2005 Bordeaux Blend Wine

Wine Spectator, 91 points: Aromas of mineral blackberry and licorice lead to a full body with lots of racy tannins and a long flavorful finish. There's plenty of character with a polished refined style yet tannic. Best after 2011. 9830 cases made...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 94 points: This beautiful wine from Fleur Cardinale performed great in its youth, both from barrel as well as post-bottling. A gorgeous blend of 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon made by the Decoster family...

jamessuckling.com, 100 points: An incredible nose, so subtle with red fruits, mint, minerals, and all sorts of flowers give way to Cohiba cigar tobacco. The palate has such freshness and density, with perfectly polished tannins. Slightly leathery, like...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 100 points: The 2005 Troplong Mondot is a blend of 90% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc. It was emotional tasting this wine, thinking of the late Christine Valette, who made this compelling wine while battling with considerable...

Wine Spectator, 91 points: Has an impressive nose with wonderful aromas of currant toasty oak and flowers. Full-bodied with velvety tannins and a long caressing finish. There's lots of new wood in the aftertaste but also juicy fruit. The second...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 100 points: The 2005 La Mission Haut-Brion is pure perfection. It has an absolutely extraordinary nose of sweet blackberries, cassis and spring flowers with some underlying minerality, a full-bodied mouthfeel, gorgeously velvety...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 97 points: Tasted at the Pontet-Canet vertical in London, the 2005 Château Pontet-Canet has long been one of the stars of the vintage and this might well be the best of over a dozen showings of this wine. However, do not expect...

jamessuckling.com, 96 points: A meaty and decadent Lynch with very ripe currant aromas on the nose. Full body, velvety-textured tannins and a powerful finish. It shows so much structure and fruit yet remains polished and focused. Lovely now to drink...

TheWineCellarInsider.com, 99 points: Sexy in its texture and boquet. The nose has this blackberry liqueur motif, with a great purity of fruit. The addition of spice box, cedar, tobacco and floral elements just increases the complexity. Silk and velvet...

jamessuckling.com, 96 points: A meaty and decadent Lynch with very ripe currant aromas on the nose. Full body, velvety-textured tannins and a powerful finish. It shows so much structure and fruit yet remains polished and focused. Lovely now to drink...

Wine Enthusiast, 90 points: A full, firm, ripe wine that shows considerable style and richness. There are fine, dusty tannins, masking the full-bodied black fruits, licorice flavors, and a firm, smooth aftertaste.

Decanter, 100 points: This stunning wine is still extremely young, with an amazingly expressive nose with tea leaf hints. The aromatics keep building and building in the glass, and the elegance and persistency shine through. This was a drought...

Wine Enthusiast, 97 points: Power and elegance merge effortlessly in this superb wine. Its pure black currant fruit is tightly coiled supported by just the right amount of firm tannins. Great aging potential. A triumph. - R.V.

Wine & Spirits, 100 points: How rare to confront a wine of this inner strength and perfect form. Grown at a 116-acre vineyard at the southern border of Pauillac, some of the vines now reaching 100 years of age on a gravel bar overlooking the...