Fresh and elegant, with plump sweet darks fruits counterbalanced with a savoury backbone. There were some pleasing grippy tannins and a gentle lingering finish, only marred by a slightly bitter note. A fine wine nonetheless. CHP 91 pts
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About a year since my last bottle. This really benefitted from 90 min in the glass. This is a very subtle and smooth wine. Still a bit of subdued cherry fruit up front which leads into a well balanced wine. This is borderline delicate. Finish is a bit short. This must be drinking at peak unless you prefer a fully stripped wine that is utterly boring. This is best consumed in the near term. This would pair well with chicken or fish. Revisit 2025
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In a very good place right now. Color - dark, brooding and vibrant.
On the nose - old school notes of hay, leather, damp earth, espresso and truffle. Lovely and complex, yet subtle.
In the mouth - round and plush, medium bodied, perfectly integrated tannins with dark fruit lingering on a well balanced finish. Lot's of secondary notes and very slight tertiary at this point.
A very 'correct' effort - not brilliant, but harmonious and tasty. Very classy and definitely at its peak drinking window. Can go strong for another decade.
91 points on the night. Drink now through 2035
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Aerated to decanter for ~ 3 hours, was the minimum I'd go with if serving again anytime soon. Fresh, with bright cassis fruits, gravel and earthy, forest-driven notes. Broad but graceful mid-palate with developing length. The final glass was the best and suggested the best has yet to come. Pretty. For its full potential, it's highly recommended
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Consistent with my tasting note from November 2022. Poured from a 375ml bottle. This needs time to come together. There is a recent trend on the ‘05 vintage… they are all in an awkward phase right now. That rings true for ‘05 Burgundy also.
Wine Bordeauxphilia (at Adina's): 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot Color: Deep garnet red with ruby hues. Aroma: Complex and evolving aromas of red and black fruits (blackcurrant, raspberry, plum), cedar, tobacco, earth, and hints of leather and spice. Palate: Full-bodied with good structure, balanced acidity, and smooth tannins. Flavors of ripe fruit, chocolate, earth, and spice. Finishes long and elegant. Dark red-ruby. Multi-dimensional nose, offering keen fruits, a mineral note and smoky oak. Luscious, alluring, with red berry fruits, refreshing acidity and balance.
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Classic left bank bordeaux. beautiful tobacco, earth, and red fruits on the nose. Medium bodied with great structure, reaching maturity with secondary flavors melding tobacco, leather and cassis. Still time but really in a good place now. Solid 93 points
Decanted one hour then enjoyed over 2+ more hours through dinner tonight.
Definitely better with more air, #1. Tart, thin, tight and bright red fruit to start. Maybe an 89?
Gains weight, integrates further, smooths out, becomes better balanced in all respects drinking its best at 5 hours of air, tonight. Easy 93 then working its way to a 94.
In half bottle format, this is ready to go with just 20 minutes in the decanter. A regal red robe, very St Julien proper palate but little on the nose. Some dry leaves amidst the dark cherry, light wood tone and medium-bodied delivery. In 750, needs a few years to show more complexity.
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Drank this wine last in 2020 and it is still going strong. Nice dark color and fruit, smooth and velvety on the palate, sweet long finish. This was a well made wine. The maturity of the wine must be on a nice slightly downward slope. 3 hr decant. Which is my standard lately after a visit to Bordeaux 2 years ago.
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PnP: dark ruby. Nose is gingerbread (blows off quickly), pencil lead, leather, anise. On the palate it's initially quite structured for 18 years of age, lovely dark fruit, bitter chocolate, chewy. Very lovely palate on PnP. This bottle has a ton of gas in the tank.
Decanted and put back in the bottle and we drank the rest 3-6 hours later. Softened it a bit; I actually enjoyed it more right out of the bottle.
No formal notes as this was brought to dinner with friends. This was my first bottle opened from a 6 pack acquired on release, and I was very excited to try this as all the notes this year from the community have been overwhelmingly glowing saying this was very ready and delicious at this stage of its development. I really don't know what to say about it other than it felt completely muted, expressing hardly any fruit, still tight structure, and a really confusing overall picture. I have no idea what was going on here, but this was not good. I will try to check in with another bottle soon.
Decanted for one hour prior to tasting. Dark magenta-edged purple color; faintly violet nose.
Rich, deep, and beautifully integrated. Lots of black fruit and umami. There are no hard edges, just a perfectly aged claret at the top of its game.
This continues the winning streak for this one. Three terrific bottles in a row over the last couple of years, and I am happy to have six more on hand. It’s drinking beautifully right now, and I don’t expect it to get much better from here on out. That said, I’ll hold off on sampling a few to track their progress. Outstanding!
The 2005 Branaire-Ducru, like many 2005 St. Juliens, is starting to come around. While this remains somewhat quiet on the nose straight from the bottle, it has wonderful freshness and an appealing mixed red, black, and blue berry character that expands nicely with 3 hours in the decanter. Additional chocolate and evergreen notes follow on the palate, which is actually quite velvety. For all of its roundness, there's acid to match.
This should develop well. It seems best to wait until 2025-2030 as this requires a few hours to get going, stays open for a few hours, and then closes down again.
Needed a hour or so to open then just really nice- holding on well but not likely to benefit from more time so I’d drink up. This is typically a bordeaux bargain price wise and one of my favorite affordable st julien’s- a great steak pairing…..
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Showing brilliantly right out of the bottle. Plush black fruit that has started to meld into the background along with softening tannins and the beginning of tertiary development. Not overripe or imbalanced, this was a really nice example of a middle aged Bordeaux.
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05 Perfect cork. Darkest, deepest color of them all. Balanced at this point but still young in flavor profile. Ripe fruit, good acidity with integrated and sweet and savory oak notes but the age and style of the chateau gives it an elegance. Still need to wait to reach tertiary notes. 94+ On the second day, the fruit is starting to taste like dried fruit, but other tertiary notes haven't arrived yet.
01 Still dark youthful color. Less expressive nose than the 86 but more on the primary and secondary notes. Dark fruit and spice. Baking spice. Palate is round. More dark fruit and good acid. Better after revisiting in an hour later, more expressive on the palate and nose, but still more primary and secondary. 91+ On the second day, tertiary notes start to emerge on the nose and palate.
86 - Moldy cork that broke but only slightly soaked. Lightest color, show age but not excessive bricking given the age. Nose of mushrooms, pepper, leather. Still plenty of acidity on the palate, still plenty of fruit too but more on the dried fruit side. With touch of licorice with some of earthy and tobacco notes. Smooth but still some tannins left. After an hour, there's even more fruit and a touch of floral notes with softer texture but rather youthful given the age but it still doesn't have the balance of 2005 overall. But the mature nose and texture with still vibrant fruit make it an excellent wine that has a nice balance of primary, secondary and tertiary notes. 93
All of them are on the classic, feminine side of Bordeaux. Good acidity. Low alcohol (12 for 86 and 13 for the 2001 and 2005) and balance of oak and ripeness of fruit. 05 and 01 had about 30+ minutes of being opened while the 86 was essentially a pop and pour. In terms of price, anyone that bought these en primeur should be happy. They've developed nicely. It's always an inflated price getting them at this stage, but I'd say 2005 is still worth it given the price of classified Bordeaux these days. The 2001 is a little more than it should be while the 86 is about what it should cost at this age given it's still drinking well.
https://winediplomats.com/
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Beautiful wine, towards the red fruited end, tannins still present, just starting some tertiary sous bois notes. Lovely balance of freshness and acidity. Feels like it's open for business but in no rush to drink. Last glass 4 hours after opening has put on weight, still improving with air.
Second from a case. Notes continue to vary a good bit but both of my experiences fall on the upper end of the review spectrum. Wow, the 2005’s remain dark in color. Wonderful fruit, violets, tobacco leaf and cedar charcoal. Medium bodied with good richness, the palate is pure and very long. Serious wine with a long life ahead. A bit rustic on the finish - some additional cellar time should prove beneficial. Very very good. (93)
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BernieMSY nails it. First bottle of a case and opened at a perfect time. Everyone at the table said this was drinking like an 8 year old wine not 18. Based in this bottle I would guess this has a 7+ year drinking window before gradually fading
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Beautiful dark ruby color; forest floor nose. Delicious black fruit, nuanced savory notes. Rich, layered and impeccably structured. This wine is absolutely singing right now, and I think it is peaking.
Shows a touch of bricking. Nose of a young wine with blackberry and menthol. Feels soft and silky on the palate up front and into the mid but there is plenty of structure remaining. Black cherry, blackberry and an earthy touch but still quite fruit forward. A very pleasant drinker with more years left in the tank for sure.
Clear volatile acidity in this wine, which unfortunately dominated it. Decanted for 1 hour, which helped, but VA still noticeable. Otherwise, smooth and interesting wine.
For once, my fellow Cellartrackians have let me down. The scores below can't be real. Beautiful cigar box, forest undergrowth with stalky black currant on the nose, and quite aromatic. Great mouth balance of the same. Layers of smokey dry flavours. Very elegant, and complex, but all is integrated. At its best, I would say round about now.
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3 hour decant softened this up. A full bodied, fruit forward, wine at the moment. There’s a touch of heat on the finish. This is in or near its prime. I don’t see this as very age worthy and is best consumed within the next 5-7 years. Revisit 2024
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Excellent balance, just entering its drinking window, clearly not young but years to go ahead of it if you want. Excellent nose, good length. Perfect with steak/cognac sauce with tarragon.
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Graphite, dark plum, forest floor, blackcurrant, red currant, a little dried fruit on the nose. Lovely ripe fruit on this but still tight on the palate. I’ve had a few 05s at this level that have made me feel like the vintage is entering its drinking window, but this is not there yet. That said, I don’t think it’s far off - perhaps another 3 years. There’s a nice balance to this and, while not fabulous, it has a nice elegant, austere style - almost like certain Barolo rather than Bordeaux?!!
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An excellent sealed cork. Good plum color with some bricking on the pour. No decant. Very aromatic on opening with a bounty of crème de cassis, cloves, black raspberry, mocha, and loamy soil. On the palate, the attack has a light handed burst of acidity accompanied by espresso, cassis, and smoke. The tannins are more pronounced in the mid-palate where this takes an angular and somewhat austere turn that deposits a bit of black raspberry before barreling toward an iodine and anise coated finish. Reasonable length, that is generally uninspiring and lacks any noteworthy character.
Overall impressions are this does not match the hype for the vintage. My own impressions of the 2005’s are the wines remain austere, and at least from the wines I have consumed, are unlikely to deliver their promised glory. This wine was very aromatically pleasing, but the experience on the palate was disappointing. I do not see this miraculously transforming.
Day 1 - Score 90. Half the bottle to be stored overnight. Will update the note with any improvement.
Day 2 - The additional air overnight has not appreciably changed this wine. The tannin subordinates everything on the palate and it remains austere, and lacking pleasure or charm.
Perhaps the 2005’s do need more time. And perhaps they will remain hard and never fulfill the promised glory, particularly for those of us getting on in years who use precious cellar space holding out hope for improvement.
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Hmmm… so far the 2005 vintage from Bordeaux continues to be perplexing. 2005 was supposed to be the best vintage since 2000. In my opinion, 2005 is more a cross between 2003 and 1986. Slightly stewed and extracted but tannic, rustic and austere. A bit of a misfit vintage I would say. I hope I’m wrong and this wone is stilll in its dumb phase
Still really dark with no bricking whatsoever. The tannins are resolved and this is a pleasant but rathe innocuous wine. It’s well made and very decent but lacking any individuality or charm to rate higher. Drink up as I don’t see this getting any better but will last 5+ more years.
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Just about there, the nose struts its cigar box, red currant, tobacco leaf, flower, and mocha profile with ease. Vibrant, elegant, refined, and medium-bodied, the wine feels just great on your palate with all of its ripe, red and black, spicy currants that linger effortlessly. Drink from 2022-2045.
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25 minute decant then poured back in the bottle. You can just PNP now. Wine is very soft with mellow tannins. I would drink this now. I don’t think it’s going to improve from here. Cab dominates but mellow. Feminine at this point. Drink up
from half bottle, The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. The body is medium. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has low acidity. a bit of fruit and little tannin. still a nice glass of wine
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Finally…A 2005 that’s ready to drink. Decanted two hours but doesn’t need it. Wine is smooth with soft tannins. Surprisingly light weight with a light mouthfeel. Nice flavor layers. I was expecting a bigger wine. Easily drinkable by itself. Cab dominates the flavor profile. My next bottle I will decant 30 minutes. I didn’t get much barnyard on the nose. Light but enjoyable.
Perfect spot now - silky smooth with integrated tanins - but likely in tbe window for 5 more years- no need to wait But no rush either. I thought this was a great qpr for a classified st julien from a strong vintage at the -$70 I paid (case) originally. Modest sediment,decanted and open 30+min- seemed fine. With grilled rack of lamb- bordeaux always my go to with that! I’m a fan especially as $ always seems fair!
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Drinking wonderfully. Popped and poured, and quaffed over 2 hours. No real secondary notes, but de-lish cherry on the palate. Wish I had more at a reasonable price.
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Drank blind along with a 2019 of the same wine. The parallels were evident but the wines are, no surprise, a long way apart. This has a Bordeaux nose, both spicy floral and brilliant red fruit I have trouble identifying. A deep, musty earthiness, a bit of cedar and fresh herbal and vegetal (in a good way). Muted red fruit in the mouth and with a wonderful, lengthy finish. Medium plus acidity that is present on initial attack, fades in favor of fine, squeaky tannins, then comes back competing with the tannins and finally letting go with a lovely bit of soft acid. Wonderful cold weather food wine.
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This comes in at mid weight, polished, with a smidge of ambering, and quite elegant and fresh. Light footed and clearly in stage 2 after a non existent stage one. Pop and let it wake in the glass. Drink
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DAY1 Served with the Vinloq System Youthful appearance. Nice, but still holding back
Let the remaiming wine Slow Decant in my fridge
DAY10 The sweet perfumed fruit is now open for business
DAY19 Best on this day 👃Fruit, tobacco, & cedar in equal parts 👅Silky. Refined personality. So pleasant. Nice herbal and tobacco followed by cedar on the persistent finish. Tannins are soft. Solid wine👍
Judgement of Greenbay, 03 Mouton, 06 Monte Bello, 05 Brainaire Ducru, 03 Lascombs, 06 Quintessa. Monte Bello ranked first with Statistical significance over all except Quintessa which was second. 13 judges. All wines were drinking exceptionally well!
It seems that 2005s finally start arriving to an enjoyable state of maturity. At least this bottle was a classic aromatic multi-layer balanced wine with integrated structure and a long finish - all the reasons we love good Bordeaux so much
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Drank at the Gala 2022. Very tight and we didn't have time to let it open. It needed a couple of hours. Even so it had rich dark berry notes, silky, fine tannins. Very elegant wine. Has plenty of room to run. It should last for many more years.
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This needed some serious time (around 3-4 hours) to open up and soften. But at that time it presented with cassis, plum and some cedar and cigar notes. Not a powerful wine, but reasonably elegant, juicy and easy to drink if given some time.
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"Old Bordeaux" = '86! (Old Home of Woodward): In this tasting, we needed a red to bring our palates back to BDX for the main event. This was served non-blinded. Short decant: This remains a big, structured, slightly tight wine.
"nice deep cassis, black plum, wet stone, cedar, and spice notes." from 2015, still applies. Add a hint of tobacco. Now with longer decant-2035.
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Lonny's btl at the Kenwood. I see a lot of potential with this wine. It will need either a lot of air now or better still about another 3+yrs. Does show some of St Julien's potential for elegance & charm. Tasty tonight but a bit grippy. Don't know how much air it got?
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Mixed WTDS at The Kenwood (The Kenwood, Mpls, MN): Very dark red/purple color. Unsure if this saw any air, drank a glass over an hour. Charcoal nose, somewhat tight, gets going though and shows some ripe fruits eventually, ripe cassis, ripe dark berries, and perfume. The palate is dense and full bodied, gravel, sappy, blackberry liqueur, black currants, with some firmness to the tannins and more oak to resolve. The nose is ahead of the palate currently. Another example of the snails pace of the '05's. Give 'em some air. 92(+)pts.
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90-91 Fairly closed off initially, i think this needs more years in the bottle With air i got ripe berries Silky texture, dusty minerality Tannins don’t linger Juicy, quite unlike most Bordeaux
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Well structured and balanced wine. Nose of black fruits, warm bread, with some cedar notes emerging towards the 3rd hour mark. On the palette it’s balanced, structured, with some black fruits. A little grippy towards the end.
The wine feels like a serious, well mannered student - Everything is decent, but the lack of any distinctive personality makes it a little bit boring.
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Excellent - even better than my previous bottles. Cassis, cherries on the nose. The mid-palate has beautiful acidity, more cassis and cherries, some tobacco, some menthol, tannins are mellow and almost entirely integrated, some forest floor here and there too. An excellent wine in a great spot!
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Good solid dark fruit with nice structure and some menthol and dried herbal notes. Fine resolved tannins. Dark plum. Smokey oak. Full fruit, solid. In a good place maturity-wise. Ready to drink now in its early drinking window, but will continue to evolve for 10+ years and drink well after that. Not spectacular, but a good solid BDX.
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60 minute decant. Deep dark garnet color. Delicious upfront: lots of dark fruit, with a touch of mint and mocha. On the middle palate there are a great deal of secondary flavors: roast meat, plum, a touch of tobacco and tar, but overall, the tone is moderate and integrated. There are plenty of taninins, indicating that this wine has at least 20+ years of life ahead.
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In perfect condition, albeit a slightly dried out cork. Interestingly, I found the exact same cork problem with 2004 of this wine. Very similar red fruit flavor profile to the 2004, but much deeper, more structured, and more refined. The 2005 is a significant step up to the 2004, no surprise. The 2005 seems to be just at the very start of its drinking window and seems poised to last another 20 years, at least.
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This continues improving with each tasting. The tannins have softened and now you find an elegant, soft, refined, and silky wine with all the cassis, red currant, tobacco leaf, mocha, and cedar you could ask for. The finish is bright, fresh, and lifted, with ample sweet, mildly spicy, ripe, red fruits. Give this beauty 60-90 minutes of air before service.
