2005 Red Wine from France

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 93 points: The best bottle I've ever had, the 2005 Hermitage la Chapelle showed much more density and concentration than I recall. Peppery herbs, currants, dried blood and licorice flow beautifully to a medium to full-bodied wine...

Wine Spectator, 93 points: Dark in color with an impressive nose of licorice toasty oak chocolate and blackberry. Full-bodied with silky tannins and a long caressing finish. Very pretty and structured. Best after 2012. 25000 cases made. –JS

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 94 points: The first bottle of 2005 Bellevue that I tasted had a maderized, oxidized nose that was off-putting. This note is from a second bottle. This second bottle showed absolutely no trace of oxidation, but did offer plenty of...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 94 points: Tasted from an ex-château bottle at BI Wine & Spirits Calon-Segur dinner in London, the 2005 Calon Segur is on par with the wonderful 2000. The only real difference is that this needs more time in bottle. It has a...

Vinous, 95 points: The 2005 Canon is all brawn and muscle. Chunky tannins give the 2005 a decidedly virile feel. There is plenty of depth and freshness - this is after all one of the very best sites in all of Bordeaux - so the 2005 will...

Wine Enthusiast, 94 points: (92-94 points) Very opulent, generous and rich. It shows all the glories of the vintage, with huge but sufficiently restrained fruit, and exuberant tannins. ROGER VOSS

Wine Enthusiast, 94 points: (92-94 points) Very opulent, generous and rich. It shows all the glories of the vintage, with huge but sufficiently restrained fruit, and exuberant tannins. ROGER VOSS

Wine Enthusiast, 94 points: (92-94 points) Very opulent, generous and rich. It shows all the glories of the vintage, with huge but sufficiently restrained fruit, and exuberant tannins. ROGER VOSS

jamessuckling.com, 95 points: This is a beautiful Giscours with tension and finesse. It's full-bodied and shows plenty of berry and spice character, not to mention a long, silky-textured finish. It seduces you with each sip. Why wait?

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 90 points: A sleeper of the vintage as well as the finest wine I have yet tasted from this estate, Lalande-Borie is made by Ducru Beaucaillou’s proprietor, Bruno Borie. He has turned out a graceful, charming, seductive St.-Julien...

Wine Enthusiast, 93 points: This sleeping beauty of a chateau is showing signs of awakening. With its great terroir, it deserves to make wine like this 2005, dense, perfumed, very ripe, powered with sweet, purple fruit and juicy flavors. It will...