2005 Red Bordeaux

This is a stunning wine, epitomising St Julien's breed and elegance but with an extra dash of generosity. A fabulous rich nose leads to a structured palate with a lovely weight of ripe, creamy raspberry and loganberry fruit with liquorice and toast hints. The fruit quality is outstanding, with real energy and freshness, topped off by a long, pure finish. The harvest was very late here so the Cabernet Sauvignon (60%) and Merlot (30%) were able to really blossom. Given their reasonable pricing policy this is one of the wines of the vintage for value as well as quality.

This is truly a masterpiece.A majestic, complex, rich, intoxicating nose with exciting, racy,pure cassis notes leads on to a sublime, multi, multi-layered palate with a precise, cool, silky core of the ripest blackcurrants with a generous dollop of double cream.This really is a spectacular, flawless wine that not only rivals the other 2005 First Growths but surpasses 2 or 3 of them. Whether this is as great as the 1928 or 1945 is just too soon to call, but this will definitely be one of the greatest cases you might ever have in your cellar. Awe-inspiring!

Made from 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, the silky, incredibly concentrated and elegant brambly fruit is wonderfully fragrant with lovely minerality and hints of cedar. The super-ripe tannins are accompanied by layer upon layer of fruit alongside a freshness and firm acidity. This slumbering giant will eventually awaken and become one of the most prized of the 2005 treasures. Even so it is utterly compelling now, with each taste like a PhD of Claret, such is its complexity. It may not have the immediate appeal of the legendary 2000 but we were all agreed that it is unquestionably a better wine. One of the wines of the vintage.

This case contains one 75cl bottle of each of the following wines:

1 x 2005 Ch. Petrus, Pomerol
1 x 2005 Ch. Mouton-Rothschild, Pauillac
1 x 2005 Ch. Lafite, Pauillac
1 x 2005 Ch. Latour, Pauillac
1 x 2005 Ch. Maragaux,  Margaux
1 x 2005 Ch. Cheval Blanc, St Emilion

Unlike Right Bank Bordeaux properties, Special Cuveés are a rare phenomenon in the Médoc. Ch. Palmer do a limited XIXth Century blend (but that incorporates grapes from the northern Rhône as well) and though there have been occasional experimental releases from a few other châteaux there is certainly nothing we know of that compares with this very fine, limited production special cuvée from Ch. Sociando-Mallet - Cuvee Jean Gautreau.

Jean Gautreau purchased Ch. Sociando-Mallet in 1969 and rescued it from a period of inconsistency turning it into one of the most popular Cru Bourgeois on the market today. In 1995, driven by a quest for quality, Jean Gautreau and his team decided to select the fifteen best barrels from the vintage to make a special cuvée blend made with a higher percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon (approx. 80%) than the regular château bottling (approx. 60%). The total volume is only 1% of the production of the whole estate and hence is very rarely seen in the market 

The wines of Ch. Sociando-Mallet are traditionally weighty, firm and well-structured, rich in fruit with excellent ageing potential and Cuvée Jean Gautreau is simply a different expression of this style but with an extra step up in quality and ageability.

As Jean Gautreau says: "I have a superb terroir which I want to express in the wine. I try to make a classic Médoc for long keeping."

A result of the remarkable 2005 vintage, this wine offers the hallmarks of the year with excellent concentration of fruit, ripe yet structured tannins and a lovely freshness throughout. Eleven years on and this is starting to display some secondary characteristics, yet there remains a lovely core of black berry fruit, complemented with notes of bramble and damson.

A slight creaminess to the texture, there is great richness across the palate which holds through to a long finish. Great structure with integrated tannins which will carry this for years to allow greater evolution in bottle.  Approachable now, but I would enjoy this from 2018 - 2028.
Chris Lamb, Private Account Manager

As big as ever, Montrose has made a real tour de force in 2005, although it is very much an iron fist in a velvet glove. It is a dense wine with enormous tannins, but the latter are cloaked by sweet, concentrated, ripe cassis and plum fruits. It is only on the incredibly long finish (a real feature of the 2005s) that they really reveal themselves, but even then they are very fine. This is not just a brute though, it has great charm and grace. The 65% Cabernet Sauvignon really comes through and helps give the wine that wonderful earthy St Estèphe personality.
Simon Staples, Asia Wine Director

As usual, the 2005 Bahans-Haut-Brion mirrors its bigger brother, but is softer with more forward fruit as well as lighter tannin. Its aromas and flavors are similar to those of Haut-Brion. It should last a lot longer than its forwardness would suggest (the 1989 is still drinking beautifully), drinking well for 15 or more years.

The winemaker at Lagrange is the brother of the winemaker at Léoville-Las Cases, so family Christmases must be quite a treat. Unusually for the Médoc, this ever-impressive wine has been made with more Merlot than usual (45%), rather than more Cabernet (46%). The yields are down to a lowly 40hl/ha, which bestows the wine with great concentration. The keynote here though is the incredible ripeness. The attractive nose is elegant and pretty, while the wine itself is pure and generous with polished blackberry fruit and real sex appeal. Another great wine from this Berrys' favourite.
Simon Staples, BBR Sales & Marketing Director - Aug 08

Words can't convey how good this is. It is an extraordinary Margaux, with a perfume to die for and an astonishing level of concentration and complexity. The tannin levels are the highest ever here but you would never know; they are like velvet on the tongue cloaked with rich, suave and voluptuous forest fruits and crushed raspberries. The finish goes on forever with coffee, mocha and bitter chocolate hints enhancing the intense pure, creamy cassis. This is a classic Margaux that starts slowly and then just builds and builds to a deafening crescendo that engulfs the senses. This is a legendary Margaux.

Consistently one of our (and our customers’) favourite châteaux, Batailley produced a wine that is particularly sleek and elegant in 2005. This is a classic Batailley in every sense of the word and represents another huge leap forward for the property. Increasingly this feels like a Fifth Growth performing at the level of a Second or Third Growth.

Everything is there in spades: body, texture and fruit concentration. Very ripe Cabernet Sauvignon dominates, with beautifully ripe tannins, cassis and a spicy edge.

With 71% Cabernet Sauvignon and 29% Merlot Duhart-Milon-Rothschild  is a bit firmer than the Carruades de Lafite, but is still very Pauillac indeed. An attractive blackcurrant nose is followed by a very ample concentrated palate that is incredibly fresh and very fine indeed. Despite its considerable structure this is a real charmer. Excellent.

This is a real return to form for Grand Puy Lacoste, with owner François Xavier Borie rightfully very proud of his Grand Vin in 2005. Made with more Cabernet Sauvignon than usual (78%) this has a gently toasty cassis nose, followed by elegant blackberry and dark cherry fruit with licorice hints and good freshness. It is far more feminine than the Lynch Bages and also the Pontet Canet, yet retains lots of energy and weight along with perfect balance. This may not be a powerhouse but it is one of the very finest wines in Pauillac, and indeed the whole of Bordeaux.