Pours a nice fair dark ruby with maybe the slightest amount of bricking. The nose beckons with plum, cocoa, tobacco, herbs and soil. On the palate, wild raspberry joins these notes amidst ample acidity. Quite nice from the PnP, without need for decanting. Have been very satisfied with these inexpensive 2005 Bordeaux reds.
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Opened at 0900 for Thanksgiving. Purchased on release. PnP. A medium ruby robe with shades of purple extending out to thinned clear but not bricked edges. Long languid legs. The nose beckons with plum, forest floor, and a hint of sherry character.
Will update this note after seeing how it progresses and behaves with our turkey Thanksgiving dinner.
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So much better in 2008-2014. Today it has cedar, wood, earth, oak, tobacco, cherry and plum. Not bad with my roast, herbal chicken or rack of lamb but quite faded vs. the past.
My spouse declined to partake of this wine. I wish I had drunk these earlier.
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Tried very few wines from this lesser known right bank appellation. A traditional merlot based blend with 18% CF and 8% CS, quite rustic and muted at first, but after nearly an hour it gets into shape. Medium+ garnet red. Medium intensity aroma with shy fruits of cherries and plums outshined by tertiaries of toasted oak, wet earth, smoke. Medium body, attack is fresh with quite overlapping acidity which is barely tamed by fruits and sandy tannins. It has nothing left to develop here so drink up.
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Definitely better 5 years ago, the wine is in its decline. Still, if it has been well stored you can find, earthy, tobacco, leafy secondary notes accompanied by fading tones of red plums, cherries and cocoa.
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Firm mouth, with black currant juiciness left. Complex nose of pipe tobacco shop, dark chocolate, and currants, with a thyme/sage leafiness. Tannins are abundant enough to carry the wine another year or two.
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Still a big strapping wine. Loads of colour, acidity and tannin. Not harmonious, but the amount of plummy, spicy fruit still present gives me optimism that this may have an enjoyable drinking window in about 5 years.
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This took a while to open up; I popped this two days ago and poured a glass. The muted nose and body suggested I give it some time so I shoved the cork back in and returned to it tonight. Still reticent, the nose mostly had mild oak components and some hints of fruit but not much. On the palate, it wasn't much different. Although I love truly mature wines, this one isn't going to get there. As the fruit fades, there just isn't much else to support it.
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Not much initial nose, and palate took quite a while to open up, even when run through a Venturi. The tannins dominated for the first hour or so, and it tasted like dulled blackberries caked in charcoal. Then suddenly, it revealed a lot of powerful raspberry, bramble, mushroom and earth. It doesn't feel like this is going to get much better, so worth opening now, but decant it for a couple of hours before enjoying.
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one of my favorite qprs but this bottle isn't doing it for me. I worry the fruit has faded to leave little other than mild tannins and acid. This bottle wasn't stored well though, so we'll see...
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Easier drinking than most 2005's. Lots of Brett on the nose with a typical overripe flavor structure classic of the vintage. Better than a poke in the eye.
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89-90. Tight & closed upon opening but with some solid fruit. Opened after 30 minutes in the glass to show fruit, spice, tar & earth. Best after the bottle was open for 2 hours, no decant. As jellisfeingold said: acting like a real grown-up bordeaux. But no rush to drink & probably better in 1-2 years.
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What a sweet smell when I popped the cork. 3 hours or decanting in which we soaked in the hot tub, drank some Ocktoberfest beer and swam some laps. Dinner was NY strips, root veggies and a shitake gorganzola topping. This wine was what one would expect for its price. A wine true to its roots. It could be a CA wine but its roots are from France. Good tannins, berries, and clay. The clay smooths out the tannins. A winner.
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I haven't opened a bottle of this for a year now, and that was a constructive year for this wine. This is acting like a real grown-up '05 Bordeaux, with lots of gutsy dark fruit in a medium bodied media, tannins integrating nicely. Ninety.
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Crimson red in hue. Wonderful aromatics of flowers, fresh crushed raspberries. Flavors of red to black berries. Pronounced earthiness towards mid palate. Low tannins. Lacks structure and roundness, possibly due to this being 100% Cab Franc.
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One year on, this is drinking nicely (better second night). A dark, strapping, spicy wine. The balance more convincing than previously. Very good value.
