. Pairing with the French cheese plate. Medium ruby Color. Beautiful nose with dried red fruits, vanilla, chocolate and cigar. Med acidity, Med body, med alcohol, Med tannins, Med flavor intensity, Med+ finish. Very nice mouth of mature raspberries and blueberries, smoke, pepper and chocolate. This is excellent and perfect to drink now.
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9/7/2021 - grossie Likes this wine: 92 Points
Ready to go. Classic bordeaux in my estimation. Not overwhelming fruit with medium body and tannins that have mostly resolved after 16 years. A very nice wine, but not a show-stopper.
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8/15/2021 - stinkycook Likes this wine:
Silk, gentle, berries, very nice.
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8/2/2021 - libero wrote: 93 Points
This 16 years old bottle of Château Gloria is a Glorious wine. It used to be served at first class on Varig airlines, which was considered top first class on board service, in the World. This bottle it is like the golden times. Dark red, classic Bordeaux style of Saint Julien, is well balanced, round, smooth, perfect wine, the best French / price wine I have drunk by far.
Cheers
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4/12/2021 - grossie Likes this wine: 93 Points
This one was great! Not at all too old, in fact I think this one needed more time. Deep and dark, some forest floor, dark fruit, minerals. Good length, nice finish. yummy
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4/11/2021 - lepetitchateau wrote:
Still young - not ready yet. Huge ripe fruit ... really torrid and over ripe in fact. Blueberry, succulent, opulent, thick... the opposite of power without weight, this is weight without power!
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3/14/2021 - rnellans wrote: 94 Points
Quite a surprise. Leather and floral notes. Relatively soft tannins. Good fruit. Great balance. Very good.
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3/11/2021 - libero wrote: 89 Points
This wine on the 90,s was equivalent to a 94 or even 95 rating nowadays. It is not what used to be (I understand that I have changed as well )
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2/14/2021 - Mad Dane wrote: 88 Points
Meh.... Glad I didn't pay more than $40 for it.
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2/12/2021 - GAET Likes this wine: 90 Points
Légères traces d'évolution (disque orangé).
Nez : classique avec les marqueurs d'un bon bordeaux sur le cèdre, le havane
En bouche : vin en demi corps
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1/30/2021 - gsomers Likes this wine: 94 Points
Outstanding and delightful wine at its peak. Silky smooth with a lasting finish, it provided great value for $80. Will order more.
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1/25/2021 - WineCPA wrote: 95 Points
Got even better after a few years. Tannins are more integrated but still there. Dried fruit and leather notes. Fantastic and well balanced. Drink now.
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1/22/2021 - Arch57 wrote: 88 Points
Well the 2005 vintage sure has proved to be reticent to reveal any ready to drink wines at this 15+ year mark. I had purchased 24 assorted bottles of the vintage and have uncorked a few with 17 left in the cellar.
I gave this the benefit of a long decant and sampled this over a 4+ hour window before, during and after dinner of grilled ribeyes. The cork was in very good shape. The color was ripe purple with no sign of aging. On the nose not much happening. I missed the leather and cigar box notes of what I have grown used to in an aged Bordeaux wine. On the palate it did have a medium finish with nice dried fruit and tannins.
Not really impressed so far by 2005 as I am not sure any more bottle age would have coaxed out any more interesting flavors or scents from this bottle. Well I've got a few more big names like Cos d'Estournel and Pontet-Canet in the racks so hopefully they will deliver the promise of this vintage.
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12/24/2020 - RichardU71 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Good teardrops in the glass. Freah dark fruit on the nose. Young blueberry, cherries and some hazlenut on the palate. Medium to long length. Some complexity. Keep the rest of the bottles to see how they develop further maturity over time. Very good wine and love the blueberry and cream finish but still has some way to go to be a great wine.
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10/21/2020 - rjmp96 Likes this wine: 90 Points
A vibrant, fruity nose of black raspberry, blackberry coulis and subtle raisin. A little surprising at first, but the rest is classic Bordeaux, with cedar chest, pipe tobacco, turned earth, wild herbs and a smoky, chocolately vibe that goes nicely with a little red fruited snap and spice on the finish. On the palate, it’s fleshy and muscular, with brooding fruit, typical for the vintage. Slightly chunky and a little rough around the edges but drinking very nicely. No rush on this. 18,000 cases made.
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10/15/2020 - Janstan Likes this wine: 89 Points
Dark fruit, leather. Went well with braised lamb shanks.
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9/26/2020 - aquacongas wrote: 90 Points
blind
modern style Bordeaux with a lot of fruit but missing length, at his Peak, but no hurry, some nice secondary notes. 90-91
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9/23/2020 - JM_MadTown wrote: 85 Points
I’m trying another bottle of this vintage. It is fine, but not that interesting. It must be past its prime.
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9/18/2020 - GUBBIO wrote:
drank sept. 2020
double decanted for 2 hours
good cork
bought on release and kept in correct conditions
robe - showing a little age, beginning to brick, looks like bordeaux : )
nose - at first, the nose was a bit timid and started to arrive after some time in the glass. surely smells like aging cabernet with dark cherries, notes of tobacco but never very complex.
palate - this was showing decent length, duty tannins and well balanced with acidity. very 2oo5. the problem was intensity. 2oo5 should be producing the best expression of the wine and here, it just is not there. it is as if someone had turned the volume down. If this was served blind, i would be very disappointed to hear it was Gloria, o5.
I kept some for day two and it still never showed very well.
Last year though, I opened a bottle of the o9 and that wine has a lot more promise than this does. this was my only btl of o5 but i have 3 more btls of the o9. i am happy that i did not buy more of this..
drink up
88 - 89
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8/29/2020 - rmarkey Likes this wine: 94 Points
Excellent. 13% alc. From the great Bordeaux year.
These notes arte from the 2nd night, since the wine remained very closed on the 1st night. Have also saved some for 3rd night.
Colour: dense black berries
Bouquet: dark fruits, especially black currant and blackberry, slightly jammy like a Barossa version, some chocolate and light spice, leather and tannins.
Palate: full bodied, big soft fine grained tannins; the wine expands in your mouth. Great depth of fruit and power. Dark fruits, pencil shavings, leather, spice, dark chocolate, some tobacco leaf, long clean dry finish. Becoming quite voluptuous as it opens out.
August 2020
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8/18/2020 - JM_MadTown wrote: 80 Points
The fruit is starting to really fade with this vintage. Drinkable, but not too interesting.
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7/27/2020 - kevin h wrote: 91 Points
To date I’ve only tried petit chateau from this vintage. So my first proper 2005 at 15 years. Youthful colour with no fade. Deep garnet. Nose is classic with cassis to the fore. To taste, youthful, softened slightly but approachable. Not quite at its early drinking phase yet but not far off. Give it a couple more years but it should drink well for another 20. Power is the key characteristic. Great depth of fruit, that should open up more with time. Classed growth quality and already impressive. 2-3 hour decant is best.
