Wine Ratings

wines

The 2003 Rayas Chateauneuf du Pape has gone from strength to strength and now looks to be the finest vintage since the monumental 1995. Deep ruby to the rim with that classic Rayas nose of flowers, kirsch liqueur, black raspberries, crushed rocks, and minerals, the wine is dense and concentrated, with a broad, savory mouthfeel, sweet yet silky tannin, fabulous persistence, and a blockbuster finish that just goes on and on. This is a reassuringly profound Rayas that seems to suggest that Emmanuel Reynaud has finally figured out this cold-climate terroir in a warm climate appellation. This wine should be given 3-4 years of bottle age, and drunk over the following 20+ years.Robert Parker | 95 RPSilky and perfumed as well as not showing any of the over-ripeness of the vintage, the 2003 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve possesses beautiful aromatics of kirsch, black tea, garrigue, and green peppercorn that are wrapped around loads of sweet Grenache fruit. Perhaps less intense than other top vintages of this wine, it still shows the telltale Rayas aromatic profile. Medium to full bodied on the palate, the wine is stunningly textured, well balanced and fresh, firming up nicely on the finish with subtle tannin and good energy. Drinking well now, I see nothing that would keep this from continuing to deliver over the next 10 to 15 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDLovely perfume, with tightly woven red and black cherry, graphite, incense, mineral and sous bois notes that stay fresh and focused thanks to finely imbedded acidity. Stylish finish. Drink now through 2025. 1,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

Solidly in the Hillside Select model, this vigorous young Cab is dramatically ripe and powerful. The flavors of red and black currants, milk chocolate, figs and smoky vanilla erupt in the mouth, making the tastebuds jump with joy. However, there is also the structure, among the greatest in California Cabs. The acidity is fine, but the tannins are stupendously rich, sweet and complex, practically a food group in themselves. Stunning and gorgeous now in its youth, this collectible wine will reward at least through 2015.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WE...The 2003 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select has a dense, purple color, notes of creosote, graphite, blackberry and cassis fruit, charcoal and scorched earth. It has a full-bodied mouthfeel and excellent purity, while some rather noticeable tannins kick in on the finish... it’s outrageously good Cabernet Sauvignon, and I expect myself, as well as any of my readers, would drink this 24/7.Robert Parker | 95 RP(bottled in the spring of 2006) Medium ruby. Aromas of black raspberry, currant, cocoa powder, cedar, graphite, violet, licorice and sweet oak. Lush and very sweet but with lively mint and naphtha notes lifting the flavors of black cherry, dark berries and dark chocolate. Finishes with a firm edge of tannins and acids and yet this wine should give early pleasure. I find a wider range of ripeness here than in the supernal 2002.Vinous Media | 93 VMElias Fernandez produces a powerful, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the hillside blocks John Shafer planted in the 1970s. The 2003 vintage is about as potent as they come, its austere, mineral structure managing to hold all the richness of tannin and crushed berry fruit. Layers of flavor begin to take shape with air, from chocolate cake to blackberries and a hint of strawberry-a complex impression that lasts. Hillside Select will reward cellaring for ten years or more.Wine & Spirits | 93 W&SBig and expressive, with intense notes of dark berry fruit, cedar, crushed rock and loamy earth, gaining depth, velocity and texture. Impressive on the finish, where the flavors taper and weave into the tannins. Best to drink this soon.—2003 California Cabernet blind retrospective (July 2013). Drink now through 2024. 2,400 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSBlack raspberries, creamy new oak, liquorice and cherry compote meld in an expressive bouquet, introducing a ripe, open-knit and flamboyant palate. While a large-scaled, full-bodied wine, this ranks as a comparative middleweight in the context of Hillside Select. Drinking Window 2017 - 2020.Decanter | 92 DEC

