Served to me on a flight recently, this wine hails from the awesome 2005 Bordeaux vintage. Still in diapers, this baby needs many more years in a cellar to lose some baby fat, go into a traditional “dumb stage”, and allow the beautiful tannins to soften. With at least 20 years of life left, it is infanticide to pull cork on a wine with such potential, serving it at least 5 years too soon. The structure is correct, a solid backbone with excellent acidity. From the somewhat muted nose I sense cedar box, tobacco and leather- typical for the region. On the palate, some cassis and dark brooding fruit that are overshadowed by the tannins. A long aftertaste is telltale of this pedigree from a great vintage. I would reckon a 5 star effort worthy of 93 points, but caution on opening it before 2017, seriously. Patience will be rewarded as the wind melds, the tannins integrate and the secondary flavors start to evolve.

My third offering for the party was this absolutely stunning Second Growth from St. Julien. Another 92 pointer from the pro’s that get 5 stars from me and possibly 94 points. I’ve been hiding a case of this for nearly ten years and have been rewarded for my patience. More approachable than my other two offerings, the wine has hit its sweet spot where the tannins are absolutely gorgeous, melded and non-obtrusive. Dark brooding fruit on the nose and palate mixed with cedar-box and tobacco make this my kinda wine. I could sense some secondary earth and funk starting to emerge which gets me excited. I would say this wine will develop for the next 10 years and be fully mature by 2022- which means I can savor one bottle per year and watch the evolution. Ps. This was everyone’s favorite, including me.

Actually known as Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse De Lalande, this Second Growth Bordeaux was second in our party line-up. Another wow, that scored between 92-93 ( I would agree with that). From Pauillac, it is a slightly more feminine version of the two Pichon’s, with grace, elegance and poise. Similar to the Cos, it needs a few more years to settle the gorgeous tannins and embark on secondary flavors. Right now, fruity nose gives way to a balanced palate of leather, cassis and dark fruit. A long finish was slightly overshadowed by the tannins, which should mellow by 2014 and be in balance with it. Definite 5 star wine that is much more affordable than the 2000 version yet won’t disappoint. Love it.

We started our party off with this Second Growth Bordeaux. I bought a case of it many years ago and was waiting patiently for the right time- wow… This is some really good stuff that got very good professional scores when released. A suggested drinking window from 2010-2030 isn’t far off, but my opinion is that it will start to please the palate by 2014. The tannic structure is beautiful, yet still untamed. On the nose, red fruits and leather? On the palate, very balanced with bluer fruit showing. A long finish and imperceptible acidity are hallmarks of this well made wine of excellent pedigree. Overshadowed by the 2000 vintage, ’01 wines from Bordeaux are approaching maturity faster and providing great value for money. A 5 star wine that I would concur is a 93-94 point wine. Only problem, I now have 11 bottles and not a dozen. Loving it!