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6/20/2020 - chadslater wrote: 90 Points
More fruit than I expected, but it was 05. Lacked the complexity of the Cullen 05. Not great value for money.
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6/13/2020 - SwissSherlock Likes this wine: 92 Points
1 hour decant. Nice floral nose. Meaty, nicely structured, good fruit (black berries), pencil shave, great balanced tannins. Dry, medium-length finish. Very likeable and lovely.
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6/4/2020 - PAPiker Likes this wine: 88 Points
Austere, straightforward Bordeaux. Pencil lead and saddle leather notes. Likeable, but not notable.
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6/1/2020 - JM_MadTown wrote: 80 Points
This bottle does offer some nice aromatics and on the palate. shows some pencil lead, dark red fruit (albeit fading quite a bit), and forest floor. It is time to drink these up.
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5/29/2020 - BernieMSY wrote:
U
The fruit is still intact.
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5/22/2020 - B&PBaker Likes this wine: 90 Points
Good, smooth typical Bordeaux. I like it.
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5/11/2020 - JM_MadTown wrote: 87 Points
This was a much better showing than my previous bottles. There must be some significant bottle variation. This bottle has been open for about an hour and it has good red fruit, albeit it is fading a bit, led pencil, forest floor, saddle leather and a medium finish. It is not an inspiring Bordeaux, but it is an okay drink without too much contemplation.
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5/2/2020 - ahwt wrote: 89 Points
Pleasant wine without any remarkable feature. Went well with meatloaf.
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4/24/2020 - Ltim BE wrote: 87 Points
Simple but ok with a BBQ. Quite barnyardy and light.
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4/4/2020 - JM_MadTown wrote: 85 Points
This bottle was much better than the previous two that I had drunk recently. It had nice dark red fruits, forest floor, a little lead pencil, and a medium finish. I hope the rest of my bottles from this vintage are as good or better.
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3/31/2020 - Handy1 Does not like this wine: 87 Points
Agree with recent previous notes. Noticeable tannins austere fruit and nothing special. Meh at best
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3/24/2020 - yhn wrote: 86 Points
Seeing the mediocre reviews makes me feel better in saying this, but if someone served me this blind I'd think they were pranking me serving me my own wine. With some air, the nose opens up well and shows pretty typical Saratoga fruit, like it could even be Domaine Eden or something. The palate is a let down. Kind of indistinct, light, mushy fruit, with gritty tannin. At two hours pop-n-pour, the nose of new pours is falling apart, but then starts picking up with tertiary and tobacco notes. This certainly has the structure to age a long time. What else is there will never be great, but I think may find a better spot. Not worth the $45 I paid.
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2/9/2020 - JM_MadTown wrote: 79 Points
About the same as my last bottle.
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2/8/2020 - Sacramento Geezer wrote: 88 Points
Opened night before. OK, drinkable, but ditto comments below. Seemed overly acidic. This bottle not worth the dough to me, far different from 1996 bottle enjoyed so much two years ago.
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1/30/2020 - JM_MadTown wrote: 79 Points
This is not my favorite vintage of Gloria by a long shot as it is not that interesting. Yes, it does have good red fruit, but kind of bitter, not supple at all. Also, the tannins still seem to be prominate.
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1/28/2020 - pouncey wrote: 87 Points
Meh. This was an overripe bomb. Flabby and uninteresting. Raisins and some dust, but not interesting. It was a distraction from my meal. Never a good thing.
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1/22/2020 - redhead6971 wrote: 87 Points
Color on this bottle of Gloria was dark ruby with slight hints of pink. And moderate to fast legs. On the nose red and black fruits,some earth, plum brandy, and raisin. Something that reminded me of Peychaud’s bitter and anise. The palate was tight and clingy even after a good 1.5 hour decant. It was not showing off a lot of fruits at all other than just some generic red and black fruits. The finish was a little short and shallow. As a lot of other CT comments state, the finish is lacking, the mid palate is hollow and it’s still pretty tight and selfish, not really wanting to give up anything. Not the best example of Gloria I’ve ever had.
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10/30/2019 - Hawk94 wrote: 91 Points
Easy drink, obvious tannins, astringent but smooth, chocolate-ish, kind of hollow finish, was looking for some more complexity, but not there, otherwise would score higher. Still a good drink for the price.
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10/15/2019 - Slics wrote: 92 Points
Drinking well.
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7/17/2019 - grossie Likes this wine:
After reading my note from last year I was excited for this bottle. Either there is bottle variation or this wine is still in the process of shutting down. This one was hard as nails. Showed signs of ripe fruit but it was hiding behind a wall of acid and tannin. I feel like this needs another 10 years! I'll probably drink another next year though because I don't have that kind of discipline.
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5/13/2019 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 89 Points
Margaux / Saint-Julien 2005 tasting (with many other wines too) (Restaurant Vineum, Rotterdam, NL): Tasted blind. Mature but lively appearance; good depth on the nose, quite evolved, crushed red berries, hints of red meat and spice, touch of salinity, warmth; slightly drying tannins, quite light on the palate, lacks some stuffing, subtle bitters; tight finish, not really convincing.
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4/28/2019 - vincemcd61 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wonderful wine. Beautiful finish. Still many years left in this one, but we were ready! Had with NY Times Eggplant, Lamb, and Yogurt casserole. Delicious!!!
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4/26/2019 - John Nezlek wrote: 88 Points
Note: I use a scale on which 85 represents a very good wine.
Very good, but no outstanding. Given the chateau and the vintage I expected more -- perhaps unrealistically.
Regardless, took a little while to open up. I recommend decanting for an hour or so before serving.
My primary reservation was that although the flavors were what you would expect from a St. Julien, they were no that pronounced.
Not necessarily faded, (there was no dryness or staleness), just not that intense.
I will see what the others are like.
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4/19/2019 - Sotto325 wrote: 87 Points
In 375,tired and past its once nicely balanced simple offering. Discard.
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2/23/2019 - KTelaak_Buffalo Likes this wine: 93 Points
Just lovely paired with a main course of Beef Wellington.
VERY closed out of the bottle but after a 1-2 hour decant, it was expressive with smooth tannins. A crowd pleasing dry red wine.
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2/15/2019 - Zinlady Likes this wine: 91 Points
Wonderful wine. Better with rare rack of lamb. Smooth. Still tannic. Drinking nice but will drink well for some time. Dark. Good finish.
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1/20/2019 - tomoem Likes this wine: 92 Points
Day 1. The wine was quite acidic and closed. Virtually no fruit present.
Day 2. Classic left bank aromas but with a reserved nose which requires quite a bit of inhaling to get to any aroma. The palette is black cherry, loamy earth and a very slight amount of cigar ash on the finish.
This wine requires hours and hours of decant to resolve and should not be just popped and poured.
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12/31/2018 - IndyTom Likes this wine: 93 Points
Outstanding wine. A slight lean toward a modern style, but it still needed food. It was fabulous with lamb chops. I decanted it for almost two hours. It had a round mouthfeel with a seamless texture. Lots of dark fruits and a bit a tannin. The tannins should melt away in the next year or two. I only have one more bottle. A shame!
