A 2005 Bordeaux sampling

Time for a much-anticipated gathering of good friends to take a look at some left and right bank offerings from the 2005 vintage in Bordeaux. As is often the case, a few other things get opened along the way.

Crab cakes and a radish/orange salad accompanied the whites for lunch, a trio of filets with differing levels of marbling accompanied the reds for dinner (Bdx horizontal + beef horizontal, my idea of a good time), and a trio of desserts sat nicely alongside a Sauternes to close out the evening.

• 2002 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut 93 Points

  France, Champagne

  Chilled before service. In the glass, pale/medium gold with a slight orange tint, and extremely fine bubbles. On the nose, brioche and a secondary note of seawater. On the palate, balance and restraint - acidity, a yeasty body, citrus, and thyme/sage elements were wonderfully balanced, but all of the components were singing at a lower volume than I would have liked.

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• 2015 Etienne Sauzet Montrachet 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Montrachet Grand Cru

  Decanted for roughly 30 minutes before service. In the glass, clear medium gold. On the nose, a subtle and beguiling mix - parsley, sage, cloves, and a touch of coriander. On the palate, clean Meyer lemon on a smooth texture, with the herbal elements weaving in and out. Lighter in body than I had expected; this is by no means a heavy or unctuous wine. If I had tasted this blind, I might have guessed it was a high-end Condrieu.

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• 2021 Château Carbonnieux Blanc 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  Pop and pour. In the glass, slightly cloudy, very pale yellow. On the nose, an initial blast of petrol funk, which blew off quickly to reveal elements of wet stone and citrus fruit. On the palate, grapefruit, flint, unripe melon, and a spine of minerality, with occasional teases of sweetness and oily texture - I imagine that's the Semillon talking. If you like your summer whites crisp and stony with a little bitter fruit, this is for you.

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• 2005 Château Malescot St. Exupéry 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Decanted three hours before service. In the glass, medium-dark red at the rim, shading softly to a dark red core. On the nose, floral elements with a bit of residual sweetness, along with currants. On the palate, initially quite open, bringing currants, a touch of oak, violets, and a hint of ground coffee, but as the evening progressed, the tannins became increasingly aggressive on the back palate. I'd guess another 5 years in the cellar is warranted.

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• 2005 Château L'Evangile 95 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  Decanted 3 hours before service. In the glass, medium dark red at the rim, shading quickly to reddish-black at the core. On the nose, cassis, anise, cocoa, and a whiff of saline combine for a beguiling aromatic signature. On the palate, the softest and most plush of the '05s we tasted, with mature but not tired berry fruit intermixed with minty signs of age, as well as an enjoyable hint of black tea. Flamboyant is too strong a word for this wine, but it certainly has a lot of pleasurable complexity to offer at this stage.

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• 2005 Tertre Rôteboeuf 95 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

  Decanted three hours before service. In the glass, medium-dark maroon-tinted red at the rim, shading quickly to dark red at the core. On the nose, ripe blueberries, blackberries, and mint/eucalyptus. On the palate, still youthful and structured, but the core of black currants, cassis liqueur, blueberries, and tobacco comes through clearly, and managed to stay front and center throughout the evening, despite that tannic structure. Quite pleasurable right now, but I think more positive evolution lies ahead.

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• 2005 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Decanted for three hours before service - not even remotely enough time, for what was by far the most closed wine of the evening. In the glass, dark red at the rim, shading quickly to black at the center. On the nose, reticent and distant, with cassis and a hint of leather hiding behind a veil. On the palate, a very fine and smooth texture on the attack, with hints of cassis, graphite, and leather in harmony, quite muted, with a sense of power waiting to be revealed. We left some in the decanter overnight, and 16 hours later, absolutely no movement. The raw materials are present for something wonderful, but it's anyone's guess when that wonder will arrive.

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• 2010 Château Doisy-Daëne L'Extravagant 95 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  Pop and pour to round out the evening. In the glass, a lovely saturated orange-amber, not quite caramel but getting there. On the nose, a blast of tropical fruit, led by ripe mango. On the palate, unctuous yet crisp, with passion fruit, papaya, and mango wedded to a creamy, silky texture that flirts with being too much of a good thing, but somehow never goes over the top. Tons of residual sugar here, but there is just enough acidity to keep things in check. A wonderfully indulgent Sauternes.

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A fun day full of vinous surprises.

- I think that may have been my first Montrachet, which I'm quite sure I would have pegged as a white Rhone if we had done a blind tasting.

- If our bottles were representative, 2005 Bordeaux has many years ahead to reach full maturity. The good news is that the stuffing seems to be there to support further evolution and improvement.

Five people, eight wines, 12 hours. My liver needs a rest, but that was a great way to spend a day.