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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

As so often, La Mission is rich, voluptuous, opulent and always a wine that seduces when it is young. But watch for those firm tannins, pure black plum and chocolate flavors, and wait for the dense texture to open up over the next 10 years—and more.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThe 2004 La Mission Haut-Brion is the first vintage in a while that transcends the growing season. It shows a deep garnet core with faint bricking at the rim. The very pleasant tertiary nose displays touches of pitted black olives and bell peppers; you can immediately tell that it does not derive from a warm growing season. The medium-bodied palate delivers fine-grained tannins, well-judged acidity and black fruit tinged with a light marine/seaweed influence toward the no-frills finish. It does its job, does it well, then leaves. This is drinking well now, and though I cannot foresee any advantages in long-term cellaring, it should hold up well for the next 12–15 years. Tasted at a private dinner in Bordeaux.Vinous Media | 93 VMAromas of fruit and spices, with black pepper and cumin and undertones of forest floor. Full-bodied, with a solid core of fruit, a silky texture and a medium-to-long finish. Best after 2011. 7,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WSWhile La Mission Haut-Brion’s 2004 is not one of this estate’s top successes, it is an outstanding wine, no doubt because of this extraordinary terroir. Deep ruby/purple with notes of lead pencil shavings intermixed with black cherries, cassis, and a hint of scorched earth, medium body, sweet tannin, and a good, but uninspiring finish, this attractive, mid-weight La Mission should age nicely for 15 or more years.Robert Parker | 90 RP

There is only one question about what is otherwise a magnificent wine—whether the current dominant wood flavors will soften and blend enough. If they do, then the powerful fruit, spice and freshness will all come together in a stellar wine.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThe 2004 Pichon Lalande is a strong effort for the vintage (much better than their underwhelming and much more expensive 2005). A blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it exhibits a deep ruby/purple color as well as scents of cocoa, espresso roast, black cherries, and cassis. Medium to full-bodied, opulent, and fleshy, this classic wine cuts a stylistic persona somewhere between the 1995 and 1996. It can be drunk now or cellared for two decades.Robert Parker | 92 RPThe color is deep and concentrated, as is the rich extract that fills the texture of this wine. The aromas hint at currants and violets, though they remain hidden for now. Brisk tannins give it a stony feel. This should develop into a classic. Maisons Marques & Domaines USA, Oakland, CAWine & Spirits | 92 W&SShows balance and finesse with aromas and flavors of currants and sweet tobacco with fine tannins and a refined, caressing finish. Drink and enjoy.James Suckling | 90 JSRuby-red color. Dark plum, graphite, minerals and mint on the nose. Offers a subtle sweetness leavened by lively acidity and nicely framed by a firm tannic spine. A wine of modest flesh but considerable suavity. Very well balanced and persistent, with the mineral notes repeating on the back. Very Pauillac.Vinous Media | 90 VMAromas of currant, flowers and berries follow through to a medium- to full-bodied palate, with fine tannins and a fruity finish. Round and very caressing. Best after 2010. 20,830 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