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11/9/2018 - isbjoern wrote: 91 Points
An excellent bottle of Gloria. Traditionalists might find it a touch modern with its ripe fruit and bitter chocolate notes, but it also has a lot of classy Bordeaux feeling. Still some unresolved tannins, suprisingly more so than the Duhart-Milon 2005 tasted alongside, but there is still lots of fruit left to guarantee a long life in bottle. Lovely wine. - 91 points
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11/6/2018 - baxter67 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Lovely balance, intense but not over concentrated or heavy. Black fruit and tobacco. Drinking well now. ****
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10/24/2018 - Rollerball wrote: 92 Points
This has become mushroomy, saline. Really fantastic. Give it a couple hours’ air. Fireworks with grilled lamb.
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10/21/2018 - winebargainchaser wrote: 91 Points
Another bottle, perfectly ripe after 3 hours of dacanting. The best of the case so far. Gorgeous with beef carpaccio - but also with seafish !
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9/30/2018 - toddmk Likes this wine: 92 Points
This wine is all class right now. Well-balanced between acidity, fruit and tannins. Still has plenty of life but good to go with a short decant. Excellent!
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9/25/2018 - BernieMSY wrote: 93 Points
Inky dark color. It greatly benefited From a 45 minute decant. Plum fruit on the front end, roast meat on the mid palate, with a touch of acidity offering balance. Modest tannins. Nice finish. Remains a fine QPR. Mature and eminently ready to drink.
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8/18/2018 - BernieMSY wrote: 91 Points
Solid value
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6/28/2018 - grossie Likes this wine: 91 Points
Steely graphite nose with good fruit background the first night. 24 hours later the mineral/steel note had faded behind the fruit. The fruit is definitely ripe, a little on the plum side. Strong attack, a bit of a bite at the back side, moderately long finish, but it just a feeling at the end, not much fruit left. Tannins are pretty softened, I think this is ready to go.
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5/30/2018 - Blommer Likes this wine: 90 Points
A beautiful wine.
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5/12/2018 - Rhuguet Likes this wine:
Nice and dry.
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5/3/2018 - to_sty Likes this wine: 91 Points
At first a bit flat and felt already too old. Tried two days later again and what a pleasant balanced surprise. Obviously still needs a lot of decanting. Either drink soon or hold a few years more - your decision.
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4/29/2018 - tak4 Likes this wine: 85 Points
Deep crimson, dark, touch of brick at the edge. Nose: cherries, plums, leather, cherry lifesaver. Palate: moderate-high acid, soft but still present tannins, surprisingly light body (medium overall), earthy, touch of leather. Goes well with food.
I think if you age for longer, the acid would come forward more. So drink up. And this makes me want to age my own Bordeaux.
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4/15/2018 - winebargainchaser wrote: 85 Points
our second bottle from this vintage. decanted, left 3 hours in smaller carafe and pourred back into bottle. then it was less then enjoyable, even with rumsteak, potatos and vegetables. 81 points. we had to change it out while eating ! on the nose, this bottle offered quite a nice bouquet but on palate it was austere, very dry and even bitter with a short finish. it has simply not enough flesh to equalize all that. this bottle is worse than the first we tried weeks ago. I might give it another try tomorrow, but think that those '05 Glorias will finally dry out pretty soon (like the '08). for instance, Ch. Gloria has lost a bit of its glory for me . . . . .
UPDATE 4/16/2018 : better now, especially with food (hamburger), I did underestimate it a bit yesterday. still no star, deserves 85 points at this stage. holds perhaps 3 years yet.
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3/17/2018 - mcease wrote: 89 Points
Blueberry on the nose and huge amount of blueberry on the pallet. A silky wine, but also a little bit flat. Nothing there in terms of tannins. No evolution throughout the night - I think this is past its prime. 89 points.
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3/8/2018 - Jschore wrote:
Gave 2 bottles to IEF auction for April 2018. Never had 3 bottles.
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2/23/2018 - winebargainchaser wrote: 90 Points
I decanted the '05 gloria for 3 hours, and it was like this : beautiful classic st. julien nose, palate started to open finally. tasted on its own. in the mouth on the lean, tannic side. drinking it at a meal (with longer air supply) improved the wine : still on the tannic, herb side, it showed more nuanced and distinguished. will give a final update after dinner. not sure if it will improve or even dry out. 89 points before dinner. UPDATE: tasted better with dinner, 91 points. I wouldn't wait much longer with this wine. but it can be a nice wine by now if you give it enough air !
The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are fast. There is moderate sediment in the bottle. It smells like red currant, black currant (cassis), prune and cedar. It tastes like black currant (cassis), blackberry, stoniness, lead pencil, artichoke and tar. The body is medium. The wine has coarse texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has high acidity.
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1/19/2018 - Cipivts Likes this wine: 91 Points
Deep ruby purple, plums, cherries, candied and jammy, delicate tobacco leaf, farmyard, leather, hint of herbs and flowers. Intense on the palate, a bit jammy, full body, black fruit, herbs and tobacco. Long finish. Great wine for the price!
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11/10/2017 - Kirk Grant wrote:
PnP
Color: Deep garnet (almost opaque at the core) with a ruby meniscus
Smell: Scents of fresh tilled earth, faint floral notes, dark fruits, and leather.
Taste: Cassis, blackberries, dark chocolate, and a lingering note of blueberries.
Overall: This is really lovely...but nowhere near where I'd want it to be when opening. If you like aged (20-50+) Bordeaux this is about 10 years from being ready to open. If you want a beautiful, elegant, balanced wine that's young and fresh...this is ready now with little time in the decanter. Medium body, medium- acidity (this could be a problem in time) and a moderate length finish...on what is really just a lovely wine. Excellent - Outstanding in the present. I don't regret opening this...but this is clearly at the VERY beginning of it's life and approachability. Check in on my last bottle in 2025.
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11/4/2017 - Honey Badger wrote: 92 Points
Perfect drinking window from 750. It'll unwind further but the fruit is pure and beautiful, tannins resolved, no reason to wait, throwing sediment like crazy so decant or sit upright for a while.
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10/26/2017 - pablopilot Likes this wine: 95 Points
What is wrong with this wine? Nothing! It is not sneaky... it comes at you with very little subtlety and lots of flash. But nothing overbearing. Friendly, gregarious, universally popular. Recognizably Bordeaux. It reeks of prunes and ripe plums and dark cherries and, I dunno, orange rind? Plenty of acid and just that hint of bitterness. Looong finish. Will it get better? Who cares? I'm drinking mine now. It might be at it's peak. But then again... It definitely will not dry out any time soon, there is still that bit of tannic bite to it that I can imagine gradually receding over the next, say, five years. I'm going to have to try some of my other '05s...
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8/23/2017 - _water.into.wine_ wrote:
Regrettably I lost my formal note.
