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Another absolute legend in the vintage is the 2005 Château Pape Clément, which is just now starting to hit prime time. Based on 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, it has a deep, powerful, incredibly seductive style to go with beautiful darker fruits, scorched earth, smoke, and chocolatey nuances. With velvety tannins, a flawless, full-bodied, seamless mouthfeel, blockbuster length, it should blow you away any time over the coming two decades.Jeb Dunnuck | 100 JDOwned by Bernard Magrez, this great terroir a few miles from Haut Brion and La Mission Haut Brion has produced one of the superstars of the vintage. A blend of 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, Pape Clement’s 2005 has an opaque purple color and smoky barbecue and chocolaty notes intermixed with cassis and blackberries. There is also some underlying minerality in this full-bodied, super-concentrated wine, which has wonderfully sweet, well-integrated tannins. This majestic, multidimensional wines is one of the great, great wines of the vintage. It should drink well for at least another 25 years.Robert Parker | 99 RPThe 2005 Pape Clément is a blockbuster. Rich, heady and explosive, the 2005 packs a serious punch. Inky black fruit, new leather, spice, menthol, chocolate, gravel and scorched earth are all kicked up in this decidedly flamboyant Pessac-Léognan. The 2005 boasts tremendous depth, but equally lavish new oak. Even with all of the oak, the 2005 is fabulous. It just could have been more, a lot more. Ultimately, the 2005 is a wine of its era more than anything else.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGDark in color, offering wonderful aromas of licorice, berry, fresh tobacco and currant, with Indian spices. Complex and full-bodied, with supersilky tannins that caress every inch of the palate. Long and satisfying. A joy to taste this young wine. Best after 2015. 7,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSIn addition to the gravel soils, what distinguishes this historic Péssac property is an alluvial deposit from the Gironde, which left a layer of sand in some portions of the vineyard, a layer of clay in others. It was holy ground of the church in the 13th century; this latest vintage seems to reverberate with numinous warmth. It feels plump with fat currant flavor when first opened, developing more muscular structure over the course of several days. The tannins have a pebbly articulation, a terroir character that extends the flavor of the wine and seems to guarantee its greatness over the coming decades.Wine & Spirits | 94 W&SThis wine has great spice, nutmeg and black fig flavors. It is full of deep, brooding tannins, and packed with intense acidity. It’s fresh but has good concentration.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WE

A spicy, smoky, wood-dominated wine, which loses its fruit in all these exotic flavors. There is a dark core that will round out and spread the fruit through what should be an impressive wine.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WEThe 2005 vintage of Château Phélan-Ségur is one of the finest I have ever tasted from this property, and this has to be one of the great sleepers of the vintage. The bouquet is deep, pure and complex, offering up scents of sappy black cherries, sweet cassis, cigar smoke, a fine base of dark soil, incipient notes of truffles and a nice touch of nutty new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and nicely structured, with a really solid core of fruit, fine focus and grip, firm, but well-integrated tannins and a long, quite serious finish. This is punching above its weight class in 2005! (Drink between 2020-2045)John Gilman | 91 JG