Saturated ruby. Remarkably deep nose combines cherry, raspberry, licorice, smoked meat and mineral notes, all lifted by an intense floral quality. A stunning example of freshness and precision married to power, with deep cassis, bitter cherry and candied licorice flavors enlivened by zesty minerality and framed by firm but harmonious tannins. "This is not about extraction," notes Perrin. The endless finish echoes the mineral and floral tones, showing a persistent lavender note. This was not yet bottled when I tasted it.Vinous Media | 96-98 VMA powerful, modern style, delivering a torrent of cassis and cocoa notes backed by a second wave of tar and fig paste. Densely structured from start to finish, with floral and mineral hints in the background. Pure and driven, this is steel-plated for the long haul. 60 percent Mourvèdre, with Grenache, Syrah and Counoise. Best from 2008 through 2027. 500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSThe 2004 Châteauneuf du Pape Hommage À Jacques Perrin continues to show well, and was even more open from this bottle than from one earlier this year. While still youthful, it has beautiful complexity and depth on the palate, and certainly offers plenty of pleasure. Dark fruits, spice, cured meats, truffle and licorice all flow nicely to a full-bodied, concentrated, lively feel on the palate. It has bright acidity and fine tannin, and while it will never have the sheer decadence of a bigger year, it shines for its complexity, elegance and length.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPShowing beautifully (as are most wines from this vintage), the 2004 Châteauneuf du Pape Hommage A Jacques Perrin is reminiscent of the 1994, 1995, and 1999, as it relies more on complexity, elegance, and length than sheer richness and depth. Blackcurrants, cured meats, black truffle, licorice, and peppery garrigue notes all emerge from this full-bodied, rich, concentrated effort that has the higher acidity of the vintage, yet backs it up with beautiful fruit. It’s going to continue drinking nicely for another 10-12 years.Jeb Dunnuck | 95 JDAromatically speaking this isn’t quite as detailed and precise as most other vintages of Hommage, but there is plenty of squished blackberry fruit among polished wood and beeswax notes. It’s only medium-bodied on the palate, but then builds on the finish. Still plenty of slightly drying tannin, 2004 is a very tannic Hommage. The alcohol sticks out a bit, so not the most harmonious year; it feels a bit unsure of itself at this stage. I would give it another couple of years, it can’t do any harm. Drinking Window 2022 - 2036Decanter | 94 DEC(Châteauneuf du Pape “Hommage à Jacques Perrin”- Château de Beaucastel) Interestingly, the 2004 Hommage à Jacques Perrin is another full point lower in alcohol than the 2005, coming in at 13.5 percent octane. The wine is a step up in complexity on both the nose and palate, with the bouquet wafting from the glass in a still youthful blend of cassis, leather, licorice, tree bark, dark soil tones, cedar and a topnote of cigar smoke. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, nascently complex and ripely tannic, with a fine core, good structure and the first vintage in this series that shows some serious soil signature on the long finish. Good juice and much more in keeping with the high reputation of this bottling. (Drink between 2022-2040)John Gilman | 93 JG

Hobbs was one of the first to recognize the brilliance of Oakville’s Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vineyard, and he has produced several wines that were either perfect, or pushing perfection. This 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vineyard reveals that haunting, almost indescribable bouquet of red and black fruits, spring flowers, and subtle hint of lead pencil shavings that aromatically blows away the taster. If one could have a 100-point bouquet, this is it. Moreover, the flavors don’t let the taster down. Nearly as powerful and rich as the 2002, this full-bodied 2004 is a glorious, classic Napa Cabernet Sauvignon that has been flawlessly vinified. The enormity of the mid-palate, texture and skyscraper-like mouthfeel with no heaviness result in a prodigious effort that is one of the top four or five wines of the vintage. This spectacular wine can be drunk now or cellared for another two decades.Robert Parker | 99 RPThis pushes ripeness to the edge, yet it’s balanced, with spicy currant, cedary oak and hints of anise and cassis that are complex and deep without being heavy. The tannins are ripe and polished. Best from 2008 through 2015. 534 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WS(14.8% alcohol): Deep, bright ruby. Wild, high-toned, slightly funky aromas of black raspberry, truffle, herbs and mocha. Sweet and a bit truffley on the palate. Ultimately a bit drier than the Stagecoach Vineyard example, with dusty tannins that are not quite as well supported by mid-palate ripeness of fruit. More sweetness emerges with air, though.Vinous Media | 90 VM

The 2004 St. Eden, which comes from a valley floor vineyard in Oakville, is another dead ringer for a great Pauillac, possibly a young Mouton. Dense bluish/purple in color with stunning notes of cedarwood, unsmoked high-quality cigar tobacco, crème de cassis and espresso roast, this wine has fabulous fruit, density and a full-bodied, youthful mouthfeel, wonderful balance and purity, and a terrific finish that goes on for close to a minute. This is also relatively open, but slightly more structured than the Melbury. There’s no sense deferring gratification, so I would suggest drinking it over the next 15-20 years, possibly longer.Robert Parker | 98 RPBrilliant aromatics here, just stupendously attractive. Among the sweetest and most approachable of Harlan’s current stable, it’s also complex and ageworthy. Fairly tannic now, with a refined sandpapery grittiness coating pure flavors of ripe cherries, plums and blackberries and their associated liqueurs. The finish is so long, balanced and harmonious. It’s hard to imagine that this won’t be one to age 12–15 years.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEDark red. Very ripe aromas of plum, currant and cocoa powder, complicated by a balsamic note and dusty minerality. At once savory and sweet, with the element of balsamic development carrying through onto the palate. Suave in texture but doesn’t show the energy or delineation of the 2005 version. These tannins are finer-grained than I recall but the finish is a touch warm.Vinous Media | 93 VMSuperripe yet supple and balanced, with deep, enticing blackberry, ripe plum and wild berry fruit that’s rich and concentrated, with a long, persistent finish. The tannins are firm and structured. Best from 2009 through 2015. 600 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS