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an elegant wine that is likely at its peak as it lacks much power and already has a nice balance of savory and secondary notes. enjoyable and glad I popped two of these now!
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Fine claret in its prime shape. Balanced notes of tobacco and leather along with the concentrated fruit. Half decanted and half from the bottle. Drank for the next 3 hours. Preferred out-of-the bottle over decanted.
Medium dark red color. Coffee/ cassis bouquet. Good fresh fruit and concentrated without being too ripe. A harmonious, complex, complete wine with modest ripe tannins. Good length. One of the best wines of this tasting and enjoyable as all heck. Drink now or hold up to 5 years. Double decanted for 2 hours before tasting.
From Mark’s 2005 Bordeaux Vintage Tasting: Attended a 36 wine ‘05 Bordeaux tasting recently. The wine above is one of those wines. Served single-blind. All wines were tasted over a 2 day period, 18 per day. The wines served on the 1st day had their corks pulled two hours prior. The second day’s wines were served “ double-decanted”, 2 hours before the first flight. The overall tasting experience was quite different, as one would expect. Day 2 wines were softer, displaying more ripe fruit, and less harsh tannins. Kudos to Mark for both a fantastic experience as well as providing an instructive opportunity on how the 2005 Bordeaux vintage is showing at this stage.
Well made Bordeaux but nothing more than that. Well balanced with red and black fruits, some spices and some wood. A pleasant glass of wine but insane at the current price setting of this vintage of this wine.
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Shit this wine gets better and better almost at it’s apogee! But no hurry still lots of ripe fruits left. Full bodied with silky textured tannins and vibrant complex finish
Amazing value for money. Fruit forward. Ruby red, slight signs of evolution color wise. Cassis, graphite, rocks, black currants and spice. Succulent palate, great acidity and structure, medium to full bodied, tannins coated by the opulent and precise fruit and a decent peppery finish. In a good drinking window now but with at least 10 - 15 years ahead of it.
Amazing value for money. Fruit forward. Ruby red, slight signs of evolution color wise. Cassis, graphite, rocks, black currants and spice. Succulent palate, great acidity and structure, medium to full bodied, tannins coated by the opulent and precise fruit and a decent peppery finish. In a good drinking window now but with at least 10 - 15 years ahead of it.
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Splash decanted shortly before dinner; an hour decant would be better. Drinking well now but still has upside. Nice combination of fruit and complexity.
Consistent with my previous notes. Succulent fruit on the nose, cassis, berries, cigar box and graphite. Deep crimson color, fruit forward on the palate with great acidity and backbone and a decent finish. Open for business this is medium to full bodied.
Decanted partially and then completed the job later on. Found considerable solids. Need the Ah-So to remove cork which was still in great shape. Lots of leather, graphite, and sense of wood on the nose and in the bottle with the fruit in retreat. Let's hope there will be more fruit to come. Nice mouthfeel and aftertaste. Wine is a dark purple. It really shows no signs off being too old.
Un bouquet prenant du temps à se développer sans jamais devenir exubérant, très torréfié avec du fruit noir évolué et de la boîte à cigares. Bouche au fruit plutôt mat, plat et monotone, sans relief, possédant une bonne concentration sans être grande toutefois. Longue finale bien toastée et poudreuse. Une bouteille faible ou c'est vraiment ce que c'est sensé goûter? Toujours est-il que j'ai nettement préféré le Duhart-Milon du même millésime goûté l'an dernier dont le fruit était plus vivant. 89-90
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3 hour decant. Opaque black-purple color, violets and currant nose. Wonderful concentration. Fruit has faded, leaving savory secondary flavors in its wake. Graphite, leather, tobacco tones are present. Long finish, and plenty of tannins. Many years of life lie ahead for this one.
Took about 3 hours to fully open. Excellent bottle with great floral notes. Great feminine Bordeaux. Fruit forward, finesse, and smooth. Pleasantly surprised, comparable to Baychevelle or Pichon Lalande.
Decanted an hour. Inky. Nice aromatics, matching the palate. Cassis, blackberry, wet earth, tobacco. Sweet tannins, very slightly bitter, chewy. Medium+ body. Still mostly big dark fruit, nice acidity for lift. Delicious alone and with food.
Just at a perfect place now and a wonderful claret and one of my favorite ‘quality price ratio’ classified growths. With a roast lamb shoulder seemed like an ideal match! I got these at $65 which made it taste even better!
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Decanted one hour. Pretty yet subdued nose of dark and red fruits. The palate shows still good acidity, soft tannins, dark fruits and lots of graphite. Great finish with dark fruits and a hint of red fruits. This is great - ready to be drunk!
See previous notes. Deep ruby red. Decanted and drank over 90 minutes. Lots of graphite, leather, forward cassis and black fruits. Great structure, acidity, balance and a slightly stony finish. Medium to full bodied and great QPR.
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Opened after some positive notes on WB. Youthful, but in early maturity, as the tannins have receded and fruit is to the fore. Dark cherry fruit, still mostly primary. Sandalwood and cedar notes on the palate and finish. Really nice St Julian that’s a bit precocious but has plenty of stuffing remaining.
Theme was Left Bank Bordeaux. This was Rosalie’s wine, and followed my ‘05 Sociando-Mallet, and the first taste was a bit harsh. But as it took on air in the glass (both were decanted about an hour) it smoothed out and I think was better. Lots of fruit, both on the nose and palate. Long finish. Good night for our group, as these were nice starters, but hardly the highlights of the night.
Outstanding and open for business. Lots of graphite, pencil lead, creamy cassis and dark red fruits on the nose and lush palate. Decant but not too long. Velvety tannins, nice finish and superb balance and structure. Medium to full bodied.
Lovely St Julien. Forward dark red and black fruits on the nose, lots of graphite and spice, very lush entry on the palate, rich and full textured the wine finished long with tannins coated by the strength of the fruit. Blackish ruby red color and full bodied this wine has years ahead of it but is so good to drink now. Cellar or enjoy now!
Tannins have started to soften and some hint of maturity showing. Still rather young and edgy. These 2005s are really demanding a lot of patience. Kept half btl and I suspect it may be more inviting on the 2nd day. Let's wait and see...
Really amazing forward wine. See previous notes. Creamy rich cassis, forward fruit, dark red berries, black currants, graphite, and perfectly integrated oak. Great feel on the palate, perfect acidity, précision and balance, and a long delicious finish showcasing the wine's hedonism.
See previous note. Amazingly extracted, forward fruit, deep ruby color. Decanted and drank over two hours. Nose of rocks, ashes, perfumed cassis, raspberries, leather. Great palate, structure, finely grained tannins fully coated by the succulent dark red fruits and a long slightly sweet finish. Medium bodied to full, great QPR and very pleasing. Stock up on this one.
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Lovely creamy perfumed cassis. Starts off with a dusty and leathery nose infused with cassis and black currants. After two hours in decanter, opens up to sublime cassis and some notes of graphite. Deep crimson red, great texture to the wine with succulent fruit on the palate, medium to full bodied, very fine and velvety tannins on the perfumed and slightly sweet finish, with acidity and balance giving this wine a lot of finesse. Beautiful.
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One of the best Left Bank Bordeaux wines I’ve ever tasted. Decanted 4 hours, and it continued to evolve and exhibit additional complexity over the following 3 hour drinking period. Color was dark ruby with minor bricking. Initially, aromas of leather, graphite and tobacco dominated the fruit. Dark red and black fruits flavor actually increased 2 hours after beginning to drink. Mouthfeel was medium+. Tannin was full but smooth, and a surprising amount of acid was still evident. Long 1+ minute finish. This wine went extremely well with lamb chops.
Didn’t know what to expect after reading a number of good but not special reviews. I am very pleased by what is in the glass. Classic Bordeaux. Black current, leather and cigar on the nose. Medium weight, with lovely depth and a serious backbone of tannin and acidity. Will last for years but very nice tonight. (94)
Nice Bordeaux that is drinking at a mature state. Waiting any longer will not improve this wine. Every bit of the 2 hour decant helped it along. I had it alongside a 2009 Bordeaux Clerc Milon and by end of night was eclipsing that wine. Nice blackberry accents, velvet-like finish. The fruit was there but very subtle. Definitely past its apex and on the nice slope downward. So I would drink this wine sooner than later.
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Good Bordeaux, did not decant, nose of cherries, plums, cedar, leather, truffles, cocoa powder. Palate is medium, well balanced, good acidity, mostly cherries, mushrooms, cedar and herbal note. Medium finish. Drink now or can age few more years for more secondary characteristics
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Note consistent with before. Despite an additional 7 years of bottle age still resembles my last tasting note. This is a really solid 05’ that is drinkable now yet also evolving very slowly!
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Nose: no fruit, all secondary aroma. Meaty, slightly alcoholic.
Palette: initially well integrated tannins, good balance, kind of gamy. Paired well with my duck breast. 120 minutes after palate started to deteriorate, getting more grippy and acidic. Fair wine. Nothing exciting
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drinking well light nose dark fruits cherrr and blackberry slight cedar smooth finish less tannic than the bottle i had a couple of years ago seems like it will last a while
Paid $85.00. Opened a 2008 (paid $69.00) at the same time. The 2005 is the better wine. They both had the same great taste, it was just that the 2005 was more full bodied.
Tastes of dark cherries and berries. Gave it a short decant before consumption. Very clean tasting with great mouthfeel. Nice aftertaste with no noticeable defects. The cork stuck a bit and almost broke. It came out with the two prong remover in good shape.
A famous Bordeaux character many years ago introduced to the 2005 vintage by saying it was the most ironic: the best vintage of his career but anybody trying it in 2008 would not live to see it flower. And so this 375 spoke. A hardened iron back on the nose with only a hint of dark cherry and oak. On the palate after decanting and sitting in the glass for 30 minutes, some lush undertones but definitely the strict discipline of agreat vintage in Bordeaux. One must wait. 3-5 years.
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Not a remarkable wine. Light on fruit and structure. Hoping my others get better with a longer decant. Drank over an hour and a half and started opening up, but then reached a somewhat unpleasant phase.
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This needs to be drunk now, it likely won’t improve with further age. The aroma was missing fruits. I smelled cedar, tobacco, leather, and subtle ripe black fruits.
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Correct in every way and entering beginning of drinking window with plenty of aging ahead. Just not that interesting, complex, or long. Hard to get excited. Jancis’s review made me laugh out loud .... but it is accurate.
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Faint blackberry, blueberry, cigar box, mild nose; smooth and elegant, but mild, fairly extended; good and with some substance but not at all dynamic or rich
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When PnP, very lush cassis and blackberry notes, followed by some pencil lead, leather and tobacco notes. Very dusty and powdery tannins. Long cassis and sweeter than usual finish. Very enjoyable now.
But the fruity flavours recede in a matter of minutes.
Drink up now.
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This has come a long way since 3 years ago...Its developed enough bottle age to form some elegance while still bring youthful and light footed. Its medium bodied, with nice scents of earth and underbrush, with dusty red fruit that are now melded into the wine as a whole, creating a seamless Bordeaux experience. Its brilliant now and should peak in 3 years...Drink or Hold
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Muted Leather nose. So flat on the palate. I'm not sure whether there's enough to this wine to evolve further but it's disappointing right now. A little acidity very low tannin. Try in 2021? Coravin so I'll try in a month.
Pulled out a dry cork that broke in the bottle. Decanted and filtered to remove cork particles. Let breath for about an hour. Drank slowly with meal and beyond. This wine tasted just fine in spite of the cork. It took quite a while for a nice spicy and fruity nose to develop. Tasted just fine with food and on its own. Nice body and mouthfeel. Tastes of berries and spices. No significant old age detected suggesting there's lots of time for this one.
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Between 60-90 minutes of air brought out the soft, silky tannins, nuances of tobacco, cassis, blackberry, spice and wet earth. Elegant, fresh and refined, this is coming on strong. Another few years in the cellar and this promises to be even better!
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A really nice showing for a consistent wine. This is always so approachable. The fruit is a very pure black currant and blackberry. The others aromas were very classic left bank, with pencil lead, cedar, and tobacco. A focused wine. Very fresh and finessed on the palate. Really nice balance. Excellent length on the finish with no heat and beautifully balanced acidity
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Opened to breathe for 3h. This is a serious, earthy bdx, lots of mineral and hits of dirt. No funk to speak of, just forest floor dirt with a little camphor, black berries, and a touch of acid on the finish. Tannins are subliminal at this stage, fully resolved. Plush velvet in a glass.
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A smooth and fine grained bottle that has very nice balance. I popped and decanted for about 30 minutes, I suggest an hour if you can. While open for consumption there seems to be some growth left for another point; the lack of power and richness prevents higher scoring now or down the road. I will look to try subsequent vintages soon for comparison.
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What a fabulous wine in a fabulous place right now.........lead pencil, dark red fruit on the nose with a little briar. Dark ruby in the glass, with absolutely no bricking. Tannins are well integrated and smooth. Such a feminine wine to start, decanted for nearly two hours at a local French place as we enjoyed it during and after dinner. Gained weight til the end, more depth too. Not as feminine later on. A beautiful understated BDX in a very good place right now.
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First bottle (750) of a case purchased as a future, and stored in my wine locker since delivery. Tried after decanting for an hour, I would have guessed this to be an '09 or '10 - dark colored, very youthful, and a fair amount of tannic. Over the course of dinner and with another hour or so in the decanter, this was really singing by the last glass, with both the nose and flavors really opening up. What started as an 88/89 ended up at 92, with room for growth.
For comparison sake, I may open up the first of my '09 Branaires to see if I should let the rest of the '05s slumber while skipping ahead to the '09s.
From 375, popped and poured. Drinking fine now, but still on the upswing. I’d guess early peak is a year plus away from 375 and maybe 3 years or so from 750. Will probably still drink well from 750 or mags in 2030.
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Alex's Birthday Party (Yan's China Bistro, Walnut Creek, Ca.): Nose of black cherry, dry, dusty road, and plum, same on the palate, medium/big body, magnum format, fruit fairly forward, opened in the glass over the next thirty minutes, needs five years to peak in this magnum format, and a long finish.
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Opened to breathe for an hour, and sampled again 4 hours later. On the nose, camphor, oak leather. Lots of brooding going on here. On the palate graphite, iodine, mineral, dried plums and black cherry, black pepper, and the memory of tannins in the finish. Smooth and oh, so dry. In a good place, drink or hold. Tonight with grilled burgers.
Pumped down overnight. Tasty, but not as tasty, on day 2. I'd say this bottle showed its best 1-4 hours after opening.
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deep dark burgundy red, little clarity, ruby hue Nose: cassis, deep berries, tobacco, chocolate, vanilla, thyme, cola, earth, oak Pal: cassis, deep berries, dust, tobacco, chocolate, vanilla, allspice, thyme, cola, earth, fine tannins, oak Feel: medium, savory, acidic Finish: medium T8
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This is still pretty primordial stuff - plummy and oaky with a classy oak application, I don't think it's shouting "St Julien" yet. I was given this blind to taste and on the basis of the plumminess and roundness, went straight to the right bank. Then again, this was a quick taste and I didn't have the opportunity to follow the glass.
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Opened in honor of Patrick Maroteaux, who passed away, November 19. Still showing a nice depth of color, the wine offers cassis, cedar, thyme, smoke, and spice on the nose. Decanted for 1 hour, and enjoyed over the next 90 minutes, the wine continued improving and filling out with time. Freshness meshed with sweet, juicy ripe cassis and a beautiful purity of fruit on the palate. There is still a bit of firm tannins remaining, that will continue softening with time. Give this another 5 years and it could merit a better score.
Nice, some oak, great, dark, fruit, surprisingly open and on the fuller side. A lot better than the 2003, which I did not quite understand. In its early drinking window and ready to go with a 2-3 hour decant.
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Deep and rich with black currant, minerality and some smokiness. Red cherriy flavor developed with even more air. Definitely needs a long decant at this young stage and it unquestionably has many years of development ahead of it.
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2017 New York Wine Experience Trip; 10/16/2017-10/25/2017 (New York City, NY): From a stellar vintage, this version of Branaire-Ducru is nothing less than class in a glass. Deep ruby/red in color, it is packed with ripe cassis, dark cherries, bittersweet chocolate, espresso and baking spices. Full-bodied, fresh and with nicely integrated alcohol (13.3%), it wraps its fruit with silky-textured tannins and stays impressively solid on the mid-palate. Long and smooth on the back end, this young Bordeaux is simply a joy to drink. While it may improve with further cellaring, it would by no means be a mistake to open a bottle now. Drink now-2030.
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A vertical tasting of Branaire Ducru in 2005, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014. Generally, 2011, 2012 and 2014 are not much different, and 2014 may be a little bit better than other two. Some aromas, some fruit and mineral on the palate, but all not impressive. Not quite balanced and short finish. So I would give 90 scores to both 2011 and 2012, and 91 to 2014. 2005 and 2010 are much better than these three, with stronger nose and more tasty, and much longer finish. However, 2010 is quite perfectly balanced and 2005 is a little bit weak on this point. So 94 for 2010 and 93 for 2005.
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Another incredibly well made and aging Bordeaux. A little smoky and more black fruit on the front end. Plenty of tannins and acidity to go another few decades. Still might be a little early for this one.
Bu au souper du club de dégustation de Sherbrooke avec Bulle, Meursault, MikeLM et FrançoisD au resto AVV La Suite. La première bouteille est bouchonnée…on ouvre la 2ième qui elle est OK. Beau nez sur les fruits, le café, l’eucalyptus et le boisé. En bouche, c’est velouté et il y a une belle acidité. Des mures, du graphite et des épices avec de beaux tannins fins et une finale bien longue. Un claret de top niveau.
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Pale purple, pronounced browning at the edge, traces of sediments It shows little nose, with barely detectable black fruits, vanilla and leathery notes. Quite disappointing The palate is balanced. Overall it is agreeable and easy to drink. Creamy mouthfeel, medium tannin with slight drying, some mineral character typical of St. Julien wines I am not sure why it is closed recently, which is consistent with the recent few community reviews. One should probably hold this wine before it opens up again.