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Weekly tasting group #004; Red Bordeaux Varietals (@ VD): 74% Merlot, 18% CF and 8% CS. Dark color with still some purple. Creamy and a bit smoky bouquet with cassis. On the palate a mix between a classical and a modern wine; a lot of cassis and firm acidity and tannin. Beside that also ripe blackberries and a touch of sweetness. Medium to full bodied wine. Pleasant already, but a few years of ageing will not hurt. 87+
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fruit and earth, very soft tannins (I poured through a vinturi aerator (directly into the wine glass). Medium finish that holds the fruit and earth pleasantly throughout.
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Nez sur le bois, le tabac et le cacao, belle texture en bouche, tannins présents mais assagis, creux en milieu de bouche, finale un peu courte. Bon bordeaux moderne. Pas un vin pour la garde selon moi.
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On the nose still very young and rich. Rather open aromatically. Palate is very heavy and lacking freshness, but overall smooth and easy drinking. Lacks complexity.
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Still very young. Upon opening, the nose was mostly dark fruit and an earthy aroma I had trouble placing. On the palate, the tannins came through right away, mostly dry with just a hint of sweetness. Light berry fruit on the long finish. After two hours, my notes remain consistent though the wine definitely opened up more showing some nuanced fruit. This wine has years left in it.
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I still can't quite get over how tight are many 2005's even at this level. The first night it was very dumb, the second still only hinted at a spicy minerality. It's certainly clean and correct. The palate is not especially generous at this stage. I think this will be a more generous and enjoyable wine in 3-5 years but I'm a bit concerned that at the fruit:tannin:acid balance--the latter 2 so much more in evidence.
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Superb 2005 Bordeaux. Fresh and refined. This note is from the last glass which is a day old. Dusty rose, red berry, pomogranate carmel and toffee on the nose. A mouthful of fruit and tannin on the palate, this wine is really very young. It finishes like a crispy red delicious apple dipped in a strawberry jam. What a QPR at $14 (2007).
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Started quiet but soon opened up on the nose. Elegant and not over extracted, high fruit level but not to sweet, lots of plums and a hint of vanilla on the pallet with medium lenght. Keep in cellar for two – four years for more complexity.
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First bottle tried from a case we put down last year. It was brought out for a pretty rustic dinner of grilled hot sausage and wild rice. A good choice, since it's forwardness and immaturity paired well with the strong flavors of the dinner. Dark, good body, pretty extracted in a new worldly sort of way, but still unmistakably petit Bordeaux. Good fruit throughout with definitive tannic backbone and lingering finish. On the verge of drinking well, but will soften in a couple years. We'll try another bottle later this year.
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This wine is by no means anything profound, but I thought it provided some above average enjoyment, a notch above the primary modern effort that it has shown to-date. Still maybe a point or two behind the '05 Cap de Faugeres, but a good modern Bordeaux with dinner. Mouth-puckering tannins, but ripe and aromatic. Priced about right at the $16ish price I originally paid for it, overpriced at the current Zachy's "sale" price of $25. My 88 point rating might not quite match the RMP89 for the '05 Carruades, but at $244 less per bottle, I would say the diminishing rate of returns mitigates in favor of the Villars: Rating: 88 points.
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Nice juicy tannins. Not quite as ripe as the Cap de Faugeres, but did have nice red fruit going on, and a touch more earthiness. Nice perfumed nose, typical merlot reddishness.
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killer qpr. showing great aftering being opened for a few hours ... but this needs a few years. expressive nose of currants, blueberries, cedar and pencil lead. quite tannic, but it's still approachable. cassis, dark cherries, graphite and toast flavors. nice licorice notes on the finish, which is long. well-balanced and a serious steal for the price.
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nose: very silky and unctuous nose with crushed rocks, black currants, chalk tones, bits of graphite, and some dark rooted blueberry and raspberry with whisps of smoke to round out this interesting and nuanced nose
taste: really nice texture and feel on the palate with lots of black currants, blueberry, graphite, and crushed rock with some toasty smoke behind it. very nice silky tannins and feel
overall: This is a serious QPR and deserves to be revisited in a few years. nice lush attack and transitions with a really nice raspberry finish. This is a excellent wine right now, and I can't wait for a few years when some of the layers get pulled back and we see everything this has to offer. This is the perfect wine to buy while waiting for some of your 00s, 03s, and 05s to age while at the same time this can age well itself
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Initially quite tight and closed. Showed better after a 1 hour and then 2 hour decant. Some good fruit flavors, cassis and licorice. It was best with steak and baked potato. I didn't think it was as good as the Prada (for $1 more). This wine needs to sleep for 4-5 years ... then maybe better.