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

This small jewel of a property owned by the Garcin family has been making great wine for a number of years, with the only problem being its very limited availability. Their beautifully deep 2005 has a dark purple color and displays charcoal, blackberry and cassis fruit, with some smoky barbecue notes in the background. This full-bodied, opulent wine is still youthful at age 10, and promises to continue to evolve for another 15-20 years. Pure and stunning, this is a great wine of the vintage.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96+ RPVery good saturated deep red. Cherry, plum, smoke and warm earth on the nose, lifted by spices and menthol. Fat, sweet, lush and impressively concentrated; comes across as more powerful but less pliant today than the 2006, with a firm tannic structure for a wine from this property. Not at all over the top; in fact, this gives the impression of a lower pH than the 2006 today. May be even better than it’s showing now.Vinous Media | 92+ VMAromas of crushed blackberry, tobacco and wet earth follow through to a full body, with velvety tannins and a clean, fruity finish. There’s lots of chocolate, vanilla bean and fruit in the aftertaste. Best after 2012. 665 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 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

(Domaine Jean Grivot, Richebourg Grand Cru, Burgundy, France, Red) Full colour. Splendidly concentrated and complex on the nose, but still very closed in. Full body, finely tuned, fragrant, understated and very harmonious. Vigorous, intense and very classy indeed on the follow through. This is excellent. (Drink starting 2018)Decanter | 98 DECThe 2005 Richebourg displays a fascinating and alluring bouquet of black raspberry, nutmeg, ginger, sandalwood, and marrow. It offers an incredibly spicy, intensely black-fruited, old vines impression in the mouth, coating the palate with silken folds of fruit yet gliding elegantly into a finish of dark berries, spice, raw meat, wet stone, and mineral salts. Like spading fertile earth, one turns up new, dark secrets with each sip. For all of its textural richness and ripeness of fruit, this superb Pinot preserves a certain “cool” restraint, with no superficial sweetness. It would be a shame to cellar this for fewer than 10-12 years.Etienne Grivot aimed this year for gentle extraction (essentially without pigeage), then watchful preservation of the freshness, subtleties and refinement inherent in near-perfect raw material. He performed some very light chaptalization to extend the fermentations. Given the health and natural concentration of his vinous raw material, he felt no need to sulfur or rack the wines until shortly prior to bottling (without filtration), which was the stage at which I tasted.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 96-97 RPDeep red-ruby. The nose offers a pure, pungent expression of Richebourg soil: black raspberry, blueberry pastille, musky minerality, smoke, cocoa powder. Like a black hole of dark fruits on the palate: thick but weightless, with incredible concentration and depth. This is quite closed, like the Beaux-Monts, with the slow-mounting finish displaying great length and thrust. A fabulously ripe but youthfully imploded wine that will need 12 to 15 years in the cellar to fully express itself.Vinous Media | 96+ VM(Domaine Jean Grivot Richebourg Grand Cru Red) The step up in class is unmistakable with gorgeously complex red, black and violet aromas trimmed with a dazzling array of spices, earth and a hint of smoked game that add real luster to the round, intense, muscular but stylish flavors that possess real power and a building intensity that develops from the mid-palate to the explosive finish. I really like the purity of expression here on the linear and mineral-infused finish that has a dusty quality from all of the dry extract that coats the mouth on the hugely persistent backend. This is a big wine but it remains impeccably well balanced and should live for decades. Highly recommended. (Drink starting 2022)Burghound | 95 BH

Ruby-red. Ripe, smoky, expressive aromas of musky raspberry, minerals, spices, mocha and game. Large-scaled, full, silky and seamless; boasts a chocolatey ripeness but sound acidity gives it more energy than the other two grand crus. Finishes very long and very ripe, with lush tannins that dust the entire palate. Balanced for a long life in bottle.Vinous Media | 94 VMNorth west of Richebourg, Veroilles replanted in 1989 and 1995. An introspective nose, very backward and quite masculine, less embracing than the Grands Echezeaux. Very fresh, but coiled away at present. A scent of liquorices emerges after three minutes in the glass. The palate is full-bodied, powerful with ripe blackberry, cassis and blueberry. Very well knit but certainly the most backward and primal of Bernard Gros’ Grand Crus. Great length, very masculine and surly. Superb. Drinking 2010-2025. Tasted January 2007.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 94-95 RP-NM(Domaine Gros Frère et Soeur Richebourg Grand Cru Red) A potent mix of wood spice, Vosne spice, earth, smoke, animale and gorgeous black berry fruit aromas blend into rich, full and wonderfully deep flavors that are supple and not as concentrated as those of the GE but there is no lack of mid-palate fat to buffer the somewhat austere and firmly structured finish. I like the balance here and there is really good depth of material. (Drink starting 2015).Burghound | 91-94 BH

