Bordeaux 2005 - Erste Verkostungsnotizen

Der Wine Spectator veröffentlicht seine Verkostungsnotizen des Bordeaux-Jahrgangs 2005:¤¤Château Cos-d'Estournel St.-Estèphe 2005 95-100 ¤Wonderful purity on the nose, with currants, berries and minerals. Spicy. Virginal Cabernet Sauvignon. Full-bodied, with very, very racy tannins that develop wonderfully on the palate. Expands on the palate. Cashmerelike texture. Goes on and on. Is it better than the 2003? —J.S. ¤. ¤Château Ducru-Beaucaillou St.-Julien 2005 95-100 ¤Intense exotic aromas of crushed blackberries, lilacs and hints of vanilla. Full-bodied, with a solid core of fruit and big, silky tannins. This is extremely layered, with a polished caressing texture. Long, long finish. Builds on the palate. Will it be better than 2003? Time will tell. —J.S. ¤. ¤Les Forts de Latour Pauillac 2005 95-100 ¤The second wine of Latour is always more open than the grand vin, and this one is no different. Gorgeous aromas of currants, berries, licorice and minerals follow through to a full-bodied palate with velvety tannins and a long finish. Fantastic. Best ever. Hard to believe. —J.S. ¤. ¤Château Haut-Brion Pessac-Léognan 2005 95-100 ¤Superdark for Haut-Brion. The nose is mindblowing. Exotic. Like a bouquet of flowers with raspberries and currants as well as Chinese spices and fruits. Hints of new wood. Full-bodied, with ultrarefined tannins and great length—goes on and on. This is on its way to 100 points. Better than 1989. —J.S. ¤. ¤Château Lafite Rothschild Pauillac 2005 95-100 ¤Fabulous aromas of currant, tobacco, mineral and cedar with licorice undertones. Muscular wine with firm yet velvety tannins. Full-bodied, with lots of fruit yet reserved and long. Wonderful balance yet plenty of strength. Extremely well-toned and long. 2000 again? —J.S. ¤. ¤Château Latour Pauillac 2005 95-100 ¤Incredible aromas of currants and exotic fruit. Hints of chocolate and cigar box. Very complex already. Full-bodied, concentrated and velvety. Chewy and powerful. Pure fruit. This is superpowerful. It's like a tidal wave of fruit and perfect tannins on your palate. This is a Latour 2000 II. On it's way to 100 points. —J.S. ¤. ¤Château Léoville Barton St.-Julien 2005 95-100 ¤Fantastic aromas of currants, black licorice and berries. Fresh flowers. Light smoke. Big and velvety with loads of fruit. Long. Gorgeous. Sexy. Love it. Seems like another 2003; wait and see. —J.S. ¤. ¤Château Léoville Las Cases St.-Julien 2005 95-100 ¤Sensational aromas of currants, berries, minerals and flowers. Full-bodied, with big, chewy tannins. Starts off slowly, then builds on the palate and goes on and on. Could be even better than 2000, and I gave that 100. This wine makes my head spin. Amazing. Layered and long. This is so 100-points. —J.S. ¤. ¤Château Léoville Poyferré St.-Julien 2005 95-100 ¤Loads of blackberry, licorice and toasted oak on the nose. Full-bodied, with lots of focused and clean ripe fruit character. Balanced and refined. Another 2003? Maybe even better? —J.S. ¤. ¤Château Malescot-St.