The 2005 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron is brilliant and is drinking spectacularly well today, with notes of ripe currants, smoked tobacco, crushed stone, and that utterly classic, freshly sharpened pencil Pauillac characteristics that’s so hard to find from anywhere else. Ripe, full-bodied, expansive, and seamless, this sexy, opulent, incredibly seductive 2005 will continue to drink well for another 30-40 years if well stored.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDA great, classic Pauillac, with its dark, dense, almost black currant flavors stirred together with immense tannins. The layers of dryness, fresh fruits, acidity and ripeness are all coming together into a magnificent structure.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEBaron was trapped in its oak en primeur, seeming flashy, luscious and soft. Now bottled and shipped, it has the unremitting tannic power of the vintage, balanced by unrelenting purity of fruit that somehow manages to anesthetize the monstrous tannin, to soften the extremely dry, mineral-bound finish into a caress. The wine may be bombastic, but it’s also succulent and as sweet as a ripe black raspberry. It’s easy to imagine this wine 50 years from now, in impeccable condition. Diageo Château & Estate Wines, NYWine & Spirits | 96 W&SThe 2005 Pichon Baron is in a gorgeous spot right now. Aromatically expressive and open, the 2005 is so expressive. Cedar, sweet pipe tobacco, mint, dried flowers, mocha and sweet red cherry fruit all meld together in a creamy, wonderfully expressive Pauillac. A long, persistent finish with terrific saline energy rounds things out in style. The 2005 is a super classic Pichon Baron that delivers so much pleasure.Antonio Galloni | 95 AGWeeks of sunshine preceded an entirely healthy harvest, leading to high expectations that have been fulfilled. This is still opaque red in colour, the resplendent black-fruit nose accompanied by toasty oak, though still a bit reserved. Very rich and velvety, it is highly concentrated with lavish tannins. Broad-shouldered and chocolatey, it has moderate acidity and is now beginning to open up, though it remains imposing and a bit monumental. Textured and long. Drinking Window 2020 - 2038Decanter | 95 DECOffers crushed currant and blackberry on the nose, turning to tar and licorice. Full-bodied, with a solid core of ripe fruit and seamless tannins. Goes on and on. Very, very beautiful. A cross between the 2000 and fabulous 2003. Best after 2013. 20,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe 2005 Pichon Baron has a dense ruby/purple color, sweet crème de cassis fruit, lots of cedar wood and forest floor, medium to full body, ripe tannin, and a long finish of a good 30+ seconds. This is a beauty and one of the most successful Pauillacs of this vintage. Drink it now through 2035.Robert Parker | 93 RP

Always showing well, this bottle of 2005 Château Pontet Canet was just about pure perfection in a glass. Still youthful ruby/purple-hued, with a gorgeous core of pure cassis and darker currant fruits, it’s full-bodied and has a stacked mid-palate, building tannins, and textbook Pauillac graphite, lead pencil, and subtle tobacco and cedar aromas and flavors. It’s a big, rich, powerful 2005 with flawlessly integrated tannins, remarkable purity, and a finish that won’t quit. While it’s still another 5-10 years away from being completely mature, it unquestionably offers incredible pleasure today.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDPossibly the youngest wine of all the 2005 Médocs in terms of its evolution, at age 10 the inky purple 2005 Pontet-Canet tastes more like a two-year-old wine. Loads of pure blueberry, blackberry and cassis fruit are present along with a hint of licorice and background oak. It is full-bodied, ripe, and excruciatingly fresh, vigorous and exuberant. This is a tour de force, and a sensational effort that rivals the first growths. Give it another 5-10 years of cellaring, and drink it over the following 30-40 years.Robert Parker | 97+ RPClass in glass. Deep ruby, youthful tone. Such sumptuous red berry, cassis and tobacco aromas. Juicy and full bodied, with smoothly textured tannins. The creamy mid palate texture is framed by an impressive arc of tension and balancing acidity, ensuring long life. Long finish. Super! Aged 50% new oak.Decanter | 97 DECThe 2005 Pontet-Canet is a heady, exotic wine. Inky dark fruit, mocha, chocolate, licorice, spice and tobacco are front and center. Readers will find an unabashedly opulent, full-throttle 2005 with quite a bit more oak influence and overall extraction than is the norm these days. Even so, the 2005 is a young, young wine with a bright future. This is one sexy Pauillac, that’s for sure.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGWarm, fleshy and inviting, featuring a gush of blackberry, fig and boysenberry compote flavors that are both primal and approachable, with light anise, sweet tobacco and ganache notes filling in behind. Shows a serious, deeply buried iron and cedar spine, as the fruit is just pumping forth now.—Blind ’01/’03/’05 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2017). Drink now through 2035. 20,830 cases made. Wine Spectator | 96 WSDespite its core of strength and power and obvious aging ability, this is already a delicious wine, with mint aromas, ripe fruit masking the solid tannins. This estate has been on a roll for several years, and this 2005 shows why.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEDrawn into a tannic trance, this wine’s fresh black raspberry flavor moves through blueberry skin into a graphite, mineral blackout. Before the tannin, it shows a deep reservoir of fruit and the rich espresso-roast scent of fine oak. The texture is meaty, the structure set for long evolution in the cellar. Diageo Château & Estate Wines, NYWine & Spirits | 90 W&S

