Black fruit, pepper and mocha notes, polished but not in an overly modern way, with fully integrated oak and a medium length finish. A touch drying but nonetheless an impressive value nearly two decades on.
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This is definitely on the modern, extractive, fruit-forward, big Bordeaux. Nose shows immense fruit, cedar, forest, raspberry, black currant, some oak/vanillin notes still. Palate slightly hot, oaky, big, jammy fruit. This is not my style, but it's not badly made at all. Still tannic
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Drinking very well, perhaps beginning to decline. Still, a very enjoyable wine. Opened and poured a sip and decided not to decant due to some brick-edge in the color. After an hour, began to open up. Paired with a leg of lamb stuffed with sage and pancetta - nice match. Undoubtedly Bordeaux - a touch austere, but the graphite and plummy fruit is solid, plus there are some firm/integrated tannins to maintain structure. Very pleasurable. Happy to have had it and would not be disappointed if I had more - but drink up.
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What a lovely surprise. I got this bottle as a gift about 12 years ago. I was in the mood for a mature Bordeaux and saw the positive notes on this bottle on Cellartracker and decided to try it. The smell was georgeus from the start and after about 20 minutes it really opened up. Very dark colour and quite dense and with very distinct forresty and earthy notes (smelled just like the shitake mushrooms I was cutting for the risotto). Perfectly mature now. Balanced and elegant with a very long and concentrated taste. Distinctly Bordeaux but actually almost more left-bank than right - perhaps the concentration is what takes at least my thoughts a bit away from St. Emilion.
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Good if not great. Well integrated, soft tannins, but by no means too old. Decent secondary flavors including that flint I noticed 6 years ago, touch of medicinal. Definitely benefited from 2 hrs air.
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Did not decant. Likely should have . Would have helped the 14% etoh content to blow off. ( i personally think the alcohol content is higher like 15%. Still its sleek and structured with plenty of dark red fruit. A real pleasure to drink.
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My go to favorite!! Tremendous QPR! 30+ minute decant and could have used more. Dark cherry color. Nose of cherries and earth. Wine is inky & deep with black cherries, tar, and tobacco. Medium+ finish. I’ll buy as much as I can find or afford!!
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Happy New Year!! Always good, but not as stellar as previous bottles. Dark purple color. Phenomenal nose that is very rustic. No decant and wine was very reserved. Cork came out a little too easy, which probably had something to do with it. Still good, but a little disappointing.
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Dark plum/garnet color. Sweet oak- spiced fruit and lots of licorice. Still a little toasty and with its black cherry and blackcurrant fruit still fresh. It is ripe, round, generous and seductive.
At peak - 91 points.
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Very dark and glossy. Dark fruit, mineral nose with some quite charred oak in the background. Almost a creaminess to the palate, but still lots of 2005 acidity and tannin. Quite sleek, firm and elegant. Will easily go another 10 years.
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I don’t think you can call an ‘05 Bordeaux your go to when you discovered it in 2018, but I’m sure glad I have 4 more bottles! Great value! 45+ minutes open in the bottle. Still working on acquiring a decanter across the pond. Dark purple color with dark cherries on the nose, as well as more OH than I remember from the last bottle. Nice structure, with more cherries and tar on the palate. Medium finish. Great find!
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30-45 open in the bottle, got better and better with more air. Medium purple color. Massive oak and vanilla on the nose. One of the better Bordeaux’s I’ve ever had! Very complex as the fruit (black cherry) is well proportioned with tar and earth/dirt. Finish is deep and long! The ‘05 Bordeaux’s are insane. Great way to settle into our in new home in London!!
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Magnum for "Friendsgiving" with some French friends (and French speaking friends). Popped and poured. A pleasant wine. Light, toasty, with some mocha/coffee notes. A good wine with Turkey! (with a bunch of turkeys!) Thought it would have a bit more punch out of a magnum but was OK.
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Wine was fine, cork was a crumbling disaster. This St. Emilion '05, although not expensive, is really humming along. The balance is great and the integration appears pretty complete. Tannins are soft and the fruit is round and mellow. There is just enough acid to make it complement food very well. Upon reviewing the notes from the 4 bottles I have had over the years, it seems I can't make up my mind going either 87 or 90. That is a pretty big dichotomy for me. Strange.
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Having trouble remembering details of this wine other than it being more or less enjoyable, but lacking any excitement. Looking back to my other notes, it seems this wine can hold its own when compared to other similar wines. Funny that it did not really seem that way with this bottle.