An exquisite jewel in Chantal and Gerard Perse’s Right Bank empire, Bellevue-Mondotte is a tiny, 5-acre parcel of 45-year-old vines planted on the limestone plateau above Pavie-Decesse and Pavie-Macquin. It is composed of 90% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. I tasted the 2003 on three separate occasions, one of which merited a three-digit rating. Sadly, there are only 4,000 bottles of this prodigious effort. Possessing relatively high alcohol (14.5%) for a Bordeaux, it is an amazing blend made from 15 hectoliters per hectare. A dense, viscous-looking purple color is accompanied by a sweet perfume of blackberries, espresso roast, fried lard, and pain grille. Full-bodied and massively rich with decent acidity and plenty of structure as well as tannin, this youthful 2003 should hit its stride in 3-5 years, and last for three decades. This may be what the great 1929s or 1947s tasted like at age three.Robert Parker | 98 RPBeautiful aromas of blackberry, coffee and cherry follow through to a full-bodied palate, with soft, round tannins and a long, rich finish. Supersilky. Best after 2007. 480 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSDeep ruby-red. Full-blown aromas of mocha, truffle and nutty oak, with an exotic suggestion of apricot. Fat, sweet and fine-grained; impressively rich and deep but could use a bit more mid-palate lift. Today I don't find much primary fruit, but then this wine may still be in shock from the recent bottling in February. Finishes with dusty, somewhat tough tannins.Vinous Media | 90 VM

A big wine, with bitter chocolate flavors, and packed ripe fruit. It is intense and very dark, a great success.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEVery grapey and fresh on the nose, with hints of flowers. Full-bodied, with very well-integrated tannins and a complex, subtle aftertaste of vanilla, blueberry and cream. Long and refined. Best after 2012. 5,416 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSA strong effort from the Becot family, this blend of 70% Merlot, 24% Cabernet Franc, and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon exhibits a saturated dense ruby/purple color, sweet notes of creme de cassis, cherries, earth, and subtle herbs, a spicy, medium to full-bodied, soft, opulent style, and a fleshy, long finish. Enjoy this hedonistic yet complex wine over the next 12-15 years. Just under 6,000 cases were produced.Robert Parker | 91 RPThe 2004 Beau-Séjour Bécot was picked between 2 September and 15 October. It has an attractive bouquet with redcurrant and cranberry fruit, flanked by a subtle floral and confit-like aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with fine delineation, quite cohesive with a strict and linear second half. This is one of the more saline vintages from the estate in the 1990s, nevertheless it represents a commendable 2014 with just a touch of bitterness surfacing right at the finish. Otherwise this is a fine contribution to the vintage. Tasted at the château.Vinous Media | 90 VMNo written review provided. | 90 W&S

The 2004 Cannubi is the oldest vintage I have yet tasted from this bottling at G. B. Burlotto (though I have every intention of rectifying this situation as soon as I cross paths with an older vintage or two of this great wine!) and the wine is a superb example of this outstanding vintage. The deep and vibrant nose soars from the glass in a constellation of red and black cherries, incipient notes of gamebird, bitter chocolate, camphor, a touch of fresh almond, cherry skin and a beautifully complex base of soil. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and nascently complex, with outstanding balance, a superb core of pure fruit, ripe tannins and superb length and grip on the young and perfectly balanced finish. This will be a great bottle of Cannubi in the fullness of time! (Drink between 2018 - 2050)John Gilman | 93+ JG

The same could be said for the 2004 IX Estate Proprietary Red, a blend of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc and the rest Petit Verdot. Deep purple to the rim with sweet blackberry, creosote, camphor, forest floor and fruitcake notes, sweet tannin and a layered mouthfeel, this wine builds incrementally offering up power, but also elegance. It is a spectacular wine from a great site. Drink it over the next 10-15 years.Robert Parker | 97 RP(15.6% alcohol): Good deep red. Rather exotic nose combines scents of hard candy, wild sage, iron, burning embers, cayenne and tangerine; more red than black in character.Lush, seamless and sweet in the mouth but not as deep as the Cariad. Finishes broad and a bit soft, with substantial dusty tannins.Vinous Media | 93 VMRich and tightly focused, with a pure beam of spicy cherry, sweet wild berry and plum-laced fruit that’s supported by firm, structured tannins. Closed in on the finish, with fresh earth, dill and sage notes. Best from 2009 through 2017. 1,258 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