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8/5/2017 - Lazlo Toth wrote: 90 Points
PnP. Deep, dark, opaque garnet with almost no fading to the edges and no bricking despite the age of this wine. Somewhat closed, but delightful bouquet of cassis, slate, cinnamon bread and a hint of eucalyptus. Somewhat tight to start so put it aside with some swirling over the next 30-45 minutes. In my opinion, this is not a PnP wine, but rather would benefit from at least a one hour decant. Bouquet remains consistent, but starts to become more expressive with some air time and adds a note of crushed violets. This is a smooth and delicious Bordeaux with a very rich, rounded texture and nice integrated oak finish. Cassis, blackberry jam and sour cherry blend, with cigar box. Full body, medium acidity and very fine tannins. Very long finish. Not terribly complex, but great flavor profile that drinks easily. Although this has the backbone to cellar for some additional time, the fruit has softened and I don't think it is going to get better than it is now.
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8/2/2017 - gmbdds wrote: 90 Points
Bold and upfront on the nose, more restrained on the palate. Black and blue fruits, secondary notes coming into play with acid to match food.
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7/31/2017 - novie1234 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Wonderfully drinkable now - mild, with nice minerality and ripe cherry/dark fruit. Some bricking, but expected more honestly. Would drink soon. Did not need/want to decant.
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4/30/2017 - sdwineguru Likes this wine: 89 Points
Similar to previous notes. Color is fading a bit, brick edges. Earthy, terroir nose; soft, mid-body; easy drinking; decent tannins. w/veal
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4/17/2017 - shawnh Likes this wine: 90 Points
Two bottles opened and decanted 2 hours before a beef Easter Sunday family lunch. Tannins and acid mostly resolved leaving smooth hints of chocolate behind ample fruit and some complexity.
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2/25/2017 - kcsteve Likes this wine: 92 Points
2005 Bordeaux wine tasting. Double decant. Stored at 57 degrees.
Beautiful aroma and a very nice wine. Cab dominates but lots going on. Black currant, cherry, chocolate, nutty hint, blueberry, cigar box, and leather. Spicy finish with some bell pepper.
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2/9/2017 - Ianjaig Likes this wine: 92 Points
Same as previous notes. In a great drinking window now. Blueberries and olives dominate. Decent finish. Enjoyable without being outstanding.
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1/30/2017 - bugdoced Likes this wine: 92 Points
intense blueberry explosion upon opening
this settled down into a beautiful integrated delicate gem
this has more life for sure, but if you have a bunch try one and I think you will be rewarded
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1/14/2017 - epiphany Likes this wine: 92 Points
Big chocolatey walnut character with a lot tannic grip. Lot's going on now but can hold for additional development. Impressive wine.
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1/12/2017 - JChan wrote: 90 Points
Good nose. Black currant dominated, medium to full bodied. Very smooth and elegant. Better than Meyney 2000 the same night.
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1/1/2017 - Z1nnfull Likes this wine: 92 Points
We found this to be spectacular. Let it breathe for 2 hours, decanted for another 2 and bingo! Strong bell pepper nose, but graphite and cigar box taste along with dark fruit. Continued to open up as the evening went along, so we finished it. LOTS of sediment, some stuck to the bottle, the cork was evidence that there was no air leakage into the bottle AT ALL.
Best Bordeaux we have had of the 2005's and it appears they may be ready at last.
This is drink now, assuming you give it air as we did. Had it with home made beef stroganoff and baby broccoli over pappardelle noodles. Wine of the year for us on January 1.
Would drink this in 2017.
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12/26/2016 - djarcara wrote: 89 Points
Bell pepper nose. Cassis, liquorice, pencil shaving, and tobacco on the palate. Very traditional bordeaux. The fruit is bit too restrained relative to the tannins. Not sure this will come into balance with more time.
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11/13/2016 - Rollerball wrote: 88 Points
Classic profile with some complexity but not especially inspiring. An excellent accompaniment to a meal with various elements.
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9/20/2016 - bobvictor Likes this wine: 91 Points
A solid "baby" Bordeaux. A compact, easy to drink version in a strong vintage year. Will neither excite not disappoint.
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9/15/2016 - Bob in NC Likes this wine: 89 Points
A solid mid-level Bordeaux. Dusty, dry black fruit with balanced oak notes, pine, shiitake mushroom and black pepper. Dusty fruit blossomed into lush ripe cherry on the mid palate once our streaks were served.
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7/8/2016 - mike l. Likes this wine: 91 Points
very solid as expected per the vintage. drinking very well right now with a decant, but couldnt hurt to hold much longer.
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7/2/2016 - BernieMSY wrote: 92 Points
Deep, dark and integrsted.
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6/18/2016 - Lyall Likes this wine:
Decanted and left for 2 hours, this wine has great legs, slight inkiness and is like velvet on the palette, feels like the right time to drink, love it.
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6/3/2016 - Ianjaig Likes this wine: 92 Points
Double decanted and drunk over 2 nights. In a great drinking window(wouldn't hold for much longer). Quite a closed nose but with a hint of leather on day 2. Palate well integrated, medium+ bodied. Decent tannins with olives dominant.
Drunk alongside the Ch Jean Faure 2005 and the Gloria won.
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5/7/2016 - LeechDogg wrote: 87 Points
Sl bretty, poopy, dark, firm tannins
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3/16/2016 - shallIshantI Likes this wine: 87 Points
15months since last bottle. Same impression. There's blackcurrants, blackberries, wood and pepper. There's just not a lot of depth. It's a fine wine, but not up there with there with the greats. There's little tannin and the fruit is not going to get any stronger so I'd drink up and make the most of it.
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2/13/2016 - Outplaying wrote: 89 Points
Popped and poured and served to me blind by my wife. A little bit funky on the nose at first but that blew off with some air. The nose is a bit non-descript, and a little dusty. No signs of real age in the color, but perhaps a bit watery and lighter on the edges. Medium bodied with a fair amount of mixed red and black fruit. Old world acidity. Medium light tannin. With air hints of bell pepper, mint and licorice emerge. I guessed fairly young, modern styled Bordeaux. This improved with air so I would decant the next one for an hour or so. We both enjoyed it.
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2/8/2016 - Thumper88 wrote: 87 Points
87 Overall good but for price have had many more which we prefer. Nothing stood out and taste/finish on short side for $70
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12/5/2015 - JChan wrote: 90 Points
Drinking better than last time. Half bottle and open for half an hours before drinking. Dark fruits, aromatic, juicy, smooth.
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9/5/2015 - ProfBainbridge Likes this wine: 88 Points
Deep ruby color, having thrown a modest amount of sediment. Modest bouquet of leather, pencil shavings, prunes, and blackberry. Medium-bodied with a disappointingly short finish. Drinking well now and should hold for a few more years, but probably not going to get a lot better.
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9/5/2015 - Collector1855 wrote: 89 Points
During a tasting. Medium ruby. Muted nose as well here, Aromas of oak, dark fruit, abit of vanilla and forest. Enters the palate medium bodied and delicate/fresh like all 2005. Decent length. Not fully mature yet.