I’m not sure you need me to recap the weather conditions in 2005 as it’s such a famous, and relatively recent, year. Suffice to say, it was pretty close to a perfect year, with spots of heat but generally cool evenings that maintained a sense of freshness and poise. The colour difference is quite remarkable in comparison to the older vintages in the tasting, and even with nearly 15 years of age we are fully in primary colours with this 2005 - rich, purple-reds, not inky but full of life and intensity right through the body of the wine. On the palate you find touches of caramel and sweet, ripe fruit that’s handled expertly. It’s more gourmet than any other on display, but still with gorgeous freshness and traces of black pepper spice that give focus to the finish. It has an effortless balance that just makes you so happy to be drinking this wonderful vintage, from an estate that’s in no hurry to reveal its riches. Outside of the world of Bordeaux wine, Angela Merkel became head of the German government, following on from Gerhard Schroëder. Drinking Window 2018 - 2045Decanter | 94 DECComplex aromas of chocolate, currants, berries and sweet tobacco. Full body with fully integrated tannins that give a silky texture. Lovely tannins, fruit and acid balance. Just opening now. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 93 JSWith its big fruit, and hearty tannins, this is a powerful, ripe wine, having great sweet blackberry flavors, a touch of smoke and a black fruit core. Round and opulent, this is a generous wine already.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEThe 2005 Talbot was picked from 22 September until 10 October. Having tasted this several times, this might be the best bottle. Deeper in colour than other vintages, it offers much more fruit: blackberry, bilberry and raspberry tinged with cedar and a faint estuarine tang. These aromatics just have more substance than other vintages. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, a fine bead of acidity. It is not the most complex 2005 Saint-Julien but there is grip and matière, notes of soy and black pepper lining the finish that will benefit from another two or three years in bottle. Very fine. Tasted at the centenary Château Talbot vertical at the property.Vinous Media | 92+ VMSweet tobacco, berry and currant aromas follow through to a full body, with soft, silky tannins and a fresh, racy aftertaste of currant and mineral. The texture of the tannins is very beautiful. Best after 2016.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

This is a Masseto that is its own now with balance and harmony. It shows delicate chocolate and berry character with hints of hazelnut. Medium to full body. Long silky finish. Drink now.James Suckling | 96 JSTasted next to the 2002, the 2005 Masseto is perhaps a bit edgier, with an extra kick of tannic intensity that gives the wine its sense of direction and a good kick of energy too. I very much admire the tension in the 2005, a wine built on freshness, aromatic depth and mid-weight structure. Cool, rainy weather towards the end of the season resulted in a late harvest that took place between September 14 and 30.Antonio Galloni | 95 AGFruit was picked later than normal and the Masseto Merlot does indeed show mature aromas of black cherry, ripe blackberry, earthy iron and polished stone. The intensity and purity are amazing and the wine is sophisticated, soft and very rich on the finish. It is already showing beautiful evolution in the glass.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThe 2005 Masseto (Merlot) is simply gorgeous. A wine of extraordinary class and personality, it remains very primary in its dark fruit, licorice, cassis and toasted oak. It offers notable concentration and well-integrated tannins, all of which convey an impression of awesome harmony, finesse and balance. The tricky growing season seems to have been less of an issue for the Merlot, particularly in the old-vine Masseto Centrale vineyard. The 2005 Masseto has been superb every time I have tasted it thus far. As is often the case, the wine requires at least a few years of bottle age before it becomes approachable. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2025.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPAn exotic bouquet reveals floral, spice, cherry compote and truffle elements. A Masseto that’s all about elegance, with a silky texture, wild berry fruit, firm tannins and bright acidity. This still has some tannins to give, but is delicious now. Fine length. Merlot.—Non-blind Masseto vertical (October 2017). Drink now through 2033. 2,660 cases made, 550 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 94 WS