This shows lots of mulled spice, warm tobacco leaf and well-roasted cedar accents, but isn’t short on fruit, offering enticing layers of red currant, plum and blackberry confiture. The long finish is riddled with sweet smoke, black tea and iron notes. A gorgeous wine from an overlooked vintage.--Non-blind Mouton-Rothschild vertical (March 2017). Best from 2020 through 2035. 23,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSI drank this 2004 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild the other night at home with some wine producers. I decanted it only right before serving - a mistake made while concentrating on the cooking food. On the nose there were coffee and chocolate aromas with hints of vanilla. It was super fruity, and its medium body was coupled with beautifully soft tannins. This is just coming around now and it’s very New World in style. Overall, a much overlooked vintage from Mouton.James Suckling | 94 JSSupple and grand, Mouton has a heavenly richness in 2004. The flavors are saturated with blackberry and black-cherry fruit, bright on the aroma, quieter and softer in the end. The wine has a laconic beauty, closed off behind its oak and stony tannin. With several days of air, the succulence of the fruit grows more prominent as it will with 15 to 20 years of age.Wine & Spirits | 94 W&SThe 2004 Mouton Rothschild is supple, forward and inviting. Dark cherry, plum, tobacco and grilled herbs are all pushed forward. This is an especially succulent Mouton, partly because of the high percentage of Merlot that was common during this era. Gravel, pencil shavings, smoke and cured meats add myriad shades of nuance on the powerful, explosive finish. Philippe Dhalluin told me he waited as long as possible to harvest in 2004, the driest vintage Mouton had seen up until that point. The blend is 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot harvested between September 29 and October 15.Vinous Media | 93 VMA wine that is powerful, highly extracted and intense. The chocolate flavors and serious, dry tannins go with big, fat blackberry fruits and finishing acidity.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEIt is probably unfair to appraise this wine with more mature siblings. It has a deep garnet core. There is good intensity on the nose with cedar, tobacco, pine forest and blackberry leaf. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins, quite masculine and obdurate at the moment with a grainy, austere finish. Moderate length. It needs to muster more charm but I remain cautiously optimistic. Robert Parker Neal Martin | 92 RP-NM

This wine was the unanimous favourite of the flight, impressing with its deep colour and pronounced currant and mulberry fruit and hints of cedar, eucalyptus, and spice. The texture is firmly tannic and dense, but there is enough extract to ensure that it does not seem astringent. The wine is still youthful, and while it is beginning to open up, it is decidedly at the outset of its trajectory and should age comfortably for at least another 20 years.Decanter | 94 DECThis one of my favorite 2004 Bordeaux to drink at the moment. It shows lovely sweet tobacco, flowers and currants on the nose and palate. It’s full-to-medium-bodied, with silky, firm tannins and a spicy, fresh finish. So delicious now.James Suckling | 93 JSTasted at the château, the 2004 Montrose is a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot picked between 24 September and 15 October. It has a foursquare but precise bouquet that unfolds in the glass to offer brambly red berry fruit, tar, undergrowth and cedar aromas. There is a touch of mint that emerges with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with tannins that gently grip. It is more savory than other vintages: hints of bacon fat and bell pepper towards the harmonious finish that lingers nicely in the mouth. Probably earlier drinking that other vintages, yet this Montrose has personality and will give drinking pleasure for 15-20 years. Tasted September 2016.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 92 RP-NMDark-colored, with beautiful spice, blackberry and licorice aromas. Full-bodied, round and velvety, with wonderful balance and a long, long finish. This is a Montrose that caresses your palate. Best after 2011. 26,665 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSDeep, bright ruby-red. Sexy, ripe aromas of currant, black plum, raspberry, smoked meat, mocha, jasmine, black olive and earth. Smooth in texture but vinous and bright, with a penetrating character to the flavors of plum, currant, mocha and tobacco. Finishes bright and fresh, with dusty, tactile tannins and a classic St. Estephe medicinal note. This tightened up with aeration.Vinous Media | 91 VM This is a modern take on Montrose, which for years had been one of the stodgiest of the great Médocs. The wine has the intensity this vineyard often gives, black as indigo ink and concentrated, but without excess weight. Instead of stolid, the tannins feel luscious and sweet, riper and softer than the classical profile of Montrose. The complexity and foresty freshness is there to develop over the course of a decade or more.Diageo Château & Estate Wines, NYWine & Spirits | 91 W&S

