The 2005 Vintage
2005 was presented as a great vintage en Primeur. The message was even better than 2000 with a more sun, but also more heat-stress which had to me managed. Many Chateaux used the five additional years of knowledge and the ongoing trend of cellar renovations and other technical improvements to their advantage and produced very good wines. Unfortunately that narrative only turned out to be true for the left bank. The right bank went too far in the Parker style with late harvest, extraction and lots of oak. I remember being in Bordeaux for the 2005 en Primeur with a fellow collector from Shanghai. After we finished the St.Emilion Pavillon he uttered “I think I need a new tongue”. Those wines were really hard work, extracted and astringent. Everybody told us then, that this was a sign of a good vintage and long aging wines. As we see from the tasting result below – it was anything else but that…
2005 remains a high-scoring, but also high price vintage according to Liv-ex analysis in 2024 of the top 26 Chateaux
General impressions of the 2005 tasting
All 50 wines were tasted blind, not decanted over two days. The Left bank showed quite well, the right bank was a disaster waiting to happen.
- Left bank 2005s are good to very good, with ripe yet fresh fruit, real substance, and the classic structure that defines the vintage.
- Most are just entering their first drinking window but remain youthful, with no tertiary development yet.
- Top wines were Lafite (98), Mouton (97), Margaux (96), and Branon (95). Sadly, Latour and Mission were faulty.
- Of 22 right banks, only 5 scored 90 or above. Eglise Clinet led with 94pts.
- The Parker-era style (too ripe, too extracted, heavily oaked) combined with Merlot’s fragility, does not age well. As the opulent fruit fades, what remains are harsh wood tannins and wines prone to premature oxidation. Many tasters today still enjoy these wines because decanting brings out the opulent fruit that masks structural flaws. But our approach offered a glimpse into their future: once that fruit fades with age, as it inevitably will, there will be nothing left to hide the dry tannins and unbalanced frames. Fortunately, that style has falling out of favor in the past decade.
Tasting Notes
Day 1 (Left Bank)
Flight 1
2005 Château Branaire-Ducru, 89 Points
The nose is somewhat subdued, with just a faint trace of dark fruit surfacing. On the palate, a dense core of minerality and dark fruit dominates, though complexity is lacking. It feels closed and could use more depth and sweetness for balance. The tannins are fine, and the structure is sound. The frame is well-proportioned, though it remains tight and reticent.
2005 Château Lagrange (St. Julien), 91 Points
A moderately expressive nose reveals ripe, sweet fruit at its heart, laced with minerality and herbal accents. On the palate, it is classically structured, defined by a wall of fine tannins and refreshing acidity. Despite this, the wine feels shallow and not fully open, with herbaceous and mineral elements overshadowing the fruit. Oak use is excessive, leading to astringent tannins that detract from harmony.
2005 Château Léoville Barton, 87 Points
The nose leans slightly over the hill, showing the first signs of oxidation amid lingering black fruit and mineral tones. The palate performs better, with clear ripe black fruit, herbs, and minerality, offset by only faint oxidative and solvent hints. There is a touch of harshness in the wood tannins, though the overall structure holds. Still drinkable, this appears to be a , Flawed bottle rather than a systemic issue.
2005 Château Léoville Las Cases, 95 Points
Initially muted on the nose, but with air, bretty notes mingle with shy dark fruit, gradually unfurling into expressive blue fruit aromatics. The palate mirrors this transformation, revealing fresh blue and black fruit with herbs and minerality. Though still lacking some charm and sweetness, and the tannins remain firm, this is clearly a wine with trajectory. It started at , 92 Points and ended up approaching 95. Superb and promising.
Flight 2
2005 Château Calon-Ségur, 92 Points
The nose is restrained, dominated by oak tones. The palate offers more promise, presenting dark fruit, minerality, and hints of toffee cloaked in opulent wood. Still somewhat closed, with fruit struggling to emerge fully. Structurally, the wood tannins weigh heavily, though the underlying components are solid. A touch more fruit prominence would elevate it
2005 Clos Manou, 89 Points
The nose falters slightly with acetone piercing through a dense, murky core. The palate is more compelling, marked by power and richness, though muddled at first. With time, clarity improves as dark and blue fruits emerge alongside prominent minerality and herbs. A touch more sweetness and purity would help, but the tannin structure is polished and freshness outstanding. Began at , 85 Points, finishing closer to 90. Promising.