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Open one day. Very dark Crimson, still opaque. Extremely viscous. Nose is very fruited with blackberries and cassis aromas that jump from the glass. Big wine in the mouth, full-bodied and classy. Tannins have been tamed but still present, dark fruit and earth. Good acid backbone gives balance. Bones on a long time, with real presence. Another ten years is not a bad guess when this will be fully rounded and at its most complex. One of the relatively few '05s I've had, this makes me want to try more. 5-13-16-8: 92/100.
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This was the surprise of the Bordeaux tasting. It was ranked 1st by half of the tasters and in the top 3 by 3/4's. This was extremely well integrated and balanced. Another wine with silky tannins. The finish was unexpectedly long for a wine in the price range. I am so glad I have 3 more bottles.
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Nice nice 2005 Bordeaux. As testament to the vintage, this bottle is absolutely alive and it has, in my humble opinion, at least five years of bottle in it. 30 minutes after opening it began to reveal. French Merlot is such a different animal that California merlot. The Cabernet Sauvignon from 2005 has real defining structure. It seems to me that the whole structure is defined by the Cabernet Sauvignon, while the merlot gives it life. The cab franc ties it all together. I had it with seared hanger steak, mushrooms on arugula. Wow. Wow. Wow. I think there are three more floating around here, I hope. 2017 is near.
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This wine seems fully mature and in its prime drinking window. A modern style Bordeaux with rich dark fruit, weighty mouth feel, moderate tannins and acid. Very enjoyable, better than expected, in fact.
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Pop & pour, no decant. Upon opening, the wine was closed, with tight tannins and a whiff of funk, which blew off quickly. The wine started to open after about 15 minutes and evolved throughout the meal. Nose of cedar, red fruit, and wet steel. Weighty mouthfeel, moderately extracted red fruit, medium tannins, fairly long finish. Nicely balanced between acid & tannins. As others have mentioned, this wine reflects a "modern" Bordeaux style, i.e. at the midpoint between a classic Bordeaux and a California cab. I thought it was nicely done - the fruit was not over the top like so many Cali cabs, but wasn't all cedar & no fruit like some traditional Bordeaux. I would say the wine is fully ready to drink with several years ahead of it. But I wouldn't wait - time to get started on your bottles.
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Aerated with a Venturi, served with a spicy-marinated trip-tip. Good Bordeaux for a CA wine lover (e.g. my wife), yet did have some sense of place, midway between Bordeaux and CA. Mid-Dark purple color, fruit nose with some minerality, sweet fruit on palate with hint of earthiness. Med-length finish. Great accompaniment to the trip-tip & brie to follow.
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The cork completely fell apart during extraction. Primary, dark purple color. Ebullient aromas of dark chocolate and spice. Broad shouldered. Lux, raspberry coulis center wrapped in dark chocolate with a coffee finish. Tangy, light tannins. Savory and really long finish. This was superb. Stylish. Modern. The best is yet to come. 92
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A lovely Bordeaux nose. This is an elegant wine for its price. I detected very little in the way of tannins, so I would say this is ready to drink. I decanted for 30 minutes, and it was pretty well opened up by then. Nice notes of red fruit and spice on the palate. A very enjoyable wine.
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Just a lovely, delicious wine. Mature Bordeaux at its peak. Not a classic, but very, very enjoyable. Balance of fruit, spice, and a chocolate note on the nose (though not on the palate). Almost no tannins present. I'd drink this up in the next 1-2 years.
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Damn... firm, firm tannins. I should have read the notes before opening this bottle. Took hours for the chunky tannins to blend into the wine. even after that, still not a pleasant experience tonight. beside from that thick layer of tannins, there were concentrated fruit, dirt, bitter coffee ground, and sharp acids, but very hard to predict how they will come together. definitely need a few years.
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Tannic, almost flinty quality even after 60 mins air. Much better an hour later, when paired with food. Plenty of fruit and nice earthiness, should improve for 2-4 years at least.
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Hugely aromatic nose with thyme, rosemary, aged vanilla and charred oak, licorice, Rowntree fruit pastels, plums, black cherry. Alcohol totally masked.
At first the palate seem lighter in comparison to the promise of the nose, but, with air, the palate came on strong. Big tannins from both the fruit and the oak, with vanilla lingering in the first half of the medium finish. Good acid throughout.
