Wine Spectator Top 100: 2008 #8! A very dark ruby color with purple tinges. Intense aromas of ripe fruit, blackberry jam, spices and a hint of liquorish. The mouth is expressive and full bodied, well balanced between fruit and tannins. ...More

From a year of abundant fruit we selected only the best-of-the-best from our small vineyard blocks. Pure varietal aromas of blackberry and cassis almost seem to press the cork out of the bottle followed by juicy flavors of black cherry, currant, cassis liqueur, black plum, dark chocolate, spice and tobacco. The exuberance of these flavors comes in a knitting of ripe, round tannins that promises, as we’ve seen with this wine, that the power of youth will one day mature into the smoky elegance and complexity of age ...More

Martin Stelling Cabernet is a showy wine both in the aromas and on the palate. The 2005 vintage has aromas of jammy black fruits, chocolate, sweet vanilla and cedar. Similar flavors on the palate include a medley of blackberry and cassis. The 2005 started off with extremely concentrated fruit and actually tasted very young after a year of aging. Therefore, there is a little more oak on this vintage, which offers the sweet spice, toast and vanilla notes that accompany the fruit. Layer upon layer, this wine has an elegant structure with smooth, coating tannins that really expand and sweeten into a long, lush finish. ...More

Abundant aromas of red and black fruits are predominant on the nose. A mixture of strawberry and raspberry fills the glass, with sweet vanilla and cedar adding interest. This 2005 has a very silky texture that is velvety and rich across the palate.
While still retaining its normal elegance, this vintage has a bit more stuffing, which carries those beautiful fruit flavors into an incredibly supple finish. ...More

This wine show's lovely spicy, toasty flavors,and a creamy butteriness on the palate, but not too much. Delicious finish making this wine a real Gem & a fan favorite! ...More

Powerful aromas of honeysuckle with hints of tropical fruit, a luscious rich palate with hints of honey and spice and a meld of concentrated dried tropical fruit flavors. The finish is clean, fresh and persistent. ...More

The color is deep garnet red. The nose encountered on the attack; is powerful and tight, truly complex. In the mouth, the wine overruns the palate. It draws out on an extremely long finish. ...More

Cristal, the jewel and tête de cuvée of Champagne Louis Roederer, was created in 1876 for the Tsar Alexander II of Russia. It remains faithful to its origin, inspired by elegance and purity. Cristal is produced with regimented standards of winemaking that require a rigorous selection of crus, vintages, grapes, and wine. ...More

Wine Spectator Top 100: 2008 #28. A must buy for Bordeaux lovers! Limited availability. ...More

The 2005 C.C. Ranch has a unique combination of floral and fruit. The plush black cherry flavors offer a nice sweetness to this wine, enhanced by the floral characteristics that naturally come from the vineyard. The distinctive “Rutherford Dust,” combined with the spice and toast from the oak, deepens the wine’s flavor and complexity. Smooth and rich, this wine expands on the middle palate, and the soft tannins that are associated with the Rutherford appellation melt away into a long, harmonious finish. ...More

2005 is a truly great, pure Château Margaux vintage! First of all, it has all of its class: that incomparable nose of finesse, grace and depth that belongs solely to its terroir and is only found in a few dream vintages. It also has its power: its concentration is exceptional, superior to 2000 and even 2003. It comes through first in the color, which has unprecedented intensity, and on the palate with extraordinary density and length. And yet its power does not have the last word; voluptuousness and harmony are also the hallmarks of this vintage. ...More

A brilliant wine that is crafted with such perfection and tastes better than ever with rich, full-bodied tones of dark currants intertwined with some chocolate covered cherries. An amazing nose that is a such a pleasure to smell as it is to drink! Extremely Limited and anybody who get's there hands on this wine should consider themselves lucky!!! ...More