The 2005 Barolo Riserva 150 Anniversario Rocche-Villero is one of the standouts of a very impressive lineup of Barolos. It races out of the blocks with a layered nose of enticing black fruit laced with melted tar, wilted rose petals and a subtle brine note. Medium-bodied on the palate, delivering firm tannins and counterbalanced by a perfect line of acidity, the dark berry fruit laced with dark chocolate and a hint of fennel. Reassuringly long on the finish, this is one delicious and captivating Barolo. Tasted at the Vinous off-line dinner at La Trompette.Vinous Media | 96 VM

A stunning, profound wine, the 2005 Les Cailloux Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Centenaire, a blend of 80% Grenache and the rest a mix of Mourvèdre and Syrah, delivers spectacular aromatics of kirsch, garrigue, roasted meats, and licorice that soar from the glass. Absurdly perfumed, complex and a touch exotic on the nose, the wine is full bodied on the palate with a seamless, thick, sexy texture, perfect balance and a blockbuster finish that highlights silky tannin and decadent fruit. Surprisingly accessible (especially for the vintage), it will be interesting to see if this evolves along the same lines as the 1990 Cuvée Centenaire, which is drinking beautifully today and has lots of life left. I questioned both Andre Brunel and Philippe Cambie on this during my last tasting trip to Châteauneuf, and both stated that the ’90 showed similar at the same stage. If history is any guide, this should have a very long drink window. Regardless, a superb, benchmark wine that any southern Rhone lover should have in the cellar.Jeb Dunnuck | 97+ JDRichly layered, with currant paste, Black Forest cake, espresso, mesquite, date and incense notes. Ripe and lush, this is far more supple than most of its 2005 peers. The finish is long and dense, but very silky, with lingering notes of macerated fruit and black tea. Drink now through 2025. 30 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 96 WSRuby-red. Potent red berry and kirsch on the nose, with exotic floral, mineral and game notes adding complexity. Seductively sweet, with deep but admirably focused flavors of raspberry, bitter cherry and blackcurrant. Supple tannins build through the finish. More closed than it was from barrel last year, but this wine possesses incredible depth and power, and picks up a remarkably seductive minerality with air. Don’t touch this for at least five more years.Vinous Media | 95+ VMThis is ’similar to the ’07 in terms of vintage, very warm,’ says Fabrice Brunel. In the glass it still looks very young, deeply ruby red. Aromatically it’s not the cleanest by today’s standards, a little animal hint, slightly roasted, with a touch of benevolent decay in the background. Rounded, generous and juicy. The alcohol is quite raised here. Not the most complex but warming and long on the finish.Decanter | 93 DECWhile bricking in hue, the 2005 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Centenaire retains some attractive black-cherry fruit, joined by notes of caramel and licorice. Full-bodied, richly concentrated and textured, it finishes long and nuanced. Drink it over the next several years.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 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 Le Gay is a massive, masculine Pomerol, very much in the style of Gazin, but showing much more minerality, abundant blue and black fruits, a full-bodied mouthfeel, and loads of tannin in a youthful, backward style, even at age 10. Give this wine at least another 5-10 years of cellaring and drink it over the following quarter-century.Robert Parker | 95+ RPDark purple in color, with aromas of coffee, green olive, blackberry and dried flowers. Full-bodied, with very polished yet present tannins and a long, rich, fruity finish. The best Le Gay in years. Best after 2014. 1,575 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSDark red-ruby. Plum, mocha, minerals and coffee on the nose. Supple, lush and sweet, with captivating flavors of raspberry, toffee, coffee, mocha and iron. Wonderfully pliant and appealing Pomerol, finishing with sweet, tongue-dusting tannins and excellent length. (A second bottle of roughly equal quality showed a more serious tannic spine and appeared to be in the process of shutting down).Vinous Media | 92 VM