Deep red. Aromas of blueberry, plum, leather, tobacco and mocha. Sweet, plummy and pliant, with a creamy, fine-grained texture for the vintage. Very plush wine, richer than the 2006 and at least as long. Finishes with big but ripe tannins.Vinous Media | 91 VMLatour’s second wine is, as so often, on a level with many classed growths. In 2004, it is also a very faithful reflection of the vintage: fresh, lively and vital, with acidity and vibrant blackberry fruits very much up front. If not big, it is deliciously fresh and will develop well over five years.Wine Enthusiast | 91 WEThe estate’s second wine continues to go from strength to strength. The 2004 Forts de Latour (includes 75% Cabernet Sauvignon) reveals a deep ruby/purple hue, classic evolved cedary, lead pencil, and cassis characteristics, medium body, beautiful sweetness of fruit, and a more forward, evolved character than its big sibling. Enjoy it over the next 15+ years. Also tasted: 2004 Pauillac (87; $38.00)Robert Parker | 90 RPLots of mineral, currant and berries on the nose. Full-bodied, with chewy tannins and a long finish. A bit austere, but there’s enough stuffing to back it up. Best after 2010.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

There are tannins, structure and power, but also supreme elegance. The 2004 acidity comes through in the sweet cassis flavors, supported at the back by dry tannins. Currently, the wine is closed up, losing some of its fresh fruit, but this is a moment in its slow evolution towards a classic Latour.Wine Enthusiast | 97 WEA terrific effort from Administrator Frederic Engerer and owner Francois Pinault, the dark ruby/purple-tinged 2004 Latour exhibits a strong cassis character intermixed with notes of crushed rocks, earth, cedar, and forest floor. Racy, elegant, but powerful with medium to full body, and sweet tannin, it will benefit from 5-7 years of cellaring, and should keep for three decades. It is a very impressive offering. Robert Parker | 95 RPCaptivating aromas of currant, black licorice and spices, with just a hint of sweet tobacco. Full-bodied, with chewy tannins and a long, long finish. Structured and racy. Best after 2011. 10,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSBright ruby-red. Classic aromas of currant, plum, graphite and minerals. Suave and smooth in the mouth, with a compelling sweetness and lushness for the vintage. At once easygoing and wonderfully complex, conveying a powerful soil character. The finish is ripely tannic, sweet and very long. This is wonderfully expressive today but the young 2006 may have even longer aging potential. Along with Chateau Margaux, my candidate for wine of the vintageVinous Media | 94 VMThe 2004 Latour checks in as a blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot and a splash of Cabernet Franc, all aged in new French oak. It shows the more elegant, silky style of the vintage, yet with plenty of Latour grandeur and depth in its ripe cassis, smoky mineral, graphite, and saddle leather aromas and flavors. It’s medium to full-bodied, impressively concentrated, and has serious length, as well as another two decades of longevity, although it’s certainly drinking beautifully today.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JDThe modern Latour has a vast architectural presence. The edges of ferrous power here are tamed on a supple texture, though the choice seems to have been to trade some freshness for that textural grace. The tannins have the potent austerity that grows out of Latour’s deep hill of stones. Closed off for now, the fruit aspect of the wine will not likely show for more than a decade, and the wine will likely need 20 years to reach maturity.Wine and Spirits | 94 W&SThis is surprisingly approachable, especially from a big bottle. It’s soft and fruity with balsamic and sweet tobacco character. Full and round mouthfeel. It will obviously improve with age, but why wait? Served from imperial bottle.James Suckling | 93 JS

The youthful dark ruby/purple-colored 2004 Madrona Ranch(500 cases produced) reveals a slight touch of lightening at the edge along with beautiful blueberry, black currant and floral notes. The enticing entry is followed by a medium to full-bodied, lush, opulent, Pomerol-inspired wine (despite the fact it is dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc rather than Merlot). There is enough stuffing in this 2004 to hold it for another decade.Robert Parker | 96 RP