2005 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste, Flawed
Corked.
2005 Château Lynch-Bages, 90 Points
The nose is reserved, showing hints of blue and black fruit beneath a muted veil. The palate opens more readily, with generous dark fruit, though it carries substantial oak influence and grippy tannins. Slightly alcoholic and lacking full balance, yet it boasts a strong core of substance which stands as its highlight.
Flight 3
2005 Château Lafite Rothschild, 98 Points
The bouquet is exquisite, a harmony of toast, burnt sugar, dark fruit, and fine minerality. It sings with sexiness and seduction. The palate mirrors this with equal grace—open and pixelated, deeply layered and full of sweet seductiveness, yet lifted by pristine freshness. Toast, coffee, burnt sugar, and a kaleidoscope of fruit are perfectly delineated. Balance is ethereal. It floats like a feather, nearly Burgundian in finesse. A clear Lafite, with a touch of Mouton allure.
2005 Château Pontet-Canet, 88 Points
The nose is marred by alcohol and acetone. The palate shows some improvement but retains nail polish character. There is underlying substance that hints at better potential, though marred by imbalance.
2005 Château Mouton Rothschild, 97 Points
A heady, luxurious bouquet of coffee, burnt sugar, toast, and dark fruit. The palate is intense and sumptuous, layered with richness and a silky texture that elevates the whole. Still youthful and concentrated, it shows classic proportions with full ripeness and a seductive edge. Long life ahead. Already a 97-point wine, with upside.
2005 Château Latour Grand Vin, Flawed
The nose is , flawed, marked by acetone. The palate is surprisingly intact, offering immense substance with cascading waves of fruit, minerality, and tannin backed by vibrant freshness. Yet the bottle is compromised. Hard to judge fairly.
Flight 4
2005 Château d’Issan, 94 Points
Aromatics of dark fruit, a hint of toast, and a seductive touch remain slightly closed. The palate is elegant and finely tuned, showcasing dark fruit and lingering toasty notes that extend gracefully into the finish. Sexy and drinkable now, not complex but thoroughly enjoyable.
2005 Château Brane-Cantenac, 93 Points
The nose is shy but refined, offering dark fruit, gentle sweetness, and whispers of forest berries. The palate is a joy, weaving red, blue, and black fruit with subtle toast and minerality. The tannins are delicate, freshness superb. Still opening, not the deepest of wines, but wonderfully graceful.
2005 Château Margaux, 96 Points
An enchanting nose reveals toasty notes wrapped in sweet fruit. The bouquet is irresistible. On the palate, vibrant fruit in every hue bursts forward alongside herbs, minerality, floral tones, and a touch of toast. Elegantly composed with great tension and finesse. Classic in spirit, yet modern in charm.
2005 Château Palmer, 94 Points
The nose is subdued, with whispers of brett reported. Not much expression upfront. The palate compensates impressively with an array of fruit, toast, minerality, and considerable depth. Structurally impeccable, silky and seductive.
Flight 5
2005 Château Rauzan-Ségla, 88 Points
A touch of acetone on a quiet nose. The palate feels restrained and slightly coarse, though the fruit core shows promise. Currently lacks finesse, depth, and cohesion.
2005 Château Luchey-Halde, 92 Points
The nose is deep, slightly bretty, and carries a hint of alcohol. The palate reveals enormous substance, laced with brett, herbs, minerality, and fine dark fruit. Despite the power, it retains an airy elegance. A compelling wine, though the brett may be overbearing. Not entirely clean, but captivating.
2005 Château Malartic-Lagravière, 94 Points
The nose is restrained but clean, with dark and red fruit in subtle relief. The palate is intense and layered, delivering red and dark fruit, herbs, coffee, and Cos-like spice. Texturally elegant, a weightless silkiness. Excellent now, though likely not built for long-term cellaring. Peaked at 94pts with some downside risk.