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Had it a second time last night. I think I had it assessed pretty accurately the first time around. This is not a real complex wine, a little thin in the middle, but it is unmistakably Bordeaux and it will age for a while. An 88 point wine.
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Very excited to taste this wine, as this is my first taste of the 2005 vintage in Bordeaux. Very pleasantly surprised at this price point. This win on the nose reminds me of a new world cali cab, without the excessive alcohol. Lots of cassis, cherry, and a hint of licorice. Not too complaex on the palate but very enjoyable. Medium bodied with young, but not overly bitter tannin structure that lasts thoughout. Big cherry and black licorice on the palate with long soft finish of chocolate and coffee. I agree, this wine should age well, but is drinking ever so nicely right now. I grade as an A- and at this price point, I will buy a case.
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Decanted for 3 hours and drank with spare ribs and artichoke. A simply beautiful claret with a nose so sweet, supple and expressive one imagines the aroma alone turning their nose red. Impeccable balance of tannin, fruit and acidity makes this very drinkable (at its best really after 3 hour decant and another two in bottle/glass) with layers of blackberry, spice, currant, mocha, and tea. Tannins are ever present through the entirel tasting, but never overpowering or intrustive. I think this wine has 5 years to peak and 10-15 years of enjoyment. An incredible wine for under $14 (Binnys last year). This wine is in several ways combines new world ripeness and fruit concentration with Bordeaux style terroir and complexity. Amazing..
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"You're a lovely lady.... You're a very lovely lady." --Richard Gere as Julian Kaye in scene from American Gigolo (1980)
Upon uncorking we have a youthful nose, not real complex on the palate but first impressions are positive. A charming blackberry bouquet starts to develop. The wine would seem to have some aging potential. I predict this wine will be a "very lovely lady" in about ten years. Pretty purple/ruby color. It easily passes the Blows-Away-California-at-Same-Price-Level test. Not sure if I would get a case of this-- maybe I would, it seems to be a good deal at $18 currently at PJs-- but I'll definitely buy at least another three or four to experience as it develops over the next fifteen years ago. It lacks a bit of an excitement factor, but this is a solid wine. This will improve with age. The 13.5% alcohol presence is integrated well, not an issue at all. In the end the wine shows a nice ripeness, a nice finish. I really can't think of anything significantly negative to say about this wine, it seems very well-made. The thing that is encouraging about the 2005 Villars is that while it may not be very complex at this point, it seems to be built to last a while, and the stuffing is there to accomodate the development of this wine over the next decade, maybe two. I liked this wine.... Very 2005-like! Rating: 88+, with an expectation that this wine will improve with age.
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“Made in a Pinot Noir-like style, the 2005 Villars offers fragrant aromas of crushed rocks, flowers, and raspberries. Super-pure, medium-bodied, deep, rich, and moderately tannic, it should be at its peak between 2009-2017. Rated 88-90.” Robert Parker The
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As expected, this Fronsac from the 2005 vintage is a bit youthful. Although, a certain amount of depth and richness are evident, this wine is still tightly wound. Even after 2 hours in a decanter, firm, chalky tannins seemed to predominate. The nose of the wine offers some suggestion of later richness. Toasty blueberry, plum, currant and smoky oak slowly reveal themselves. I would cellar this wine short-term and try again in 6 months to a year.
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4/23/2024 - wicozani Likes this wine: 88 Points
Pours a nice fair dark ruby with maybe the slightest amount of bricking. The nose beckons with plum, cocoa, tobacco, herbs and soil. On the palate, wild raspberry joins these notes amidst ample acidity. Quite nice from the PnP, without need for decanting. Have been very satisfied with these inexpensive 2005 Bordeaux reds.