This is good to go for another 10 years at least. Will try again in 5.
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Good, mature Bordeaux ready to drink now. Pairing with Middle Eastern food didn't favor the wine. Different food may have brought out more nuance. I got it recently and at a good price.
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Oh boy. This is a tannin monster with huge structure. Probably opened this much too early and probably lays down for easily another 10-15 years. If i had another bottle i would decant this for at least a couple hours. Huge grape and dark fruit. plum. Tannins are both back of the tongue and sides so barrel and grape tannins here. Good elements of French terroir though - grass, hay, touch of old world barnyard and rosemary but the alcohol (14%) overwhelmes a lot of the fruit and secondary herbal elements. Opened up into a big chewy wine. very surprised by this as not traditionally french classic but a little extra wool, girth and grape to this one. Little unbalanced in my opinion. For others - wait on this and decant
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- It's unbalanced with a medium/full body. Linear texture with a short finish - Goede neus, mooi kleur, maar weinig afdronk kort na het openen. De wijn is volgens mij op dit moment ook nog niet echt in balans: nog wat te harde tannines. Hopelijk verbetert dit met nog een jaar of 2-3 in de kelder. Zeker ook te carafferen indien vroeger gedronken.
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Checking out my 2005 inventory. Drinking well. A little less fruit on nose and palate than the Ferriere; seemed a little flat overall. Still bringing its integration together, so will give it a couple more years and hope the fruit can hold up. Did not notice a particularly long finish.
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Beautiful ripe dark berry fruit (cassis/blackberry), a bit of spice, black licorice and leather, and a hint of vanilla; mouth is very full, soft but structured ample tannins, very good acidity to buoy it up; long finish, nice structure. Solid and will age very well for 10-20 years.
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Pop and poured and surprisingly mellow and easy to drink. Fruit-forward dark fruit, some leather and earth but could be mistaken for a more old world Napa wine. Medium bodied, smooth but not a lot depth though.
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Odd vanilla nose, makes one think it is american oak. Overly extracted with firm tannins. A bit baffled by the bottle since it does not correspond to any other tasting note. Am wondering if it will cellar well?
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Fred rates this 87, I rate it 89: Light structure, simple on the pallet, fruit forward ( not over powering). Intriguing Slate finish With Food: don't bother as the wine disappears; Not enough tannin I guess to preserve the protein bits Steve Tanzer is talking about. It could not even hold up to bread. the good news is that this is a very good and friendly intro to French Bordeaux.
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Merlot: Aromatic with earth, dried cherry, leather, spice, and game. The typical merlot dark fruit as well as chocolate and espresso coming though on the palate. The best of the evening.
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CHERRIES! overwhelmingly cherry. Seemed to mellow after about an hour. This could use another couple years 'resting' but it surely is good now, and a great conversation wine.
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Dark ruby color. Nose of sugar plums, black cherry and a little cedar. Palate shows lush mouth-filling milk chocolate covered cherry with sweet tannins leading into a long chocolatey finish. No hard edges.
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Nose: Cherries, Milk Chocolate, Blacktop and Minearality. Palate: Dense red fruits and soft chocolate are accented by graphite, minerals and a slight anise flavor. Finish: Lengthy and filled with Cherries, raspberry, powdered chocolate, and sweet tanins. Reminded me of an Oakville Merlot. Personally I thought this was very CA in style but had Bordeaux acids.
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deep dark burgundy red, cloudy, silvery edges Nose: berries, white pepper, vanilla, hot, carmel, dark chocolate, spices Pal: berries, vanilla, caramel, white pepper, indian spices, some complexity Feel: medium and round Finish: long TC9
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Medium ruby. 1st nose of ripe red cherry, raspberry, mocha, milk chocolate flakes, followed by blueberry and meat notes, very expressive bouquet. Velvety introduction, lush and concentrated with good acidity, sweet powdered tannin, full bodied, notes of red cherry candy and milk chocolate, hedonistic with good mouthfill. Medium to long finish with plum, expresso powder and a slight oak. After 1.5 hours: Nose of forest and milk chocolate, more chocolate in P&F, very robust. Real pleasure to drink now as a half bottle. Terrior of St Emilion!
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Insufficient two hour decant. Smokey nose. Very tannic and leaden with little evidence of fruit. Has the elements and structure to evolve but only time will tell. Hold for now.