2005 Château Branon, 95 Points
The nose is dense, dark, and mineral-laden, though still slightly reserved. The palate is explosive with fresh blue and black fruit, herbs, earth, and tobacco. Definition is razor sharp. With time, additional layers of coffee and toast unfold. Superb complexity and expression. Branon continues to impress. Outstanding
Flight 6
2005 Château Haut-Bailly, 87 Points
The nose feels heavy and alcoholic, not inviting. The palate shows much more, with a striking entry and mid-palate of ripe fruit. Unfortunately, acidity dominates the finish, stripping away flavor. Tannin structure is adequate, but the imbalance undermines the whole.
2005 Château Smith Haut Lafitte, 94 Points
An intricate nose of forest berries, coffee, brett, and tobacco. The palate shines with sweet red berries, blue fruit, herbs, and minerality. Tannins are ultra-fine, structure flawless, and freshness exceptional. Silky and complete.
2005 Château Pape Clément, 94 Points
The nose is closed and brooding. The palate explodes with energy: coffee, toast, burnt sugar, herbs, minerality, and tobacco in a layered, seductive style. Silky and structured, with firm tannins still integrating. Classic Pape Clément charm, showing both wildness and allure. A wine for hedonists.
2005 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion, 84 Points
The nose is , Flawed, the palate likewise marred by nail polish and imbalance. Substance is apparent but masked. A disappointing showing.
Flight 7
2005 Château La Mission Haut-Brion, Flawed
Oxidized. Notes of bouillon dominate. Undrinkable.
2005 Château Haut-Brion, 94 Points
The nose is moderately expressive, brimming with vivid red fruit. The palate continues this theme, offering the most intensely red-fruited profile of all. Sugary and precise, with herbal and mineral complexity. Still youthful and tannic, tightly wound but highly promising.
Day 2 (Right Bank)
Flight 8
2005 La Mauriane, 83 Points
The nose is overly ripe, bordering on cooked fruit, with noticeable heat. The palate continues in the same vein, filled with overly ripe fruit and alcohol warmth, ending in astringency and a wood-dominated finish. Freshness is present but fails to compensate for the imbalance. Not a good showing.
2005 Château Dubois-Grimon, 84 Points
Magnum. The nose is muted and lacks definition. The palate follows suit, offering little depth and poorly delineated aromas, with faint fruit, minerality, and oak. While freshness is acceptable, the wine finishes on astringent notes. Lacks character.
2005 Château Bellevue Mondotte, 85 Points
The nose opens with dominant wood and minerality, with ripe fruit and a trace of tobacco beneath. The palate is more engaging, revealing coffee and ripe fruit, but oxidation and harsh tannins creep in, resulting in a drying, wood-laced finish. A challenging wine.
2005 Château Pavie Decesse, 86 Points
A reserved nose with light menthol. The palate offers moderately ripe fruit, touches of coffee, tobacco, menthol, and minerality. However, intrusive wood tannins make for a drying, difficult finish. Some positive traits, but hard to enjoy fully.
Flight 9
2005 Château Beausejour (Duffau Lagarrosse), 82 Points
Muted nose with faint wood. The palate is more generous with red and blue fruit, herbs, and minerality, yet finishes harshly on wood tannins. Drinkable, but fading. With air, the fruit recedes and tannins dry further. This era of Beauséjour Duffau often suffers from premature oxidation or drying structures, in my experience.
2005 Château Canon, 90 Points
A quiet nose with ripe fruit and Christmas spice. The palate opens nicely with red berries, dark fruit, minerality, and oak spice. Well defined, fairly fine tannins, and more freshness than previous bottles. Lacks signs of drying tannins this time, but earlier bottles have shown oxidation. A solid showing tonight.
2005 Château Figeac, 84 Points
The nose is tired, marked by oxidation and bouillon. The palate clings to life, though brutally extracted and lacking depth or clarity. With time it gains some focus, but the drying finish persists. A wine in decline.
2005 Clos Fourtet, Flawed
Dominated by oxidation and strong Maggi notes on the nose and palate. There is substance, but it is buried beneath astringency and overpowering oxidized character. Technically drinkable, but thoroughly un-enjoyable.
Flight 10
2005 Château Angélus, 93 Points
A dense, slightly alcoholic nose with hints of fruit. The palate starts beautifully with red and blue fruit, extending gracefully through the mid-palate into a long finish. Minerality and chocolate notes add detail. Not deeply complex, but well-made and devoid of harsh tannins. Alcohol shows slightly and raises doubts about long-term cellaring, but still consistent and enjoyable.
