After spending the first week of April in Bordeaux tasting hundreds of wines from the 2005 vintage, I can honestly report that 2005 is truly a great vintage ! The weather conditions for 2005 were virtually perfect throughout Bordeaux and many vintners reported harvesting grapes in ‘perfect’ condition. The resulting wines have great purity of fruit and balance. The wines are ripe and rich, with a deep blue character to the fruit and no overripe flavors. The tannins are high, but they are ripe tannins, with a more silky and suave character than the 2000 vintage where the tannins were more muscular. Perhaps best of all, the wines have good acidity. This gives the wines a fresh and bright character; even with relatively high alcohol and extract the wines are not heavy – they are fine and elegant with polish and precision. It is also an excellent vintage for the dry white wines and for the Sauternes ! As one winemaker said, “If you didn’t make good wine in 2005, you should probably change careers because Mother Nature is never going to make it any easier.”
“I just spent two weeks tasting them in February ‘07,and the 2005s were singing..had many of them 2-4 different times in different settings....prices are not going down...the wines are the real deal….it is the greatest vintage I have tasted since I started way back in the dark ages of Bordeaux....1978........there are utterly monumental wines”
-Robert Parker on erobertparker.com
Scores
| | Size | Sale | | |
| 42013 | 2005 Chateau Aromes de Pavie - St Emilion | 750ml | 69.99 |  |
| 43195 | 2005 Chateau Bastor Lamontagne - Sauternes | 375ml | 14.99 |  |
| 43208 | 2005 Chateau Bastor Lamontagne - Sauternes | 750ml | 30.99 |  |
| 36269 | 2005 Chateau Beausejour Becot - St. Emilion | 750ml | 79.99 |  |
| 36208 | 2005 Chateau Bellevue - St. Emilion | 750ml | 87.99 |  |
| 36229 | 2005 Chateau Bellevue Mondotte - St. Emilion | 750ml | 299.00 |  |
| 36223 | 2005 Chateau Blason D'Issan - Margaux | 750ml | 29.99 |  |
| 36234 | 2005 Chateau Boyd Cantenac - Margaux | 750ml | 59.99 |  |
| 38602 | 2005 Chateau Caillou Blanc Talbot - Bordeaux | 750ml | 27.99 |  |
| 36268 | 2005 Chateau Calon Segur - St. Estephe | 750ml | 119.00 |  |
| 36425 | 2005 Chateau Cheval Blanc - St. Emilion | 750ml | 899.00 |  |
| 43886 | 2005 Chateau Clarendelle Rouge - Bordeaux | 750ml | 19.99 |  |
| 36459 | 2005 Chateau Clarke - Medoc | 750ml | 29.99 |  |
| 41923 | 2005 Chateau Clementin Pape Clement - Pessac | 375ml | 19.99 |  |
| 36188 | 2005 Chateau Climens - Sauternes | 375ml | 69.99 |  |
| 36274 | 2005 Chateau Climens - Sauternes | 750ml | 125.00 |  |
| 36235 | 2005 Chateau Clos Eglise - Pomerol | 750ml | 149.00 |  |
| 36096 | 2005 Chateau Clos Haut Peyraguey - Sauternes | 375ml | 24.99 |  |
| 35909 | 2005 Chateau Clos Haut Peyraguey - Sauternes | 750ml | 43.99 |  |
| 36097 | 2005 Chateau Clos L'Eglise - Cotes de Castillon | 750ml | 29.99 |  |
| 36339 | 2005 Chateau Cos d'Estournel - St. Estephe | 750ml | 289.00 |  |