Any aspiring collectors should add a case of this to their stash. The 2004 Numanthia comes from a different terroir with a different clone of Tinta de Toro. The vines for this cuvee range from 70-100 years of age with tiny yields of 1 ton of fruit per acre. The wine undergoes malolactic fermentation in barrel followed by 19 months in new French oak before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. The wine is a glass-coating opaque purple with a killer nose of mineral, pencil lead, wild blueberry, and blackberry liqueur that roars from the glass. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, dense, and already beginning to show complexity within its layers of spicy black fruits. There is immense power, well-concealed ripe tannin, and the well-delineated finish lasts for over one minute. This is a sensational effort which in a perfect world should be cellared for a decade and enjoyed over the following 25+ years. However, the elderly among us should not feel guilty about opening a bottle now.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 98 RPA big monster of a wine that going to have a very long life, the 2004 Numanthia (100% Tinta de Toro aged in new barrels) is still deeply colored, yet slightly translucent and no bricking. This beauty takes some time to unwind but offers beauty blackcurrant, cedar/pencil lead, earth, tobacco and spicy wood aromas and flavors. Much more polished and elegant than on release, when it was an oak bomb, it still has some wood tannin showing, is full-bodied, impressively concentrated and balanced. It shines today with a decant but has two decades of life ahead of it.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDRich and deep, but still holding back, this powerful red shows concentration and balance, offering cassis, blackberry and roasted plum fruit, with dark notes of mineral, smoke and earth and hints of licorice and spice, all wrapped in muscular but velvety tannins. Best from 2008 through 2020. 350 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThis is the second wine of Numanthia-Termes after the single-vineyard Termanthia, though I'd place it first for its wild blend of sage and sanguine aromas, a primitive and primary nose that's hard to resist. It's a selection from old vines, some over 100 years old. The wine's intriguing flavors evolve toward caramelized blueberries and sweet spices, combined with a robust wall of mineral tannins. This Toro's strength of character sets it up to evolve for a decade or more.Wine & Spirits | 94 W&SDark violet. Spicy dark berry aromas are complicated by orange peel, cinnamon and clove. Medium-bodied black raspberry and cassis flavors are given an exotic accent by Asian spices and violet pastille. The silky tannins are almost overwhelmed by the wine's spicy fruit. Finishes brisk and long, with an echo of cracked pepper.Vinous Media | 93 VM

From a spectacular, gently sloping vineyard across from Freemark Abbey on Route 29, the 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Tychson Hill Vineyard is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. It has a first-growth Pauillac-like feel, with creme de cassis, licorice, cedarwood and Christmas fruitcake. A floral note also makes an appearance in this dense, purple-colored wine with full-bodied opulence, sweet tannin, and a terrific personality. This is approaching maturity and should continue to drink well for another 10-15 years.This spectacularly beautiful estate high on Pritchard Hill with magnificent views in just about every direction has been on a qualitative tear for many years. From their humble beginnings at the co-op Napa Wine Company (their first releases were in the early 1990s), to the construction of their winery and estate vineyard, quality has soared.Robert Parker | 96 RP(15.6% alcohol): Bright, dark red. Lovely complex, subtle perfume of black raspberry, mulberry, currant, nutty oak and sexy brown spices. Wonderfully pliant and fresh in the mouth, showing some very ripe qualities but also outstanding detail and finesse to its flavors of black raspberry and deep wet-stone minerality. Offers compelling sweetness while retaining a firm shape, finishing long and aromatic, with very suave, harmonious tannins. I found this wine a bit liqueur-like upon release but today it's a knockout.Vinous Media | 96 VMMassive, yet smooth and polished, with a subdued offering of ripe plum, floral and black cherry fruit that slowly builds in intensity and depth. Gains momentum on the finish, where the tannins are ripe and the flavors are tapered. Best from 2009 through 2020. 168 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