2005 Château Ausone, 88 Points
A muted, woody nose. The palate improves with red fruit, herbs, and minerality, but an excess of oak results in a drying, hard finish. Still drinkable, and improves with air as fruit emerges. Rated 88pts tonight, but with extended air, it can show more. Previous bottles have offered glimpses of greatness.
2005 Château L’Evangile, Flawed
Corked. Beneath the flaw lies potential and solid structure, but the wine is undrinkable.
2005 Clos l’Église (Pomerol), 82 Points
The nose lacks expression, revealing only wood and minerality, with no fruit. The palate is brutally drying, with a trace of fruit and minerality barely visible. This has not aged gracefully
Flight 11
2005 Château Trotanoy, 89 Points
Ripe fruit on the nose with coffee, a touch of oxidation, and green wood aromas. The attack is beautiful, with seductive red and blue fruit, well-defined and layered with coffee and burnt sugar. However, the finish clips off, revealing harsh tannins and persistent green wood notes. Started at 92pts, later fell to 89pts as those green elements took over.
2005 Château L’Eglise-Clinet, 94 Points
Slightly muted nose, not sharply defined. The palate performs better, with ripe but controlled fruit, coffee, burnt sugar, and minerality. No greenness or harshness on the finish. Well-structured, finessed, and seductive. 93 to 94pts, and the standout wine from the right bank on this evening.
2005 Pétrus, Flawed
Oxidized nose and palate. The pedigree is evident beneath the flaw, but premature oxidation dominates. This is part of a troubling pattern I experience: multiple vintages I tasted (1994, 2003, 2004 twice, 2008, 2014, and 2015) have suffered from similar issues (either harsh, woody tannins or various degrees of premature oxidation).
2005 Château Lafleur, 90 Points
Reduction on the nose obscures everything beneath. The palate follows suit but opens slightly with time. The structure is good with fine tannins and freshness. While currently disappointing, there are no signs of harsh wood or oxidation, suggesting this may evolve positively. 90pts today with upside potential.
Flight 12
2005 Château Pavie, 80 Points
Nail polish and oxidation on the nose. The palate is equally compromised, with green, hard, woody tannins and masking solvent notes. Barely drinkable and very weak.
2005 Château Péby Faugères, 84 Points
The nose shows oxidation and meaty notes. The palate is better, offering ripe fruit, seductive oak, and minerality, with only mild dryness. The fruit briefly conceals the flaws, but with time, nail polish and oxidative notes resurface. Still drinkable, but nearing the end. Drink up.
2005 Château Pavie Macquin, Flawed
Bouillon and oxidation dominate both nose and palate. Substance lies beneath, but the wine is irreversibly oxidized.
2005 La Mondotte, 85 Points
The nose is rich in ripe, dark fruit with alcohol showing. The attack on the palate is better, with blue and red berries, but the finish is harsh and drying. A wine that falls apart too soon.
Flight 13
2005 Château Troplong Mondot, 92 Points
The nose is alcoholic and subdued. The palate is more expressive with sweet fruit, some coffee, and seductive texture. No green or harsh tannins. Simple, but quite good. Consistent with earlier bottles and likely among the best Troplong before the recent stylistic change. 92 to 93pts.
2005 Château Valandraud, 82 Points
Lacks aromatic clarity and definition. The palate is extremely drying, confirming earlier impressions from a prior bottle. Not good.
Encores – vins liquoreux
2005 Château Nairac, 96 Points
Explosive nose of spices and saffron, lifted by brilliant freshness. The palate is a tour de force of apricot, quince, pear, saffron, and sea salt. Complex, perfectly defined, and in superb balance. Easily the wine of the second night, outperforming all right bank reds and even surpassing Yquem in openness and charm. 96 to 97pts.
2005 Château d’Yquem, 94 Points
The nose is slightly closed. The palate opens beautifully with caramel, sugar, pear, and saffron. Sweet and lush, though perhaps a touch too rich and lacking the piercing freshness of the Nairac. However, its immense substance suggests it may surpass Nairac in a few decades. 94pts.
Author: Andy Schnyder
Introduction: Christian Raubach, WSET III, FWS, WSG Champagne Master
June 2025