| 36098 | 2005 Chateau Cote Montpezat - Cotes de Castillon | 750ml | 14.99 |  |
| 36100 | 2005 Chateau Coutet - Sauternes | 375ml | 38.99 |  |
| 36099 | 2005 Chateau Coutet - Sauternes | 750ml | 52.99 |  |
| 41508 | 2005 Chateau Croix Latrigue - Cotes de Castillon | 750ml | 12.99 |  |
| 36102 | 2005 Chateau Croix Mouton - Bordeaux | 750ml | 21.99 |  |
| 37269 | 2005 Chateau D'Escurac - Medoc | 750ml | 18.99 |  |
| 37110 | 2005 Chateau D'Yquem - Sauternes | 375ml | 325.00 |  |
| 42411 | 2005 Chateau Daugay - St. Emilion | 750ml | 25.99 |  |
| 42537 | 2005 Chateau De Carles - Fronsac | 750ml | 19.99 |  |
| 36351 | 2005 Chateau De Fargues - Sauternes | 375ml | 56.99 |  |
| 36536 | 2005 Chateau De Fargues - Sauternes | 750ml | 99.00 |  |
| 42403 | 2005 Chateau De Francs - Cotes de Francs | 750ml | 15.99 |  |
| 42404 | 2005 Chateau De Francs Cerisiers - Cotes de Francs | 750ml | 24.99 |  |
| 43875 | 2005 Chateau De La Riviere - Fronsac | 750ml | 21.99 |  |
| 43199 | 2005 Chateau Doisy Daene - Sauternes | 375ml | 24.99 |  |
| 36322 | 2005 Chateau Doisy Vedrines - Sauternes | 750ml | 34.99 |  |
| 36321 | 2005 Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou - St. Julien | 750ml | 265.00 |  |
| 45686 | 2005 Chateau Falfas - Cote de Bourg | 375ml | 9.99 |  |
| 45685 | 2005 Chateau Falfas - Cote de Bourg | 750ml | 18.99 |  |
| 41562 | 2005 Chateau Fiefs de Lagrange - St. Julien | 750ml | 38.99 |  |
| 42069 | 2005 Chateau Fieuzal - Pessac | 750ml | 43.99 |  |
| 36951 | 2005 Chateau Fombrauge - St. Emilion | 375ml | 21.99 |  |
| 36203 | 2005 Chateau Fombrauge - St. Emilion | 750ml | 39.99 |  |
| 42402 | 2005 Chateau Gazin Rocquenfort - Pessac | 750ml | 26.99 |  |
| 36233 | 2005 Chateau Giscours - Margaux | 750ml | 85.99 |  |
| 41528 | 2005 Chateau Grand Paris - Bordeaux Superior | 750ml | 11.99 |  |
| 36280 | 2005 Chateau Grandes Murailles - St. Emilion | 750ml | 59.99 |  |
| 36108 | 2005 Chateau Guiraud - Sauternes | 375ml | 39.99 |  |
| 36107 | 2005 Chateau Guiraud - Sauternes | 750ml | 76.99 |  |
| 36109 | 2005 Chateau Haut Bergey BLANC - Pessac | 750ml | 29.99 |  |
| 40555 | 2005 Chateau Haut Boilon - Cote Blaye | 750ml | 9.99 |  |
| 36282 | 2005 Chateau Haut Brion - Pessac | 750ml | 1,099.00 |  |
| 44464 | 2005 Chateau Haut Medoc de Branaire Ducru - Medoc | 750ml | 19.99 |  |
| 36149 | 2005 Chateau Joanin Becot - Cotes de Castillon | 750ml | 34.99 |  |
| 36202 | 2005 Chateau Kirwan - Margaux | 750ml | 99.99 |  |
| 36424 | 2005 Chateau La Clemence - St. Emilion | 750ml | 79.99 |  |
| 36055 | 2005 Chateau La Fleur Bouard - Lalande de Pomerol | 750ml | 39.99 |  |
| 36284 | 2005 Chateau La Mission Haut Brion - Pessac | 750ml | 999.00 |  |
| 45505 | 2005 Chateau La Parde de Haut Bailly - Pessac | 375ml | 21.99 |  |
| 45506 | 2005 Chateau La Parde de Haut Bailly - Pessac | 750ml | 41.99 |  |
| 35907 | 2005 Chateau La Tour Blanche - Sauternes | 375ml | 31.99 |  |
| 35908 | 2005 Chateau La Tour Blanche - Sauternes | 750ml | 52.99 |  |