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From 375, decanted at the beginning of dinner, followed 2003 Leoville Barton. More reserved and structured than the LB. Coming along nicely, will be better in a year or three.
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Decanted about 3 hours. Dark garnet, no real signs of age. Quiet nose, red fruits predominant. Smooth palate, red fruits and some pencil lead, good structure. Medium/long finish. Seemed a bit shut down compared to the last bottle, though I have not used that term often with Bordeaux. Quite understated after the '86 Gruaud Larose that preceded it.
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Lunch with friends at Brassier Four - I don't always love bdx but when I do it's in this profile of pure fruit, a rusticity but still pretty and layers with a great mouthfeel. Stellar pairing with steak frites.
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Brought to a wine lunch with friends, tasted over nearly three hours. Tight upon opening, the wine blossomed with air. Lithe bouquet, typical of its place, showing St. Estephe-like notes as well. Lively acids, copious fine-grained tannins, generosity of fruit, and superb balance define this classy wine. The last drops were the most impressive. Likely better in three to five years, it can age for another twelve plus. Paired magically with steak frites! 94-95.
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Gotta love this beauty. What a value and drinking wonderfully smooth and such and inviting nose- of cherry, plum, blackberry, vanilla, and cardamom- a want to swirl in the mouth all night wine. A quintessential St Julien and a paradigm of the 2005 vintage.
Enjoyed this bottle; however, at least to my opinion, it seems to be reaching its zenith. We bought several bottles of this for birth year rememberance. I doubt this will bring us any joy at the twenty first natal celebration. But what do I know?
on opening lush tannins delicious to drink now. After one day of slow o the wine evolved and I tasted the toasted wood and cedar, fruit in the background - needs more (or less) air time. Will try to post next day tasting note.
From 375, popped and poured. Thought I'd check in early after note below. As with all better left bank 2005s I've tasted, this is still too young and tannic for my tastes, but there is clearly plenty of good material here. My experience was very different from the note below. Hold, drink 2018+.
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Already displaying esters of over-maturity. This wine is a major trade-off for anyone looking upon 2005 as a great vintage (there are others as well, sadly to say.) Aromas: maturing Bdx aromas of superb stables and bdx-earth. Non-mistakenably. The nose is this wine's most remarcable trait. Quite wunnerful! Palate: inconspicuously a bdx-2007 that is just a watery juice terror action, all the while some ppl can't stop themselves explaining how exuberant this bland juice is. (We DON'T get it.)
Our 4:th btl, and we're still not even the slightest impressed. (Haven't ever noticed anything even close to "great" in this wine.)
Terrible juice, buyers need to be cautious: if you buy the REAL thing, you are surely going to be depressed. But if you buy the Rudy btls, chances are you get a drinkable thing :-) Better than any no-name-bojo-nouveau. We prefer sake. Especially 生酒 by 久保田、the superbly clear 〆張鶴 or the fantastic no-nonsense 新雪。。。
This wine just happens to come from Bdx, but has NOTHING of the credentials expected for anything worthwhile as a 2005-wine. It's actually just as poor as the majority of 2007-bdx. We digress. Quote by Al Gore: "the debate is over." (Wife: 65p)
(Decanter FWE 2016) :: There is a richness and density here, but still not especially expressive. More time? That said, a very good palate, showing plenty of fruit, soft tannins and a solid frame. Good persistence.
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A very nice showing for this wine tonight. Becoming more approachable than when last tasted almost two years ago. A nose of cassis, blackberry, pencil lead, cedar, violets, and coffee. Smooth, fresh, and soft on the palate. Tannins still need some softening, but there is excellent level of acidity present. A fresh, long finish.
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Tasted after the 2010. Slight signs of evolution around the rim. Also more open and expressive on the nose: Tobacco, graphite, spices, cassis, plums, eucalyptus. Approachable on the palate, but still rather firm. Less vibrant and fresh compared to the 2010 and maybe not quite as impeccably balanced. Still excellent. 92-94
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Incredibly smooth and well put together. The tannins have softened, giving way to delicious earthy, woodsy flavors which are backed up by delicious fruit. Perfectly balanced acidity gives a refreshing mouthfeel, and the finish is delightfully long. A very nice wine. A couple more years will make this even better - but this is drinking well now.
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Tasted during the World Congress of the Commanderie de Bordeaux and Fete de Fleur 2016. A no less than spectacular showing for this less expensive St.Julien tonight, side by side against the 1995 Mouton Rothschild. Notes of cedar wood, dark fruit, forest floor. Very silky and elegant palate, some toasty notes, good freshness and balance. Highly drinkable.
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PnP and drank over 3h. Dark garnet with a translucent rim. Initially a bit thin, needs some air to gain weight. Earthy and very spicy wine with plenty of new oak that is only partially integrated. Initially also a touch of heat. Dark and red fruit. After about 1h in the open bottle fine tannins appear but not unpleasant. Still this is neither a classic style of Bordeaux due to too much new oak (at least for my taste) nor a truly rich modern style as it's rather fine and lacks the generous fruit required. I think this can develop but doubt it will ever be great. Have had a fair number of Branaire Ducru vintages but with the exception of the 1982 never really convinced. 91(+?)
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deep purple in color pleasant nose light with fruit and cedar smells taste was full mouth filling tasted blackberry currant and leather a bit tannic on the finish when opened over 2-3 hours the tannins dropped away. a very nice bordeaux
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Still young, it's easy to see how much this has to offer. The nose is starting to develop secondary characteristics, the tannins are beginning to soften and the textures continue adding more silk in the mouth. Give it another 3-5 years and this should be even better.
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Decanted 90+ minutes; beautiful rich currant bouquet; ethereal cherry/ raspberry fruit with almost perfect balance and acidity. An elegant wine, limited only by its modest finish; an outstanding bordeaux - just short of profound...
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Purchased in June 2006 for $26.00, this is an example of a winning futures choice. Blackberry, mulberry, black currant, and raspberry fruit pie can be enjoyed in this multi-tiered flower garden. Pure and balanced, textured and rich, elegant and classic, this treat might well be the best Branaire-Ducru ever from the initial smell to the first sip to the last slide and the memory that lingers.. Be sure to decant for at least an hour and cherish the rest of the evening. Saint Julien should be proud of this over-achiever.
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A delicious Bordeaux that got better with air, but it drank well after opening also. Nice notes of blueberry, tobacco and dark berries leading to a nice mouth with good acidity and tannin. Enjoyed with prime rib.
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Blind Post-Christmas Lunch Tasting: Served double blind at lunch in a 2005 Bdx Horizontal. Bright medium ruby color. Medium nose has plum, bell pepper, tobacco and earth. Nice richness on the medium weight palate where the tannins are more suave than firm. Long, penetrating and lifted across the palate. Young but starting to show it's stuff.
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I agree with others who found lots of cedar on opening. I also found a lot of raisins and some plums. The tannins spoke up a little after about 30 minutes, but mellowed out as the wine breathed. Very enjoyable bottle.
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19th Annual Lyon 10 Year Retrospective (Chez Lyon in Eugene, OR): Still a tight nose but nice deep cassis, black plum, wet stone, cedar, and spice notes. Tannins a bit mellower than some. We correctly guessed Left Bank in this blind tasting. 92 on a day 2.
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Dark purple. Exotic nose of cedar, blackcurrant, and cocoa. Lush, exotic, and dark in the mouth, with dark fruit and oaky spice prefacing a palate-coating finish. Drink now through 2025.
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Quite elegant for a St. Julien. There was a 2003 on the table as well, and one could tell they were the same maker, same wine. 2005 is the better year, I think. This was drinking well, but still quite young. Nose a bit subdued compared to some of the older wines at the tasting, but gained complexity as it aired in the glass (was decanted about an hour). Lots of red and black fruit on the palate, along with a strong backbone - nicely balanced for a 10 year old Bordeaux. Very long finish. Loved it.
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Decanted for 3h. Lots of earthy and smoky notes on the nose and palate. Cherry cordial followed by acid and tannin. Medium body, verging on heavy. Very tasty, but I was hoping for more... not sure what. Complexity? Nuance? Maybe this just needs more time.
Better at dinner with friends after 5h of decanting. The acid is less pronounced, the earthiness is now integrated with the black cherry and soft tannins. Paired with filet.
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Cedar wood, flowers, tobacco and dark red fruits are hidden and require coaxing in the nose. On the palate, the wine is silky, elegant and fresh. This is still quite young and shows a lot of promise. The wine is however, clearly letting you know, there is a nice future ahead if you give it another 3-5 years of bottle age.
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I don't know...Im still not feeling it here..Still to early or a total mismatch for my taste...It seems a bit disjointed and stuck in limbo, but not enough power to support any enthusiasm for the future...So I have to fall back on hope that this may one day come around...Ive sprinkled several places with pairs of this wine, hoping that one day I will drink a bottle that lives up to the 95 parker rating...
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For me just behind the 2009 in this mini vertical. Lovely on the nose again with lots of red and dark fruit, tobacco, spices, earth, smoke, graphite. On the palate fresh, quite open with lots of fruit, nice texture and length. Excellent with good future. 92-93+
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third magnum of the night. this was amazing. young but very delicious - cab fruit with tobacco and the acidity in the backbone - so young and can age another ten years easily - but i loved this. tannins were pretty soft and the finish was long.
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Clear dark garnet. Bright fresh bouquet of black and red fruit, sous bois, charcoal, fennel. Similar on the palate, balanced and elegant, classic wine. Still too young but already very enjoyable.
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Goedhuis tasting at the Saatchi Gallery West London. Although more interesting than the '12, Ducru was the weakest of St Juliens tonight, Talbot and Gloria showing better. Picking up Balsalmic on the finish.
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Tasted at Total Wine, McLean, VA on April 17, 2015. Had side by side with the 2010 vintage. The 2010 was clearly superior but this is still a very elegant wine with lots of complexity. Showed no signs of being near its peak.
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2005 Bordeaux Retrospective (Morrell Wine, 1 Rockefeller Plaza): What a pretty nose, showing a mix of red berry, darker fruits, cherry, minerals, spice and cedar. On the palate, it displayed juicy textures with high-toned brambly fruit and minerals, while gaining flesh and soothing richness with time in the glass. Fine tannin coated the senses through the close yet took nothing away from the experience. This was an excellent performance and a pleasure to drink, with years of cellar potential.
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Spring Warm Up Tasting (The Lyon's Tree House): 17 hour decant and this is why I love Bordeaux! It needed the time, but then sings its origins. The black fruit is bolstered by earth, tobacco, wet stone, cedar, and cocoa. Best 2017-2030!
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Bordeaux 2005 : Ten years on (Bordeaux Index London): Not as expressive on the nose as Beychevelle, tasted alongside. Closed in by comparison but with a bit more substance and structure. If I had to choose at this stage for drinking, it would be Beychevelle. But Branaire has more structure for the long haul, and potential for a higher score.
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Still young. Dark purple color. An inviting but somewhat subdued nose of blackberry, dark plum, olive, and mocha. Silky palate. Nice backbone with prominent tannins. Medium-plus finish. This should soon enter its prime drinking window, but likely won't peak for several years. Once this matures further, I expect it to improve significantly.
Everything where it should be, this is a classic with very good bouquet, medium full body, nice cab fruit and spice and minerality start to finish; long length, not a blockbuster, but really nails it. Showed much better than last time, in a group of only 4 wines, not 17.
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Absolutely charming and surprisingly open with its tobacco, cassis, coffee bean, licorice, blackberry, earth and cocoa scents nose. Silky and polished on the palate, there is a lot of room for improvement as it's still a very young wine.
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VIP Monopole Wine Tasting: Pipe tobacco, clove, blackberry; silky, mid-weight with med. acidity, earthy coffee grounds finish; lower tannins here; beautiful nose, but a bit shy on the palate.
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Deep ruby, some tainted legs @13% abv. Medium(-) aromas of black fruit, graphite, barnyard, wood. Dry, medium(+) acidity, medium ripe tannin, medium-medium(+) alcohol, medium body. Medium flavors, of blueberries, cherry, bitter chocolate, tea. Mouthfeel is on the thin side. Good balance between fruit-acidity-tannin and alcohol. Good length with compact and elegant finish. Still a bit rough (think barnyard), keep another 5 years.
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When I opened this wine, it was empty! I was shocked and had to look at the bottle again. Then I thought it might be a fake! That didn't make sense either.
It became quite elegant over the next 45 minutes without gaining any weight.The 95 WA rating is a bit ambitious, but because of the elegance of the last glass, given the terroir and producer pedigree, I can see this going places over the next 10 years, but not anytime soon...
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Overall, we may have opened this bottle a little too soon. It's very pure right now, but lacking a bit of complexity. That said, it's a very nice wine that I hope to enjoy for quite a while.
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Decanted for an hour at Lilette in New Orleans. Classic barnyard BDX nose, musty earthy on the palate with great fruit and receding tannins. Definitely my favorite wine for the night.
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Good. Just coming into its own. Popped and aerated into decanter. Could have used an hour more standing. Dusty and a bit of herbs but rounds out into cherries and stone fruit.
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The nose was a bit muted at first but it improved towards the end of the bottle. It is full bodied with silky tannins and a very velvety texture that you can almost chew on. I expected more complexity on the palate. It has hints of berry, toast and tobacco. It has a medium finish. It is definately approachable now but has potential for ageing.
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If you plan to open this now give it a long (2 hour plus) decant. It got better and better the longer it was out of the bottle. Nice rich sour red cherry with an underlying licorice streak. A vegetal streak that is enjoyable rather than off-putting. Nice herbs on the midpalate, and a fairly long finish. The tannins are mild and the wine really smoothed out after a few hours, though there is no doubt that it will improve with time.
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Hour decant super dark purple. WOTN totally blew me away. Heavy but not overpowering funk very nice. Olive oil flavor great weight almost chewy. Black olives all day. Quite vegetable, celery hints watermelon smoothing the vegi flavors out. Think a bit un ripened blueberry. Black fruit beautiful. No sourness or bitterness. Super well balanced. Huge fan buying at least 2 more of these. Elegant and complex wine.
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Superb wine - this hit me right. Beautiful color in the glass. Very fragrant nose, almost napa like, but then takes a different direction into the black fruit and veggie combination on the palate. Someone mentioned black olives and I couldnt get that out of mind, the nose, taste, everything was black olives after that....Overall, delicous....Nice and rich, juicy mouth feel that really coats the palate. Firm tannins that are ripe and tasty - I imagine this wine will last for a long time. I like the price point on this wine for what it is, and a good one to stock up on.
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I should have listened to my previous note and waited longer. While this improved over my last tasting in 2010, it is still many years away from even beginning to approach a peak. Here it was unquestionably delicious, structured and fantastically Saint Julien, from a top vintage taboot. It is just beginning to show the briefest PEEK at what is to come. I can't help but write this note with a slight tinge of disapointment as while this was great today, it will be extraordinary in 10 years. If you have one, do yourself a favor and hold off until 2020, at a minimum.
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Solid bordeaux. still quite young. tannins were still firm, not fully integrated. fruit still present, especially after 20 min open. needs a few more years at least.
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Had this at dinner following the 2010 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon release party. Lots of similarities between the two. The Branaire was a bit more elegant, not quite as much chocolate or dark fruit as the QC. But hard to compare a 2010 WA wine with a 2005 Bordeaux. Hey, when I get to drink these wines. life cant get much better.
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Double decanted for 2 hrs Served with grilled Bavette steak with shallots Colour:dark red ,thick and opaque Nose:black fruits, tart berries, low sweetness Taste:firm tannins, long finish,bit of meant hold and dark chocolate finish. Quite good!
Good bottle but could use some more time. Will let the other 2 sleep for some time
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Definitely needed an hour to open and develop but showed the class and depth of the vintage. It was probably a sin to opened this wine so early but the depth of fruit and breadth of character was still a pleasure. Borderline 95 and am probably deducting marks because so much was consumed before the wine had truly developed in the glass.
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Tobacco, earth, cigar box, black cherry aromas lead to a wine that is on a more rapid path of development than anticipated. While not mature, this polished, rich style of Branaire Ducru is already starting to be fun to drink. I’m holding mine, but to quote the owner, Patrick Maroteaux, "It’s still young, but it would not be criminal to have it at a dinner now.”
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Decanted at 230pm, rebottled at 6pm and consumed at 8pm. Well structured with nice fruit and mocha notes on the nose. I'd like a bit more depth on the palate. Seems a tad wound up even after the extended decant time. Probably need to hold this for quite some time to get the most out of it but there's lots of potential.
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Montréal Passion Vin Nez un peu torréfié, avec du chocolat et….des champignons (contradictoire à mon sens). L’attaque est tendre mais le vin fermé à double tour. Texture agréable, tanins soyeux, il ne montre que sa structure pour le moment mais son style droit et élégant promet. 90+ pts
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[Commanderie Branaire tasting] The best vintage in recent years according to their winemaker; deep nose, layers of black and blue fruits, plums, berries; earthen, tannic, but at the same time soft and sweet with floral nuanced aromas; ripe and rich in the mouth, powerful black fruit flavors at the front of the mouth mixed with ample amounts of earth; big structure and big flavors; pretty immature at this point, showing a lot of hard edges and rigid flavors, but there is a sophistication to this wine that will in time emerge and I suspect that this will be among the best from this property. (18+)
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92++. Very structured, young Bordeaux. Lots there, but all tightly wound right now. Needs at least 5 years... probably 10. Nice dark fruit, but very dry, lead pencil, mineral, tannic backbone right now. Drink with caution at present.
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Ruby with a slight purple tinge. Slightly cloudy. Aromas of cassis, cherry, blackberry, blueberry. Medium but balanced oak, with firm tannins and medium acidity. Short/medium finish
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Definitely should have followed my gut and waited a few more years to open. It was truly a crime to open now and it is only HINTING at the things to come. Outstanding now, but it will be something special down the road. Hold 5 years minimum.
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This bottle was angry that I opened it. Young, closed, dense, and brooding. I think I heard it moan from the glass, "WTF dude? Go away, leave me alone, and wake me up in 2022" (this was all in perfect Parisian French of course).