-Exupéry Margaux 2005 95-100 ¤Dark-colored, with showy aromas of ripe berries, currants and raspberries with hints of violets. Incredible nose. Full-bodied, with ultra-elegant tannins that go on and on. A fabulous wine, with the finesse and class of a great Burgundy and the power and style of Bordeaux. This is the best wine ever from here. —J.S. ¤. ¤Château Margaux Margaux 2005 95-100 ¤Unbelievable nose already. Incredible complexity of aromas, from wild raspberries to flowers and fresh mushrooms. Violets, currants. Love it. Full-bodied, with ultrarefined tannins. Long, long finish. It lasts for minutes on the palate. A wine with classic beauty. May well be 100 points. —J.S. ¤. ¤Château Palmer Margaux 2005 95-100 ¤Opulent and flamboyant are the two words that come to mind with this wine. Aromas of blackberries, dark chocolate and toasted oak follow through to a full-bodied palate, with big, chewy tannins (yet they are refined and silky) and a long, long finish. This is a full-throttle Palmer. Superripe and delicious. —J.S. ¤. ¤Château Pontet-Canet Pauillac 2005 95-100 ¤Glorious aromas of currants, blackberries and cherries with hints of vanilla and cedar. Full-bodied, with exuberant fruit. Velvety tannins. Soft and round mouthfeel. This is supercharged with fruit. Wonderful purity of Cabernet Sauvignon. Very low yields this year. Best ever from here? —J.S. ¤. ¤Château Rauzan-Ségla Margaux 2005 95-100 ¤Beautiful aromas of blackberries, chocolate, coffee and currants. Full-bodied, with wonderfu ultrafine tannins and structure. Long, long finish. Seriously structured and rich. All in reserve right now, but you can feel the outstanding quality. 2000 in the remake. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. —J.S. ¤. ¤Château Marquis-d'Alesme-Becker Margaux 2005 92-94 ¤A wine with beautiful fruit and refined tannins. Full-bodied and very silky, with a wonderful length. Very classy. —J.S. ¤. ¤Château Boyd-Cantenac Margaux 2005 92-94 ¤Lots of blackberry, spice, tar and licorice. Full-bodied, thick and rich. This is very dense. Pure fruit. Best ever from here. —J.S. ¤. ¤Château Branaire-Ducru St.-Julien 2005 92-94 ¤Very pretty flowers, berry and cherry on the nose, with just a hint of currant. Full-bodied, with big velvety tannins and a medium finish. Lots of fruit and focused character. We will see if it equals the 2003. —J.S. ¤. ¤Château Calon-Ségur St.-Estèphe 2005 92-94 ¤Dark-colored, with beautiful aromas of chocolate, spices and violets. Full-bodied, with superfine tannins and a long, long finish. Fresh and refined. A beauty. This is such a pleasure to taste. —J.S. ¤. ¤Château Clerc Milon Pauillac 2005 92-94 ¤Loads of violets, berries and currants with hints of mineral, light vanilla. Full-bodied, with very silky tannins and a long, long finish. Is it better than 2003? Wait and see. —J.S. ¤. ¤Clos du Marquis St.-Julien 2005 92-94 ¤This is very solid, with currants, minerals and berries on the nose and palate. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a long, flavorful finish. Lots of licorice and cassis. Tight. Always excellent in top vintages. —J.S. ¤. ¤Château Dauzac Margaux 2005 92-94 ¤Wonderful aromas of currants, raspberries and Indian spices. Full-bodied, with ultrafine tannins and a long, long finish. Very, very pretty. Best ever from here. —J.S. ¤. ¤Château Duhart-Milon Rothschild Pauillac 2005 92-94 ¤Lots of blackberry and smoky character. Full-bodied, chewy and rich. Lots going on here. Powerful. Impressive. —J.S. ¤. ¤Château Giscours Margaux 2005 92-94 ¤Very big and juicy, with fabulous berry, chocolate and currant character. Full and round. Long. This could be the best Giscours of all time. —J.S. ¤. ¤Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste Pauillac 2005 92-94 ¤Aromas of berries and spices follow through to a full body, fine tannins and a chewy finish. Tight and reserved but shows lovely potential. Layered and refined. Very beautiful. Perhaps better than 2000. —J.S. ¤. ¤Château Haut-Bages-Libéral Pauillac 2005 92-94 ¤Gorgeous aromas of currants, berries, vanilla and licorice. Full-bodied, with