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11/23/2023 - wicozani Likes this wine: 89 Points
Opened at 0900 for Thanksgiving. Purchased on release. PnP. A medium ruby robe with shades of purple extending out to thinned clear but not bricked edges. Long languid legs. The nose beckons with plum, forest floor, and a hint of sherry character.
Will update this note after seeing how it progresses and behaves with our turkey Thanksgiving dinner.
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11/16/2023 - jmikeska wrote: 84 Points
Past its prime.
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5/9/2022 - TashNYC wrote: 84 Points
So much better in 2008-2014. Today it has cedar, wood, earth, oak, tobacco, cherry and plum. Not bad with my roast, herbal chicken or rack of lamb but quite faded vs. the past.
My spouse declined to partake of this wine. I wish I had drunk these earlier.
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11/1/2021 - Ernestas wrote: 83 Points
Tried very few wines from this lesser known right bank appellation. A traditional merlot based blend with 18% CF and 8% CS, quite rustic and muted at first, but after nearly an hour it gets into shape. Medium+ garnet red. Medium intensity aroma with shy fruits of cherries and plums outshined by tertiaries of toasted oak, wet earth, smoke. Medium body, attack is fresh with quite overlapping acidity which is barely tamed by fruits and sandy tannins. It has nothing left to develop here so drink up.
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8/27/2021 - Jeff Leve wrote: 86 Points
Definitely better 5 years ago, the wine is in its decline. Still, if it has been well stored you can find, earthy, tobacco, leafy secondary notes accompanied by fading tones of red plums, cherries and cocoa.
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11/4/2019 - JR512 wrote: 85 Points
Nothing special. Fine with pork loin but fairly muted. Very light fruit.
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4/27/2018 - whudock Likes this wine: 89 Points
still has strong fruit and good balance.
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11/12/2016 - wilypod Likes this wine: 90 Points
Firm mouth, with black currant juiciness left. Complex nose of pipe tobacco shop, dark chocolate, and currants, with a thyme/sage leafiness. Tannins are abundant enough to carry the wine another year or two.
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6/25/2016 - rwpalmer wrote: 90 Points
Still an inviting purple. Spicy plum nose. Rich palate with just the right balance of roundness, tannin and acidity. Best and last bottle of 6.
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7/31/2014 - Hawk94 wrote: 90 Points
Delicious to drink now.
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7/23/2014 - rwpalmer wrote: 86 Points
Still a big strapping wine. Loads of colour, acidity and tannin. Not harmonious, but the amount of plummy, spicy fruit still present gives me optimism that this may have an enjoyable drinking window in about 5 years.
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3/7/2014 - prof b wrote: 85 Points
This took a while to open up; I popped this two days ago and poured a glass. The muted nose and body suggested I give it some time so I shoved the cork back in and returned to it tonight. Still reticent, the nose mostly had mild oak components and some hints of fruit but not much. On the palate, it wasn't much different. Although I love truly mature wines, this one isn't going to get there. As the fruit fades, there just isn't much else to support it.
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7/6/2013 - Merrit wrote: 86 Points
Not much initial nose, and palate took quite a while to open up, even when run through a Venturi. The tannins dominated for the first hour or so, and it tasted like dulled blackberries caked in charcoal. Then suddenly, it revealed a lot of powerful raspberry, bramble, mushroom and earth. It doesn't feel like this is going to get much better, so worth opening now, but decant it for a couple of hours before enjoying.
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1/14/2013 - prof b wrote:
one of my favorite qprs but this bottle isn't doing it for me. I worry the fruit has faded to leave little other than mild tannins and acid. This bottle wasn't stored well though, so we'll see...
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11/11/2012 - khmark7 wrote: 85 Points
Easier drinking than most 2005's. Lots of Brett on the nose with a typical overripe flavor structure classic of the vintage. Better than a poke in the eye.
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9/8/2012 - winelovr2001 wrote: 87 Points
Decent. A decent amount of acid and some nice basic cab flavors. Not as good the second day.
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9/1/2012 - TashNYC wrote: 89 Points
89-90. Tight & closed upon opening but with some solid fruit. Opened after 30 minutes in the glass to show fruit, spice, tar & earth. Best after the bottle was open for 2 hours, no decant. As jellisfeingold said: acting like a real grown-up bordeaux. But no rush to drink & probably better in 1-2 years.