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Oof. After the other Branaires this comes across a little heavy and clunky. There's the same red and dark fruited core, but there's a slightly roasted and medicinal edge to the flavours here, and with air the alcohol makes itself apparent on the aromatics. Very powerful and rich, certainly with more extract and density than the other Branaires opened but not showing the same balance and finesse as many of the other/older bottles.
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Clear red color with aromas of salty dried meats. One dimensional and thin with flavors fo red fruits. Approachable now and easily drunk with roasted meats and hearty pastas. Drank out of a double magnum.
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Deep ruby in color, this wine opened with tobacco, smoke, earth, fresh berries, soil and forest scents. Concentrated with ample fresh fruit, coupled with a solid structure, this has the potential to bome one of the longest lived vintages of Branaire Ducru. The round textured wine ends with fresh berries, cassis and spice. I'm waiting another 5 years before opening my case.
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Popped and poured through aerator. Some serious potential in this baby bad boy. Dark rich notes of cassis, lead pencil, blackberries, black flowers and light spice. Palate shows more dark fruit. Classic Bordeaux styling with a serious finish. Still a baby and a bit tightly wound. Needs to add on some weight to show its true self - this could merit a couple more points. Will set on its side for at least 5 years.
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Dark ruby red. cherry, camphor, vanilla, stone, and spice. Beautiful weight and softness on the palate. Amazing balance from acid, tannins, fruit, and alcohol. Ripe tannins give this wine a long great satisfying finish. This will only get better with time.
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Opened at noon (3L), had absolutely no flavor - tasted like nothing. Decanted and tasted during the day. Flavors opened up about 1 am (13hrs). Served the next night with dinner and it was excellent.
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WFA Bordeaux 2005/2006 Tasting by the Wine Review (Suntec Convention Centre, Singapore): Excellent. This confirmed my impression of how good the wine was at last year's tasting. Deep, lovely nose. All warm and melodious, with plummy dark fruit and cassis tones singing away. The palate carried on the theme, bursting with delicious cherry and cassis notes, all with a beautiful intensity, yet balanced by a lovely freshness and kept in check by fine, firm and abundant, almost teeth-staining tannins. Finish had decent length, with a little touch of medicinal herbs. A very complete wine this. Would love to try it in 15 years' time, when it should be stunning.
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Bordeaux 2005 and 2006 Tasting; 10/22/2009-10/26/2009 (Wine For Asia Singapore Suntec): Sandalwood lifted violets. Dark fruited , black currants.Has the depth and intensity to last. Not as open as the other St Julien or Margaux but still a pretty top vintage for this chateau.In fact, I think it closed up since the last tasting a year back. 83-87pts
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Decanted about 30 minutes before serving. The color is a very dark red. The nose gives a bit of red fruit but is very reserved and brooding. On the palate it delivers some dark fruit flavor that borders on roasted, with excellent balance and sweet tannin. The finish is surprisingly good considering how closed this seems. Based on this tasting I plan to stay away from the rest of the case for a very long time, as this is shut down pretty hard right now.
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You can smell, taste and feel the perfectly ripe fruit this wine is made from. Add a kiss of blackberry and cassis, sweet oak and mocha and you're off to the races. This full bodied wine offers a juicy mouth full of Cabernet. Elegant tannins, concentration and depth of flavor keeps everything in balance. This is without a doubt the best Branaire Ducru ever made. Give it 12 years in the cellar, if you can keep your hands off it.
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2005 Bordeaux blends (Stockholm): 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.
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Probably much too premature to be opening this wine. Currently not a pop and pour performer. Needs time. If you are looking for something to drink now, look elsewhere.
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Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux 2005 & 2006 Tasting (Hyatt, Century City): The nose consists of currant, flowers, and stones but is quite reticent and closed at this point. There is fresh cherry and currant flavors along with hints of earth and cinnamon on the palate. The structure is quite present and the fruit is in the background so this is obviously another wine that needs a lot of time.
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Very forward bouquet of fruit and elements of floralness. Seems almost ready to drink. Easy entry to very soft body, felt almost limpy on the palette. This wine does not have a well built structure, in my view, to last more than 15-20yrs. Tannins soft and almost undetectable. Couldn't believe this is a 2005. Slightly disappointed (relative to what I was expecting) after so many outstanding bottles of 2005 Bordeaux. Once again, very easy to appreciate now and drink, but doesn't feel like it will grow up to become a star. 92pts.
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Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux 2005 vintage tasting and dinner (Conrad Interntational, Singapore): UGC tasting. I note what the other posters are saying, and agree in many ways, but I presonally thought this was very good. Very concentrated cassis flavours wrapped in oak, with exotic spice and peppermint flavours. Very focused, dense, but had a great freshness and a very nice finish. This should do very well with time.
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2005 Left Bank Bordeauxs @ Table and Vine (West Springfield, MA): (unknown blend) Great perfume. Tight on the palate, but the potential is there. Fine, sophisticated tannins. Iron, minerals. Lots of structure and it almost seemed to get tighter with air. $89.99
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Lovely nose of violets and fruit. The palate is rich and tannic, a bit more closed in Dusseldorf when compared to New York, as expected. But a fine St. Julien.
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Bordeaux Report: 13% alcohol. nose of dark spicy fruit, berries, plum, red and black licorice, cocoa, graphite, vanilla, and oak. full bodied, rich mouthfeel. nice balance of ripe fruit and firm tannins.
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2005 Bordeaux (Wine Exchange - Orange, CA): Exotic nose of sandlewood, Indian spices, antique shop, and dried cherries. The palate mirrors nose. Might be more interesting to some, but I was not a huge fan of it. RP94-96, WS92.
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Painfully young, with massive structure, but also the concentration to hold up to it. Extremely impressive, but tough going today. I'd bury this for twenty years.
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2005 Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux Tasting (Drake Hotel, Chicago, Illinois): 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petite Verdot. One of many St. Julien estates that did not do as well as 2000. Opaque blackish purple color. Graphite nose. Tightly wound and very dry. A viscous texture with most fruit hidden by the tannins. 89+ points.
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2005 Bordeaux @ Union des Grand Crus (San Francisco, CA): The nose is quite attractive. Black and red fruits, flowers and graphite. Intense fruitiness in palate but lacking "punch" and slightly grainy tannins. A bit under whelming given the Parker score.
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BORDEAUX 2005 / Cabernet rules; 4/5/2006-4/10/2006 (Bordeaux): Tasted at the chateau in early March and it was already very impressive, as tasted with the 2004 and 2003. Like a mélange of the two actually, with the evident bigness of the 2003 and the lovely and fresh elegance of the 2004. A real achievement for owner Patrick Maroteaux (92-94). Tasted blind at this tasting: I got a more tobacco nose, with notes of chlorophyll and a palate with “energy” plus plum-like fruit, finishing with a refreshing Indian Tonic like flavor. Intrigued by this wine! 91-93+
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4/21/2024 - LIE-user Likes this wine: 94 Points
What a great wine. Bordeaux in its truest form. Drunk from a magnum bottle, therefore perhaps a little bonus.
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4/9/2024 - platpeeps Likes this wine: 91 Points
Fresh and elegant, with plump sweet darks fruits counterbalanced with a savoury backbone. There were some pleasing grippy tannins and a gentle lingering finish, only marred by a slightly bitter note. A fine wine nonetheless. CHP 91 pts
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3/22/2024 - N.Bonaparte wrote: 93 Points
About a year since my last bottle. This really benefitted from 90 min in the glass. This is a very subtle and smooth wine. Still a bit of subdued cherry fruit up front which leads into a well balanced wine. This is borderline delicate. Finish is a bit short. This must be drinking at peak unless you prefer a fully stripped wine that is utterly boring. This is best consumed in the near term. This would pair well with chicken or fish. Revisit 2025
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3/8/2024 - DanielAVTL Likes this wine: 91 Points
* Decanted for 4 hours before serving.
In a very good place right now. Color - dark, brooding and vibrant.
On the nose - old school notes of hay, leather, damp earth, espresso and truffle. Lovely and complex, yet subtle.
In the mouth - round and plush, medium bodied, perfectly integrated tannins with dark fruit lingering on a well balanced finish. Lot's of secondary notes and very slight tertiary at this point.
A very 'correct' effort - not brilliant, but harmonious and tasty. Very classy and definitely at its peak drinking window. Can go strong for another decade.
91 points on the night.
Drink now through 2035
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2/22/2024 - Tim Heaton wrote:
Aerated to decanter for ~ 3 hours, was the minimum I'd go with if serving again anytime soon. Fresh, with bright cassis fruits, gravel and earthy, forest-driven notes. Broad but graceful mid-palate with developing length. The final glass was the best and suggested the best has yet to come. Pretty. For its full potential, it's highly recommended
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2/15/2024 - yaanik Likes this wine: 92 Points
pleasant black truffle, dark black fruit. Drink now
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1/21/2024 - Francophile1 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Consistent with my tasting note from November 2022. Poured from a 375ml bottle. This needs time to come together. There is a recent trend on the ‘05 vintage… they are all in an awkward phase right now. That rings true for ‘05 Burgundy also.
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1/18/2024 - Yagil wrote: 92 Points
Wine Bordeauxphilia (at Adina's): 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot
Color: Deep garnet red with ruby hues.
Aroma: Complex and evolving aromas of red and black fruits (blackcurrant, raspberry, plum), cedar, tobacco, earth, and hints of leather and spice.
Palate: Full-bodied with good structure, balanced acidity, and smooth tannins. Flavors of ripe fruit, chocolate, earth, and spice. Finishes long and elegant.
Dark red-ruby. Multi-dimensional nose, offering keen fruits, a mineral note and smoky oak. Luscious, alluring, with red berry fruits, refreshing acidity and balance.
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1/18/2024 - sastewart wrote: 93 Points
Classic left bank bordeaux. beautiful tobacco, earth, and red fruits on the nose. Medium bodied with great structure, reaching maturity with secondary flavors melding tobacco, leather and cassis. Still time but really in a good place now. Solid 93 points
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1/7/2024 - Mark1npt Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted one hour then enjoyed over 2+ more hours through dinner tonight.
Definitely better with more air, #1. Tart, thin, tight and bright red fruit to start. Maybe an 89?
Gains weight, integrates further, smooths out, becomes better balanced in all respects drinking its best at 5 hours of air, tonight. Easy 93 then working its way to a 94.
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12/24/2023 - Sotto325 wrote: 92 Points
In half bottle format, this is ready to go with just 20 minutes in the decanter. A regal red robe, very St Julien proper palate but little on the nose. Some dry leaves amidst the dark cherry, light wood tone and medium-bodied delivery. In 750, needs a few years to show more complexity.
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12/22/2023 - unc0rked Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drank this wine last in 2020 and it is still going strong. Nice dark color and fruit, smooth and velvety on the palate, sweet long finish. This was a well made wine. The maturity of the wine must be on a nice slightly downward slope. 3 hr decant. Which is my standard lately after a visit to Bordeaux 2 years ago.
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12/16/2023 - 87tellub Likes this wine: 92 Points
PnP: dark ruby. Nose is gingerbread (blows off quickly), pencil lead, leather, anise. On the palate it's initially quite structured for 18 years of age, lovely dark fruit, bitter chocolate, chewy. Very lovely palate on PnP. This bottle has a ton of gas in the tank.
Decanted and put back in the bottle and we drank the rest 3-6 hours later. Softened it a bit; I actually enjoyed it more right out of the bottle.
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10/24/2023 - curtr Likes this wine:
Still Tanic after 2 hour decant. Drink 2026 to 2038
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10/7/2023 - David Paris (dbp) wrote:
No formal notes as this was brought to dinner with friends. This was my first bottle opened from a 6 pack acquired on release, and I was very excited to try this as all the notes this year from the community have been overwhelmingly glowing saying this was very ready and delicious at this stage of its development. I really don't know what to say about it other than it felt completely muted, expressing hardly any fruit, still tight structure, and a really confusing overall picture. I have no idea what was going on here, but this was not good. I will try to check in with another bottle soon.
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10/7/2023 - SteveVermeer Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great, typical Bordeaux flavors but nothing overdone. Drink now or over the next 10 years.
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9/29/2023 - BernieMSY Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for one hour prior to tasting.
Dark magenta-edged purple color; faintly violet nose.
Rich, deep, and beautifully integrated. Lots of black fruit and umami. There are no hard edges, just a perfectly aged claret at the top of its game.
This continues the winning streak for this one. Three terrific bottles in a row over the last couple of years, and I am happy to have six more on hand. It’s drinking beautifully right now, and I don’t expect it to get much better from here on out. That said, I’ll hold off on sampling a few to track their progress. Outstanding!
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9/17/2023 - SonnyChiba wrote: 93 Points
Great wine. A 2005 worth opening now. Still has rich red fruit full bodied and silky tannins. Little bit of age showing through.
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9/10/2023 - englishman's claret wrote: 93 Points
The 2005 Branaire-Ducru, like many 2005 St. Juliens, is starting to come around. While this remains somewhat quiet on the nose straight from the bottle, it has wonderful freshness and an appealing mixed red, black, and blue berry character that expands nicely with 3 hours in the decanter. Additional chocolate and evergreen notes follow on the palate, which is actually quite velvety. For all of its roundness, there's acid to match.
This should develop well. It seems best to wait until 2025-2030 as this requires a few hours to get going, stays open for a few hours, and then closes down again.
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9/8/2023 - Swirling Likes this wine: 92 Points
At 1600, opened
At 1800, Slow poured into a decanter with device to flow slowly along the sides
At 1900
Nose: leather, mint, black fruit, earthy, floral,
Palate: superb fruit, balanced with savoury tannin and aftertaste.
Love it. Perfect time to drink. Still young, more ruby than brown on the edges.
Needed the decant.
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8/13/2023 - Tylerk wrote: 92 Points
Needed a hour or so to open then just really nice- holding on well but not likely to benefit from more time so I’d drink up. This is typically a bordeaux bargain price wise and one of my favorite affordable st julien’s- a great steak pairing…..
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8/5/2023 - Michael Hung wrote: 93 Points
Showing brilliantly right out of the bottle. Plush black fruit that has started to meld into the background along with softening tannins and the beginning of tertiary development. Not overripe or imbalanced, this was a really nice example of a middle aged Bordeaux.
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8/2/2023 - Wine Diplomats Likes this wine: 94 Points
Branaire-Ducru Mini-Vertical
05 Perfect cork. Darkest, deepest color of them all. Balanced at this point but still young in flavor profile. Ripe fruit, good acidity with integrated and sweet and savory oak notes but the age and style of the chateau gives it an elegance. Still need to wait to reach tertiary notes. 94+ On the second day, the fruit is starting to taste like dried fruit, but other tertiary notes haven't arrived yet.
01 Still dark youthful color. Less expressive nose than the 86 but more on the primary and secondary notes. Dark fruit and spice. Baking spice. Palate is round. More dark fruit and good acid. Better after revisiting in an hour later, more expressive on the palate and nose, but still more primary and secondary. 91+ On the second day, tertiary notes start to emerge on the nose and palate.
86 - Moldy cork that broke but only slightly soaked. Lightest color, show age but not excessive bricking given the age. Nose of mushrooms, pepper, leather. Still plenty of acidity on the palate, still plenty of fruit too but more on the dried fruit side. With touch of licorice with some of earthy and tobacco notes. Smooth but still some tannins left. After an hour, there's even more fruit and a touch of floral notes with softer texture but rather youthful given the age but it still doesn't have the balance of 2005 overall. But the mature nose and texture with still vibrant fruit make it an excellent wine that has a nice balance of primary, secondary and tertiary notes. 93
All of them are on the classic, feminine side of Bordeaux. Good acidity. Low alcohol (12 for 86 and 13 for the 2001 and 2005) and balance of oak and ripeness of fruit. 05 and 01 had about 30+ minutes of being opened while the 86 was essentially a pop and pour. In terms of price, anyone that bought these en primeur should be happy. They've developed nicely. It's always an inflated price getting them at this stage, but I'd say 2005 is still worth it given the price of classified Bordeaux these days. The 2001 is a little more than it should be while the 86 is about what it should cost at this age given it's still drinking well.
https://winediplomats.com/
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6/17/2023 - beef1020 wrote:
Beautiful wine, towards the red fruited end, tannins still present, just starting some tertiary sous bois notes. Lovely balance of freshness and acidity. Feels like it's open for business but in no rush to drink. Last glass 4 hours after opening has put on weight, still improving with air.
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6/16/2023 - curtr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened up after 2 hr decant. Still a bit tight. I will try again in 2026. Drink 2026 to 2038.
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6/8/2023 - dbkitc wrote: 93 Points
Second from a case. Notes continue to vary a good bit but both of my experiences fall on the upper end of the review spectrum. Wow, the 2005’s remain dark in color. Wonderful fruit, violets, tobacco leaf and cedar charcoal. Medium bodied with good richness, the palate is pure and very long. Serious wine with a long life ahead. A bit rustic on the finish - some additional cellar time should prove beneficial. Very very good. (93)
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5/27/2023 - ccn wrote: 88 Points
Correct on every dimension but not distinguished on any.
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5/21/2023 - Enfantterrible wrote: 93 Points
BernieMSY nails it. First bottle of a case and opened at a perfect time. Everyone at the table said this was drinking like an 8 year old wine not 18. Based in this bottle I would guess this has a 7+ year drinking window before gradually fading
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5/18/2023 - BernieMSY Likes this wine: 96 Points
I gave this an hour of air before tasting.
It was worth the wait!
Beautiful dark ruby color; forest floor nose.
Delicious black fruit, nuanced savory notes. Rich, layered and impeccably structured. This wine is absolutely singing right now, and I think it is peaking.
Drink ‘em if you got ‘em!
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4/8/2023 - PghMike Likes this wine: 92 Points
Shows a touch of bricking. Nose of a young wine with blackberry and menthol.
Feels soft and silky on the palate up front and into the mid but there is plenty of structure remaining. Black cherry, blackberry and an earthy touch but still quite fruit forward. A very pleasant drinker with more years left in the tank for sure.
