Held this wine for 17 years or so. Enjoyable wine but its showing its age on the edges. 3 hour decant. Still, nice and round on the palate. Mid-palate, a bit earthy. Hard to describe. Maybe the tannins did not mature as gracefully as other Bordeaux. But is a $50 Bordeaux.. All in an all, I am very glad I opened it up. I tasted it previously in 2018 and wrote that it had many more years ahead. Not so sure anymore.
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Unlike the 2000, I decanted this - it was clearly in need when I opened it. I gave it five hours, which helped, but it’s not really ready yet. Blackberry and black cherries on the nose, with some earth and tobacco. In the mouth, quite different to the 2000: intense blackberry, then the dark cherries and a little plum. Very intense, but it doesn’t rise to the top of the palate like the 2000, it goes straight for the jugular, with lots of depth. More refined and elegant than the 00, more polished too, but also more tannic. The tannins are still a little fiery, hence the need to decant. The finish is wonderfully persistent but the flavours never really get out of second gear. It needs to loosen up, which I think it will in another two or three years. Still, in its own way, very enjoyable. For now, 91 points but I think it will deserve more in the future.
Trying them together, it was hard to believe they came from the same producer, such was the difference in taste profile. The 2005 is a promising wine but it never stood a chance next to the 2000. However, the 2005 is a whole lot better than any other St.Emilion 2005 I have tried, which admittedly is not difficult. Unlike the others, the Vauthier family refrained from turning everything up to eleven and the refined, restrained elegance came as a welcome relief.
This wine opened well with a still deep crimson colour and a nose of garnet plums, black currants and berries, liquorice, dark chocolate and Christmas cake. The palate is quite rich and round with nice intensity and mouth feel. There is a strong line of fine tannins that carry through the palate adding grip and balance. With lovely purity and balance this a fine example both of a mid level St Emilion Grand Cru and the 2005 vintage.
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Noble dark Ruby body. Loads of rich ripe red fruits on the nose when just opened even after these 16 years ! Solid tannin indicates 2005 a vintage great for great cellar potential. The first 30 mins is a red fruit bombshell, the following hour is potent dark fruit body with a hint of vanilla and emerging herb and leather ! The after taste is warm with a medium long finish of plum and raspberry. This is a marvellous vintage at a very good price !
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12/17/2023 - Lewis6619 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Just a lovely well rounded Emilion. I think it still has 3-5 years left in the tank.
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11/10/2023 - unc0rked Likes this wine: 91 Points
Held this wine for 17 years or so. Enjoyable wine but its showing its age on the edges. 3 hour decant. Still, nice and round on the palate. Mid-palate, a bit earthy. Hard to describe. Maybe the tannins did not mature as gracefully as other Bordeaux. But is a $50 Bordeaux.. All in an all, I am very glad I opened it up. I tasted it previously in 2018 and wrote that it had many more years ahead. Not so sure anymore.
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1/14/2023 - Julian Marshall Likes this wine: 91 Points
I tried this with a 2000.
Unlike the 2000, I decanted this - it was clearly in need when I opened it. I gave it five hours, which helped, but it’s not really ready yet. Blackberry and black cherries on the nose, with some earth and tobacco. In the mouth, quite different to the 2000: intense blackberry, then the dark cherries and a little plum. Very intense, but it doesn’t rise to the top of the palate like the 2000, it goes straight for the jugular, with lots of depth. More refined and elegant than the 00, more polished too, but also more tannic. The tannins are still a little fiery, hence the need to decant. The finish is wonderfully persistent but the flavours never really get out of second gear. It needs to loosen up, which I think it will in another two or three years. Still, in its own way, very enjoyable. For now, 91 points but I think it will deserve more in the future.
Trying them together, it was hard to believe they came from the same producer, such was the difference in taste profile. The 2005 is a promising wine but it never stood a chance next to the 2000. However, the 2005 is a whole lot better than any other St.Emilion 2005 I have tried, which admittedly is not difficult. Unlike the others, the Vauthier family refrained from turning everything up to eleven and the refined, restrained elegance came as a welcome relief.
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1/9/2023 - drjb Likes this wine: 92 Points
This wine opened well with a still deep crimson colour and a nose of garnet plums, black currants and berries, liquorice, dark chocolate and Christmas cake. The palate is quite rich and round with nice intensity and mouth feel. There is a strong line of fine tannins that carry through the palate adding grip and balance. With lovely purity and balance this a fine example both of a mid level St Emilion Grand Cru and the 2005 vintage.
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10/29/2022 - matthewsyip Likes this wine: 92 Points
Noble dark Ruby body. Loads of rich ripe red fruits on the nose when just opened even after these 16 years ! Solid tannin indicates 2005 a vintage great for great cellar potential. The first 30 mins is a red fruit bombshell, the following hour is potent dark fruit body with a hint of vanilla and emerging herb and leather ! The after taste is warm with a medium long finish of plum and raspberry. This is a marvellous vintage at a very good price !
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