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8/29/2015 - WineCPA wrote: 93 Points
Great nose of blackberry, tobacco and cedar. Firm tannins but very enjoyable now, especially with food. Drinking my next in 2020.
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8/29/2015 - jkvedar wrote: 89 Points
Chocolate, cedar, a bit of earth on the nose. Bright fruit on the palate. Well balanced. Plenty of acid and tannins. It is mature. Licorice on the finish, which is not all that smooth.
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7/29/2015 - zarbruto wrote: 90 Points
opened to bright floral nose and tasty bright fruit flavors...lots of tannins left that leave this glass beautifully balanced and drinking perfectly now, deep Garnett in the glas, but lighter on the palette
...dont think time can improve this, but it has plenty of time left, tho .this is not a big bold wine, but rather a smooth, supple Bordeaux with hints of cedar/cigar/leather on the finish.. The wine did "fall off" considerably the longer exposed to air, and plateaued at a very enjoyable glass pf St Julien. Enjoy with a good pasta sauce
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7/2/2015 - wynnewood500 Likes this wine:
Great bottle! Popped and poured at a family gathering. No detailed notes. but delicious and what I was looking for when I purchased these years ago.
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6/28/2015 - Jeff Leve wrote: 90 Points
Showing light ruby with bricking in the color, the earthy, tobacco and cedar chest nose, with its medium bodied, soft, red berry finish is clearly in a good place today. However, a few more years could help soften the tannins and bring out a bit more in the nose.
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6/19/2015 - P&F wrote:
This is pleasant enough... but basic Bordeaux for rich people, I think.
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6/9/2015 - phellstrand Likes this wine: 90 Points
Drinking very nicely right now. Character is exactly what you would expect from Gloria.
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6/6/2015 - Sotto325 wrote: 90 Points
This wine has, in 375, begun to hit its stride. With so many questioning its worth early on, it is now clear that Gloria has indeed ascended in quality and depth in this great vintage. While of course not a complex claret, this wine delivers lots of pleasure right now, covering the tongue in a rich black/ red velvet, with classic garnet, brambleberry,tobacco, and oak notes, with a full finish and nice expressive nose of cassis and smoke. This is the second 375 from 2005 in the. Past couple of weeks and these more modest growths are showing nicely.
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5/3/2015 - JChan wrote: 89 Points
Dark fruits dominate with hint of coffee like flavor. Medium to full bodied. Balanced and easy drinking. Finish is not long.
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4/16/2015 - Levinsb wrote: 92 Points
This wine has character, expressing itself today through a portrait of berry fruit heavily framed by still rigid tannins. Thoroughly enjoyable but I think time and air will soften the textures nicely. The actual bottle I drank was a personally meaningful bottle that traveled with me from one home to another. There's a bigger story here but suffice to say I'm stoked to be enjoying this now. Cheers.
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3/28/2015 - Casimir61 wrote: 89 Points
harsh on opening. needs 30 min air time. lots of sediment. a good traditional claret.
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3/22/2015 - Anthony Lombardi Likes this wine: 90 Points
Gave this around 90 min of air before serving. Dark violet core with a ruby rim. The nose is classic Bordeaux with cedar & black currant. Full bodied, shows more red fruited elements at first, but takes on darker more brooding black fruit as it opens up. Structured still, but would like to see the oak elements integrate on the same path as the tannins. Always a great value wine.
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1/29/2015 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine: 90 Points
Bordeaux 2005 : Ten years on (Bordeaux Index London): Seems to have more color than the Talbot, tasted alongside. Bright red fruit aromatics. Meaty yet fruit filled, too, and ready to drink today, even if the tannins could melt further to be optimal. I could easily enjoy this with steak, like a mini Gruaud Larose in 2005. Lovely – and a veritable bargain for the vintage.
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1/25/2015 - bobvictor wrote: 91 Points
Second bottle of 9. I'm holding to my 91, though it has improved since last time and will continue to get better. I drank this with a 2006, and the 2005 was considerably more refined and had a noticeably better and longer finish. This was a very solid bordeaux that paired well and held its own with a spicey lamb tagine.
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12/25/2014 - shawnh Likes this wine: 92 Points
Fairly harsh on first opening, but after 2 hours in a claret jug and further time in the glass this opened really nicely. Cedary aroma, perhaps not as full flavoured as I might have expected but with plenty of structure and tannin at the end. I think this is just entering its drinking window, and will improve further
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12/25/2014 - shallIshantI Likes this wine: 87 Points
For a left bank wine, it was light. Took a while to get the nose going - yes blackcurrants, but not strong. Perfumed on the palate, slightly sweet but ultimately watery. I'd drink up within the next couple of years. Lovely on its own but will not stand up to strong foods.
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12/24/2014 - rogerr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Interesting the diversity of opinion here. Earthy and on the lighter side. Freshness with cassis and other dark fruit. Plenty of earth and mineral aromatics and on the palate. Tannins are relaxed and nicely integrated. This is a very good food wine.
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12/19/2014 - Surfdoc wrote: 90 Points
Nice, typical Bordeaux in this price range.
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12/19/2014 - J2K wrote:
Decanted 2 hours then gave it a swirl and sip, seemed a little watery with some earth but not much secondary flavors. It really didn't open up until about 5 hours when the fruit, tannin, acidity, and typical BDX flavors came together. A good but not great wine. If I had another I would probably give a couple more cellar years. Otherwise a longer decant
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3/29/2014 - Poisey Likes this wine: 93 Points
Inky earthy and lean. Loads of cassis with the typical profile. Salty sea marl aftertaste with blue and blackberry fruit and a hint of spice. Fine grained yet smooth tannin that grip on the back end. Lots of power here.
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3/2/2014 - macker100 wrote: 92 Points
Over lunch in Austin. Consistent with prior notes and a great '05 bargain. Outperformed the recent '05 Talbot by a mile.
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1/25/2014 - wynnewood500 Does not like this wine:
Disappointing. I had this very young and it was bursting with fruit and tannin. Not much of either in this bottle. Was a bit musty on opening which improved some but did not come around, even on the 2nd night.
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1/22/2014 - thi nguyen wrote:
Totally shut down .even the next day .but will try another bottle next year to fine out why ..but totally disappointed
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1/15/2014 - jkvedar wrote: 89 Points
Drinking well now. Soft tannins. Earthy. dark fruit.
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12/31/2013 - nic.fcn wrote: 85 Points
Disappointed with this wine. Opened 3 1/2 hours before drinking. Smelt and tasted like past it's peak, which isn't right for a 2005. Or maybe it's still way too young, I don't know. Bought it from a reputable shop and kept it properly, so it shouldn't be bad storage. I has high expectations for that bottle, but the previous ratings were right. Disappointing. If you have one of these, try to keep it 5 more years before drinking. I don't think it can get worse, maybe it will get better. Good luck.
