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Ch. Prieure Lichine |
"When Len pours , he reigns."
Stavros, a regular taster, made that pretty bon mot at last week's tasting. I greatly appreciated it until the subversive thought occurred that that perhaps it was his gentle way of suggesting that I was being overbearing in how i talked about the wines.
If so, I plead enthusiam. I was floored by how well these wines had developed in the two years since i had tasted them from barrel, and how well they showed how wonderful 2005 is in Bordeuaux.
They were alike in their poise and in their intense balance, well structured minerals tannins and generous fruit, Rounded acids carried these elements through to a long finish.
Even the finest vintages usually lean towards only one or two of these qulaites; the 2000s were overtly fruity; the 61s massively tannic, the 86s while massive had a forbidding tannic acidity when they were young,
These 2005s and their brethren show all three in wonderful equilibrium, but the wines we tasted last week showed also why 2005 is a truly great vintage; power and distinction in their composition, but also indivdualuty and personality, whether of place or winemakers' craft.
The first three more moderately priced wines, were as you would hope true to their appelations; the 2005 Ch. Malescasse an Haut Medoc, covered its force with a layer of creamy fruit; Ch. Clarke, a big powerful wine from Listrac in the hinterland of Pauillac and St. Julien, had the power of the former but with a broader more forceful interpretation of Pauillac’s lead pencil. The Latour de Mons was a cru bourgeois Margaux, with a somewhat more smooth and more refined texture. It sold out, not because it was the favorite, but because we had less of it.
The next three wines were a decided step up. The 2005 Ch. Prieure Lichine , a fifth growth Margaux, had a crisp cedar and current sweet finesse that was more articulated than the Margaux before it. The Rouget a Pomerol, showed no heat from overripe Merlot, but a wonderfully expressive complexity that, like the Prieure Lichine, promised much for the medium future. These two seemed most people’s favorites.
Fombrauge , a St. Emilion Grand Cru, was bigger and more extracted, a fruit and tannin bomb of a wine. It was the favorite of those who did not prefer the two before.
| 2005 Ch. Malescasse :(Haut Medoc)
Aroma: Light clean a fragrant wood note; Mouth: Smooth rich fleshy firm ;
Very Good Plus |
$26.95 |
$24.26 |
$22.91 |
| 2005 Ch. Clarke (Listrac)
Aroma: Fat round earthy spice; Mouth: fleshy sweet oak firm hard center long;
Very Good Plus |
$36.95 |
$33.26 |
$31.41 |
| 2005 Ch. Latour de Mons (Margaux)
Aroma: Sweet spicy fine acid elegant; Mouth: Firm fleshy rounded full fleshy almost St Julien-like;
Very Good Plus |
$31.95 |
$28.76 |
$27.16 |
| 2005 Ch. Prieure Lichine (Margaux):
Aroma: Deep oak heady since very dense later closed soft dense, an overt light spice, broad and low acid; Mouth: Sweet tight strong wood edge good material simple 2 fleshy broad rather fat , black fruit, fine;
Very Good Plus |
$69.95 |
$62.96 |
$59.46 |
| 2005 Ch. Rouget (Pomerol):
Color: Black; Aroma: Soft dark fruits sweet edge clean; Mouth: Thick sweet flesh rather fat fullish rounded nice balance;
Very Good Plus |
$64.95 |
$58.46 |
$55.21 |
| 2005 Ch. Fombrauge :
St. Emilion Grand cru; Aroma: Rich oaky attack, extracted heady splce sweet to; Mouth: dense hardish frult clean powerful, chocolatey, satisfying;
Very - Excellent |
$59.95 |
$53.96 |
$50.96 |
4-23 2005 Claret, Classy & Classed Case; 2 each of the above wines at a special price $495;
pack of 1 each $259
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