2005 Union Des Grands Crus de Bordeaux

Vintages hosted members of the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux for a tasting of the much hyped 2005 vintage. This event was held at the Four Seasons with decent, but far from complete representation from both right and left banks.

I find it very hard to taste such young, tannic block busters so it's no surprise that the Merlot-dominated wines from St. Emillion and Pomerol showed so well. That said, there's no denying that there are some very exceptional wines coming from 2005.

Here's how I grouped the wines that I tasted last night, in the order of my preference - i.e. Angélus is WOTN.

Favourite & Wow Wines 96+ (with potential for perfection in time)
Château Angélus - most velvety, pure, intense, massively constructed
Château Troplong Mondot - amazing fruit intenstity and nice underlying earthiness
Château Pape Clément - lots of red and blue fruits and bit of a spicy kick
Château Pavie-Macquin - very broad shoulders but empeccable - almost chewy
Château Larcis Ducasse - as dark as the Pavie-Macquin and just as delicious

Would love to have in my cellar 93-95
Château Canon-La-Gaffelière
Château Beau-Séjour Bécot
Château Pichon-Longueville
Château Smith Haut-Lafitte
Château Branaire-Ducru

Clearly excellent, harder to evaluate this young 91-93
Château Gruaud Larose
Château Figeac
Château Léoville Barton
Château Léoville Poyferré
Château Talbot
Château Lascombes
Château La Conseillante - slightly off putting raisin notes on the nose
Château Clinet
Château Canon
Clos Fourtet

Quite nice but didn't really stand out
Château La Lagune
Château Lynch-Bages - sigh - another year that LB will not make it to my cellar
Château Petit-Village
Château Clarke
Château de Fieuzal