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11/26/2013 - maxima wrote: 87 Points
Assez quelconque en ce moment. Du cuir et de la terre, assez court et flasque.
Déception!
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10/13/2013 - Dbader wrote: 84 Points
Soft, blackberry and smoke on the palette.
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9/18/2013 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Dirt and cherries.
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7/27/2013 - wkphang Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nice, will buy again. a little too inky for my wife's palate
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7/16/2013 - pgb67 wrote: 87 Points
Fell a little flat for me - shows blackberry, with some meat and smoke character on the nose, and a medium-bodied palate of berry and light vanilla. Seems to lack acidity and the fruit was tired - maybe in a closed phase or maybe not stored properly (provenance of this bottle was questionable).
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6/9/2013 - emmanuel13 wrote:
Totally flat. Maybe still closed, bizarre for an 8 years wine...
Waiting time for open the other cellared, but not sure it will be different.
Disappointment. Around 40 €.
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5/17/2013 - Paul Lin wrote: 89 Points
In a nice spot right now. Supple red and black fruits. Not terribly complex but well balanced with good acidity.
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4/12/2013 - boreddoughboy wrote: 84 Points
A bit soft. Some leather and dark fruit. Seemed a bit watered down. Lacked the leather and coffee of other vintages.
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2/3/2013 - daffydahl Likes this wine: 93 Points
No signs of age in color, lots of fruit and integrated tannins, rounded, balanced and some length. Very enjoyable now.
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1/25/2013 - Mike Ritner Likes this wine:
Full body. Plenty of supple tannins. Gorgeous wine: potent, rich, heady, still plenty of black fruit as well as chocolate and tobacco notes. Give it a two hour decant or better yet a couple more years in the cellar.
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1/17/2013 - Wink wrote: 92 Points
Clear dark garnet. Nose of smoke, blackberry, plum, cassis, mint, and leather. Medium-weight, ripe, fruit-forward palate of blackberry, cassis, blueberry, plum, graphite, dust, leather, and graphite. Excellent length. Very nice acidity. Integrated tannins and oak. Surprisingly accessible and drinkable. Really liked it.
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1/4/2013 - eddie100 wrote: 94 Points
dark red. intense. almost ready to drink.
real bordeaux.
The wine looks Inky colored. The legs are Medium. The body is Medium/Full. The wine has Polished texture. The wine finishes Medium.
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11/24/2012 - brianngibson Likes this wine: 91 Points
Crimson colored with legs that softly fell down the side of the glass. A solid whiff of the nose gives Lead Pencil and Tobacco, followed by black currant (cassis) and Plum on the palate. The medium body wine is easy to drink with its polished texture. The finish is not among the longest, but provides ample pleasure.
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11/14/2012 - emzee.mc Likes this wine: 89 Points
Classic claret in dark maroon color with a purplish hue and a ruby rim. Thick legs indicate a higher sugar content, probably due to this being one of the legendary vintages in the Medoc. On the nose are pronounced smells of damp earth and truffles followed by marked notes of sweetness, all encased in a thin veil of smoke and tobacco. The wine has very good structure and is thick yet soft on the palate, all the while providing spice, cassis and maple syrup. Not much acidity to speak of but the astringent end is a tell-tale sign that another 5 years would yield more integrated tannins.
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11/7/2012 - sdwineguru Likes this wine: 89 Points
Mid-dark garnet; earthy, mint nose; smokey; wood; opens with air; mid-body; decent tannins on the edge; some life left; some character for the price.
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9/28/2012 - sdwineguru wrote: 88 Points
Mid-dark garnet, pink edges; smokey, woody, earth, mint, berries in the nose; mid-body; soft, round, chalky finish. Very drinkable. w/beef
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8/18/2012 - sabrage wrote: 89 Points
PnP. Ruby purple color. Med/Fast legs. Earth, Currant and Cedar on the nose. Pencil Lead, Cherry and Blackberry on the palette. Soft texture. Medium finish. 13% ABV.
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6/17/2012 - RANelson wrote: 90 Points
Hits my sweet spot. Full body, rich taste and smooth
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6/13/2012 - Sotto325 wrote: 89 Points
A very pleasant Bordeaux 375. Still needs time to express more complexity. The wine has now come to be accessible after a little decanting and has a very typical moss, forest,cassis, hint of red velvet and a little blackberry to it. Not great. Even with more age this will be a middle range experience with a decent finish and a nice food wine.
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6/8/2012 - chanote44 wrote: 91 Points
I like Gloria. This still has a mouthful of tannins and great fruit structure. Enjoy it over the next 5 yrs. Make sure to give it an hour to breathe.
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3/11/2012 - Levinsb wrote: 88 Points
Tight. Not showing much fruit despite a half day decant. Well made, fine grain tannins. Maybe just young.
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2/8/2012 - GreatLibations wrote: 89 Points
Deep purple ruby in color with aromas of red spicy berries and charred plum flesh. Dense and chewy with chalky tannins and balanced acidity. A very rich wine with a defined spicy character with tons of earth and minerals. Blackberry, cassis, herb, and a bit of cedar. The chalky tannins break down the fruit leaving behind a hot and spicy concoction. This is a good wine but I'm not big on it.
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12/31/2011 - Nutty08 wrote: 92 Points
Decanted a couple hours prior. Expressive fruit filled nose with back berries, currants and cassis along with some smokiness and oak aspects that stand apart from the fruit. Palate is nicey defined, with a lushness and polished quite prominent tannins. Prominent, concentrated red fruit palate, really showing blackberries and strong cassis that continue on through a lengthy finish. Oak comes back here, with an interesting gamy/sage aspect. Much more accessible than I expected, though the oak isn't integrated yet and became more dominant with air. That being said, has the great fruit underneath with a classic red fruit St. Julian profile. Will be very good in 5yrs though reasonable now if you own several bottles.
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12/30/2011 - macker100 wrote: 91 Points
Similiar notes to 9/10. Did not show any maturation from last year. Still approachable though and very solid.
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9/5/2011 - Jeff Leve wrote: 91 Points
With a perfume of blackberries, tobacco, herbs, cassis and black cherry, this medium/full bodied St. Julien is already showing well. A few more years and this should be at perfection.
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6/25/2011 - Blackland wrote: 91 Points
Never disappoints, drink now or hold for years, it will get better. Dark fruit, smoke, chocolate, spice, earth. It's all there.
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6/18/2011 - cct wrote: 90 Points
Black ruby color and frankly impenetrable on day one. After 48 hours, with the last glass in a wide decanter it has "opened up" to become a very brooding, dark cassis, stony fruit, and dark chocolate, tannic beast. Dense, and while not austere, certainly not plush. Structured and taciturn. This is very dense, and to be honest I have been out of the Bordeaux buying game pre 05 aside from a couple wines, but if this is indicative of vintage, truly a vin de garde, massive structure and I suspect this will be very enjoyable in 20 years. 90++pts
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3/19/2011 - docvino wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for 1 hour and probably needs 2 or more hours. Nice but not strong nose. Mostly crushed rocks and black fruit on the palate. Overall, a good wine but a great one.