The 2005 Haut-Brion is an extraordinarily broad, rich, full-bodied effort boasting huge aromas of scorched earth, plum sauce, sweet cherries, black currants, and a hint of toasty oak. The wine possesses huge tannins, which is somewhat deceptive given its viscosity and opulence. Despite its intensity, Haut-Brion is always a model of elegance and symmetry. The profound 2005, which will undoubtedly shut down after bottling, should be less seductive in its youth than either the 1989 or 1990, but it will be incredibly long-lived. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2040+. -RP ...More

Attractive aromas of dark red and black fruits such as cherry, dried fig and satsuma plum. The fruit characters are complimented by notes of spice, mocha, roasted coffee beans, dark chocolate and cedar. The 2005 Ares remains true to style with great concentration and density balanced by elegance and restraint. Remaining perfectly balanced, the tannins are silky and refined, the mid palate dense and rich. ...More

A superb Mouton, the 2005 is composed of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, and a dollop of Cabernet Franc. Under the new administrator, Philippe Dalhuin, the strictest selection of any recent vintage was instituted (64% of the production was used), and the 2005's 13.5% natural alcohol is one of the highest ever achieved at this estate. ...More

Deep plum in colour, this has an intense bouquet of jet black plums, cloves and fennel it is bright, bouncy and intense. The palate is soft and approachable with a lovely coating texture; the mid palate builds to a focused and well defined finish. This has loads of gob smacking fruit and is a pleasure to drink straight off the bat. ...More

A genuine, rich and well balanced Pauillac, of good definition that can be qualified as classic. An unctuous, elegant and well crafted wine. ...More

A blend that changes slightly with each vintage: 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petite Verdot, 5% Cabernet Franc. The aromas are incredibly sensuous with dark mulled spices, floral notes, earthy aromas and a dense cassis-blackberry fruit core. The palate is bold and full-bodied, yet focused with layer after layer of expansion on a long finish. ...More

Splendid blackberry aromas, with espresso and toasty oak, leading to a medium-to-full body, with polished, velvety tannins and rich tones of vanilla, berry and chocolate on the delicious finish. ...More

Bin 138 is more of a fruit-driven style than the other Bin wines and displays a chalkier tannin texture. Its rich, earthy nature becomes more nuanced with age. ...More

96+ points by Robert Parker & Wine Spectator. The 2005 Merus (77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 3% Malbec, 2% Petit Verdot) was very approachable and luscious, with intense and lively aromas of pomegranate, crushed dried flowers, ripe black fruit, licorice, spices, and a pure, creamy minerality. A seamless wine with velvety tannins, it will age beautifully as well. ...More

This vintage also belongs on the list of great, legendary Bordeaux vintages. At Chateau Angelus, the vintage was crowned with outstanding scores by the great wine critics and acclaimed by all the professionals. Harmony, balance between power and freshness, and aromatic precision are the features of this unique vintage. ...More

Elevation 1147 always represents the “best of the best” from David Arthur. The color is a dark garnet with an intensely deep red core. Layered and complex aromas of wild blackberry, candied cassis, and baked cherries, followed by wild sage and violets. The texture is sweet and opulent with full palate concentration offering flavors of dark chocolate-espresso bean, black olive and cassis. A long finish carries a firm, yet polished, tannic structure that is fine grained in style. Drink 2010-2030. ...More

One of the best 2005 Bordeaux wines that anybody can find! This is a big wine with some dense tannins, elegant. On the palate intense with plenty of delicious layers of ripe fruit, and a incredible finish.
...More

“RWT” stands for “red wine trial,” a prosaic name for a spectacular wine developed in the 1990s and launched with the 1997 vintage. A nose of elevated and finessed perfumed high notes a la RWT! The palate is balanced and full-bodied with a silken, lush, "tofu-like" texture, replete with generous, ripe, even yet firm tannins. Flavors of wild-berry fruits, blueberry, boysenberry and loganberry, again verging towards raspberry yoghurt, redefine the "sweet-conserve" descriptor, neither porty nor residual sugarsweet, but lush and (dry red) unctuous. ...More

This is a beautiful, polished 2005 whose powerful and fine structure produces a full and round impression. Forget it in the cellar for at least five years, but its great potential will allow the wine to age successfully for 25+ years. ...More