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3/9/2023 - michalm wrote: 79 Points
Clear volatile acidity in this wine, which unfortunately dominated it. Decanted for 1 hour, which helped, but VA still noticeable. Otherwise, smooth and interesting wine.
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2/11/2023 - vide Likes this wine: 93 Points
For once, my fellow Cellartrackians have let me down. The scores below can't be real. Beautiful cigar box, forest undergrowth with stalky black currant on the nose, and quite aromatic. Great mouth balance of the same. Layers of smokey dry flavours. Very elegant, and complex, but all is integrated. At its best, I would say round about now.
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2/7/2023 - N.Bonaparte wrote: 91 Points
3 hour decant softened this up. A full bodied, fruit forward, wine at the moment. There’s a touch of heat on the finish. This is in or near its prime. I don’t see this as very age worthy and is best consumed within the next 5-7 years. Revisit 2024
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1/22/2023 - P&F wrote: 92 Points
Excellent balance, just entering its drinking window, clearly not young but years to go ahead of it if you want. Excellent nose, good length. Perfect with steak/cognac sauce with tarragon.
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11/23/2022 - OmiyaDrinker wrote: 91 Points
Graphite, dark plum, forest floor, blackcurrant, red currant, a little dried fruit on the nose. Lovely ripe fruit on this but still tight on the palate. I’ve had a few 05s at this level that have made me feel like the vintage is entering its drinking window, but this is not there yet. That said, I don’t think it’s far off - perhaps another 3 years. There’s a nice balance to this and, while not fabulous, it has a nice elegant, austere style - almost like certain Barolo rather than Bordeaux?!!
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11/18/2022 - COWineLover wrote: 90 Points
An excellent sealed cork. Good plum color with some bricking on the pour. No decant. Very aromatic on opening with a bounty of crème de cassis, cloves, black raspberry, mocha, and loamy soil. On the palate, the attack has a light handed burst of acidity accompanied by espresso, cassis, and smoke. The tannins are more pronounced in the mid-palate where this takes an angular and somewhat austere turn that deposits a bit of black raspberry before barreling toward an iodine and anise coated finish. Reasonable length, that is generally uninspiring and lacks any noteworthy character.
Overall impressions are this does not match the hype for the vintage. My own impressions of the 2005’s are the wines remain austere, and at least from the wines I have consumed, are unlikely to deliver their promised glory. This wine was very aromatically pleasing, but the experience on the palate was disappointing. I do not see this miraculously transforming.
Day 1 - Score 90. Half the bottle to be stored overnight. Will update the note with any improvement.
Day 2 - The additional air overnight has not appreciably changed this wine. The tannin subordinates everything on the palate and it remains austere, and lacking pleasure or charm.
Perhaps the 2005’s do need more time. And perhaps they will remain hard and never fulfill the promised glory, particularly for those of us getting on in years who use precious cellar space holding out hope for improvement.
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11/10/2022 - Francophile1 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Hmmm… so far the 2005 vintage from Bordeaux continues to be perplexing. 2005 was supposed to be the best vintage since 2000. In my opinion, 2005 is more a cross between 2003 and 1986. Slightly stewed and extracted but tannic, rustic and austere. A bit of a misfit vintage I would say. I hope I’m wrong and this wone is stilll in its dumb phase
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10/29/2022 - mimik Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still really dark with no bricking whatsoever. The tannins are resolved and this is a pleasant but rathe innocuous wine. It’s well made and very decent but lacking any individuality or charm to rate higher. Drink up as I don’t see this getting any better but will last 5+ more years.
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10/12/2022 - Jeff Leve wrote: 94 Points
Just about there, the nose struts its cigar box, red currant, tobacco leaf, flower, and mocha profile with ease. Vibrant, elegant, refined, and medium-bodied, the wine feels just great on your palate with all of its ripe, red and black, spicy currants that linger effortlessly. Drink from 2022-2045.
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10/7/2022 - rmcnees Likes this wine: 90 Points
https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2022/10/pour-boys-fall-wine-dinner.html
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9/24/2022 - WineGuyDelMar Likes this wine: 92 Points
25 minute decant then poured back in the bottle. You can just PNP now. Wine is very soft with mellow tannins. I would drink this now. I don’t think it’s going to improve from here. Cab dominates but mellow. Feminine at this point. Drink up
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9/16/2022 - Martyl9 Likes this wine: 91 Points
from half bottle,
The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. The body is medium. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has low acidity. a bit of fruit and little tannin.
still a nice glass of wine
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8/18/2022 - WineGuyDelMar Likes this wine: 92 Points
Finally…A 2005 that’s ready to drink. Decanted two hours but doesn’t need it. Wine is smooth with soft tannins. Surprisingly light weight with a light mouthfeel. Nice flavor layers. I was expecting a bigger wine. Easily drinkable by itself. Cab dominates the flavor profile. My next bottle I will decant 30 minutes. I didn’t get much barnyard on the nose. Light but enjoyable.
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8/15/2022 - Tylerk wrote: 92 Points
Perfect spot now - silky smooth with integrated tanins - but likely in tbe window for 5 more years- no need to wait
But no rush either. I thought this was a great qpr for a classified st julien from a strong vintage at the -$70 I paid (case) originally. Modest sediment,decanted and open 30+min- seemed fine. With grilled rack of lamb- bordeaux always my go to with that! I’m a fan especially as $ always seems fair!
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6/19/2022 - ctc wrote: 93 Points
Good nose, good bouquet, a good bordeaux.
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6/18/2022 - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking wonderfully. Popped and poured, and quaffed over 2 hours. No real secondary notes, but de-lish cherry on the palate. Wish I had more at a reasonable price.
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6/8/2022 - randyjc wrote: 92 Points
Drank blind along with a 2019 of the same wine. The parallels were evident but the wines are, no surprise, a long way apart. This has a Bordeaux nose, both spicy floral and brilliant red fruit I have trouble identifying. A deep, musty earthiness, a bit of cedar and fresh herbal and vegetal (in a good way). Muted red fruit in the mouth and with a wonderful, lengthy finish. Medium plus acidity that is present on initial attack, fades in favor of fine, squeaky tannins, then comes back competing with the tannins and finally letting go with a lovely bit of soft acid. Wonderful cold weather food wine.
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6/7/2022 - PeterMcI wrote: 92 Points
A good solid Bordeaux drinking well and with lots of life left - but (for me) without the ‘wow’ factor.
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6/4/2022 - Purple Tooth wrote: 92 Points
This comes in at mid weight, polished, with a smidge of ambering, and quite elegant and fresh. Light footed and clearly in stage 2 after a non existent stage one. Pop and let it wake in the glass. Drink
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6/3/2022 - byzero Likes this wine: 93 Points
Are we there yet?
Checking in on 05 Bordeaux
DAY1
Served with the Vinloq System
Youthful appearance. Nice, but still holding back
Let the remaiming wine Slow Decant in my fridge
DAY10
The sweet perfumed fruit is now open for business
DAY19
Best on this day
👃Fruit, tobacco, & cedar in equal parts
👅Silky. Refined personality. So pleasant. Nice herbal and
tobacco followed by cedar on the persistent finish. Tannins
are soft. Solid wine👍
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4/30/2022 - Wizaard1 wrote:
Judgement of Greenbay, 03 Mouton, 06 Monte Bello, 05 Brainaire Ducru, 03 Lascombs, 06 Quintessa. Monte Bello ranked first with Statistical significance over all except Quintessa which was second. 13 judges. All wines were drinking exceptionally well!
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4/30/2022 - Wizaard1 wrote: 95 Points
Wonderfully elegant wine. Good dark fruit with good acid. Tannin has blended well for smooth drinking.
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4/10/2022 - martin_e Likes this wine: 96 Points
It seems that 2005s finally start arriving to an enjoyable state of maturity. At least this bottle was a classic aromatic multi-layer balanced wine with integrated structure and a long finish - all the reasons we love good Bordeaux so much
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3/9/2022 - Lma1969 wrote:
Drank at the Gala 2022. Very tight and we didn't have time to let it open. It needed a couple of hours. Even so it had rich dark berry notes, silky, fine tannins. Very elegant wine. Has plenty of room to run. It should last for many more years.
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3/7/2022 - Peter Spijker Likes this wine:
This needed some serious time (around 3-4 hours) to open up and soften. But at that time it presented with cassis, plum and some cedar and cigar notes. Not a powerful wine, but reasonably elegant, juicy and easy to drink if given some time.
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2/4/2022 - Grinner wrote: 93 Points
"Old Bordeaux" = '86! (Old Home of Woodward): In this tasting, we needed a red to bring our palates back to BDX for the main event. This was served non-blinded. Short decant: This remains a big, structured, slightly tight wine.
"nice deep cassis, black plum, wet stone, cedar, and spice notes." from 2015, still applies. Add a hint of tobacco.
Now with longer decant-2035.
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2/2/2022 - chablis28 wrote: 92 Points
Lonny's btl at the Kenwood. I see a lot of potential with this wine. It will need either a lot of air now or better still about another 3+yrs. Does show some of St Julien's potential for elegance & charm. Tasty tonight but a bit grippy. Don't know how much air it got?
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2/2/2022 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
Mixed WTDS at The Kenwood (The Kenwood, Mpls, MN): Very dark red/purple color. Unsure if this saw any air, drank a glass over an hour. Charcoal nose, somewhat tight, gets going though and shows some ripe fruits eventually, ripe cassis, ripe dark berries, and perfume. The palate is dense and full bodied, gravel, sappy, blackberry liqueur, black currants, with some firmness to the tannins and more oak to resolve. The nose is ahead of the palate currently. Another example of the snails pace of the '05's. Give 'em some air. 92(+)pts.
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1/24/2022 - Alykhan V Likes this wine: 90 Points
90-91
Fairly closed off initially, i think this needs more years in the bottle
With air i got ripe berries
Silky texture, dusty minerality
Tannins don’t linger
Juicy, quite unlike most Bordeaux
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1/21/2022 - MS86 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Clear, medium- ruby with no bricking.
Quite austere. Earthy with dark chocolate, graphite, barnyard and game. A hint of match from the newer barrels.
Thin mouthfeel gives way to chalky tannins and ripe acidity of modest length.
Flavours dominated by dusty black fruit.
Needs time. Drink 2026-2036.
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1/6/2022 - Lhyandrew wrote: 90 Points
At home
Well structured and balanced wine. Nose of black fruits, warm bread, with some cedar notes emerging towards the 3rd hour mark. On the palette it’s balanced, structured, with some black fruits. A little grippy towards the end.
The wine feels like a serious, well mannered student - Everything is decent, but the lack of any distinctive personality makes it a little bit boring.
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12/12/2021 - Condrieu82 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Excellent - even better than my previous bottles. Cassis, cherries on the nose. The mid-palate has beautiful acidity, more cassis and cherries, some tobacco, some menthol, tannins are mellow and almost entirely integrated, some forest floor here and there too. An excellent wine in a great spot!
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12/6/2021 - MRichman wrote:
Good solid dark fruit with nice structure and some menthol and dried herbal notes. Fine resolved tannins. Dark plum. Smokey oak. Full fruit, solid. In a good place maturity-wise. Ready to drink now in its early drinking window, but will continue to evolve for 10+ years and drink well after that. Not spectacular, but a good solid BDX.
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12/4/2021 - BernieMSY wrote: 94 Points
60 minute decant. Deep dark garnet color. Delicious upfront: lots of dark fruit, with a touch of mint and mocha. On the middle palate there are a great deal of secondary flavors: roast meat, plum, a touch of tobacco and tar, but overall, the tone is moderate and integrated. There are plenty of taninins, indicating that this wine has at least 20+ years of life ahead.
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10/2/2021 - Matt T wrote: 93 Points
In perfect condition, albeit a slightly dried out cork. Interestingly, I found the exact same cork problem with 2004 of this wine. Very similar red fruit flavor profile to the 2004, but much deeper, more structured, and more refined. The 2005 is a significant step up to the 2004, no surprise. The 2005 seems to be just at the very start of its drinking window and seems poised to last another 20 years, at least.
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9/14/2021 - Jeff Leve wrote: 94 Points
This continues improving with each tasting. The tannins have softened and now you find an elegant, soft, refined, and silky wine with all the cassis, red currant, tobacco leaf, mocha, and cedar you could ask for. The finish is bright, fresh, and lifted, with ample sweet, mildly spicy, ripe, red fruits. Give this beauty 60-90 minutes of air before service.
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9/6/2021 - winelover1808 Likes this wine: 92 Points
an elegant wine that is likely at its peak as it lacks much power and already has a nice balance of savory and secondary notes. enjoyable and glad I popped two of these now!
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7/28/2021 - DesMarteau wrote:
Didn’t get a chance to let property breathe ….I can tell with time or / air this will be great … purple , suppressed fruit and power ….
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7/19/2021 - atomjc Likes this wine: 90 Points
Fine claret in its prime shape. Balanced notes of tobacco and leather along with the concentrated fruit. Half decanted and half from the bottle. Drank for the next 3 hours. Preferred out-of-the bottle over decanted.
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7/8/2021 - VinhoVerde Likes this wine: 95 Points
Medium dark red color. Coffee/ cassis bouquet. Good fresh fruit and concentrated without being too ripe. A harmonious, complex, complete wine with modest ripe tannins. Good length. One of the best wines of this tasting and enjoyable as all heck. Drink now or hold up to 5 years.
Double decanted for 2 hours before tasting.
From Mark’s 2005 Bordeaux Vintage Tasting:
Attended a 36 wine ‘05 Bordeaux tasting recently. The wine above is one of those wines. Served single-blind.
All wines were tasted over a 2 day period, 18 per day. The wines served on the 1st day had their corks pulled two hours prior. The second day’s wines were served “ double-decanted”, 2 hours before the first flight. The overall tasting experience was quite different, as one would expect. Day 2 wines were softer, displaying more ripe fruit, and less harsh tannins.
Kudos to Mark for both a fantastic experience as well as providing an instructive opportunity on how the 2005 Bordeaux vintage is showing at this stage.
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7/7/2021 - Klugi Wine wrote: flawed
To bad, started of with an excellent bouquet of black cherries, cedar and some dark chocolate, but with time the TCA was eminent.
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7/3/2021 - ctc wrote: 93 Points
Well done.
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6/27/2021 - Eric wrote:
2005 Bordeaux at 16 years courtesy of Mark Taylor; 6/26/2021-6/27/2021 (Atlanta, GA): Ebullient nose with red fruit, an an herbal/vegetal/vitamin component. Wants steak with massive structure, very red fruit profile. My #4 and the group #5. I guessed Clinet.
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6/26/2021 - Kris G wrote:
Well made Bordeaux but nothing more than that. Well balanced with red and black fruits, some spices and some wood. A pleasant glass of wine but insane at the current price setting of this vintage of this wine.
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5/5/2021 - The_Cat Likes this wine: 94 Points
Shit this wine gets better and better almost at it’s apogee! But no hurry still lots of ripe fruits left. Full bodied with silky textured tannins and vibrant complex finish
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4/25/2021 - jcbodin Likes this wine: 95 Points
The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are medium. There is moderate sediment in the bottle.
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3/19/2021 - the player Likes this wine: 92 Points
Amazing value for money. Fruit forward. Ruby red, slight signs of evolution color wise. Cassis, graphite, rocks, black currants and spice. Succulent palate, great acidity and structure, medium to full bodied, tannins coated by the opulent and precise fruit and a decent peppery finish. In a good drinking window now but with at least 10 - 15 years ahead of it.
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3/18/2021 - the player Likes this wine: 92 Points
Amazing value for money. Fruit forward. Ruby red, slight signs of evolution color wise. Cassis, graphite, rocks, black currants and spice. Succulent palate, great acidity and structure, medium to full bodied, tannins coated by the opulent and precise fruit and a decent peppery finish. In a good drinking window now but with at least 10 - 15 years ahead of it.
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3/18/2021 - Ibetian wrote: 93 Points
Splash decanted shortly before dinner; an hour decant would be better. Drinking well now but still has upside. Nice combination of fruit and complexity.
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3/2/2021 - the player Likes this wine: 92 Points
Consistent with my previous notes. Succulent fruit on the nose, cassis, berries, cigar box and graphite. Deep crimson color, fruit forward on the palate with great acidity and backbone and a decent finish. Open for business this is medium to full bodied.
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2/16/2021 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted partially and then completed the job later on. Found considerable solids. Need the Ah-So to remove cork which was still in great shape. Lots of leather, graphite, and sense of wood on the nose and in the bottle with the fruit in retreat. Let's hope there will be more fruit to come. Nice mouthfeel and aftertaste. Wine is a dark purple. It really shows no signs off being too old.
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2/6/2021 - nadecesse wrote: 89 Points
Un bouquet prenant du temps à se développer sans jamais devenir exubérant, très torréfié avec du fruit noir évolué et de la boîte à cigares. Bouche au fruit plutôt mat, plat et monotone, sans relief, possédant une bonne concentration sans être grande toutefois. Longue finale bien toastée et poudreuse. Une bouteille faible ou c'est vraiment ce que c'est sensé goûter? Toujours est-il que j'ai nettement préféré le Duhart-Milon du même millésime goûté l'an dernier dont le fruit était plus vivant. 89-90
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1/31/2021 - BernieMSY wrote: 93 Points
3 hour decant.
Opaque black-purple color, violets and currant nose. Wonderful concentration. Fruit has faded, leaving savory secondary flavors in its wake. Graphite, leather, tobacco tones are present. Long finish, and plenty of tannins. Many years of life lie ahead for this one.
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1/1/2021 - Corsica131 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Took about 3 hours to fully open. Excellent bottle with great floral notes. Great feminine Bordeaux. Fruit forward, finesse, and smooth. Pleasantly surprised, comparable to Baychevelle or Pichon Lalande.
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12/27/2020 - Maphill01 Likes this wine:
Decanted an hour. Inky. Nice aromatics, matching the palate. Cassis, blackberry, wet earth, tobacco. Sweet tannins, very slightly bitter, chewy. Medium+ body. Still mostly big dark fruit, nice acidity for lift. Delicious alone and with food.