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2/20/2011 - Matt Scott wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for one hour. Black-garnet, with a ruby rim. Blackberry, crushed rock, coffee grounds, red licorice and fresh cut lilys. A dense Gloria with a fruity palate and velvety tannins. A well-endowed finish, while showing an obvious freshness. Satisfying and long. Honestly the most complex and enjoyable Gloria yet. Like Margaux and Pomerol, I have not tasted a bad wine from St. Julien in '05. Not faint, but oh-so clean and complex. Another year could help but if it were opened now, decant. Evident cellar potential. No due date on this. Drink 2012 -.
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2/12/2011 - kennyg wrote: 91 Points
Surrprisingly approachable (having a 375 may help). Ruby, slight coffee nose. Mild graphite, minimally chewy with slight black fruit and earth. Reasonable acidity I think this will be exceptional in about 5 years, but not at all an unpleasant drink now
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12/12/2010 - rrdoucet wrote:
Had this after a bottle of Poulsard and thought it was way too heavy. Much better on day three on it's own, but still not my favorite style of wine these days.
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12/1/2010 - JimHow wrote: 91 Points
The tannins are a bit rugged. There's more oak here than I recall from my last time tasting it a couple years ago. This is a very nice St. Julien, with licorice, cedar, great fruit all around. Splendid opaque purple color. Lots of wood dominating the nose. Overall, though, I really liked this wine. It is a healthy mouthful of a wine, with lots of fruit and tannins, but is drinking beautifully now and for at least twenty years to come. This is my kind of wine. It really strikes you as well-made, it is clear that there was real quality selection and quality control here, or maybe it is just that this was a vintage where it was tough to screw things up. It pretty significantly out-classed the 2005 Grand Corbin Despagne on points this evening with dinner.
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11/26/2010 - Sotto325 wrote: 89 Points
LEt the half bottle breathe for 2 hours or less. It drank rather harshly at first but then toward the end demonstrated a richer deep center with somewhat harsh and almost green edges. I have had many wines from this estate over the past decades and suppose that he 05 vintage must be so large that it just means having patience for another few years.
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9/4/2010 - macker100 wrote: 91 Points
My first reach of the '05 Glorias in the cellar. Surprisingly approachable with excellent nose of cedar, graphite, and liquorices’. Palate starts with a nice balance of ripe fruit with sweet cherries, smoke, sage, and black currants. Very good mid palate with a creamy texture. Finish is quite good and long with a touch of earth. This wine will provide terrific early drinking for those that like younger Bordeaux.
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8/24/2010 - vegasoenophile wrote: 85 Points
Violets on the nose, with licorice, blackberry and fresh cépe. On the palate, some really tart acidity. Needs more age to balance out better. Strong tannin. I'd estimate it will be great in another 5-10 years.
- Tasted at Marché Bacchus 8/7/10
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7/25/2010 - Jhcwine wrote: 89 Points
Nose - Nice. Blueberry. Rasberry. Palette - Much more tannic (then say a Langoa Barton). Blackcurrent. Fairly bitter. Just not ready yet. I had another 2005 Gloria a while ago that was better (or I enjoyed it more at that time).
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6/27/2010 - balassis wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for about 2 hours.
Deep purple in color.
Very impressive nose, with wonderfull and consentrated aromas of black fruits.
Also scents of smoke, ink and licorice.
Medium to full bodied with still harsh tannins and flavors of cherry liqueur, oaky vanilla, cedar, graphite and spice box.
Not very long aftertaste with a tannic finish.
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5/16/2010 - FieldingYost wrote: 92 Points
Black currant, blackberry, graphite, with a touch of cedar on the nose. Spicy black currant fruit on the palate, silky and quite long on a finish with beautifully elegant tannin. One gets the sense that this is holding back on the fruit, both in terms of complexity and depth, but I very much like the refinement to the mouthful and structure, and can only imagine what beauty lies behind.
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4/26/2010 - KeithAkers wrote: 91 Points
connoisseur wines spring european portfolio (Vivere, Chicago IL): nose: excellent depth, though very tight, with tones of cedar, tobacco, black currants, dark red cherries and bits of dark berry tones
taste: silky and elegant medium body with big tannins. Shows off the youth with the tannins along with balanced tones of cedar, tobacco, dark red cherries and some dark berry tones
overall: it's no shock that this is a very young wine. Balanced and showing off a lot of poise, this will turn into a real beauty with some time. There is good elegance to it and good depth already, it's just hiding behind a wall of tannins and a tight nose right now
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4/26/2010 - GA_Seattle wrote: 90 Points
Dark purple color. Smoky essence followed by cocoa and dark fruits. Excellent old world character of subtle fruit, spices and earthnotes. Very nice acidity and balance, makes me wonder what this wine will develop into when it reaches its potential in 3-4 years.
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4/26/2010 - Jhcwine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nose - blackcurrent, redcurrent. Lovely. Lots of fruit.
Colour - Purple, some gradation.
Body - Medium full
Palette - black current, redcurrent. Ample fruit. Sweet tanins. Drinkable now, but will be even better in 5 years.
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3/15/2010 - vinopa wrote: 91 Points
I decided to pop one open to see how well its showing at this early stage...Quite tight on the nose which is no surprise..I get some chocalate, pencil lead and a hint of tobacco..Not showing much at this point..On the palate I get red fruit, vanilla, wood and some earth notes..Its fresh and ripe but very tight at this point..I will try another next year..Cheers!!
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3/6/2010 - peterhimes wrote: 89 Points
Chocolate and tobacco nose, good acids in the midpalate, short finish but consistent flavors throughout. In all a very enjoyable wine. I suspect more earth as it ages but not much there beyond 10 years
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3/3/2010 - Barolo Raymond wrote: 91 Points
Dark purple colour with almost black core, vivid red rim. Initial spicy nose gives way small red fruit, vanilla-tones, cacao and coffee note shining through. Not big on the nose, but elegant. Concentrated tight attack opening up somewhat subdued fruit and chocolate in the middle palate. Beautiful silky tannins complement the fruit, medium-bodied. Finish is lovely, soft and long. At least 5 - 10 more years to develop. Sample tasted 2-3 hrs later was even better structured, more complete and more enjoyable.
With grilled rib-eye, cous cous salad. Yummie!
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2/6/2010 - Lmo'sCellar wrote: 89 Points
Very good wine with tremendous potential. Found cherries and chocolate on the nose. But still tight and needs more time. If you must, decant and you will enjoy.
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1/20/2010 - NavyGrog wrote: 90 Points
Wonderful everyday Bordeaux.
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12/4/2009 - THA wrote: 88 Points
Make no mistake, this is a very good wine. Make no mistake, this is still a [former] Cru Bourgeois. What I mean is: Don't expect too much (i.e., don't expect second or third growth quality at half the price). Fresh, ripe nose and flavors are followed by a disappointingly short finish given the intensity of this wine on the palate. Concentrated and inky. Loads of woody, dark fruit flavor.