Displays stunning aromas of crushed blackberry, strawberry and raspberry, with hints of sandalwood. Full-bodied, with focused flavors of fruit, toasty oak, vanilla bean and cedar. Long and caressing, this is a powerful yet balanced red. Best after 2016. 550 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSSomewhat of a paradox to taste, on the palate this wine is close to perfection, but the nose is somewhat reduced, with some fig and prune notes. What doesn’t make sense is that the palate is fresh, full-bodied and super-concentrated, with great blue, red and black fruits, licorice, earth and spice. This is a massive wine, but the nose has me worried.Robert Parker | 95+ RPSaturated, deep ruby-red. Superripe black fruits, licorice, graphite and violet on the nose. Wonderfully sweet and scented on the palate, with terrific aromatic lift to the explosive dark fruit, mineral and floral flavors. The wine’s powerful rocky minerality and high-pitched berry fruit nicely leaven the almost exaggerated ripeness of the vintage, giving this wine terrific freshness and extending its finish. An outstanding combination of sweetness and power. I can see this improving in bottle for 20 years.Vinous Media | 94 VM

This really does have a wonderful texture that is reminiscent of great pinot noir while remaining obviously cabernet franc and merlot. It shows a seductive nose of cream, berries, chocolate and flowers. It’s full-bodied, very intense and seamless in length. Pure class. Drink now and enjoy but will improve for years ahead.James Suckling | 98 JSDisplaying spectacular aromatics of mulberry, blueberry and raspberry fruit, a dense ruby/purple color, and sweet floral notes, in the mouth the 2005 La Conseillante is not as broad and powerful as Petrus, Trotanoy, Hosanna or Lafleur, but it is gorgeously silky, elegant and stylish. This medium-bodied, savory wine is a graceful, provocative and compelling Pomerol to drink now and over the next 25 years.Robert Parker | 97 RPThe 2005 La Conseillante is a rich, heady Pomerol. Crème de cassis, lavender, chocolate, leather, espresso, licorice and sweet French oak infuse the 2005 with tremendous character. The 2005 is, naturally, a wine of its era. There is quite a bit of extraction and tannin, and yet the wine has aged impeccably. Time in the glass brings out energy and aromatic lift to round things out nicely. The 2005 just got better and better with time, so I suggest giving it a good bit of air. I would prefer to drink it over the next decade or so.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGThis is decadent and wild on the nose, with fresh cèpe, raw steak and wild berry. Full-bodied, with loads of velvety tannins, yet refined and caressing in every way. A beautiful, balanced red. The best young wine ever from this producer. Best after 2017. 4,165 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSThe 2005 La Conseillante is powerhouse effort that’s still youthfully ruby/plum colored and possesses a lively, vibrant style. Deep, concentrated, full-bodied, and incredibly well balanced, it offers a killer bouquet of dark fruits, kirsch, toasty oak, incense, and licorice. While just now at the early stages of maturity, it has another two decades of longevity and is certainly a match for the 2000 and 1990.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDBeautifully creamy in texture, well balanced with some gentle white pepper spice, truffles and soft raspberries along with saffron and smoke edging. This is a great moment to drink, particularly because there was a little less density overall in La Conseillante during this era, and so it has reached a drinking window a little earlier than it tends to do in years from 2010 onwards. Effortless balance. A yield of 38hl/ha. 100% new oak. Drinking Window 2021 - 2038.Decanter | 96 DECConseillante is breathtaking in 2005, a terroir performing at the peak of its potential. The wine is compressed and powerful, layered in sweet merlot tannin and pure, wild berry fruit. It feels cool and dynamic, monstrous at one moment, resonant the next. This was a little disjointed en primeur, and though it has come together in bottle, it still needs long cellar time for the layers of extract to unfold. It seems to take its tremendous sophistication directly from the ground.Wine & Spirits | 96 W&S(Château La Conseillante (Pomerol)) The 2005 vintage of La Conseillante is a great wine in the making, with this estate’s elegant and always transparent personality very much in evidence in this outstanding year. The bouquet is deep, pure and superb, offering up notes of raspberries, black cherries, gravelly soil tones, tobacco leaf, a touch of menthol and a judicious framing of spicy new wood. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very pure on the attack, with a fine core, superb soil signature, tangy acids and great length and grip on the poised and moderately tannic finish. This is a brilliant vintage for La Conseillante. (Drink between 2020-2055)John Gilman | 95 JGTasted in early 2006, the barrel sample of this wine was disappointing. But the wine has now shown the sweetness and richness of its fruit, packed with juicy, ripe Merlot, and is held together by sweet tannins. Developing well; drink in another four years.Wine Enthusiast | 90 WE

