The 2005 Climens is consistent with previous bottles. The nose is quite deep with barley sugar, fig jam, apricot and orange blossom scents. The palate is well balanced and very pure with a fresh and effervescent entry, a keen line of acidity and a vivid, Clementine- and apricot-infused finish. So much energy here—this is outstanding. Tasted at the 2005 Sauternes horizontal held at Château Coutet. -- Neal Martin

A rich vintage which saw a rapid climb in sugars in the run up to harvest, some lots hitting potential alcohol levels of 26% or 27%. It presents a burnished golden hue in the glass, clearly more evolved and richer than the 2009 tasted alongside, with a modestly high-toned nose bursting with toast, vanilla and praline aromatics, offset by notes of crushed-chalk freshness. The palate follows up with the same high-toned and exotic richness, supported by powdery phenolics and surprisingly confident acidity. An intense and quite glorious composition, with freshness and clarity alongside the sweetness, culminating in a long finish. Stunning. The residual sugar is 168 g/l. - Chris Kissack

Toffee dried lemon rind and tropical fruit on the nose. Full-bodied and very sweet with a dense palate of candied fruit and a long sweet finish. Very concentrated. The botrytis spice creeps up on the finish. Best after 2013. -JS

The 2005 Climens is drinking nicely, wafting from the glass with aromas of orange oil, dried apricot and marmalade mingled with hints of honeycomb and petrol. Full-bodied, ample and fleshy, with an enveloping core of fruit, ripe acids and a seamless, textural profile, it's rich and dramatic, missing just a little cut to rank as profound—even if it nonetheless ranks as one of the finest sweet wines of the vintage in Bordeaux. - William Kelley

The deep color implies how richly draped this wine is in botrytis; its exotic scents and complex flavors bear the stamp as well. Honey more honey and a little hazelnut in the end. Voluptuous now this wine's complexity will gain prominence with age.