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Dense, intense, lingering...wow, is it a mouthful! Candied cherries and red licorice. Very juicy and approachable. I see how people are getting blueberry, but it isn't the first thing that jumps out at me.
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Black-ruby. Blueberry, cranberry, chocolate, coffee on the weak nose. Silky dark red fruit rush on the attack, blueberry, coffee and cocoa powder on the end. Despite the fact that the extract and tannins create a powdery sensation of cocoa flakes on your tongue, I did not find this difficult to drink. It was a decadent experience-- like eating a box of milk-chocolate covered berries.
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Medium bodied and displaying red and black fruit character, this slightly rustic wine ends with a bright, tart quality that others might like more than I did.
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10/2/2023 - JonnyG Likes this wine:
Black fruit, pepper and mocha notes, polished but not in an overly modern way, with fully integrated oak and a medium length finish. A touch drying but nonetheless an impressive value nearly two decades on.
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7/16/2023 - juffer Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nose of ripe red plums, tobacco, licorice. Full bodied. Firm mix of wood and fruit tannins on the finish.
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9/12/2022 - levicn Likes this wine: 92 Points
醒酒三个小时不到，深宝石红色，闻香有森林地表，陈年的坚果气息，醋栗，话梅，和橡木桶充分融合的香料味，入口酸度高，单宁紧涩，颗粒细腻如粉，口中和闻香一样复杂，森林地表，湿石头，泥土的气息，些许老酒酱味，话梅混合着辛香料味，余味是话梅的香气，石墨，胭脂香料还有悠长的香草巧克力味。一款陈年老酒，处在适饮巅峰期，有些氧化特征，但并不影响它的发挥，结构不小，严肃深邃，口感和香气层次丰富，经典的旧世界风味。
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2/26/2022 - lake.vino wrote: 88 Points
This is definitely on the modern, extractive, fruit-forward, big Bordeaux. Nose shows immense fruit, cedar, forest, raspberry, black currant, some oak/vanillin notes still. Palate slightly hot, oaky, big, jammy fruit. This is not my style, but it's not badly made at all. Still tannic
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11/28/2021 - rwpalmer wrote: 88 Points
This bottle seemed rather tough going and did not show a lot of complexity or generosity even with air.
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3/12/2021 - EBWineGuy wrote: 90 Points
Drinking very well, perhaps beginning to decline. Still, a very enjoyable wine. Opened and poured a sip and decided not to decant due to some brick-edge in the color. After an hour, began to open up. Paired with a leg of lamb stuffed with sage and pancetta - nice match. Undoubtedly Bordeaux - a touch austere, but the graphite and plummy fruit is solid, plus there are some firm/integrated tannins to maintain structure. Very pleasurable. Happy to have had it and would not be disappointed if I had more - but drink up.
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1/30/2021 - KristianT Likes this wine: 93 Points
What a lovely surprise. I got this bottle as a gift about 12 years ago. I was in the mood for a mature Bordeaux and saw the positive notes on this bottle on Cellartracker and decided to try it. The smell was georgeus from the start and after about 20 minutes it really opened up. Very dark colour and quite dense and with very distinct forresty and earthy notes (smelled just like the shitake mushrooms I was cutting for the risotto). Perfectly mature now. Balanced and elegant with a very long and concentrated taste. Distinctly Bordeaux but actually almost more left-bank than right - perhaps the concentration is what takes at least my thoughts a bit away from St. Emilion.
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5/16/2020 - CDH Likes this wine: 90 Points
Not in decline at all.
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2/7/2020 - JackLynch00@gmail.com wrote: 91 Points
Classic aged Bordeaux. Drinking very well now.
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1/18/2020 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 92 Points
Académie des Cinquante Saint-Emilion Tasting (Restaurant Bolenius *, Amsterdam, NL): Tasted blind (wine 3): Rich nose, classical palate, lots of tannins, potential, 92. Tasted semi-blind: Lovely warm nose, slightly meaty, toasty, ripe fruit, relatively generous and supple, broad, accessible, 92. Two different impressions with the same score.
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12/2/2019 - JGinMO wrote: 91 Points
Good if not great. Well integrated, soft tannins, but by no means too old. Decent secondary flavors including that flint I noticed 6 years ago, touch of medicinal. Definitely benefited from 2 hrs air.
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7/31/2019 - havana4 🍾🍇 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Did not decant. Likely should have . Would have helped the 14% etoh content to blow off. ( i personally think the alcohol content is higher like 15%. Still its sleek and structured with plenty of dark red fruit. A real pleasure to drink.