| 41952 | 2005 Chateau Lafaurie Peyraguey - Sauternes | 375ml | 25.99 |  |
| 36327 | 2005 Chateau Lafaurie Peyraguey - Sauternes | 750ml | 49.99 |  |
| 36451 | 2005 Chateau Lafite Rothschild - Pauillac | 750ml | 999.00 |  |
| 41519 | 2005 Chateau Lanessan - Haut Medoc | 750ml | 24.99 |  |
| 44462 | 2005 Chateau Larmande - St Emilion | 375ml | 15.99 |  |
| 41791 | 2005 Chateau Larmande - St Emilion | 750ml | 34.99 |  |
| 45714 | 2005 Chateau Larose Trintaudon - Medoc | 750ml | 16.99 |  |
| 36286 | 2005 Chateau Lasombes - Margaux | 750ml | 99.99 |  |
| 43645 | 2005 Chateau Lauriol - Cotes de Francs | 750ml | 12.99 |  |
| 37274 | 2005 Chateau Le Crock - St. Estephe | 375ml | 14.99 |  |
| 36187 | 2005 Chateau Leoville Las Cases - St. Julien | 750ml | 399.00 |  |
| 36302 | 2005 Chateau Leoville Poyferre - St. Julien | 750ml | 119.00 |  |
| 38590 | 2005 Chateau Les Tours De Peyrat - Cotes de Blaye | 750ml | 12.99 |  |
| 41291 | 2005 Chateau Louvie Veyry - St Emilion | 750ml | 21.99 |  |
| 45414 | 2005 Chateau Malmaison - Medoc | 375ml | 12.99 |  |
| 36267 | 2005 Chateau Margaux - Margaux | 750ml | 899.00 |  |
| 37273 | 2005 Chateau Marjosse - Bordeaux | 750ml | 14.99 |  |
| 36112 | 2005 Chateau Monbousquet - St. Emilion | 750ml | 95.99 |  |
| 36290 | 2005 Chateau Montrose - St. Estephe | 750ml | 159.00 |  |
| 36172 | 2005 Chateau Mouton Rothschild - Pauillac | 750ml | 799.00 |  |
| 36292 | 2005 Chateau Pape Clement - Pessac | 750ml | 285.00 |  |
| 36303 | 2005 Chateau Pape Clement Blanc - Pessac | 750ml | 159.00 |  |
| 36333 | 2005 Chateau Pavie - St. Emilion | 750ml | 449.00 |  |
| 36262 | 2005 Chateau Pavie Macquin - St. Emilion | 750ml | 299.00 |  |
| 36942 | 2005 Chateau Pichon Lalande - Pauillac | 1.5L | 299.00 |  |
| 36294 | 2005 Chateau Pichon Lalande - Pauillac | 750ml | 139.00 |  |
| 36295 | 2005 Chateau Pontet Canet - Pauillac | 750ml | 139.00 |  |
| 43587 | 2005 Chateau Preuillac - Medoc | 750ml | 25.99 |  |
| 35911 | 2005 Chateau Puygueraud - Cotes de Francs | 750ml | 28.99 |  |
| 36469 | 2005 Chateau Raymond Lafon - Sauternes | 375ml | 29.99 |  |
| 36114 | 2005 Chateau Raymond Lafon - Sauternes | 750ml | 52.99 |  |
| 35858 | 2005 Chateau Rieussec - Sauternes | 750ml | 79.99 |  |
| 36151 | 2005 Chateau Rol Valentin - St. Emilion | 750ml | 64.99 |  |
| 41462 | 2005 Chateau Rose Piney - St. Emilion | 750ml | 23.99 |  |
| 41143 | 2005 Chateau Seguin Prestige - Bordeaux Superieur | 750ml | 13.99 |  |
| 36115 | 2005 Chateau St Colombes - Cotes de Castillon | 750ml | 13.99 |  |
| 35905 | 2005 Chateau Suduiraut - Sauternes | 375ml | 43.99 |  |
| 35875 | 2005 Chateau Suduiraut - Sauternes | 750ml | 99.99 |  |
| 36335 | 2005 Chateau Tertre Daugay - St. Emilion | 750ml | 34.99 |  |
| 42535 | 2005 Chateau Tour de Bardes - St. Emilion | 750ml | 19.99 |  |
| 40291 | 2005 Chateau Tourtirac - Cote Castillon | 750ml | 9.99 |  |
| 36338 | 2005 Chateau Vieux Ch Certan - Pomerol | 750ml | 199.00 |  |
| 42539 | 2005 Chateau Villa Mongiron - Bordeaux | 750ml | 12.99 |  |