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5/27/2012 - RBOND wrote: 90 Points
What a sweet smell when I popped the cork. 3 hours or decanting in which we soaked in the hot tub, drank some Ocktoberfest beer and swam some laps. Dinner was NY strips, root veggies and a shitake gorganzola topping. This wine was what one would expect for its price. A wine true to its roots. It could be a CA wine but its roots are from France. Good tannins, berries, and clay. The clay smooths out the tannins. A winner.
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4/8/2012 - prof b Likes this wine: 87 Points
My last bottles must have been off. strawberries, mushrooms, good stuff. Secondary characters are starting to show.
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2/28/2012 - jellisfeingold wrote: 90 Points
I haven't opened a bottle of this for a year now, and that was a constructive year for this wine. This is acting like a real grown-up '05 Bordeaux, with lots of gutsy dark fruit in a medium bodied media, tannins integrating nicely. Ninety.
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12/16/2011 - prof b wrote:
either entering a dumb phase to getting old. will try another bottle soon.
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11/14/2011 - winolee wrote: 88 Points
Crimson red in hue. Wonderful aromatics of flowers, fresh crushed raspberries. Flavors of red to black berries. Pronounced earthiness towards mid palate. Low tannins. Lacks structure and roundness, possibly due to this being 100% Cab Franc.
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10/11/2011 - rwpalmer wrote: 87 Points
One year on, this is drinking nicely (better second night). A dark, strapping, spicy wine. The balance more convincing than previously. Very good value.
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9/18/2011 - khmark7 wrote: 87 Points
Consistent with previous note. A big wine that would pair nicely with beef or lamb. Modern in style, but typical of the vintage. (86-87)
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9/12/2011 - Zweder wrote: 87 Points
Weekly tasting group #004; Red Bordeaux Varietals (@ VD): 74% Merlot, 18% CF and 8% CS. Dark color with still some purple. Creamy and a bit smoky bouquet with cassis. On the palate a mix between a classical and a modern wine; a lot of cassis and firm acidity and tannin. Beside that also ripe blackberries and a touch of sweetness. Medium to full bodied wine. Pleasant already, but a few years of ageing will not hurt. 87+
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9/9/2011 - FredF wrote: 89 Points
fruit and earth, very soft tannins (I poured through a vinturi aerator (directly into the wine glass). Medium finish that holds the fruit and earth pleasantly throughout.
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8/28/2011 - Villon wrote: 88 Points
Nez sur le bois, le tabac et le cacao, belle texture en bouche, tannins présents mais assagis, creux en milieu de bouche, finale un peu courte. Bon bordeaux moderne. Pas un vin pour la garde selon moi.
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6/18/2011 - PSUSteve wrote: 89 Points
Pop and pour. Lots of earth with some fruit in the background. Good finish.
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4/18/2011 - khmark7 wrote: 86 Points
On the nose still very young and rich. Rather open aromatically. Palate is very heavy and lacking freshness, but overall smooth and easy drinking. Lacks complexity.
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12/7/2010 - prof b wrote: 87 Points
opened a second bottle for my wife to try. notes consistent with first bottle.
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11/14/2010 - prof b wrote: 87 Points
Still very young. Upon opening, the nose was mostly dark fruit and an earthy aroma I had trouble placing. On the palate, the tannins came through right away, mostly dry with just a hint of sweetness. Light berry fruit on the long finish. After two hours, my notes remain consistent though the wine definitely opened up more showing some nuanced fruit. This wine has years left in it.
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11/13/2010 - rwpalmer wrote: 85 Points
I still can't quite get over how tight are many 2005's even at this level. The first night it was very dumb, the second still only hinted at a spicy minerality. It's certainly clean and correct. The palate is not especially generous at this stage. I think this will be a more generous and enjoyable wine in 3-5 years but I'm a bit concerned that at the fruit:tannin:acid balance--the latter 2 so much more in evidence.
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10/20/2010 - N2Vin wrote: 91 Points
Superb 2005 Bordeaux. Fresh and refined. This note is from the last glass which is a day old. Dusty rose, red berry, pomogranate carmel and toffee on the nose. A mouthful of fruit and tannin on the palate, this wine is really very young. It finishes like a crispy red delicious apple dipped in a strawberry jam. What a QPR at $14 (2007).