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3/1/2019 - PMJak11 Likes this wine: 95 Points
My go to favorite!! Tremendous QPR! 30+ minute decant and could have used more. Dark cherry color. Nose of cherries and earth. Wine is inky & deep with black cherries, tar, and tobacco. Medium+ finish. I’ll buy as much as I can find or afford!!
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1/24/2019 - curtr Likes this wine: 89 Points
Smooth, ready now, not a lot of structure.
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12/31/2018 - PMJak11 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Happy New Year!! Always good, but not as stellar as previous bottles. Dark purple color. Phenomenal nose that is very rustic. No decant and wine was very reserved. Cork came out a little too easy, which probably had something to do with it. Still good, but a little disappointing.
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12/24/2018 - Connaître Likes this wine: 91 Points
From the cellar. Opened up 2 1/2 hours before.
Dark plum/garnet color. Sweet oak- spiced fruit and lots of licorice. Still a little toasty and with its black cherry and blackcurrant fruit still fresh. It is ripe, round, generous and seductive.
At peak - 91 points.
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10/26/2018 - PMJak11 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Awesome as usual! Similar to my first note! Can’t beat this vintage. Insane QPR!
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10/21/2018 - rwpalmer wrote: 92 Points
Very dark and glossy. Dark fruit, mineral nose with some quite charred oak in the background. Almost a creaminess to the palate, but still lots of 2005 acidity and tannin. Quite sleek, firm and elegant. Will easily go another 10 years.
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9/29/2018 - PMJak11 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Similar to previous bottle and note. Wine is very consistent and very good!
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8/18/2018 - PMJak11 Likes this wine: 93 Points
I don’t think you can call an ‘05 Bordeaux your go to when you discovered it in 2018, but I’m sure glad I have 4 more bottles! Great value! 45+ minutes open in the bottle. Still working on acquiring a decanter across the pond. Dark purple color with dark cherries on the nose, as well as more OH than I remember from the last bottle. Nice structure, with more cherries and tar on the palate. Medium finish. Great find!
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7/28/2018 - PMJak11 Likes this wine: 95 Points
30-45 open in the bottle, got better and better with more air. Medium purple color. Massive oak and vanilla on the nose. One of the better Bordeaux’s I’ve ever had! Very complex as the fruit (black cherry) is well proportioned with tar and earth/dirt. Finish is deep and long! The ‘05 Bordeaux’s are insane. Great way to settle into our in new home in London!!
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11/20/2017 - rjlud Likes this wine: 89 Points
Magnum for "Friendsgiving" with some French friends (and French speaking friends). Popped and poured. A pleasant wine. Light, toasty, with some mocha/coffee notes. A good wine with Turkey! (with a bunch of turkeys!) Thought it would have a bit more punch out of a magnum but was OK.
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10/14/2017 - mike l. wrote: 88 Points
Enjoyed more the second day. Too ripe and new world in style when first opened.
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9/21/2017 - JackLynch00@gmail.com Likes this wine: 90 Points
A fine and mature, if otherwise not especially memorable, right-bank Bordeaux. A crowd-pleaser.
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3/19/2017 - wine&roses wrote: 90 Points
Textbook St. Emilion. Complex and lovely.
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3/11/2017 - up4wine wrote: 90 Points
Wine was fine, cork was a crumbling disaster. This St. Emilion '05, although not expensive, is really humming along. The balance is great and the integration appears pretty complete. Tannins are soft and the fruit is round and mellow. There is just enough acid to make it complement food very well. Upon reviewing the notes from the 4 bottles I have had over the years, it seems I can't make up my mind going either 87 or 90. That is a pretty big dichotomy for me. Strange.
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10/29/2016 - up4wine wrote: 87 Points
Having trouble remembering details of this wine other than it being more or less enjoyable, but lacking any excitement. Looking back to my other notes, it seems this wine can hold its own when compared to other similar wines. Funny that it did not really seem that way with this bottle.
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3/12/2016 - schott Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very nice Bordeaux for the price and drinking quite well right now.
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1/31/2016 - MicklethePickle wrote: 92 Points
Open one day. Very dark Crimson, still opaque. Extremely viscous. Nose is very fruited with blackberries and cassis aromas that jump from the glass. Big wine in the mouth, full-bodied and classy. Tannins have been tamed but still present, dark fruit and earth. Good acid backbone gives balance. Bones on a long time, with real presence. Another ten years is not a bad guess when this will be fully rounded and at its most complex. One of the relatively few '05s I've had, this makes me want to try more. 5-13-16-8: 92/100.