This is an absolutely spectacular effort from Christian Moueix’s tiny jewel in Pomerol – Hosanna. An extraordinary nose of blue and black fruits, floral notes, licorice, and truffle soars from the glass of this dense purple wine. A blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, this wine often has the most complex set of aromatics of any Pomerol. Velvety tannins, a multi-dimensional mouthfeel, and stunning finish give this full-bodied, extravagantly rich wine accessibility now, but it is certainly capable of lasting 25 or more years. Sadly, there are only 1,200 cases of this.Robert Parker | 98 RPThe 2005 Hosanna is a dense, potent wine. Huge tannins wrap around a core of inky dark fruit, chocolate, spice, leather and menthol. The typical flamboyance of Hosanna is very much on display, but the tannins are equally potent. A few hours in the decanter brings out the wine’s creaminess and volume, both of which are considerable. The 2005 is an especially somber, brooding Hosanna. Readers can look forward to another 10-15 years of fine drinking.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGDark in color, with lots of blackberry, jam and dark chocolate aromas. Full-bodied and tight, yet powerful, with velvety tannins and a long, caressing finish. Like a tightly wound ball of silk thread. Best after 2014. 1,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSEverything is here in this great wine. The solid fruit flavors are of black berries and dried raisins, and there is a rich, powerful structure. Above all, it is finely balanced. It shows that a wine can be powerful without being high alcohol.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WE

One of the top vintages of Haut-Bailly out there, the 2005 is a quintessential example of this terroir, showing incredible finesse and elegance paired with ample concentration and depth of fruit. Complex notes of black cherries, darker currants, gravelly earth, graphite, smoke tobacco, and cedar notes all emerge from the glass, and it’s full-bodied, flawlessly balanced, and pure class on the palate. I’ve always thought the 2009 was the greatest vintage from this estate that I’ve tasted, yet this is certainly knocking on the doorstep, although in a more classic, structured style. I find this insanely good today, but it’s still youthful and is set for another 30+ years of truly spectacular drinking! Hats off to Veronique Sanders and the team at Haut-Bailly for another magical wine.Jeb Dunnuck | 98+ JDA near perfect growing season resulted in alcohols of 14% for the Merlots and 13% for the Cabernet Sauvignons, unheard of at Haut-Bailly. This is starting to show tertiary aromatics and yet holding on to its youthful character, absolutely teetering on the edge between youth and age. The tension of this moment is something to savour, and I want to both suggest that you drink it now, and that you put it away for another decade. Hints of leather, cold ash, cassis, pepper, saffron, all with confident tannins that embrace the fruit without making a big deal of it. The definition of elegant Pessac, as with 2001 vintage, but here with another level of concentration. Just so drinkable while complex and effortless. Long harvest from September 14 through to October 11. A yield of 41hl/ha. Drinking Window 2020 - 2040.Decanter | 97 DECThe 2005 Haut-Bailly, is dense purple with loads of graphite, earth, spice, blackberry and blueberry fruit, beautiful balance, medium to full body, and stunning purity, texture and length. Still incredibly young at age 10, this wine is set for 30 or more years of longevity. This is a great, great Haut-Bailly that will one day probably rival 2009 and 2010.Robert Parker | 96+ RPThe 2005 Haut-Bailly is unbelievably finessed from start to finish. A wine of unreal class, the 2005 impresses with its silky, mid-weight personality and fantastic balance. The aromatics aren’t fully expressive today, but everything else about the 2005 is absolutely irresistible. Despite its considerable charm, Haut-Bailly comes across as still needing time in bottle to be at its best! In a vintage in which so many wines are extroverted, Haut-Bailly retains an air of elegance and understatement. The best is clearly yet to come.Antonio Galloni | 96 AGDark purple in color. Offers pure fruit, with crushed raspberry, blackberry and dried flowers on the nose. Full-bodied, with supersilky tannins that touch every inch of the palate. Long and racy, with elegance and beauty harking back to bygone days. Best after 2015. 6,665 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSThis shows a great purity of fruit; firm and direct notes of raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries that open to intense notes of fresh flowers. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins. This wine is tight and long -- you know this is good immediately. Pull the cork after 2016.James Suckling | 95 JS(Château Haut-Bailly) Along with 2008 and 2001, 2005 is my favorite vintage in this decade on the Gironde. I find the wines in Bordeaux quite similar structurally to those of Burgundy in this vintage, with a rare combination of ripe, pure and rock solid fruit components, coupled to fairly high acids and firm tannins. The combination seems likely to make for very, very long-lived wines, but patience is still required for those with bottles in the cellar, as this vintage is most emphatically not yet ready for primetime drinking. The 2005 Haut-Bailly shows enormous potential on both the nose and palate, with the bouquet offering up a pure and precise blend of plums, red and black cherries, tobacco leaf, a marvelous base of gravelly soil tones, cigar smoke and a lovely framing of nutty and cedary new oak. On the palate the wine is pure and full-bodied and shows of stunning mid-palate depth, with great energy and grip, firm, buried tannins, tangy acids and laser-like focus on the very long, nascently complex and vibrant finish. To my palate, this is the finest vintage of Haut-Bailly since the stellar 1986 and the (quite underrated elsewhere) 1982, but it is still emphatically a young wine and needs at least another fifteen years in the cellar to really start drinking with generosity. Be patient, as once this wine blossoms, it is going to be dazzling and virtually timeless! (Drink between 2035-2125).John Gilman | 94 JGAn impressively structured wine from an estate that is at the forefront of quality in Pessac-Léognan. It is balanced, a rich rounded wine, with considerable depths of black fruits, dark tannins and power.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WENo written review provided. | 91 W&S

