2005 Château Les Grands Chênes

Community Tasting Notes (116) Avg Score: 88.7 points

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  1/27/2024 - CarpeDiem! Likes this wine: 89 Points

  Well developed now and ready to drink. Ripe cherries, raspberries, liquorice, roast aromas. Medium bodied palate, well structured, with matured red fruit, tobacco, leather, liquorice and a menthol finish. Drink now and over the coming 3 years.

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  8/13/2023 - CarpeDiem! Likes this wine: 89 Points

  Well developped now and ready to drink. Ripe cherries, raspberries, liquorice, roast aromas. Medium bodied palate, well structured, with matured red fruit, tobacco, leather, liquorice and a menthol finish. Drink now and over the coming 3 years.

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  6/22/2023 - KayB Likes this wine: 92 Points

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  6/9/2023 - jshufelt wrote: 90 Points

  Decanted for 90 minutes before service, probably about right. In the glass, medium-dark maroon at the rim, shading gradually to near-black at the core. On the nose, currants, graphite, and a hint of cigar box. On the palate, dry but not austere or over the hill; some fruit is still there and holding its own, along with secondary nuances of aging. A strong argument for buying cheap Bdx in the hyped vintages.

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  3/18/2023 - CharlesHK wrote: 90 Points

  Bottle #1, of a case of 12, purchased many many years ago at a steal. To be honest, the price prejudices my review as it punches well above its weight. Served at 19 degrees, no decant. Provenance perfect, cork in amazing condition.
  
  General observation: all the way down to what I consider entry level Bordeaux, 2005 is just a star. But, they are going to take time. Be patient and you won't regret it. But, please be patient. Big and medium names have years to evolve (not just stay consistent), entry level wines are shinning brightly now. And this is exactly that type of wine. Enjoy them, think about your bigger wines if you have them. I won't even touch my 2005 Ch. Saint Pierre, Leoville Barton, Haut Bages Liberal until 2030 based on this wine.
  
  Colour: dark garnet, terrific luster, beautiful. Nose: almost smells like a right bank wine, which is not surprising given that it is 55% merlot, 40% CS, 5% CF. 14%. Taste: perfect example of merlot dominant Bordeaux with lavish oak treatment that has resolved. Great balance between fruit, acid, tannin. Tasted blind, I would almost think dusty Malbec was in the mix but it's not.
  
  Impeccable balance."Inky" texture, which is so common with Bernard Magrez wines (Can't wait to taste La Cour Tarnet). Tasted 10 years ago, I bet this wine had a big oak lick to it that I would not have liked at all. Now, totally in balance.
  
  OK. Not the most complex wine, but delicious and extremely well made. Difficult to believe it's 18. Perfect wine to open mid week and enjoy with a delicious, but not labour intensive meal. Or, one glass each at a dinner party of six to highlight the spectacular 2005 Bordeaux vintage.
  
  Comparisons: less complex than Phelan Segur 2005, but still totally delicious. Similar to Ch. Belgrave 2005, but with more Merlot.
  
  Enjoy and rejoice in 2005. Still my favourite Bordeaux and South Australia vintage.
  
  Terrific value, if you bought it years ago and waited. Great preview of what 2005 can offer.

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