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1/17/2016 - up4wine wrote: 90 Points
This was the surprise of the Bordeaux tasting. It was ranked 1st by half of the tasters and in the top 3 by 3/4's. This was extremely well integrated and balanced. Another wine with silky tannins. The finish was unexpectedly long for a wine in the price range. I am so glad I have 3 more bottles.
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12/3/2015 - brich wrote: 91 Points
Very nice. Aerated and it is lovely and balanced. Good to drink now or 5 years from now.
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10/10/2015 - Ideasthatstick Likes this wine:
Nice nice 2005 Bordeaux. As testament to the vintage, this bottle is absolutely alive and it has, in my humble opinion, at least five years of bottle in it. 30 minutes after opening it began to reveal. French Merlot is such a different animal that California merlot. The Cabernet Sauvignon from 2005 has real defining structure. It seems to me that the whole structure is defined by the Cabernet Sauvignon, while the merlot gives it life. The cab franc ties it all together. I had it with seared hanger steak, mushrooms on arugula. Wow. Wow. Wow. I think there are three more floating around here, I hope. 2017 is near.
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9/25/2015 - CDH Likes this wine: 90 Points
This wine seems fully mature and in its prime drinking window. A modern style Bordeaux with rich dark fruit, weighty mouth feel, moderate tannins and acid. Very enjoyable, better than expected, in fact.
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8/10/2015 - BelgianBacchus wrote: 90 Points
Much better than last time (3 years ago). Balanced, solid, quite complex. Nice Bordeaux
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7/28/2015 - Momus99 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Same notes as before. Loved this stuff and wish I had more.
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6/19/2015 - CDH Likes this wine: 90 Points
Pop & pour, no decant. Upon opening, the wine was closed, with tight tannins and a whiff of funk, which blew off quickly. The wine started to open after about 15 minutes and evolved throughout the meal. Nose of cedar, red fruit, and wet steel. Weighty mouthfeel, moderately extracted red fruit, medium tannins, fairly long finish. Nicely balanced between acid & tannins. As others have mentioned, this wine reflects a "modern" Bordeaux style, i.e. at the midpoint between a classic Bordeaux and a California cab. I thought it was nicely done - the fruit was not over the top like so many Cali cabs, but wasn't all cedar & no fruit like some traditional Bordeaux. I would say the wine is fully ready to drink with several years ahead of it. But I wouldn't wait - time to get started on your bottles.
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4/19/2015 - CabZinMan Likes this wine: 91 Points
Aerated with a Venturi, served with a spicy-marinated trip-tip. Good Bordeaux for a CA wine lover (e.g. my wife), yet did have some sense of place, midway between Bordeaux and CA. Mid-Dark purple color, fruit nose with some minerality, sweet fruit on palate with hint of earthiness. Med-length finish. Great accompaniment to the trip-tip & brie to follow.
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2/15/2015 - swade wrote: 92 Points
The cork completely fell apart during extraction. Primary, dark purple color. Ebullient aromas of dark chocolate and spice. Broad shouldered. Lux, raspberry coulis center wrapped in dark chocolate with a coffee finish. Tangy, light tannins. Savory and really long finish. This was superb. Stylish. Modern. The best is yet to come. 92
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2/3/2015 - curtr wrote:
Tight at the moment. Try again in 2017.
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1/14/2015 - Troon wrote: 90 Points
A lovely Bordeaux nose. This is an elegant wine for its price. I detected very little in the way of tannins, so I would say this is ready to drink. I decanted for 30 minutes, and it was pretty well opened up by then. Nice notes of red fruit and spice on the palate. A very enjoyable wine.
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8/19/2014 - Momus99 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Just a lovely, delicious wine. Mature Bordeaux at its peak. Not a classic, but very, very enjoyable. Balance of fruit, spice, and a chocolate note on the nose (though not on the palate). Almost no tannins present. I'd drink this up in the next 1-2 years.
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12/13/2013 - NathanT wrote:
Damn... firm, firm tannins. I should have read the notes before opening this bottle. Took hours for the chunky tannins to blend into the wine. even after that, still not a pleasant experience tonight. beside from that thick layer of tannins, there were concentrated fruit, dirt, bitter coffee ground, and sharp acids, but very hard to predict how they will come together. definitely need a few years.
