2005 Bordeaux blends
Stockholm
Tasted June 14, 2009 by robertek with 723 views
Introduction
This was a very interesting tasting with eight experienced tasters where the New world yet again showed that they are, at young age, more likable and charming than the "classics" from the Old world. This time we tasted - blind of course - Chateau Liversan (finished in last place), Ornellaia (two firsts, four second and one third place), Branaire-Ducru came in thrid place (with two first places), Paul Saur from Kanonkop the clear surprise winner(4 first place and 4 second places), Pontet-Canet finished forth (four third places) and Clerc Millon fifth (two third places). Overall it was a very good flight of wines with great promise although personally I though they Bordeaux's were all very closed and just not ready to drink. The Kanonkop on the other hand is in its prime and I doubt it will get better than this.
Flight 1 (6 notes)
Red
2005 Château Branaire-Ducru
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
There was substantial fruitiness on the nose but it was very closed despite 3 hours of decanting. On the palate the tannins are overwhelming but with the fruit cleraly there I think it has very high potential in 10 to 15 years from now. I will certainly hide my bottles deep in the cellar. Finished in fourth place in our tsting of 2005 Bordeaux blends.
Red
2005 Château Liversan
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc
Wow this was very bleak and did not cope with the comparison.... Although the tasting was done blind - of course - it came out in last place as could have been expected. On the npse ot did not whow mcuh and although the tannins were there nicely rounded and it had some aftertaste it left me disappointed. I am sure that on its own - it's probably a pretty decent table wine.
Red
2005 Kanonkop Paul Sauer
South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch, Simonsberg-Stellenbosch
Wow this was a big surprise as I had this wine before but realise now the bottle I had must have been off. Although I recognised it as new world - guessing Australia or South Africa - I had not expected it to be this drinkable right now. On the noe it showed tremendous jammy fruit, plum, smoked rubbery notes, dark chocolate, mint and some herbs. Very good tannins with a long taste of coffee lingering in the mouth. As I am a Bordeaux freak I was lookign for excuses to not place this wine as my favorite in teh blind tasting - and I did placing it in second just after the other non-Bordeaux wine - Ornellaia. Despite that this wine won hands down as WOTN. It's a great wine at a very good price. Congrats Abrie and Paul for a great effort.
Red
2005 Château Pontet-Canet
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Blackcurrant, truffels, cedar - classic stuff although a bit closed. On the palate it was all tannins but the masses of dark fruit will be handling that and ensures me that it is a fantastic wine in the making. I will however wait many years before I open the next bottle. I had expected this to come out as the WOTN but I was wrong. I am however still convinced this is the wine with the greatest potential of them all.
Red
2005 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia
Italy, Tuscany, Bolgheri, Bolgheri Superiore
The WOTN for me but for the team it ended up in second place. Full of black currant, truffels, champignons, cedar, dark cholocate and coffee och the nose. On the palate it has an extremly long after taste and masses of sweet licorice along with a strong backbone of tannins avoiding a one dimensional structure. Great wine that will not have the longevity of the Bordeaux's but is cleraly better at this point and probably for the next five years or so.
Red
2005 Château Clerc Milon
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
On the nose some earhty tones that went away after a while and turned into leather, dark fruit and barnyard. On the palate it was disappointing right now with overpowering and dry tannins providing for a very unbalanced wine at this point in time. I am sure it will improve significantly over the years as the tannins become more integrated with the fruit but at this point in time I would go as fas as not recommending you to open these bottles. RIP for another 10 years or so!
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