2005 Château Les Bertrands Cuvée Tradition

Garagiste

• By Jon Rimmerman
  8/16/2007, (See more on Garagiste...)

  (BERTRANDS Tradition) 2005 Bordeaux Dear Friends, Call me an optimist, but is there any way this could be bad? If there was going to be vintage where our friends at Les Bertrands (the “little Chateau that could”) would shine, it’s 2005. We’ve had many successes from them in the past...but this price for 2005 Bordeaux? The story on this is simple, due to your support of the wines over the past five years or so, we asked for a price on the 2005 that was downright uncalled for...and they agreed. I can see a deal on the 2006 but the 2005? Loyalty does have its rewards and this is a gift from them. Chateau Les Bertrands (in all their mid-weight, weedy, green splendor) seems to uphold the spirit of old-style, 12.0% cold-climate Bordeaux where the fashion of the moment keeps applying pressure to change (and raise alcohol levels). A property like Bertrands (one that is completely local and basically unknown outside of France) is what makes Bordeaux tick and as evidence to the appeal of this style, the sister wine to this (the 2005 Bertrands Tradition VV) won the Gold Medal at the Paris Concours earlier in the year (against a host of other 2005s). The version of the Tradition we offer today had not yet been bottled (so it was not submitted) but my guess is that the pedigree will show itself to be similar. Should be one of the steals of the vintage. ONE SHIPMENT ONLY at this price - what should be the lowest price in the world. This parcel arrives directly form the winery cellar with perfect provenance: 2005 Chateau Les Bertrands “Cuvee Tradition” 1er Cotes de Blaye ...On another note, we also have a few cases of 750ml of the 2005 Domaine des Graves d’Ardonneau Grand Vin (1er Cotes du Blaye). This is the wine we had bottled and sold only in magnum earlier in the winter as it was one of my wines of the vintage. Many of you asked for 750ml bottles of this so you could sample it while your magnums lay in waiting. I’ve tried to secure a parcel of this for a while but they are very hard to come by. That being said, we finally have a small amount but only 20 cases of this wine in 750ml for the entire US including our few cases (I’m not kidding). This wine may be the ultimate bridge between the Left Bank and Right Bank in 2005 and now in bottle, it has has power and massive ripeness on the scale of 2005 Canon-la-Gaffeliere but maintains its St. Julien-like silk and red fruit center with grace. There is nothing shy about this wine but it is not a purple, gritty tooth stainer like the Aux Trois Freres – it is masculine cashmere with a baby Las Cases spirit and sultry tannins. I opened a 750ml a few nights ago and it was alcoholic and undrinkable (like many of the 2005 Right Bank wines) and took a full 24 hours to settle into its slinky, heady ways. Once it did, all I can say is “wow”. Give this wine a few years in the cellar and watch the fireworks begin: 2005 Domaine des Graves d’Ardonneau “Grand Vin” 1er Cotes du Blaye (750ml) Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Bord7990 Bord7980