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11/27/2013 - Richroller Likes this wine: 88 Points
Nose was great. Opened up after an hour in the decanter. Wish I would have waited another few years. Great potential.
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11/23/2013 - JGinMO wrote: 90 Points
Tannic, almost flinty quality even after 60 mins air. Much better an hour later, when paired with food. Plenty of fruit and nice earthiness, should improve for 2-4 years at least.
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6/1/2013 - mcsac67 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark crimson. Blackberry, oak and dark chocolate on the nose. Flavors of cherry, blackberry, chocolate and coffee. Tannins still firm.
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5/9/2013 - chatters wrote:
United Cellars Grand Bordeaux Tasting 2013 (Royal Automobile Club, Macquarie Street, Sydney): Deep ruby. Ripe, black fruit spice. Oak, cedar. Medium plus acid. Creamy,, black and red fruit, elegant, long. Quite nice.
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2/22/2013 - Wamrod wrote: 93 Points
Very enjoyable!
Dense dark purple
Hugely aromatic nose with thyme, rosemary, aged vanilla and charred oak, licorice, Rowntree fruit pastels, plums, black cherry. Alcohol totally masked.
At first the palate seem lighter in comparison to the promise of the nose, but, with air, the palate came on strong. Big tannins from both the fruit and the oak, with vanilla lingering in the first half of the medium finish. Good acid throughout.
This is good to go for another 10 years at least. Will try again in 5.
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2/5/2013 - jeffm_fla Likes this wine: 90 Points
Good, mature Bordeaux ready to drink now. Pairing with Middle Eastern food didn't favor the wine. Different food may have brought out more nuance. I got it recently and at a good price.
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1/2/2013 - BCharlieG wrote: 90 Points
Oh boy. This is a tannin monster with huge structure. Probably opened this much too early and probably lays down for easily another 10-15 years. If i had another bottle i would decant this for at least a couple hours. Huge grape and dark fruit. plum. Tannins are both back of the tongue and sides so barrel and grape tannins here. Good elements of French terroir though - grass, hay, touch of old world barnyard and rosemary but the alcohol (14%) overwhelmes a lot of the fruit and secondary herbal elements. Opened up into a big chewy wine. very surprised by this as not traditionally french classic but a little extra wool, girth and grape to this one. Little unbalanced in my opinion. For others - wait on this and decant
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8/17/2012 - BelgianBacchus wrote: 85 Points
- It's unbalanced with a medium/full body. Linear texture with a short finish - Goede neus, mooi kleur, maar weinig afdronk kort na het openen. De wijn is volgens mij op dit moment ook nog niet echt in balans: nog wat te harde tannines. Hopelijk verbetert dit met nog een jaar of 2-3 in de kelder. Zeker ook te carafferen indien vroeger gedronken.
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8/5/2012 - dcasper wrote: 83 Points
Great nose, strong dark fruit but a complete lack of finish. Too bad
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2/19/2012 - redman77 wrote: 91 Points
Very very nice ...lets see what happens in a few years
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12/3/2011 - up4wine wrote: 87 Points
Checking out my 2005 inventory. Drinking well. A little less fruit on nose and palate than the Ferriere; seemed a little flat overall. Still bringing its integration together, so will give it a couple more years and hope the fruit can hold up. Did not notice a particularly long finish.
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10/20/2011 - peternelson wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful ripe dark berry fruit (cassis/blackberry), a bit of spice, black licorice and leather, and a hint of vanilla; mouth is very full, soft but structured ample tannins, very good acidity to buoy it up; long finish, nice structure. Solid and will age very well for 10-20 years.
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10/3/2011 - dcasper wrote: 88 Points
Fairly mellow wine, certainly ready to drink. Bright red fruit on the nose, but it didn't carry throughout. Still a good french daily drinker.
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7/31/2011 - Hazeo wrote: 88 Points
Pop and poured and surprisingly mellow and easy to drink. Fruit-forward dark fruit, some leather and earth but could be mistaken for a more old world Napa wine. Medium bodied, smooth but not a lot depth though.
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7/26/2011 - bcannedy wrote: 86 Points
Odd vanilla nose, makes one think it is american oak. Overly extracted with firm tannins. A bit baffled by the bottle since it does not correspond to any other tasting note. Am wondering if it will cellar well?