This is so creamy, almost milky in feel, with toasted coconut and cashew notes giving way to sweet peach, apricot and glazed pear flavors that glide along, while ginger, green tea, lychee and kumquat flavors extend through the finish. Shows terrific range and definition. Feels like it’s just starting to open, and is in no rush. Drink now through 2035. 2,665 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WSTasted blind at the 10-Year On Tasting in Sauternes. The 2005 Château de Fargues has a rich and intense bouquet with layers of honey, dried peach, beeswax and acacia that soar from the glass. The palate is powerful and authoritative: intense botrytis-rich honeyed fruit with compelling mineralité underneath. It fans out in glorious fashion – a stunning de Fargues that is now beginning to show its talents. As I remarked a couple of years ago, just afford it a couple more years so that it can fully absorb the vestiges of oak.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 95 RP-NMThe nose is sumptuous but still conspicuously oaky, though the oak doesn’t suppress the lovely apricot fruit. Indeed it confers aromatic elegance. Very sweet and intense on the palate, this is creamy and concentrated, with excellent purity of fruit, but a lively acidity, which gives the wine its finesse. Well balanced. Drinking Window 2021 - 2030.Decanter | 93 DECMedium yellow. Exotic, high-toned apricot, spices and flowers on the nose, complemented by coconutty, toasty oak. Very sweet and unctuous, with exotic, nobly rotten flavors of pineapple, apricot and coconut and an impression of elevated alcohol. Not quite as racy, fruity or structured as the 2007; conveys an impression of softer acidity, and yet this maintains a light touch. Finishes with suggestions of vanilla and marzipan.Vinous Media | 92 VMNo written review provided. | 92 W&S