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12/26/2020 - Tylerk wrote: 92 Points
Just at a perfect place now and a wonderful claret and one of my favorite ‘quality price ratio’ classified growths. With a roast lamb shoulder seemed like an ideal match! I got these at $65 which made it taste even better!
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12/24/2020 - Condrieu82 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted one hour. Pretty yet subdued nose of dark and red fruits. The palate shows still good acidity, soft tannins, dark fruits and lots of graphite. Great finish with dark fruits and a hint of red fruits. This is great - ready to be drunk!
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12/19/2020 - Larslatour wrote: 92 Points
Mature, big sweet fruit, generous.
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11/29/2020 - Wine Poor Likes this wine: 92 Points
Delicious with prime rib tonight.
Showing good maturity, but no hurry to use up remaining bottle.
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11/27/2020 - VINNICK Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted 6 hours which worked well. Beautiful balance and elegance. Everything was lovely and working well here.
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10/31/2020 - the player Likes this wine: 92 Points
See previous notes. Deep ruby red. Decanted and drank over 90 minutes. Lots of graphite, leather, forward cassis and black fruits. Great structure, acidity, balance and a slightly stony finish. Medium to full bodied and great QPR.
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10/24/2020 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened after some positive notes on WB. Youthful, but in early maturity, as the tannins have receded and fruit is to the fore. Dark cherry fruit, still mostly primary. Sandalwood and cedar notes on the palate and finish. Really nice St Julian that’s a bit precocious but has plenty of stuffing remaining.
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10/16/2020 - Tony Poli Likes this wine: 94 Points
Theme was Left Bank Bordeaux. This was Rosalie’s wine, and followed my ‘05 Sociando-Mallet, and the first taste was a bit harsh. But as it took on air in the glass (both were decanted about an hour) it smoothed out and I think was better. Lots of fruit, both on the nose and palate. Long finish. Good night for our group, as these were nice starters, but hardly the highlights of the night.
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10/10/2020 - the player Likes this wine: 93 Points
Outstanding and open for business. Lots of graphite, pencil lead, creamy cassis and dark red fruits on the nose and lush palate. Decant but not too long. Velvety tannins, nice finish and superb balance and structure. Medium to full bodied.
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10/9/2020 - cooker315 wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for 3 hours. Getting better. Will try the next one in a year.
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10/1/2020 - the player Likes this wine: 93 Points
Lovely St Julien. Forward dark red and black fruits on the nose, lots of graphite and spice, very lush entry on the palate, rich and full textured the wine finished long with tannins coated by the strength of the fruit. Blackish ruby red color and full bodied this wine has years ahead of it but is so good to drink now. Cellar or enjoy now!
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9/26/2020 - sfqwino Likes this wine: 90 Points
Tannins have started to soften and some hint of maturity showing. Still rather young and edgy. These 2005s are really demanding a lot of patience. Kept half btl and I suspect it may be more inviting on the 2nd day. Let's wait and see...
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9/9/2020 - jww Likes this wine: 90 Points
Drinking well
Soft nose
Full bodied balanced light tannins
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9/6/2020 - the player Likes this wine: 94 Points
Really amazing forward wine. See previous notes. Creamy rich cassis, forward fruit, dark red berries, black currants, graphite, and perfectly integrated oak. Great feel on the palate, perfect acidity, précision and balance, and a long delicious finish showcasing the wine's hedonism.
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8/20/2020 - diegopia Likes this wine: 91 Points
Deep, deep, deep. Loved the primary cassis and liquorice. Tobacco and mild mold at the nose. Superb.
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7/29/2020 - the player Likes this wine: 93 Points
See previous note. Amazingly extracted, forward fruit, deep ruby color. Decanted and drank over two hours. Nose of rocks, ashes, perfumed cassis, raspberries, leather. Great palate, structure, finely grained tannins fully coated by the succulent dark red fruits and a long slightly sweet finish. Medium bodied to full, great QPR and very pleasing. Stock up on this one.
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7/10/2020 - the player Likes this wine: 93 Points
Lovely creamy perfumed cassis. Starts off with a dusty and leathery nose infused with cassis and black currants. After two hours in decanter, opens up to sublime cassis and some notes of graphite. Deep crimson red, great texture to the wine with succulent fruit on the palate, medium to full bodied, very fine and velvety tannins on the perfumed and slightly sweet finish, with acidity and balance giving this wine a lot of finesse. Beautiful.
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7/4/2020 - dnnk88 Likes this wine: 92 Points
SS's Frenchie! Wine Night: Notes to come
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6/5/2020 - MTC2 Likes this wine: 95 Points
One of the best Left Bank Bordeaux wines I’ve ever tasted. Decanted 4 hours, and it continued to evolve and exhibit additional complexity over the following 3 hour drinking period. Color was dark ruby with minor bricking. Initially, aromas of leather, graphite and tobacco dominated the fruit. Dark red and black fruits flavor actually increased 2 hours after beginning to drink. Mouthfeel was medium+. Tannin was full but smooth, and a surprising amount of acid was still evident. Long 1+ minute finish. This wine went extremely well with lamb chops.
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6/4/2020 - dbkitc wrote: 94 Points
Didn’t know what to expect after reading a number of good but not special reviews. I am very pleased by what is in the glass. Classic Bordeaux. Black current, leather and cigar on the nose. Medium weight, with lovely depth and a serious backbone of tannin and acidity. Will last for years but very nice tonight. (94)
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5/17/2020 - unc0rked Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nice Bordeaux that is drinking at a mature state. Waiting any longer will not improve this wine. Every bit of the 2 hour decant helped it along. I had it alongside a 2009 Bordeaux Clerc Milon and by end of night was eclipsing that wine. Nice blackberry accents, velvet-like finish. The fruit was there but very subtle. Definitely past its apex and on the nice slope downward. So I would drink this wine sooner than later.
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5/15/2020 - MPC61 wrote: 90 Points
Was expecting more - lots of cherry and a bit flat, truthfully.
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5/14/2020 - advinm41 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Good Bordeaux, did not decant, nose of cherries, plums, cedar, leather, truffles, cocoa powder. Palate is medium, well balanced, good acidity, mostly cherries, mushrooms, cedar and herbal note. Medium finish. Drink now or can age few more years for more secondary characteristics
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3/21/2020 - djn63 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Lovely. Worth the wait and drinking well. Not much nose but nice taste and lingers
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3/16/2020 - PSanDiego Likes this wine: 92 Points
Paid $85.00. A good wine, however not as good as the earlier bottle, we had. See earlier review.
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3/14/2020 - SonnyChiba wrote:
Note consistent with before. Despite an additional 7 years of bottle age still resembles my last tasting note. This is a really solid 05’ that is drinkable now yet also evolving very slowly!
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2/14/2020 - Lhyandrew wrote: 90 Points
Chez Moi with wife
Double decanted for 90 minutes prior to serving
Nose: no fruit, all secondary aroma. Meaty, slightly alcoholic.
Palette: initially well integrated tannins, good balance, kind of gamy. Paired well with my duck breast. 120 minutes after palate started to deteriorate, getting more grippy and acidic. Fair wine. Nothing exciting
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12/8/2019 - jww Likes this wine: 90 Points
drinking well
light nose
dark fruits cherrr and blackberry slight cedar
smooth finish less tannic than the bottle i had a couple of years ago
seems like it will last a while
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12/2/2019 - PSanDiego Likes this wine: 95 Points
Paid $85.00. Opened a 2008 (paid $69.00) at the same time. The 2005 is the better wine. They both had the same great taste, it was just that the 2005 was more full bodied.
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11/21/2019 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 94 Points
Tastes of dark cherries and berries. Gave it a short decant before consumption. Very clean tasting with great mouthfeel. Nice aftertaste with no noticeable defects. The cork stuck a bit and almost broke. It came out with the two prong remover in good shape.
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11/6/2019 - HEBRO 10 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep cherry Oak. Astringent - stemmy
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10/11/2019 - Sotto325 wrote: 90 Points
A famous Bordeaux character many years ago introduced to the 2005 vintage by saying it was the most ironic: the best vintage of his career but anybody trying it in 2008 would not live to see it flower. And so this 375 spoke. A hardened iron back on the nose with only a hint of dark cherry and oak. On the palate after decanting and sitting in the glass for 30 minutes, some lush undertones but definitely the strict discipline of agreat vintage in Bordeaux. One must wait. 3-5 years.
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9/27/2019 - cooker315 wrote: 87 Points
Not a remarkable wine. Light on fruit and structure. Hoping my others get better with a longer decant. Drank over an hour and a half and started opening up, but then reached a somewhat unpleasant phase.
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9/17/2019 - Alykhan V wrote: 90 Points
This needs to be drunk now, it likely won’t improve with further age.
The aroma was missing fruits. I smelled cedar, tobacco, leather, and subtle ripe black fruits.
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7/28/2019 - ccn wrote:
Correct in every way and entering beginning of drinking window with plenty of aging ahead. Just not that interesting, complex, or long. Hard to get excited. Jancis’s review made me laugh out loud .... but it is accurate.
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6/16/2019 - wineappreciation wrote: 91 Points
Faint blackberry, blueberry, cigar box, mild nose; smooth and elegant, but mild, fairly extended; good and with some substance but not at all dynamic or rich
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5/13/2019 - vinhslee wrote: 90 Points
When PnP, very lush cassis and blackberry notes, followed by some pencil lead, leather and tobacco notes. Very dusty and powdery tannins. Long cassis and sweeter than usual finish. Very enjoyable now.
But the fruity flavours recede in a matter of minutes.
Drink up now.
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4/6/2019 - AndreRibeiroChaves Likes this wine: 92 Points
Medium body, smooth tannins and acidity, very long finish. Well defined fruit and wood. Typical earth flavors.
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1/20/2019 - Purple Tooth wrote: 92 Points
This has come a long way since 3 years ago...Its developed enough bottle age to form some elegance while still bring youthful and light footed. Its medium bodied, with nice scents of earth and underbrush, with dusty red fruit that are now melded into the wine as a whole, creating a seamless Bordeaux experience. Its brilliant now and should peak in 3 years...Drink or Hold
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12/10/2018 - unrelenting Does not like this wine: 89 Points
Muted Leather nose. So flat on the palate. I'm not sure whether there's enough to this wine to evolve further but it's disappointing right now. A little acidity very low tannin. Try in 2021?
Coravin so I'll try in a month.
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12/9/2018 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 92 Points
Pulled out a dry cork that broke in the bottle. Decanted and filtered to remove cork particles. Let breath for about an hour. Drank slowly with meal and beyond. This wine tasted just fine in spite of the cork. It took quite a while for a nice spicy and fruity nose to develop. Tasted just fine with food and on its own. Nice body and mouthfeel. Tastes of berries and spices. No significant old age detected suggesting there's lots of time for this one.
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11/12/2018 - Jeff Leve wrote: 94 Points
Between 60-90 minutes of air brought out the soft, silky tannins, nuances of tobacco, cassis, blackberry, spice and wet earth. Elegant, fresh and refined, this is coming on strong. Another few years in the cellar and this promises to be even better!
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9/29/2018 - DrinkBordeaux wrote: 94 Points
A really nice showing for a consistent wine. This is always so approachable. The fruit is a very pure black currant and blackberry. The others aromas were very classic left bank, with pencil lead, cedar, and tobacco. A focused wine. Very fresh and finessed on the palate. Really nice balance. Excellent length on the finish with no heat and beautifully balanced acidity
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9/12/2018 - skurtz Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened to breathe for 3h. This is a serious, earthy bdx, lots of mineral and hits of dirt. No funk to speak of, just forest floor dirt with a little camphor, black berries, and a touch of acid on the finish. Tannins are subliminal at this stage, fully resolved. Plush velvet in a glass.
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9/1/2018 - BradA Likes this wine: 91 Points
A smooth and fine grained bottle that has very nice balance. I popped and decanted for about 30 minutes, I suggest an hour if you can. While open for consumption there seems to be some growth left for another point; the lack of power and richness prevents higher scoring now or down the road. I will look to try subsequent vintages soon for comparison.
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8/26/2018 - dominiq wrote: flawed
Cork
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7/12/2018 - Good2drink Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very enjoyable fresh out of the bottle. Even better after decanting and allowing time to breathe.
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7/4/2018 - DCHawkeye Likes this wine: 92 Points
2nd bottle of the case and a really nice wine (and great value). But I suspect I'll start drinking the '09s while the '05s rest a while more.
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6/30/2018 - Mark1npt Likes this wine: 94 Points
What a fabulous wine in a fabulous place right now.........lead pencil, dark red fruit on the nose with a little briar. Dark ruby in the glass, with absolutely no bricking. Tannins are well integrated and smooth. Such a feminine wine to start, decanted for nearly two hours at a local French place as we enjoyed it during and after dinner. Gained weight til the end, more depth too. Not as feminine later on. A beautiful understated BDX in a very good place right now.
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6/28/2018 - Yagil wrote: 92 Points
Wine10 monthly meeting (At Yair's): excellent Branaire-Ducru
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6/21/2018 - mreinhard74@gmail.com Likes this wine: 95 Points
Really peaking right now. Great structure but smooth tannins and blackberry. Really really good.
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5/19/2018 - DCHawkeye Likes this wine: 92 Points
First bottle (750) of a case purchased as a future, and stored in my wine locker since delivery. Tried after decanting for an hour, I would have guessed this to be an '09 or '10 - dark colored, very youthful, and a fair amount of tannic. Over the course of dinner and with another hour or so in the decanter, this was really singing by the last glass, with both the nose and flavors really opening up. What started as an 88/89 ended up at 92, with room for growth.
For comparison sake, I may open up the first of my '09 Branaires to see if I should let the rest of the '05s slumber while skipping ahead to the '09s.
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5/16/2018 - Ibetian wrote:
From 375, popped and poured. Drinking fine now, but still on the upswing. I’d guess early peak is a year plus away from 375 and maybe 3 years or so from 750. Will probably still drink well from 750 or mags in 2030.
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5/5/2018 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 92 Points
Alex's Birthday Party (Yan's China Bistro, Walnut Creek, Ca.): Nose of black cherry, dry, dusty road, and plum, same on the palate, medium/big body, magnum format, fruit fairly forward, opened in the glass over the next thirty minutes, needs five years to peak in this magnum format, and a long finish.
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1/28/2018 - skurtz Likes this wine: 92 Points
Opened to breathe for an hour, and sampled again 4 hours later. On the nose, camphor, oak leather. Lots of brooding going on here. On the palate graphite, iodine, mineral, dried plums and black cherry, black pepper, and the memory of tannins in the finish. Smooth and oh, so dry. In a good place, drink or hold. Tonight with grilled burgers.
Pumped down overnight. Tasty, but not as tasty, on day 2. I'd say this bottle showed its best 1-4 hours after opening.
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12/9/2017 - Frijole wrote:
deep dark burgundy red, little clarity, ruby hue
Nose: cassis, deep berries, tobacco, chocolate, vanilla, thyme, cola, earth, oak
Pal: cassis, deep berries, dust, tobacco, chocolate, vanilla, allspice, thyme, cola, earth, fine tannins, oak
Feel: medium, savory, acidic
Finish: medium
T8
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12/3/2017 - englishman's claret wrote:
This is still pretty primordial stuff - plummy and oaky with a classy oak application, I don't think it's shouting "St Julien" yet. I was given this blind to taste and on the basis of the plumminess and roundness, went straight to the right bank. Then again, this was a quick taste and I didn't have the opportunity to follow the glass.
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11/20/2017 - Jeff Leve wrote: 93 Points
Opened in honor of Patrick Maroteaux, who passed away, November 19. Still showing a nice depth of color, the wine offers cassis, cedar, thyme, smoke, and spice on the nose. Decanted for 1 hour, and enjoyed over the next 90 minutes, the wine continued improving and filling out with time. Freshness meshed with sweet, juicy ripe cassis and a beautiful purity of fruit on the palate. There is still a bit of firm tannins remaining, that will continue softening with time. Give this another 5 years and it could merit a better score.
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11/16/2017 - Sundbyberg wrote: 93 Points
Nice, some oak, great, dark, fruit, surprisingly open and on the fuller side. A lot better than the 2003, which I did not quite understand. In its early drinking window and ready to go with a 2-3 hour decant.
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10/27/2017 - Deepdrop Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep and rich with black currant, minerality and some smokiness. Red cherriy flavor developed with even more air. Definitely needs a long decant at this young stage and it unquestionably has many years of development ahead of it.
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10/19/2017 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 94 Points
2017 New York Wine Experience Trip; 10/16/2017-10/25/2017 (New York City, NY): From a stellar vintage, this version of Branaire-Ducru is nothing less than class in a glass. Deep ruby/red in color, it is packed with ripe cassis, dark cherries, bittersweet chocolate, espresso and baking spices. Full-bodied, fresh and with nicely integrated alcohol (13.3%), it wraps its fruit with silky-textured tannins and stays impressively solid on the mid-palate. Long and smooth on the back end, this young Bordeaux is simply a joy to drink. While it may improve with further cellaring, it would by no means be a mistake to open a bottle now. Drink now-2030.
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9/14/2017 - winexu Likes this wine: 93 Points
A vertical tasting of Branaire Ducru in 2005, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014.
Generally, 2011, 2012 and 2014 are not much different, and 2014 may be a little bit better than other two. Some aromas, some fruit and mineral on the palate, but all not impressive. Not quite balanced and short finish. So I would give 90 scores to both 2011 and 2012, and 91 to 2014.
2005 and 2010 are much better than these three, with stronger nose and more tasty, and much longer finish. However, 2010 is quite perfectly balanced and 2005 is a little bit weak on this point. So 94 for 2010 and 93 for 2005.
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9/7/2017 - Mark1npt Likes this wine: 93 Points
Another incredibly well made and aging Bordeaux. A little smoky and more black fruit on the front end. Plenty of tannins and acidity to go another few decades. Still might be a little early for this one.
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8/17/2017 - maxima wrote: 91 Points
Bu au souper du club de dégustation de Sherbrooke avec Bulle, Meursault, MikeLM et FrançoisD au resto AVV La Suite.