The 2005 Rauzan-Ségla is captivating right from the very first taste. Soaring aromatics and bright veins of minerality confer energy to this statuesque Margaux. The 2005 is still a very young wine. In fact, I would cellar it for a few years. I am blown away by its energy, vibrant and sheer character. Bright red-toned fruit, spice, rose petal, blood orange and crushed rocks literally soar out of the glass. The 2005 captures the richness of the year, but it remains a classically built, mid-weight wine of remarkable freshness and tension. Rauzan-Ségla might very well be the most under the radar Left Bank wine in 2005. Magnificent.Vinous Media | 97 VMVery beautiful aromas of crushed berry, flowers, currant and Indian spices follow through to a full body, with ultrafine tannins and a long, long finish. Extremely polished and beautiful, with a seamless texture. Best after 2014. 10,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSThis is showing really well right now with an exuberance and richness that verges on extravagance. It’s full body, firmly textured with a ripe and rich fruit too. So much berry, spice, chocolate and incense character. Love to drink it now but a long life ahead of it.James Suckling | 97 JSA wine with a beautiful mouthfeel and shape. This is rich, gleaming in the ripe black fruits, the touch of spice and mint, as well as the sweet blackberry flavors. The acidity is balanced, showing off the fruit. There is weight and density as well. Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEOne distinguishing factor of this vintage is that it managed to create a wine such as this: a finely tailored, seamless Margaux that has the textural caress of silk while its tannins explode in a long, slow roundhouse punch so that you don’t notice them until they are all that you see. And yet it doesn’t feel crass or aggressive. The spiciness of the wine brings anise to mind; the flavor depth carries dark fruit into mineral territory. Completely of a piece, Rauzan is significantly more expressive than it was en primeur. This has an unaffected stamina that will keep it going for 25 years or more.Wine & Spirits Magazine | 96 W&SDeep garnet in color, the 2005 Rauzan-Ségla sings of plum preserves, redcurrant jelly, raspberry pie, kirsch and blackcurrant cordial with nuances of dried lavender, rose hip tea, hoisin and incense. The medium to full-bodied palate is densely packed with rich, expansive black fruits with loads of incense and exotic spice sparks, finishing long and layered. Still quite youthful, I anticipate a long life ahead for this perfumed beauty!Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPThe finest wine made at this estate since 2000, the 2005 Rauzan-Ségla checks in as a brilliant blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. It has a touch of lightening at the rim, but it’s still youthfully ruby-colored and offers a fabulous bouquet of cassis, toasted spices, dried tobacco, and graphite. It has lots of sweet tannins, a full-bodied, opulent mouthfeel, terrific density, and a great finish. It has some maturity and is drinking great today, yet I’d say it has upwards of another two decades of longevity. It’s a beautiful wine and one of the gems in the lineup.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JD

The concentration and intensity has slowly but noticeably been increasing over the last few vintages as the vines begin to achieve a higher average age and it’s particularly evident in 2005. Here the nose is unusually expressive rather than its usual brooding character with pretty, even elegant aromas of spicy red pinot and purple fruit and warm earth notes that can also be found on the powerful but detailed, indeed almost nervous flavors that possess excellent precision and a very attractive underlying tension on the explosive finish that delivers flat out incredible length. 2005 is the best vintage for this wine that I’ve seen since Mugnier took over.Burghound | 96 BHBright ruby-red. Knockout nose offers strawberry, blueberry, musky herbs and brown spices, with an almost liqueur-like sweetness. Wonderfully sweet and plush, with a bottomless quality to its fruit. This is amazingly expressive today, but it’s hard to imagine that this wine won’t shut down within the next year or two. An outstanding vintage for this cuvee, finishing with great length and lift. Half of these vines were planted in 1981 and 1987, while the rest are considerably older. Mugnier has never liked these latter clones, but notes that they continue to improve with age.Vinous Media | 95 VMI have never tasted a better example of Bonner-Mares from Monsieur Mugnier than the 2005, as the combination of this vineyard’s more reserved terroir and the velvety, perfumed elegance of the vintage have combined to make a truly special bottle. The bouquet is deep, refined and utterly seductive, as it offers up a stunningly pure mélange of black cherries, red plums, roses, cocoa powder, a touch of woodsmoke, a lovely base of soil and a judicious framing of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, pure and sappy to the core, with an attack of velvet, great acids for brightness and focus, and utterly supple tannins on the backend that will carry the wine for decades, and yet seemingly never cause deferment of gratification. Just a beautiful bottle of elegant, intensely flavored Bonnes-Mares. This wine is nearly irresistible out of the blocks, but I would be inclined to certainly try and bury it in the cellar for a bit and let its secondary and tertiary layers of complexity build. (Drink between 2015 - 2050)John Gilman | 94 JGThe Mugnier 2005 Bonnes-Mares (of which there will be only around 125 cases) leads with aromas of ripe mulberry, blackberry, roasted meat, black tea, horehound and musky florality. This is one of those decidedly darkly-hued 2005s, and lacks the refreshment, the treble high-tones, or quite the focus of its siblings. Where this wine looks likely to shine is in its depth of mineral and earthy (stone and humus) manifestations, which already dominate the finish. Certainly this represents a dramatic departure in character from most other Bonnes-Mares of the vintage, which I am at a loss to explain.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 90-92 RP

