Bordeaux 2005

 I recently tasted three Bordeaux wines from the highly regarded 2005 vintage.

The 2005 Leoville-Barton from Saint-Julien shows a bit of development in its colour. Attractive blackberry and forest aromas on the nose. Blackcurrant flavours still dominate, but the wine has lost some fruit intensity. The oak is well integrated, but quite noticeable. This is a smooth wine, with sweetness from the vanilla flavours. Fine grained tannins lead to a medium plus finish. 

Score: 94/++

I could not believe what I tasted, when I tried the 2005 Pontet-Canet next. It tasted like a carbon copy of the Leoville-Barton despite being from a different subregion. The colour was a bit less developed, and the wine a little fresher, but otherwise an identical flavour and structure profile. 

Score: 95/++

The 2005 Rauzan-Ségla presented as a much more sophisticated wine. Blackcurrants are intense, but there is cedar, licorice, some new oak, and earthy flavours as well. This is a masculine wine, perhaps unexpected from Margeaux. It is quite focused, with good drive, and with a silky texture. The tannins are firm, but finely grained. The finish is very long.

Score: 97/+++

After 15 years, these wines have developed complexity, good balance and elegance. They should not have been drunk much earlier, but certainly the last two will still be great in 5 to 10 years.