ultrafine tannins and a wonderful texture. It goes on for minutes. Breathtaking. Best ever from here. Almost 95-100. —J.S. ¤. ¤Château Haut-Batailley Pauillac 2005 92-94 ¤Aromas of crushed berry, spice and light toasted oak. Licorice galore. Full-bodied, with velvety texture and a long, caressing finish. Another 2000. —J.S. ¤. ¤Château Kirwan Margaux 2005 92-94 ¤I like the mineral, lead pencil and berry aromas to this. Full-bodied, very silky and refined. Long finish. Compact and tight, with lovely structure. —J.S. ¤. ¤Château Lagrange St.-Julien 2005 92-94 ¤Aromas of currants, berries, licorice and spice. Full-bodied and very velvety, with wonderful, high quality tannins. Long finish. Balanced and classy. —J.S. ¤. ¤Château Langoa Barton St.-Julien 2005 92-94 ¤Gorgeous blackberry, currants and light toasted oak. Exotic. Full-bodied, juicy and velvety, with loads of fruit. Long and delicious. Almost 95-100. Great value. —J.S. ¤. ¤Château Lascombes Margaux 2005 92-94 ¤Lots of very ripe fruit with blackberries and licorice. Full-bodied, with chewy tannins. Starts off slowly but grows on the palate. Long. Best in a long time here. —J.S. ¤. ¤Château Lynch-Bages Pauillac 2005 92-94 ¤Currant, blackberry, cherry and hints of licorice. Full-bodied, with silky and refined tannins and a fresh finish. This is racy and pretty. Very refined. Very structured. —J.S. ¤. ¤Château Malmaison Moulis 2005 92-94 ¤Aromas of spices, berries and currants follow through to a full-bodied palate, with fine taninns and a long, flavorful finish. Super little wine here. Remake of 92-point 2000. —J.S. ¤. ¤Château Monbrison Margaux 2005 92-94 ¤Gorgeous aromas of blackberries, spices and minerals follow through to a full-bodied palate, with silky tannins and a long, long finish. Supersurprising. Best in decades. —J.S. ¤. ¤Château Montrose St.-Estèphe 2005 92-94 ¤Raspberries, currants and spices on the nose. Full-bodied, with a very focused palate of fruit and fine tannins. Fresh finish. Long. Racy wine. —J.S. ¤. ¤Château Mouton-Rothschild Pauillac 2005 92-94 ¤Lots of currants, berries and minerals and light toasted oak on the nose. Full-bodied and very refined, with lots of silky tannins and a long finish. Elegant and fine. Very pretty. But should be up with the rest of the first-growths. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. —J.S. ¤. ¤Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux Margaux 2005 92-94 ¤Gorgeous aromas of ultraripe grapes with raspberries, minerals and hints of flowers. Full-bodied, with silky and juicy tannins. Long and flavorful. Chunky wine yet focused and structured. —J.S. ¤. ¤Château Pichon-Longueville-Baron Pauillac 2005 92-94 ¤Lovely blackberry and toasted oak character follows through to a full-bodied palate, with round and juicy tannins and a long, very fruity finish. Yummy. Not sure this is up to 2003, but clearly outstanding. —J.S. ¤. ¤Château Pichon-Longueville-Lalande Pauillac 2005 92-94 ¤Love the aromas here of currants, licorice, exotic fruit, and berries. Complex. Full and silky, with gorgeous tannins. This is really long and reserved. Very close to 95-100. I will see in bottle. —J.S. ¤. ¤Château Pouget Margaux 2005 92-94 ¤Aromas of blackberries, currants and hints of toasted oak. Full-bodied, with gorgeous, dense fruit and ultravelvety tannins. Long finish. Sensational from here. —J.S. ¤. ¤Château Talbot St.-Julien 2005 92-94 ¤Very rich and ripe on the nose, with currants, light raisins and violets. Full-bodied, with big, juicy tannins and a long finish. Almost 95-100. The best Talbot in years. —J.S. ¤