A beautiful mix of red and black pinot fruit aromas nuanced by hints of smoke, earth and underbrush merges into textured and layered medium full flavors that possess plenty of underlying material and a punchy, strikingly long finish. This is quite backward at the moment and like the Colombière is closing up fast so again, plenty of air is advised. In sum, this is highly recommended as it’s of reference standard quality.Burghound | 93 BHGood deep red. Ripe, complex, slightly reduced aromas of plum, currant, cherry and smoke. Silky and vibrant, with lovely lift to the flavors of red fruits and dried rose. Finishes very long and bright, but distinctly firmer than the preceding village wines. This seems to be shutting down in bottle today.Vinous Media | 92+ VM

The 2005 Mugnier Chambolle, like so many of the best village wines in this vintage, is absolutely stunning. The nose is deep, pure and ostentatious, as it offers up notes of red cherries, plums, chocolate, a bit of citrus, and a fine base of Chambolle white soil. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, deep and beautifully focused, with a sappy core of fruit, tangy acids, moderate, supple tannins, and great shape on the long, beautiful finish. A great village wine in the making (Drink between 2012 - 2030)John Gilman | 91 JGPure mid red, starting to lighten up a little bit. Clean fresh pinot in a sunny style, but definitely suggesting that this might be ready to take a look at. An agreeable mid palate sweetness, still a fresh little-red-fruit style, with minimal tannins behind. Tasted May 2019.Jasper Morris | 91 JMModerately saturated red-ruby. Musky ripe raspberry, minerals and flowers on the slightly medicinal nose. Sweet and fat, with noteworthy complexity and volume to its berry and mocha flavors. Finishes long and spicy, with very ripe, suave tannins for village wine.Vinous Media | 90 VMAn elegant, ripe and seductive nose of red, blue and violet aromas that are pure and very fresh lead to refined, rich and again, ultra pure flavors that are delicious, vibrant and offer excellent volume at this level. A terrific villages of 1er quality and worth a close look.Burghound | 90 BH

Much better and more complete wood integration allows the beautifully spicy and warm-earth nuanced black fruit nose to complement perfectly the rich, full and well-muscled flavors that border on the robust on the concentrated, intense and palate drenching flavors. This is not a wine of great finesse but there is good balance and excellent length here.Burghound | 90-92 BH

A fabulous wine made by young proprietor Jean-Philippe Janoueix, with the assistance of the celebrated oenologist, Michel Rolland, this 12-acre estate (not far from Vieux-Chateau-Certan and Le Pin) has produced an inky/purple-tinged 2005 offering a gorgeous bouquet of spring flowers, blackberry and blueberry liqueur, espresso roast, chocolate, cedar, and spice box. High tannin, sensational richness, and a multilayered mouthfeel are the result of a blend of 96% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc. This gorgeous, opulent Pomerol should be ready to drink in 4-5 years. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2030.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPShows blackberry, chocolate and vanilla aromas. Full-bodied, with beautiful tannins and wonderful, juicy fruit. Firm and structured. Voluptuous, but very toned. Best after 2011.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