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10/5/2010 - Top Terp wrote: 90 Points
Full bodied taste and excellent aromas of berries and fruit
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9/10/2010 - N2Vin wrote: 91 Points
A compelling wine right now. Loaded with fruit and sweet tanins. The finish just doesn't quit. A complete wine drinking far beyond it's pedigree.
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8/6/2010 - N2Vin wrote: 92 Points
Strutting its stuff. Quite a bit improved froma year ago now showing more integrated oak and fruit along with the cassis and graphite of Bordeaux.
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5/5/2010 - Yaboy Likes this wine: 88 Points
Started quiet but soon opened up on the nose. Elegant and not over extracted, high fruit level but not to sweet, lots of plums and a hint of vanilla on the pallet with medium lenght. Keep in cellar for two – four years for more complexity.
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3/18/2010 - borneman wrote: 88 Points
Drinking quite well. Loads of fruit and spice box.
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2/3/2010 - jellisfeingold wrote: 89 Points
First bottle tried from a case we put down last year. It was brought out for a pretty rustic dinner of grilled hot sausage and wild rice. A good choice, since it's forwardness and immaturity paired well with the strong flavors of the dinner. Dark, good body, pretty extracted in a new worldly sort of way, but still unmistakably petit Bordeaux. Good fruit throughout with definitive tannic backbone and lingering finish. On the verge of drinking well, but will soften in a couple years. We'll try another bottle later this year.
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7/21/2009 - N2Vin wrote: 90 Points
No formal notes
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3/12/2009 - JimHow wrote: 88 Points
This wine is by no means anything profound, but I thought it provided some above average enjoyment, a notch above the primary modern effort that it has shown to-date. Still maybe a point or two behind the '05 Cap de Faugeres, but a good modern Bordeaux with dinner. Mouth-puckering tannins, but ripe and aromatic. Priced about right at the $16ish price I originally paid for it, overpriced at the current Zachy's "sale" price of $25. My 88 point rating might not quite match the RMP89 for the '05 Carruades, but at $244 less per bottle, I would say the diminishing rate of returns mitigates in favor of the Villars: Rating: 88 points.
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12/7/2008 - jimkay21 wrote: 87 Points
Nice nose, sour palate. 87 point Bordeaux. I wouldn't make too much out of it. next...
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10/3/2008 - pistoldo wrote: 85 Points
not bad - got better as is was aired - smooth and light
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8/9/2008 - borneman wrote: 87 Points
Fruit somewhat muted for such a vintage. Decent nose and flavors, but not sure this will improve much with bottle age.
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6/21/2008 - DoubleMagnum wrote: 89 Points
Great nose of blueberry, coffee, leather and tobacco. Tannins are present but in check. Memorable finish.
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5/24/2008 - amateurwino wrote: 90 Points
Nice juicy tannins. Not quite as ripe as the Cap de Faugeres, but did have nice red fruit going on, and a touch more earthiness. Nice perfumed nose, typical merlot reddishness.
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5/17/2008 - isaacjamesbaker wrote:
killer qpr. showing great aftering being opened for a few hours ... but this needs a few years. expressive nose of currants, blueberries, cedar and pencil lead. quite tannic, but it's still approachable. cassis, dark cherries, graphite and toast flavors. nice licorice notes on the finish, which is long. well-balanced and a serious steal for the price.
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4/13/2008 - KeithAkers wrote: 90 Points
decanted for ~2 hours
nose: very silky and unctuous nose with crushed rocks, black currants, chalk tones, bits of graphite, and some dark rooted blueberry and raspberry with whisps of smoke to round out this interesting and nuanced nose
taste: really nice texture and feel on the palate with lots of black currants, blueberry, graphite, and crushed rock with some toasty smoke behind it. very nice silky tannins and feel
overall: This is a serious QPR and deserves to be revisited in a few years. nice lush attack and transitions with a really nice raspberry finish. This is a excellent wine right now, and I can't wait for a few years when some of the layers get pulled back and we see everything this has to offer. This is the perfect wine to buy while waiting for some of your 00s, 03s, and 05s to age while at the same time this can age well itself
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4/11/2008 - TashNYC wrote: 87 Points
Initially quite tight and closed. Showed better after a 1 hour and then 2 hour decant.
