Vinous

• By Antonio Galloni
  2005 Bordeaux: Here and Now (Apr 2021), 4/1/2021 (link)

  (Les Grands Maréchaux Les Grands Maréchaux Red) Subscribe to see review text.

Garagiste

• By Jon Rimmerman
  5/1/2008 (link)

  (GRANDS MARECHAUX) 2005 Bordeaux Dear Friends, I’m just off a plane after 8 hours in the air (ugh) and I see that a few reviews of interest have hit the airwaves. Parker’s Bordeaux report is always the biggest issue of the year (from an overall market standpoint) and the 2005 bottle reviews have been so anticipated that it may be the most widely distributed review since he started. I’ve been a broken record this week about price, but this wine goes without saying. This is a finished bottle review and if you read Parker’s entire retrospective today, the scores are much stingier than most expected (although the praise for the vintage is at an all time high - he claims it is the best vintage in his 30 year career). I feel like he has pulled back his scoring on all wines in the last year and this review reflects a more conservative approach to the numbers. In other words a 90pt wine from the 2005 vintage (at this price-point) is pretty special... I agree with the above except availability is not so good - there’s basically none to be had at this point. ONE SHIPMENT ONLY at this price directly from the source with perfect provenance: 2005 Chateau Les Grand Marechaux (Blaye) FIRST COME FIRST SERVED up to 24/person until we run out Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Bord6880

• By Jon Rimmerman
  6/14/2007 (link)

  (Les Grand Marechaux) 2005 Bordeaux Value Dear Friends, After re-tasting a boatload of 2005s, here are two wines that are worth purchasing by the case. The prices are so low for the quality level that anyone chasing 2006 futures or pricey 2005s would be well advised to take a step back and realize YOU DON’T EVEN NEED TO SPEND very much money in 2005 to obtain fabulous quality. The 2005 vintage was such an equalizer (similar to 2005 in Burgundy), the very lowest levels performed at what would appear to be record levels. Waiting a year after the initial 2005 futures campaign to offer the wines below has resulted in two things: a better handle on the quality level and lower prices. Yes, I said lower prices. Contrary to what was predicted, if you go outside of the top 30-50 classified growths, many are still sitting on stocks of 2005s and (in some cases) the prices have come down. A year ago, I suggested this may happen with the lesser estates riding the 2005-insanity wave (but have very little household notoriety) and that’s exactly what has happened - sometimes patience is rewarded. Why has this occurred? When the buzz settled down and the 2006s were finally offered, many of the hundreds of “unknown” estates needed to start moving the remaining 2005s for nothing more than financial reasons (remember, most are still sitting on large stocks of 2004s as well). The result is that, not only do you save but, you’ve saved a year of parting ways with your money and you’ve gained a year toward receiving the wines. A win-win for the consumer but the time to pounce on the opportunity is now, while the 2006s have garnered more interest than many thought and the 2004s continue to pile up dust. Both of the wines below are just plain great for what they are - uncomplicated, beautifully made and pure reflections of the 2005 vintage in their respective regions. In my opinion, the Les Grands Marechaux is even better than the review and I believe time will bear this out with a higher finished bottle rating than the 2003. For this price, I can’t recommend it highly enough as a modern alternative to your everyday Cabernet or Bordeaux blend. It is a wine you will pull out time and again and chuckle for what you paid. I bought three cases of this wine for myself - just because. The Marsau is one of those opportunities that wine-geeks have a sixth sense about. It is simply a great buy and it keeps getting better - I’m not surprised about the upgraded rating from last month. While 30% higher in price than the Les Grands Marechaux, it is definitely worth it and I purchased two cases for my own cellar. For a dinner party wine over the next ten years, it’s almost a laugh. In sum, when you compare the prices of the wines below to Napa or other Cabernet and Merlot growing regions, it is evident that (if you are patient and do some homework) Bordeaux continues to represent the very best value in the world of wine. To offer the prices below, I had to work on very slim margins so please keep your orders to a minimum of 3 bottles of each but preferably 6 bottles of each (although I understand that many of you will only want a few bottles so I will allow 3). Please keep maximum requests to 36 bottles of each: 2005 Les Grands Marechaux (Cotes de Blaye) (WA87-89) This wine is better than the 2003 version 2005 Chateau Marsau (Cotes de Franc) (WA89-91) Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Bord8910 Bord8920