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3/20/2011 - Chapel wrote: 88 Points
Fred rates this 87, I rate it 89: Light structure, simple on the pallet, fruit forward ( not over powering). Intriguing Slate finish
With Food: don't bother as the wine disappears; Not enough tannin I guess to preserve the protein bits Steve Tanzer is talking about. It could not even hold up to bread.
the good news is that this is a very good and friendly intro to French Bordeaux.
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3/13/2011 - patrickt wrote: 91 Points
Merlot: Aromatic with earth, dried cherry, leather, spice, and game. The typical merlot dark fruit as well as chocolate and espresso coming though on the palate. The best of the evening.
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1/14/2011 - Hazeo wrote:
Dark brooding, lots of tannins and oak and rather closed. Just a few casual impressions as I was still recovering from flu.
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11/29/2010 - kgh wrote: 89 Points
Closed upon first opening, but after 2 hours reveal pleasing aromas and flavors of cherry, leather, and anise. Goes well with Stilton cheese.
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11/8/2010 - dcasper wrote: 88 Points
CHERRIES! overwhelmingly cherry. Seemed to mellow after about an hour. This could use another couple years 'resting' but it surely is good now, and a great conversation wine.
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10/28/2010 - dkoontz wrote: 90 Points
Dark ruby color. Nose of sugar plums, black cherry and a little cedar. Palate shows lush mouth-filling milk chocolate covered cherry with sweet tannins leading into a long chocolatey finish. No hard edges.
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8/25/2010 - RockinCabs wrote: 91 Points
Nose: Cherries, Milk Chocolate, Blacktop and Minearality. Palate: Dense red fruits and soft chocolate are accented by graphite, minerals and a slight anise flavor. Finish: Lengthy and filled with Cherries, raspberry, powdered chocolate, and sweet tanins. Reminded me of an Oakville Merlot. Personally I thought this was very CA in style but had Bordeaux acids.
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7/6/2010 - Frijole wrote:
deep dark burgundy red, cloudy, silvery edges
Nose: berries, white pepper, vanilla, hot, carmel, dark chocolate, spices
Pal: berries, vanilla, caramel, white pepper, indian spices, some complexity
Feel: medium and round
Finish: long
TC9
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6/18/2010 - Ambrose wrote: 89 Points
Medium ruby. 1st nose of ripe red cherry, raspberry, mocha, milk chocolate flakes, followed by blueberry and meat notes, very expressive bouquet. Velvety introduction, lush and concentrated with good acidity, sweet powdered tannin, full bodied, notes of red cherry candy and milk chocolate, hedonistic with good mouthfill. Medium to long finish with plum, expresso powder and a slight oak.
After 1.5 hours: Nose of forest and milk chocolate, more chocolate in P&F, very robust.
Real pleasure to drink now as a half bottle. Terrior of St Emilion!
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1/17/2010 - elbosco wrote: 87 Points
Insufficient two hour decant. Smokey nose. Very tannic and leaden with little evidence of fruit. Has the elements and structure to evolve but only time will tell. Hold for now.
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3/27/2009 - al-Zabba wrote:
Dense, intense, lingering...wow, is it a mouthful! Candied cherries and red licorice. Very juicy and approachable. I see how people are getting blueberry, but it isn't the first thing that jumps out at me.
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8/7/2008 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Spice, black pepper, modern but fresh. Really good 2005 bordeaux. Definately worth $50.
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6/20/2008 - slaughterer wrote: 90 Points
Black-ruby. Blueberry, cranberry, chocolate, coffee on the weak nose. Silky dark red fruit rush on the attack, blueberry, coffee and cocoa powder on the end. Despite the fact that the extract and tannins create a powdery sensation of cocoa flakes on your tongue, I did not find this difficult to drink. It was a decadent experience-- like eating a box of milk-chocolate covered berries.
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1/20/2008 - Jeff Leve wrote: 87 Points
Medium bodied and displaying red and black fruit character, this slightly rustic wine ends with a bright, tart quality that others might like more than I did.
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1/19/2008 - tanglenet wrote:
Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux (San Francisco): Tasted at the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux in SF. Quick notes: super dry. Unrated.
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3/28/2006 - Burgundy Al wrote:
2005 Bordeaux en Primeur; 3/26/2006-3/28/2006 (Bordeaux France): En Primeur tasting. Black currant, dark chocolate, vanilla. Fresh but moderate. Firm finish, ending slightly one-note. 86-88 point potential.
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