An incredible nose, so subtle with red fruits, mint, minerals, and all sorts of flowers give way to Cohiba cigar tobacco. The palate has such freshness and density, with perfectly polished tannins. Slightly leathery, like a wonderful Hermes bag. What a wine, please leave this for another ten years. Pull the cork in 2020. 10% Merlot. Find the wineJames Suckling | 100 JSA wine worthy of superlatives, the 2005 Lafite showed incredible concentration yet a superb balance. The lovely blackcurrant and plum fruit shows a fragrant floral edge, hints of oak spice, and a firm, earthy underpinning. The texture is superbly elegant, with a lovely freshness and a lilting, silky finish, yet it does not lack a tannic grip, and the finish is satisfyingly long. Near perfection. A blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot with just a drop of Petit Verdot, aged in new casks. (Drink between 2021-2040)Decanter | 99 DECThis wine is initially dense, almost thick enough to be cut with a knife. But then it becomes apparent that this is beautifully integrated and balanced, bringing together power, with the hallmark Lafite style and poise. In the end, you have a wine that promises an impressive aging potential along with delicious black currant fruits, acidity and a layer of striking tannins. Imported by Domaines Barons de Rothschild and multiple U.S. importers.Wine Enthusiast | 99 WEDelivers blackberry, dried porcini, tobacco and licorice aromas. Full-bodied, with layers of velvety tannins and loads of dark chocolate, cigar box, currant, berry and mineral. The finish is long, with a coffee, almost meaty, aftertaste. Very beautiful and balanced. Best after 2013.Wine Spectator | 98 WSLafite is the most elegant of the firsts in 2005; it also may be the most romantic. The wine’s heady scent of new oak rises in harmony with the succulent red fruit. Then the tannins come on with a gentle roar, layering the perception of flavors in subtle shadings. There’s not a trace of the hyperintensity that so many young 2005s wear as if required for their longevity. The stones of Lafite grow something more numinous than that, a wine with the power to strike an emotional chord through taste. This will be one of the longest lived wines of 2005. Diageo Château & Estate Wines, NYWine & Spirits | 98 W&SThe 2005 Lafite-Rothschild is a gorgeous wine, but it is also very young. Readers lucky enough to own it will find a very classic, gracious Lafite-Rothschild that still needs a few years to be at its best. Bright red-toned fruit, crushed rocks, mint and licorice open first, followed by darker aromas and flavors that develop as the wine gains volume with air. Tasted next to its peers, Lafite is so typical of itself and less marked by the year. And that is one of the signs of a truly great terroir. Lafite-Rothschild is not as showy as many other wines in this vintage, but it is so true to its own identity, and that is the highest compliment I can pay it. The 2005 is 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot, done in 100% new oak, which is not at all noticeable. At the time, the Cabernet percentage was quite high, but that has now become the norm. Tasted two times.Antonio Galloni | 97 AGWhile the 2005 is another brilliantly classic Lafite Rothschild, for my taste, it comes in slightly behind their extraordinarily opulent 2003 as well as the dramatically powerful 2000. A blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Merlot, the 2005 boasts a dark ruby/purple color in addition to that exceptional Lafite perfume of graphite, spring flowers, crushed rocks, and sweet black cherry and black currant fruit that exudes class and nobility. The wine is medium-bodied with extremely high levels of tannin in addition to sensational purity, length, and overall harmony. However, it is exceptionally backward, and even more tannic than either the 1995 or 1996. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2050+.Robert Parker | 96+ RP

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 needs time in the glass, but unfurls to reveal cedar, cinnamon, tobacco, cassis and rose notes. It’s heady and confident stuff that I’ve tasted several times over the past few months and have been hugely impressed by, especially with food. 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. Drinking Window 2018 - 2040Decanter | 96 DECLove the colour of this, deep damson, generous and enticing. The tannins are just astonishingly finessed and generous, chocolate, cedar, cocoa bean, so well constructed, combining depth to the fruit with feather-pillow tannins. Clearly young, decades ahead of it, but this is already confident and enjoyable, effortlessly standing out from this lineup of exceptional wines. It lacks the weight and concentration of the 2009 or 2010 of Comtesse, but it’s showing extremely well, and seems to be gaining in power. 50% new oak.Jane Anson | 96 JAThe Chateau Pichon-Lalande 2005 that was so divisive at birth but as I expected right from the beginning, this is maturing into a lovely Pauillac. It offers compelling tobacco and graphite scents on the nose, belying the Merlot content of this blend, reserved at first but opening gloriously in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannin and well-judged acidity. There is an effortlessness quality about this Pichon-Lalande. ‘tis not the most powerful or decadent Pauillac but its is very sophisticated and refined.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 95 RP-NMIn recent years, Pichon Comtesse has developed an elegance all its own, with great style, smoothing out the real intensity of the wine. This 2005 continues in that tradition, a spice, fruity wine, which has restraint as well as hidden power.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEJuicy and sleek in feel, with a gloss of singed vanilla and alder over the core of lively blackberry, fig and black currant paste flavors. Singed charcoal and sweet tobacco notes score the finish and leave a mouthwatering feel. A tough decision whether to drink now or wait, as both choices will be rewarded.—Blind ’01/’03/’05 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2017). Drink now through 2035. 22,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSWhat a nose on this, with orchids and currants, this is very perfumed and pretty. Full-bodied, with bright and lively acidity. Rose petals and citrus fruit on the palate give way to a long and intense finish. Wait and see where this goes.James Suckling | 93 JS