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11/20/2009 - soyhead wrote: 87 Points
mostly closed down, i was disappointed, though with some vigorous aeration and food you could coax out the red fruit ever so slightly. Good back end tannins. Needs to sit. Points largely on potential.
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11/9/2009 - davidselvia wrote: 93 Points
Mocha coffee espresso; dark ripe black and red fruit
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11/2/2009 - East Dallas Wino wrote: 93 Points
Stunning. Cedar, tobacco, leather, sweet red cherry and cassis. This is a killer bordeaux with minimal oak, minimal tannins and tons of fruit. The most accessible bordeaux I have ever had at such a young age. I need more bottles of this!!
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9/28/2009 - codewheeney wrote: 91 Points
Really getting good, wonderfully smooth and silky mouthfeel, dark garnet in color, and very well integrated.
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9/21/2009 - CWilliam wrote: 90 Points
Excellent wine. Decanted for 1.5 hours. Initial taste was lots of fruit (and some oak). As we ate dinner (Rare Prime Filet), the wine grew on us and the wine picked up some complexity, expecially on the mid-palate and the finish. A great one to lay down for the next 5-10 years If you drink now please decant.
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9/15/2009 - elbosco wrote: 91 Points
Showing better than from 3/08 tasting. Deep garnet. Asian spice aromatics upon opening. Intially restrained with black cherry, graphite and tannins dominant. Marked improvement on second day with cassis coming to the fore. Try in 2-3 years.
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8/1/2009 - sdwineguru wrote: 89 Points
Mid-dark garnet; berries, mint, oak and leather in the nose; mid-body to big; good fruit and finish; improves with air.
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6/26/2009 - ctlee wrote: 88 Points
Nice ruby red color. Strong earthy odor at first but fades after a few minutes. Strong full tastes of cassis and chocolate. A nice wine but not sure it is worth the price.
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5/7/2009 - Stefanos T. wrote: 90 Points
Young Bordeaux, medium garnet, fruity, still tough and tannic though pleasurable. Don't it drink now.
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4/18/2009 - NavyGrog wrote: 88 Points
Needs more time.
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2/28/2009 - Dillo wrote: 90 Points
Dark purple / garnet color. On day 1 there was some reserved dark fruit character on the nose & palate, primarily cassis, but really was all about tobacco leaf, cedar plank, dark chocolate, coffee, smoke and earth. However, on the second day, the fruit really stood out, with cassis, blackberry, blueberry & plum. Still also getting some of the more developed flavors, but not nearly as strong. Sleek velvety mouthfeel, with medium acidity and ample tannins. Should continue to improve for many years to come. Paired very well with medium rare steak and roasted veggies.
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12/29/2008 - NavyGrog wrote: 90 Points
Needs a little time. Very good though. Very rich and fruity. Gloria is alwayd great.
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12/13/2008 - V2 wrote: 90 Points
This was a very elegant wine. It's amazing how the freshness of strawberries came throw with a little bit smoke and even maybe tobacco hints. A little tannic, but still very enjoyable!
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10/29/2008 - THaas wrote: 90 Points
Garnet with a mahogany rim. Casis and blackberry on the nose, powerful. Bountiful, concentrated, fresh flavors of strawberry, cassis, blueberry, smoke, coffee, and earth in the mouth, delicious. Dry with medium acidity, full-bodied, and harmonious balance, showing off a long finish. Excellent.
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9/11/2008 - deltacop wrote: 90 Points
90+ Had this a few weeks back.
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9/5/2008 - AzorianMatador wrote: 88 Points
Pop, decant and Pour--wine was balanced and surprisingly accessible right from the start. Typical St. Julien characteristics of black currant and smoke with a hint of cedar and tobacco.
It drank like a friendly zin with tasty fruit and smooth structure but not a lot of depth; a bit hollow in the mid palate and a medium finish.
Day two however this wine fell apart; tannins roughed up, balance was gone and the fruit went acidic. I poured the glass back into the decanter and will try again tonight.
88 right now for day one, could go up a bit if it shows better tonight (day 3.)
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8/30/2008 - jim dixon wrote: 92 Points
Excellent and drinking nicely now (unlike many 05s)
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8/20/2008 - MRichman wrote:
Not at all in the style that I've come to expect from 2005 Bordeaux. More like a 2001 stylisticly. Sweet-ish fruit with some baking spices, somewhat soft, low acid. That's right, a low acid 2005. A bit flat and bland with some dark notes.
C+
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7/6/2008 - grossie wrote: 92 Points
Opened Thursday. This note is from Sunday, with the half-full bottle in the fridge in between. Deep red color. Very complex steely nose with ripe cassis fruit, anise, and a little eucalyptus underneath. In the mouth there is rich fruit, and the acidity prevents this from feeling soupy or dull. It finishes without any bitterness, and even 72 hours after opening this bottle the tannin is still showing. I suspect this'll be a tremendous food wine in about 8-10 years. Right now it's terrific (with the extended open time).
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6/21/2008 - JimHow wrote: 90 Points
2005 Gloria
13% alcohol. Not a thrilling wine, but nicely balanced. Mark Golodetz mentioned recently that he found 2005 a classic vintage and I think I'm seeing what he's talking about. As with my recent notes of the 2005 Sociando Mallet, I can best describe the 2005 Gloria by what it is not: Not oaky, not sweet, not alcoholic, not over-extracted. Not rustic. Very representative of St. Julien. Nice pure ruby color. Nothing sharp about the smooth ripe tannins. Nothing hot or herbal, not jammy. A good steak wine. I know Jacques was not real enamored with this wine, but I'm wondering, Jacques, if you had this at a Zachy's tasting with a group of other wines or by itself during dinner? I can see how this balanced effort might get lost in a tasting. But during the course of a several-hour steak dinner it is real solid. Not a tremendous amount of development during dinner but some nice earth and tobacco elements in the final sips. A very nice effort. A bit pricey at the $39 I paid in N.H., but worth the purchase of another two or three bottles at $35 or under. "Best Gloria ever." This is very St. Julien, very Bordeaux. There's hope yet! Rating: 90 points.
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5/7/2008 - the drops of god wrote: 91 Points
From memory really dark purple, supper polished sweet tannins, good stuff!
My taste profile few of the st. Julien
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4/26/2008 - Paul Lin wrote: 88 Points
2005 Bordeaux: Episode 2 (Wine Exchange - Orange, CA): Masculine aromas of cassis, blackberries, dried herbs, stem, and earth. Surprisingly soft on the palate, with notes of black cherries, blackberries, and Indian spices. WA 90-92, WS 92.
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4/26/2008 - Badfish wrote: 92 Points
2005 Bordeaux Report: Episode 2 (Wine Exchange - Orange, CA): The nose consists of medley of berries with a slight herbal tone and a note of slate. The tannins are somewhat firm and herbal on the palate but they are really well balanced by the sweet savory fruit. Very unique character. Excellent.
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