The 2005 Champagne Oenothèque Brut is fabulous today, pouring a fresh, youthful medium yellow hue. The color has not deepened with age, and the wine offers notes of custard and hazelnut yet remains remarkably fresh for a 20-year-old wine. It has intensity but is weightless and refined, with a creamy mousse and no bitterness. A stunning and beautiful wine that’s in the market today, I would encourage seeking it out. Composed of 75% Pinot Noir, 10% Meunier, and 15% Chardonnay, disgorged in June 2023. 4-5 grams per liter dosage. 2005 was better here than in the Marne. Showing beautifully, this vintage is in the old glass; they now use recycled glass.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDWhile initially toasty on the nose, with a bit of air it reveals sumptuous notes of orange rind, bitter marmalade, fleshy nectarine and warm citrus. Despite its richness it’s still structured, the mousse forming a complex architecture. Some notes of toasted nuts and bruised apple emerge on the finish. I really like the tension that this wine still shows. The Drappier family’s Oenothèque range offers a unique glimpse at rare older vintages long-aged on the lees, disgorged as and when required.Decanter Magazine | 96 DEC

Colgin’s 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Tychson Hill is ripe, exotic and flashy, yet also remarkably fresh. A wine of intensity and pure Napa Valley voluptuousness, the 2005 hits all the right notes. Mocha, chocolate, dark cherry fruit and licorice are pushed forward in this sexy, racy, Tychson Hill. The 2005 is a real showstopper. Drink it over the next decade.Vinous Media | 97 VMThe 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Tychson Hill Vineyard is fresh and vibrant, with great fragrance (blueberry, black and red currants, licorice and graphite, as well as floral notes). It is stunningly fruity and full-bodied, with remarkable purity and texture, and combined with the gorgeous fragrance, fabulously concentrated with a nearly perfectly balanced mouthfeel and finish. This amazing wine should continue to develop for another 25 or more years.Robert Parker | 96 RPThe price hasn’t been set yet on this wine, which will be released in November, but the ’04 was $275. This 100% Cabernet is stunning, a quintessential hillside Cab that’s powerful and compelling in blackberries, red and black currants, cola, spices and cedar. It feels ultra-refined in the mouth, with slightly tough tannins and a trace of acidity giving a sturdy structure. Decant this great wine if you open it now, and it should evolve for a good 15 years in the cellar.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEA very ripe nose of chocolate, berries, and plum. Full bodied and round, with a velvety and beautiful mouth-feel. Interesting notes of crushed rock, iron, and terracota. No need to wait on this. Pull the cork.James Suckling | 93 JS

The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Herb Lamb is absolutely fabulous. Sweet, powerful and just beginning to show the early signs of maturity, the 2005 is super-expressive. Smoke, licorice, tobacco, graphite and a host of savory notes meld together in a sumptuous, textured Cabernet Sauvignon long on power and class. The 2005 is in a great place today.Vinous Media | 98 VMShows amazing purity of fruit, focus, balance and depth, with tiers of spicy currant, anise, hazelnut, mineral and melted licorice, combining power with finesse and grace with intensity. Ends with a long, lingering finish that keeps repeating the core flavor themes. Best from 2010 through 2019. 110 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSThe 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Herb Lamb Vineyard is a vineyard that Ann Colgin and her winemaking team made famous. The primary reason whay Colgin’s wines from this source show better than other wines that have emerged from the Herb Lamb Vineyard is because Colgin got the top 14 rows, the sweet spot in the entire parcel. Dense ruby/purple, with notes of graphite, a touch of bay leaf and lavender, the 2005 is spicy, cedary, much more evolved than the Dixon Hill, full-bodied with decent acidity, and very ripe blackcurrant fruit infused with a touch of unsmoked cigar tobacco. This is a beauty and best drunk over the next 5-7 years.Robert Parker | 94 RPThe price has not been set yet on this wine, which will be released in November 2008, but the 2004 was $275. The wine is big and fleshy, almost meaty in its youth. Aromas and flavors of black currants, licorice, Bay laurel, dark unsweetened chocolate and new smoky oak change and grow more complex by the second, as the wine airs in the glass. Notable in the mouth for the tannins, firm and grippy but sweet and refined. The slight astringency suggests ageability. This 100% Cabernet Sauvignon will hit its stride between 2011 and 2020. Decant if you drink it sooner.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThis smells as the name suggests, herbs and lamb. Nice notes of rosemary, sweet tobacco, plums, and chocolate mints. This is an old style Napa Cab. Full bodied, but very reserved and fine. Very caressing palate, no need to wait on this but will only get better the longer you wait. This shows the cool growing season more than the other 2005s.James Suckling | 92 JS