In Bordeaux there are certain vintages to look for and each has it’s own drinking window based on that vintage and the quality of the wine.  Clos Du Marquis is not the second label of Second Growth Chateau Leoville Las Cases, but is made at the same winery.   I mistakenly made that assumption when I first bought it.  It’s pedigree shows however.  I bought a case of this wine back in 2012 and have been patiently waiting for it to emerge.  Wowza, has it ever come to life!

See-through purple in the glass with a tiny amount of sediment showing in the bottle. Cassis, black currants and cedar on the nose. Smooth as all heck intro of black berries, blueberry and cassis. On the mid palate, more layers of currant, blackberry and spice mingling with the delightful tannins.  Balanced to within an inch of its life this wine is  on pointe and drinking beautifully. From the great 2005 vintage it’s easy to see how this wine would get 93 points and a 5 star rating that has really rewarded my patience.  It can still be found for $70.  Ps.  WS gave it 93, RP only a 91 but had high praise for it’s evolution.  I would drink this all by itself, the 13% alcohol being very civilized- but if you wanted to pair it with some beef stew, Osso Bucco or even Coq Au Vin, these would work well.  I am looking forward to the rest of this case, spread out over the next 5 years.  Salut….