La première bouteille est bouchonnée…on ouvre la 2ième qui elle est OK.
Beau nez sur les fruits, le café, l’eucalyptus et le boisé.
En bouche, c’est velouté et il y a une belle acidité.
Des mures, du graphite et des épices avec de beaux tannins fins
et une finale bien longue.
Un claret de top niveau.
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8/17/2017 - maxima wrote: flawed
Bouchonnée! Première bouteille au souper du club de dégustation de Sherbrooke avec Bulle, Meursault, MikeLM et FrançoisD au resto AVV La Suite
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7/30/2017 - apple1813 wrote: 89 Points
Pale purple, pronounced browning at the edge, traces of sediments
It shows little nose, with barely detectable black fruits, vanilla and leathery notes. Quite disappointing
The palate is balanced. Overall it is agreeable and easy to drink. Creamy mouthfeel, medium tannin with slight drying, some mineral character typical of St. Julien wines
I am not sure why it is closed recently, which is consistent with the recent few community reviews. One should probably hold this wine before it opens up again.
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7/23/2017 - pakabear Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark red fruits, currants, spices, earthy, chewy tannins, some raisin on the tail end. Very good overall, could still use another 3-5 years.
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6/4/2017 - Ibetian wrote: 92 Points
From 375, decanted at the beginning of dinner, followed 2003 Leoville Barton. More reserved and structured than the LB. Coming along nicely, will be better in a year or three.
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5/5/2017 - lmbernstein Likes this wine: 91 Points
Really peaking. You can taste the heat but the alcohol is only 13%. Feels higher. Earthy, musty aromas. Longish finish. Great. Drink now.
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4/28/2017 - Tony Poli Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted about 3 hours. Dark garnet, no real signs of age. Quiet nose, red fruits predominant. Smooth palate, red fruits and some pencil lead, good structure. Medium/long finish. Seemed a bit shut down compared to the last bottle, though I have not used that term often with Bordeaux. Quite understated after the '86 Gruaud Larose that preceded it.
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4/20/2017 - bajayngo wrote:
Lunch with friends at Brassier Four - I don't always love bdx but when I do it's in this profile of pure fruit, a rusticity but still pretty and layers with a great mouthfeel. Stellar pairing with steak frites.
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4/16/2017 - Motz wrote: 94 Points
Brought to a wine lunch with friends, tasted over nearly three hours. Tight upon opening, the wine blossomed with air. Lithe bouquet, typical of its place, showing St. Estephe-like notes as well. Lively acids, copious fine-grained tannins, generosity of fruit, and superb balance define this classy wine. The last drops were the most impressive. Likely better in three to five years, it can age for another twelve plus. Paired magically with steak frites! 94-95.
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3/19/2017 - gsquireh Likes this wine: 94 Points
Gotta love this beauty. What a value and drinking wonderfully smooth and such and inviting nose- of cherry, plum, blackberry, vanilla, and cardamom- a want to swirl in the mouth all night wine. A quintessential St Julien and a paradigm of the 2005 vintage.
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3/10/2017 - pvmaanen Likes this wine:
Soft to the palate. Even decanted wine evolves little. Medium finish, soft entrance. Some acidity felt. Nice but nothing memorable.
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2/14/2017 - Hypnos1 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Enjoyed this bottle; however, at least to my opinion, it seems to be reaching its zenith. We bought several bottles of this for birth year rememberance. I doubt this will bring us any joy at the twenty first natal celebration. But what do I know?
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12/25/2016 - tutticalvi Likes this wine: 90 Points
on opening lush tannins delicious to drink now. After one day of slow o the wine evolved and I tasted the toasted wood and cedar, fruit in the background - needs more (or less) air time. Will try to post next day tasting note.
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12/18/2016 - Ibetian wrote:
From 375, popped and poured. Thought I'd check in early after note below. As with all better left bank 2005s I've tasted, this is still too young and tannic for my tastes, but there is clearly plenty of good material here. My experience was very different from the note below. Hold, drink 2018+.
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12/17/2016 - StefanAkiko Does not like this wine: 78 Points
Already displaying esters of over-maturity. This wine is a major trade-off for anyone looking upon 2005 as a great vintage (there are others as well, sadly to say.)
Aromas: maturing Bdx aromas of superb stables and bdx-earth. Non-mistakenably. The nose is this wine's most remarcable trait. Quite wunnerful!
Palate: inconspicuously a bdx-2007 that is just a watery juice terror action, all the while some ppl can't stop themselves explaining how exuberant this bland juice is.
(We DON'T get it.)
Our 4:th btl, and we're still not even the slightest impressed. (Haven't ever noticed anything even close to "great" in this wine.)
Terrible juice, buyers need to be cautious: if you buy the REAL thing, you are surely going to be depressed. But if you buy the Rudy btls, chances are you get a drinkable thing :-)
Better than any no-name-bojo-nouveau.
We prefer sake. Especially 生酒 by 久保田、the superbly clear 〆張鶴 or the fantastic no-nonsense 新雪。。。
This wine just happens to come from Bdx, but has NOTHING of the credentials expected for anything worthwhile as a 2005-wine. It's actually just as poor as the majority of 2007-bdx.
We digress.
Quote by Al Gore: "the debate is over."
(Wife: 65p)
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11/18/2016 - Phenol73 Likes this wine: 92 Points
(Decanter FWE 2016) :: There is a richness and density here, but still not especially expressive. More time? That said, a very good palate, showing plenty of fruit, soft tannins and a solid frame. Good persistence.
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11/16/2016 - DrinkBordeaux wrote: 94 Points
A very nice showing for this wine tonight. Becoming more approachable than when last tasted almost two years ago. A nose of cassis, blackberry, pencil lead, cedar, violets, and coffee. Smooth, fresh, and soft on the palate. Tannins still need some softening, but there is excellent level of acidity present. A fresh, long finish.
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9/13/2016 - rossi.wine wrote: 93 Points
Tasted after the 2010. Slight signs of evolution around the rim. Also more open and expressive on the nose: Tobacco, graphite, spices, cassis, plums, eucalyptus. Approachable on the palate, but still rather firm. Less vibrant and fresh compared to the 2010 and maybe not quite as impeccably balanced. Still excellent. 92-94
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7/23/2016 - physicsfan3.14@gmail.com Likes this wine: 95 Points
Incredibly smooth and well put together. The tannins have softened, giving way to delicious earthy, woodsy flavors which are backed up by delicious fruit. Perfectly balanced acidity gives a refreshing mouthfeel, and the finish is delightfully long. A very nice wine. A couple more years will make this even better - but this is drinking well now.
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6/26/2016 - Collector1855 wrote: 95 Points
Tasted during the World Congress of the Commanderie de Bordeaux and Fete de Fleur 2016. A no less than spectacular showing for this less expensive St.Julien tonight, side by side against the 1995 Mouton Rothschild. Notes of cedar wood, dark fruit, forest floor. Very silky and elegant palate, some toasty notes, good freshness and balance. Highly drinkable.
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5/13/2016 - pavel_p wrote: 91 Points
PnP and drank over 3h. Dark garnet with a translucent rim. Initially a bit thin, needs some air to gain weight. Earthy and very spicy wine with plenty of new oak that is only partially integrated. Initially also a touch of heat. Dark and red fruit. After about 1h in the open bottle fine tannins appear but not unpleasant. Still this is neither a classic style of Bordeaux due to too much new oak (at least for my taste) nor a truly rich modern style as it's rather fine and lacks the generous fruit required. I think this can develop but doubt it will ever be great.
Have had a fair number of Branaire Ducru vintages but with the exception of the 1982 never really convinced. 91(+?)
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4/17/2016 - jww wrote: 93 Points
deep purple in color
pleasant nose light with fruit and cedar smells
taste was full mouth filling tasted blackberry currant and leather
a bit tannic on the finish when opened over 2-3 hours the tannins dropped away. a very nice bordeaux
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4/16/2016 - Jeff Leve wrote: 93 Points
Still young, it's easy to see how much this has to offer. The nose is starting to develop secondary characteristics, the tannins are beginning to soften and the textures continue adding more silk in the mouth. Give it another 3-5 years and this should be even better.
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3/24/2016 - Cliff Booth Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted 90+ minutes; beautiful rich currant bouquet; ethereal cherry/ raspberry fruit with almost perfect balance and acidity. An elegant wine, limited only by its modest finish; an outstanding bordeaux - just short of profound...
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2/26/2016 - Jayanr Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great flavor.
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2/7/2016 - gsquireh Likes this wine: 95 Points
Purchased in June 2006 for $26.00, this is an example of a winning futures choice. Blackberry, mulberry, black currant, and raspberry fruit pie can be enjoyed in this multi-tiered flower garden. Pure and balanced, textured and rich, elegant and classic, this treat might well be the best Branaire-Ducru ever from the initial smell to the first sip to the last slide and the memory that lingers.. Be sure to decant for at least an hour and cherish the rest of the evening. Saint Julien should be proud of this over-achiever.
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1/17/2016 - k H i L o Likes this wine: 90 Points
Attendre encore ... 3 ans au moins.
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1/3/2016 - 1961Vintage wrote: 94 Points
Guest brought the bottle. Very consistent with most previous notes. Outstanding.
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12/28/2015 - CRAUBER4242 Likes this wine: 94 Points
A delicious Bordeaux that got better with air, but it drank well after opening also. Nice notes of blueberry, tobacco and dark berries leading to a nice mouth with good acidity and tannin. Enjoyed with prime rib.
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12/26/2015 - Nanda wrote: 93 Points
Blind Post-Christmas Lunch Tasting: Served double blind at lunch in a 2005 Bdx Horizontal. Bright medium ruby color. Medium nose has plum, bell pepper, tobacco and earth. Nice richness on the medium weight palate where the tannins are more suave than firm. Long, penetrating and lifted across the palate. Young but starting to show it's stuff.
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11/29/2015 - Atreyu wrote: 90 Points
rognebær, svært mørk fortsatt men fin friskhet og ikke hard. Bedre om ti år.
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11/28/2015 - Longrange380 Likes this wine: 92 Points
During a Bordeaux tasting:
Still some fruits in the nose. Very fleshy and balanced in the mouth and a nice, medium-long finish.
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11/15/2015 - iwadasn wrote: 92 Points
I agree with others who found lots of cedar on opening. I also found a lot of raisins and some plums. The tannins spoke up a little after about 30 minutes, but mellowed out as the wine breathed. Very enjoyable bottle.
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11/1/2015 - Grinner wrote: 93 Points
19th Annual Lyon 10 Year Retrospective (Chez Lyon in Eugene, OR): Still a tight nose but nice deep cassis, black plum, wet stone, cedar, and spice notes. Tannins a bit mellower than some. We correctly guessed Left Bank in this blind tasting. 92 on a day 2.
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10/29/2015 - robertek wrote: 91 Points
Very impressed. Maybe the 05's are coming around after all. First one in many years and this was good and approachable. Will now have to try others...
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10/4/2015 - rlove wrote: 92 Points
Dark purple. Exotic nose of cedar, blackcurrant, and cocoa. Lush, exotic, and dark in the mouth, with dark fruit and oaky spice prefacing a palate-coating finish. Drink now through 2025.
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8/17/2015 - Tony Poli Likes this wine: 94 Points
Quite elegant for a St. Julien. There was a 2003 on the table as well, and one could tell they were the same maker, same wine. 2005 is the better year, I think. This was drinking well, but still quite young. Nose a bit subdued compared to some of the older wines at the tasting, but gained complexity as it aired in the glass (was decanted about an hour). Lots of red and black fruit on the palate, along with a strong backbone - nicely balanced for a 10 year old Bordeaux. Very long finish. Loved it.
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8/2/2015 - skurtz Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for 3h. Lots of earthy and smoky notes on the nose and palate. Cherry cordial followed by acid and tannin. Medium body, verging on heavy. Very tasty, but I was hoping for more... not sure what. Complexity? Nuance? Maybe this just needs more time.
Better at dinner with friends after 5h of decanting. The acid is less pronounced, the earthiness is now integrated with the black cherry and soft tannins. Paired with filet.
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6/27/2015 - Jeff Leve wrote: 93 Points
Cedar wood, flowers, tobacco and dark red fruits are hidden and require coaxing in the nose. On the palate, the wine is silky, elegant and fresh. This is still quite young and shows a lot of promise. The wine is however, clearly letting you know, there is a nice future ahead if you give it another 3-5 years of bottle age.
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5/25/2015 - Purple Tooth wrote: 90 Points
I don't know...Im still not feeling it here..Still to early or a total mismatch for my taste...It seems a bit disjointed and stuck in limbo, but not enough power to support any enthusiasm for the future...So I have to fall back on hope that this may one day come around...Ive sprinkled several places with pairs of this wine, hoping that one day I will drink a bottle that lives up to the 95 parker rating...
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5/18/2015 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still improving and still drinking beautifully.
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5/9/2015 - rossi.wine wrote: 93 Points
For me just behind the 2009 in this mini vertical. Lovely on the nose again with lots of red and dark fruit, tobacco, spices, earth, smoke, graphite. On the palate fresh, quite open with lots of fruit, nice texture and length. Excellent with good future. 92-93+
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5/7/2015 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking beautifully right now. Intense red fruit, spice, and some licorice. Intense and compelling.
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5/3/2015 - winelover1808 wrote: 95 Points
third magnum of the night. this was amazing. young but very delicious - cab fruit with tobacco and the acidity in the backbone - so young and can age another ten years easily - but i loved this. tannins were pretty soft and the finish was long.
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4/28/2015 - Javachip wrote: 94 Points
Clear dark garnet. Bright fresh bouquet of black and red fruit, sous bois, charcoal, fennel. Similar on the palate, balanced and elegant, classic wine. Still too young but already very enjoyable.
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4/23/2015 - MEKWINE wrote: 89 Points
Goedhuis tasting at the Saatchi Gallery West London. Although more interesting than the '12, Ducru was the weakest of St Juliens tonight, Talbot and Gloria showing better. Picking up Balsalmic on the finish.
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4/17/2015 - cltean wrote: 91 Points
Tasted at Total Wine, McLean, VA on April 17, 2015. Had side by side with the 2010 vintage. The 2010 was clearly superior but this is still a very elegant wine with lots of complexity. Showed no signs of being near its peak.
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3/30/2015 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 93 Points
2005 Bordeaux Retrospective (Morrell Wine, 1 Rockefeller Plaza): What a pretty nose, showing a mix of red berry, darker fruits, cherry, minerals, spice and cedar. On the palate, it displayed juicy textures with high-toned brambly fruit and minerals, while gaining flesh and soothing richness with time in the glass. Fine tannin coated the senses through the close yet took nothing away from the experience. This was an excellent performance and a pleasure to drink, with years of cellar potential.
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3/29/2015 - Grinner wrote: 94 Points
Spring Warm Up Tasting (The Lyon's Tree House): 17 hour decant and this is why I love Bordeaux! It needed the time, but then sings its origins. The black fruit is bolstered by earth, tobacco, wet stone, cedar, and cocoa. Best 2017-2030!
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1/29/2015 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine: 92 Points
Bordeaux 2005 : Ten years on (Bordeaux Index London): Not as expressive on the nose as Beychevelle, tasted alongside. Closed in by comparison but with a bit more substance and structure. If I had to choose at this stage for drinking, it would be Beychevelle. But Branaire has more structure for the long haul, and potential for a higher score.
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1/19/2015 - DrinkBordeaux wrote: 92 Points
Still young. Dark purple color. An inviting but somewhat subdued nose of blackberry, dark plum, olive, and mocha. Silky palate. Nice backbone with prominent tannins. Medium-plus finish. This should soon enter its prime drinking window, but likely won't peak for several years. Once this matures further, I expect it to improve significantly.
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1/14/2015 - tbuysse wrote: 90 Points
Very hard to determine any score at all.. Was very closed and revealed hardly anything.. My recommendation would be to hold.
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12/19/2014 - peternelson wrote: 93 Points
Everything where it should be, this is a classic with very good bouquet, medium full body, nice cab fruit and spice and minerality start to finish; long length, not a blockbuster, but really nails it. Showed much better than last time, in a group of only 4 wines, not 17.
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11/17/2014 - Jeff Leve wrote: 94 Points
Absolutely charming and surprisingly open with its tobacco, cassis, coffee bean, licorice, blackberry, earth and cocoa scents nose. Silky and polished on the palate, there is a lot of room for improvement as it's still a very young wine.
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10/24/2014 - ManhattanBeach wrote:
Bettane+Desseauve London 2014 (Saatchi Gallery, London): Black fruit nose, the age clearly giving more complexity of aroma and taste than the 2009, but less generous and welcoming, more austere.
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10/8/2014 - peternelson wrote: 90 Points
VIP Monopole Wine Tasting: Pipe tobacco, clove, blackberry; silky, mid-weight with med. acidity, earthy coffee grounds finish; lower tannins here; beautiful nose, but a bit shy on the palate.
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9/14/2014 - Barolo Raymond wrote: 90 Points
Deep ruby, some tainted legs @13% abv. Medium(-) aromas of black fruit, graphite, barnyard, wood. Dry, medium(+) acidity, medium ripe tannin, medium-medium(+) alcohol, medium body. Medium flavors, of blueberries, cherry, bitter chocolate, tea. Mouthfeel is on the thin side. Good balance between fruit-acidity-tannin and alcohol. Good length with compact and elegant finish. Still a bit rough (think barnyard), keep another 5 years.
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8/3/2014 - Purple Tooth wrote: 91 Points
When I opened this wine, it was empty! I was shocked and had to look at the bottle again. Then I thought it might be a fake! That didn't make sense either.
It became quite elegant over the next 45 minutes without gaining any weight.The 95 WA rating is a bit ambitious, but because of the elegance of the last glass, given the terroir and producer pedigree, I can see this going places over the next 10 years, but not anytime soon...
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7/8/2014 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 92 Points
Overall, we may have opened this bottle a little too soon. It's very pure right now, but lacking a bit of complexity. That said, it's a very nice wine that I hope to enjoy for quite a while.
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6/3/2014 - jeffreylubowski Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted for two hours. Old school mustiness and some earth with some nice dark cherry. Still a tad rough but Lovely wine to suit most palates.