Some good fruit flavors, cassis and licorice. It was best with steak and baked potato.
I didn't think it was as good as the Prada (for $1 more).
This wine needs to sleep for 4-5 years ... then maybe better.
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3/22/2008 - JimHow wrote: 88 Points
Had it a second time last night. I think I had it assessed pretty accurately the first time around. This is not a real complex wine, a little thin in the middle, but it is unmistakably Bordeaux and it will age for a while. An 88 point wine.
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3/13/2008 - Combee1 wrote: 90 Points
Very excited to taste this wine, as this is my first taste of the 2005 vintage in Bordeaux. Very pleasantly surprised at this price point. This win on the nose reminds me of a new world cali cab, without the excessive alcohol. Lots of cassis, cherry, and a hint of licorice. Not too complaex on the palate but very enjoyable. Medium bodied with young, but not overly bitter tannin structure that lasts thoughout. Big cherry and black licorice on the palate with long soft finish of chocolate and coffee. I agree, this wine should age well, but is drinking ever so nicely right now. I grade as an A- and at this price point, I will buy a case.
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3/2/2008 - N2Vin wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 3 hours and drank with spare ribs and artichoke. A simply beautiful claret with a nose so sweet, supple and expressive one imagines the aroma alone turning their nose red. Impeccable balance of tannin, fruit and acidity makes this very drinkable (at its best really after 3 hour decant and another two in bottle/glass) with layers of blackberry, spice, currant, mocha, and tea. Tannins are ever present through the entirel tasting, but never overpowering or intrustive.
I think this wine has 5 years to peak and 10-15 years of enjoyment. An incredible wine for under $14 (Binnys last year). This wine is in several ways combines new world ripeness and fruit concentration with Bordeaux style terroir and complexity. Amazing..
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3/1/2008 - JimHow wrote: 88 Points
2005 Chateau Villars
"You're a lovely lady....
You're a very lovely lady."
--Richard Gere as Julian Kaye in scene from American Gigolo (1980)
Upon uncorking we have a youthful nose, not real complex on the palate but first impressions are positive. A charming blackberry bouquet starts to develop. The wine would seem to have some aging potential. I predict this wine will be a "very lovely lady" in about ten years. Pretty purple/ruby color. It easily passes the Blows-Away-California-at-Same-Price-Level test. Not sure if I would get a case of this-- maybe I would, it seems to be a good deal at $18 currently at PJs-- but I'll definitely buy at least another three or four to experience as it develops over the next fifteen years ago. It lacks a bit of an excitement factor, but this is a solid wine. This will improve with age. The 13.5% alcohol presence is integrated well, not an issue at all. In the end the wine shows a nice ripeness, a nice finish. I really can't think of anything significantly negative to say about this wine, it seems very well-made. The thing that is encouraging about the 2005 Villars is that while it may not be very complex at this point, it seems to be built to last a while, and the stuffing is there to accomodate the development of this wine over the next decade, maybe two. I liked this wine.... Very 2005-like! Rating: 88+, with an expectation that this wine will improve with age.
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2/19/2008 - winolee wrote: 89 Points
“Made in a Pinot Noir-like style, the 2005 Villars offers fragrant aromas of crushed rocks, flowers, and raspberries. Super-pure, medium-bodied, deep, rich, and moderately tannic, it should be at its peak between 2009-2017. Rated 88-90.” Robert Parker The
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1/16/2008 - PDD wrote: 85 Points
This one is young. It shows a lot of promise in a couple of years. Toasty, maybe some blueberry. Enjoyed it!
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7/23/2007 - BigTarheel wrote: 87 Points
As expected, this Fronsac from the 2005 vintage is a bit youthful. Although, a certain amount of depth and richness are evident, this wine is still tightly wound. Even after 2 hours in a decanter, firm, chalky tannins seemed to predominate. The nose of the wine offers some suggestion of later richness. Toasty blueberry, plum, currant and smoky oak slowly reveal themselves. I would cellar this wine short-term and try again in 6 months to a year.
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4/5/2006 - LeDom du Vin wrote: 89 Points
(En primeur / Futures) Easy to drink, refine tannins, could have a bit more character but not bad at all.
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