The 2005 Le Tertre Roteboeuf is just about off the charts and shows how good this vintage is for Bordeaux. Still inky ruby/purple-colored with a huge nose of blackcurrants, chocolate, black cherries, and hints of scorched earth, it hits the palate with a huge, full-bodied, concentrated, yet impeccably balanced profile. This is an incredible wine that’s just now at the early stages of maturity and will keep for another two decades or more.Jeb Dunnuck | 99 JDA sensational effort, Tertre Roteboeuf’s 2005, along with the 2000, is one of the most profound wines made by Francois Mitjavile. A dense ruby/purple color is followed by a stunning perfume of sweet black currants, jammy cherries, licorice, and spice. Full-bodied and opulent with high, but remarkably sweet, velvety tannins as well as a stunning texture and a finish that lasts nearly a minute, this prodigious St.-Emilion should be drinkable in 3-4 years, and last for two decades or more. Kudos to the proprietor.Robert Parker | 98 RPGood deep medium ruby. Wonderfully perfumed, fresh aromas of blackberry, raspberry, licorice, spices and violet pastille. Brilliantly pure and energetic, with outstanding flavor intensity and inner-mouth perfume. Still an infant today, with primary black fruits dominating. But this has the spicy, floral perfume of the greatest vintages of this wine. The ripely tannic, palate-saturating finish is wonderfully long and vibrant. "Our most beautiful vintage since 1990," notes Mitjavile.Vinous Media | 94 VMBeautiful fruit with a Burgundian style. Pure and aromatic. Full-bodied, with gorgeous fruit and a long, long finish. Seductive. This is a fascinating and cerebral wine that wows you with its beauty. This could easily move up to a classic rating.Wine Spectator | 92-95 WS

The 2005 Troplong Mondot is a blend of 90% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc. It was emotional tasting this wine, thinking of the late Christine Valette, who made this compelling wine while battling with considerable courage against an insidious disease. It is a great effort and a superstar of the vintage. Dense purple, it offers notes of white chocolate, blackberry, cassis and licorice as well as a hint of truffle and some subtle background oak. Full-bodied, multi-layered, and spectacularly pure and rich, it is a tour de force, and a great tribute to an incredible woman. Remarkably youthful, this wine probably needs another 4-8 years of bottle age, and should keep for 20 or more years. Kudos to the late Christine Valette!Robert Parker | 100 RPThe 2005 Troplong Mondot is a heady, sumptuous beauty. Sweet black cherry, plum, chocolate, spice, new leather, licorice and menthol all open in the glass. Hedonistic and opulent to the core, the 2005 is a decidedly exuberant Saint-Émilion. I would open it a few hours in advance, as aeration helps soften some of the initial flamboyance. The 2005 is a gorgeous, captivating wine. It is modern Saint-Émilion at its finest. Moreover, it does not appear to have lost much, if anything, since the last time I tasted it a few years ago!Antonio Galloni | 97 AGExhibits aromas of coffee, ripe fruit, wild mushroom and blackberry. Dark and very complex. Full-bodied and chewy, yet velvety and beautiful, with intense flavors of blackberry, chocolate and tobacco. Very, very long This is layered and gorgeous. Best after 2016. 6,250 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WS

The 2005 Valandraud is off the charts. Easily one of the wines of the vintage, the 2005 Valandraud possesses tremendous richness from start to finish. Moreover, it has aged exquisitely. Inky red fruit, iron, smoke, dried herbs, menthol, licorice and blood orange infuse the 2005 with striking layers of nuance to play off all that unctuous fruit. This full-throttle Saint-Émilion is a prodigious effort from Jean-Luc Thunevin and Murielle Andraud.Antonio Galloni | 100 AGThis may be the most prodigious wine Jean-Luc Thunevin and his partner Murielle Andraud have made to date. Inky purple to the rim at age ten, this wine’s explosive aromatics include espresso, chocolate, plum, blackberry and cassis. The oak is well-hidden behind an extravagant, full-bodied, multi-layered palate. Stunningly pure, super-intense and just beginning to move into middle adolescence, the “Bad Boy” of Bordeaux has produced a legend in 2005. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2035.Robert Parker | 97 RPDark ruby in color, with intense aromas of blackberry, mineral and dried lavender. Full-bodied, very dense and layered, with powerful tannins. This is big and very rich. A bodybuilder. Needs time. Best after 2016. 1,330 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSOne of the likely candidates for promotion to Grand Cru Classé status, this is Jean-Luc Thunevin’s original estate. This year there is considerable restraint in what is normally an immensely opulent wine: it is elegant, rather than having a no-holds-barred attitude, that will make this wine a classic.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WE