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3/15/2014 - skurtz Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for an hour at Lilette in New Orleans. Classic barnyard BDX nose, musty earthy on the palate with great fruit and receding tannins. Definitely my favorite wine for the night.
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1/10/2014 - Lord Rayas wrote: 91 Points
Dinner with Martin, Eric, Andy, Philip and wives (Drawing Room): decanted for an hour. dark and primary. obviously too young now but quite promising.
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1/4/2014 - mreinhard74@gmail.com wrote: 92 Points
Good. Just coming into its own. Popped and aerated into decanter. Could have used an hour more standing. Dusty and a bit of herbs but rounds out into cherries and stone fruit.
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11/8/2013 - Mounir Likes this wine: 90 Points
The nose was a bit muted at first but it improved towards the end of the bottle. It is full bodied with silky tannins and a very velvety texture that you can almost chew on. I expected more complexity on the palate. It has hints of berry, toast and tobacco. It has a medium finish. It is definately approachable now but has potential for ageing.
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9/27/2013 - mreinitz wrote: 92 Points
If you plan to open this now give it a long (2 hour plus) decant. It got better and better the longer it was out of the bottle. Nice rich sour red cherry with an underlying licorice streak. A vegetal streak that is enjoyable rather than off-putting. Nice herbs on the midpalate, and a fairly long finish. The tannins are mild and the wine really smoothed out after a few hours, though there is no doubt that it will improve with time.
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7/30/2013 - awise45 wrote: 93 Points
Really nice even though still a bit young. lots of herbs and pepper at first and mellows nicely as it sits open.
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6/17/2013 - aquaman wrote: 91 Points
Smells great ... Finish in 3 hours... A little heat n not that dry... Had the 82 that was excellent.. Couldn't hold it that long
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6/8/2013 - RickyT12 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Hour decant super dark purple. WOTN totally blew me away. Heavy but not overpowering funk very nice. Olive oil flavor great weight almost chewy. Black olives all day. Quite vegetable, celery hints watermelon smoothing the vegi flavors out. Think a bit un ripened blueberry. Black fruit beautiful. No sourness or bitterness. Super well balanced. Huge fan buying at least 2 more of these. Elegant and complex wine.
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6/8/2013 - SonnyChiba wrote: 94 Points
Superb wine - this hit me right. Beautiful color in the glass. Very fragrant nose, almost napa like, but then takes a different direction into the black fruit and veggie combination on the palate. Someone mentioned black olives and I couldnt get that out of mind, the nose, taste, everything was black olives after that....Overall, delicous....Nice and rich, juicy mouth feel that really coats the palate. Firm tannins that are ripe and tasty - I imagine this wine will last for a long time. I like the price point on this wine for what it is, and a good one to stock up on.
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5/28/2013 - junglejuice wrote: 93 Points
I should have listened to my previous note and waited longer. While this improved over my last tasting in 2010, it is still many years away from even beginning to approach a peak. Here it was unquestionably delicious, structured and fantastically Saint Julien, from a top vintage taboot. It is just beginning to show the briefest PEEK at what is to come. I can't help but write this note with a slight tinge of disapointment as while this was great today, it will be extraordinary in 10 years. If you have one, do yourself a favor and hold off until 2020, at a minimum.
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4/6/2013 - smkl123 wrote: 92 Points
Solid bordeaux. still quite young. tannins were still firm, not fully integrated. fruit still present, especially after 20 min open. needs a few more years at least.
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3/17/2013 - Gene_Mo Likes this wine: 93 Points
Had this at dinner following the 2010 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon release party. Lots of similarities between the two. The Branaire was a bit more elegant, not quite as much chocolate or dark fruit as the QC. But hard to compare a 2010 WA wine with a 2005 Bordeaux. Hey, when I get to drink these wines. life cant get much better.
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2/3/2013 - Tag01 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Double decanted for 2 hrs
Served with grilled Bavette steak with shallots
Colour:dark red ,thick and opaque
Nose:black fruits, tart berries, low sweetness
Taste:firm tannins, long finish,bit of meant hold and dark chocolate finish. Quite good!
Good bottle but could use some more time. Will let the other 2 sleep for some time
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1/13/2013 - spaciello wrote: 92 Points
Very smooth. A typical Bordeaux. One dimensional but very nice.
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10/22/2012 - nwebstar wrote: 94 Points
Definitely needed an hour to open and develop but showed the class and depth of the vintage. It was probably a sin to opened this wine so early but the depth of fruit and breadth of character was still a pleasure. Borderline 95 and am probably deducting marks because so much was consumed before the wine had truly developed in the glass.
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8/23/2012 - Sumotenk wrote: 98 Points
Sweet aroma
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5/1/2012 - Jeff Leve wrote: 94 Points
Tobacco, earth, cigar box, black cherry aromas lead to a wine that is on a more rapid path of development than anticipated. While not mature, this polished, rich style of Branaire Ducru is already starting to be fun to drink. I’m holding mine, but to quote the owner, Patrick Maroteaux, "It’s still young, but it would not be criminal to have it at a dinner now.”
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2/14/2012 - Rob MacKay wrote: 92 Points
Decanted at 230pm, rebottled at 6pm and consumed at 8pm. Well structured with nice fruit and mocha notes on the nose. I'd like a bit more depth on the palate. Seems a tad wound up even after the extended decant time. Probably need to hold this for quite some time to get the most out of it but there's lots of potential.
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11/25/2011 - d'Artagnan wrote: 90 Points
Montréal Passion Vin
Nez un peu torréfié, avec du chocolat et….des champignons (contradictoire à mon sens). L’attaque est tendre mais le vin fermé à double tour. Texture agréable, tanins soyeux, il ne montre que sa structure pour le moment mais son style droit et élégant promet. 90+ pts
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10/18/2011 - Charlie Carnes wrote: 84 Points
Big, boring, structured.... heat, espresso, alcohol.
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10/11/2011 - JLG wrote:
[Commanderie Branaire tasting] The best vintage in recent years according to their winemaker; deep nose, layers of black and blue fruits, plums, berries; earthen, tannic, but at the same time soft and sweet with floral nuanced aromas; ripe and rich in the mouth, powerful black fruit flavors at the front of the mouth mixed with ample amounts of earth; big structure and big flavors; pretty immature at this point, showing a lot of hard edges and rigid flavors, but there is a sophistication to this wine that will in time emerge and I suspect that this will be among the best from this property. (18+)
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9/14/2011 - ghood wrote: 92 Points
92++. Very structured, young Bordeaux. Lots there, but all tightly wound right now. Needs at least 5 years... probably 10. Nice dark fruit, but very dry, lead pencil, mineral, tannic backbone right now. Drink with caution at present.
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7/28/2011 - kenv Likes this wine: 93 Points
WCC 2003-2005 Red Bordeaux Blind (Yono's Restaurant, Albany, NY): Big bruising nose of black fruit. Warm thick tannic. Rich. A beautiful wine. Young with lots of sweet fruit. Should drink well for 10-20 years.
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1/20/2011 - Brian Kennedy Likes this wine: 91 Points
Ruby with a slight purple tinge. Slightly cloudy. Aromas of cassis, cherry, blackberry, blueberry. Medium but balanced oak, with firm tannins and medium acidity. Short/medium finish
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11/17/2010 - N2Vin wrote: 90 Points
Wne was very tight and closed. Seemed that good friut and structure underlay this wine. Tannins were powerful.
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11/13/2010 - junglejuice wrote: 90 Points
Definitely should have followed my gut and waited a few more years to open. It was truly a crime to open now and it is only HINTING at the things to come. Outstanding now, but it will be something special down the road. Hold 5 years minimum.
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10/15/2010 - Saint Stephen wrote:
This bottle was angry that I opened it. Young, closed, dense, and brooding. I think I heard it moan from the glass, "WTF dude? Go away, leave me alone, and wake me up in 2022" (this was all in perfect Parisian French of course).
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10/14/2010 - salil wrote: 82 Points
Oof. After the other Branaires this comes across a little heavy and clunky. There's the same red and dark fruited core, but there's a slightly roasted and medicinal edge to the flavours here, and with air the alcohol makes itself apparent on the aromatics. Very powerful and rich, certainly with more extract and density than the other Branaires opened but not showing the same balance and finesse as many of the other/older bottles.
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9/26/2010 - rwstorer wrote: 89 Points
Clear red color with aromas of salty dried meats. One dimensional and thin with flavors fo red fruits. Approachable now and easily drunk with roasted meats and hearty pastas. Drank out of a double magnum.
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6/24/2010 - Jeff Leve wrote: 94 Points
Deep ruby in color, this wine opened with tobacco, smoke, earth, fresh berries, soil and forest scents. Concentrated with ample fresh fruit, coupled with a solid structure, this has the potential to bome one of the longest lived vintages of Branaire Ducru. The round textured wine ends with fresh berries, cassis and spice. I'm waiting another 5 years before opening my case.
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4/30/2010 - ews3 wrote: 87 Points
Wine Spectator Grand Tour 2010 (Ronald Reagan International Trade Center, Washington DC): served a bit warm. plum syrup. just OK.
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4/12/2010 - beezer6 wrote: 91 Points
Popped and poured through aerator. Some serious potential in this baby bad boy.
Dark rich notes of cassis, lead pencil, blackberries, black flowers and light spice.
Palate shows more dark fruit. Classic Bordeaux styling with a serious finish.
Still a baby and a bit tightly wound. Needs to add on some weight to show its true self - this could merit a couple more points.
Will set on its side for at least 5 years.
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3/28/2010 - Beachrooster Likes this wine: 96 Points
Dark ruby red. cherry, camphor, vanilla, stone, and spice. Beautiful weight and softness on the palate. Amazing balance from acid, tannins, fruit, and alcohol. Ripe tannins give this wine a long great satisfying finish. This will only get better with time.
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1/3/2010 - rralls wrote: 93 Points
93-94
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12/26/2009 - jhpinter Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opened at noon (3L), had absolutely no flavor - tasted like nothing. Decanted and tasted during the day. Flavors opened up about 1 am (13hrs). Served the next night with dinner and it was excellent.
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10/25/2009 - BarneyBuzz wrote: 91 Points
tasted at the WFA 09. Elegant, smooth on the palate. lighter than the other bords on show.
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10/23/2009 - Paul S wrote: 93 Points
WFA Bordeaux 2005/2006 Tasting by the Wine Review (Suntec Convention Centre, Singapore): Excellent. This confirmed my impression of how good the wine was at last year's tasting. Deep, lovely nose. All warm and melodious, with plummy dark fruit and cassis tones singing away. The palate carried on the theme, bursting with delicious cherry and cassis notes, all with a beautiful intensity, yet balanced by a lovely freshness and kept in check by fine, firm and abundant, almost teeth-staining tannins. Finish had decent length, with a little touch of medicinal herbs. A very complete wine this. Would love to try it in 15 years' time, when it should be stunning.
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10/23/2009 - Alex H wrote: 85 Points
Bordeaux 2005 and 2006 Tasting; 10/22/2009-10/26/2009 (Wine For Asia Singapore Suntec): Sandalwood lifted violets. Dark fruited , black currants.Has the depth and intensity to last. Not as open as the other St Julien or Margaux but still a pretty top vintage for this chateau.In fact, I think it closed up since the last tasting a year back. 83-87pts
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10/10/2009 - Dave Dalluge wrote:
Decanted about 30 minutes before serving. The color is a very dark red. The nose gives a bit of red fruit but is very reserved and brooding. On the palate it delivers some dark fruit flavor that borders on roasted, with excellent balance and sweet tannin. The finish is surprisingly good considering how closed this seems. Based on this tasting I plan to stay away from the rest of the case for a very long time, as this is shut down pretty hard right now.
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8/7/2009 - Phlip it wrote: 92 Points
Very young but balance and dry with light earth, dark fruit and light oaky tannins
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6/14/2009 - Jeff Leve wrote: 95 Points
You can smell, taste and feel the perfectly ripe fruit this wine is made from. Add a kiss of blackberry and cassis, sweet oak and mocha and you're off to the races. This full bodied wine offers a juicy mouth full of Cabernet. Elegant tannins, concentration and depth of flavor keeps everything in balance. This is without a doubt the best Branaire Ducru ever made. Give it 12 years in the cellar, if you can keep your hands off it.
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6/14/2009 - robertek wrote: 89 Points
2005 Bordeaux blends (Stockholm): 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.
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5/13/2009 - ChinonRouge wrote: 90 Points
Probably much too premature to be opening this wine. Currently not a pop and pour performer. Needs time. If you are looking for something to drink now, look elsewhere.
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3/28/2009 - Nouveaux Neck wrote: 96 Points
one of the best bottles of wine I've ever consumed. Alongside Chicken-White Bean Chile and Cornbread. The wine was excellent and will be missed :)
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1/24/2009 - Badfish wrote: 93 Points
Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux 2005 & 2006 Tasting (Hyatt, Century City): The nose consists of currant, flowers, and stones but is quite reticent and closed at this point. There is fresh cherry and currant flavors along with hints of earth and cinnamon on the palate. The structure is quite present and the fruit is in the background so this is obviously another wine that needs a lot of time.
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9/28/2008 - tefus wrote: 94 Points
Delightful, silky on the tongue, flavors of kiwi and cherry, nice long finish. Beautiful wine.
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9/5/2008 - Motronic wrote: 92 Points
Very forward bouquet of fruit and elements of floralness. Seems almost ready to drink. Easy entry to very soft body, felt almost limpy on the palette. This wine does not have a well built structure, in my view, to last more than 15-20yrs. Tannins soft and almost undetectable. Couldn't believe this is a 2005. Slightly disappointed (relative to what I was expecting) after so many outstanding bottles of 2005 Bordeaux. Once again, very easy to appreciate now and drink, but doesn't feel like it will grow up to become a star. 92pts.
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6/1/2008 - Alex H wrote: 89 Points
Union des Grand Crus de Bordeaux: Review of 2005 Vintage (Conrad Centennial Singapore): Dense violet nose…Full bodied with some chin chow action…dark blackberries.86 to 91+pts.
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5/26/2008 - Paul S wrote: 93 Points
Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux 2005 vintage tasting and dinner (Conrad Interntational, Singapore): UGC tasting. I note what the other posters are saying, and agree in many ways, but I presonally thought this was very good. Very concentrated cassis flavours wrapped in oak, with exotic spice and peppermint flavours. Very focused, dense, but had a great freshness and a very nice finish. This should do very well with time.
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5/16/2008 - EyeDoc wrote: 90 Points
Definitely some upside but needs a decade to blossom. Drink the 00 if you have it instead of this.
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5/10/2008 - cab blends wrote: 90 Points
AHA Hearts Delight - Bordeaux 2005 Wine Tasting: cherry and strawberry with a lighter finish
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3/10/2008 - mdefreitas wrote: 91 Points
2005 Left Bank Bordeauxs @ Table and Vine (West Springfield, MA): (unknown blend) Great perfume. Tight on the palate, but the potential is there. Fine, sophisticated tannins. Iron, minerals. Lots of structure and it almost seemed to get tighter with air. $89.99
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3/9/2008 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine:
Lovely nose of violets and fruit. The palate is rich and tannic, a bit more closed in Dusseldorf when compared to New York, as expected. But a fine St. Julien.
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2/16/2008 - wcacern wrote: 91 Points
Bordeaux Report: 13% alcohol. nose of dark spicy fruit, berries, plum, red and black licorice, cocoa, graphite, vanilla, and oak. full bodied, rich mouthfeel. nice balance of ripe fruit and firm tannins.
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2/16/2008 - Paul Lin wrote: 87 Points
2005 Bordeaux (Wine Exchange - Orange, CA): Exotic nose of sandlewood, Indian spices, antique shop, and dried cherries. The palate mirrors nose. Might be more interesting to some, but I was not a huge fan of it. RP94-96, WS92.
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2/2/2008 - Spencer wrote: 94 Points
Painfully young, with massive structure, but also the concentration to hold up to it. Extremely impressive, but tough going today. I'd bury this for twenty years.
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1/22/2008 - Vino Me wrote: 89 Points
2005 Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux Tasting (Drake Hotel, Chicago, Illinois): 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petite Verdot. One of many St. Julien estates that did not do as well as 2000. Opaque blackish purple color. Graphite nose. Tightly wound and very dry. A viscous texture with most fruit hidden by the tannins. 89+ points.
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1/21/2008 - winefool wrote: 93 Points
UGC 2005 Bordeaux Tasting (and dinner) (The Drake): Full deep coffee red color. Big nose of spicy red/blak fruit. Nice slightly candied red fruit with good round structure. Nice. 93+ pts.
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1/20/2008 - Jeff Leve wrote: 94 Points
Plush, stylish, balanced and charming. Packed with elegant, ripe, black fruit, mocha and spice. I like this better than their 2003.
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1/19/2008 - hcampana wrote: 91 Points
2005 Bordeaux @ Union des Grand Crus (San Francisco, CA): The nose is quite attractive. Black and red fruits, flowers and graphite. Intense fruitiness in palate but lacking "punch" and slightly grainy tannins. A bit under whelming given the Parker score.
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10/24/2006 - hcampana wrote: 91 Points
A trip to Bordeaux's Right Bank (Very long); 10/22/2006-10/30/2006 (Bordeaux, France): Very beautiful purple color. Vanilla, licorice, flowers and plums fill the very beautiful nose. Medium to full bodied, brighter acidity and slightly coarser tannins than its younger sibling.
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4/5/2006 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine: 92 Points
BORDEAUX 2005 / Cabernet rules; 4/5/2006-4/10/2006 (Bordeaux): Tasted at the chateau in early March and it was already very impressive, as tasted with the 2004 and 2003. Like a mélange of the two actually, with the evident bigness of the 2003 and the lovely and fresh elegance of the 2004. A real achievement for owner Patrick Maroteaux (92-94). Tasted blind at this tasting: I got a more tobacco nose, with notes of chlorophyll and a palate with “energy” plus plum-like fruit, finishing with a refreshing Indian Tonic like flavor. Intrigued by this wine! 91-93+
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