I can't resist to propose you this....

 When the distributors are doing their job. It's much more easier! We received this recently.

In this list Chateau Coufran and Pape Clement would be my favorite. If you want to build up your cellar, it's time to buy.

“To reiterate, I have never tasted so many extraordinarily rich, concentrated, massive wines so high in tannin and extract, yet with such precision, definition, and freshness. It is clearly a singular vintage that should evolve into one of the great vintages of Bordeaux.” – Robert Parker Jr.

 

 

Chateau D’Armailhac Pauillac   (90-93) 

Abundant tannin in addition to a deep ruby/purple hue, superb purity, and a lovely texture are found in this delicious Pauillac. One of the finest d’Armailhacs I have ever tasted, it is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot that achieved an amazing 13.3% natural alcohol. Aromas of black currants, creamy oak, and earth emerge from this medium to full-bodied effort. It should be drinkable in 4-5 years, and will last for two decades or more. 

Wine Advocate # 170, April 07   Case ($582.00) Bottle($48.5)

                                                                                       

 

Château Bernadotte   (85-87)

Space limitations did not allow complete tasting notes for this Cru Bourgeois, but 2005 is the finest vintage for these wines since 1982. The range of scores for these wines should give readers an idea of just how consistent this vintage is at this level. Given the style of the vintage, most of these wines should be accessible young yet evolve for a decade or more because of their concentration and tannic structure.

Case (266.00) Bottle ($22.17)                

 

 

Château Certan-Marzelle  (89)

This plump, fleshy, seductive, 100% Merlot cuvee from Christian Moueix exhibits herbal, sweet plum, cherry, and mocha notes along with supple tannin and decent acidity, but little depth and richness. It is a charming, sensual Pomerol to enjoy over the next decade

Wine Advocate # 176 April 08 Case($794.00) Bottle ($66.17)

                                                                                                           

 

 

Clos Nardian (91)

A big, thick, juicy style of generic white Bordeaux, this 2005 exhibits plenty of honeyed apple, citrus oil, and toasty oak offered in a Burgundian style. Displaying a thickness and richness that is atypical for dry white Bordeaux, it should be drunk over the next 7-8 years

Wine Advocate # 176 April 08

6 Pack Case ($452.00) Bottle($75.34)       

 

                         

 

Château De Pez   (86-88)

Space limitations did not allow complete tasting notes for this Cru Bourgeois, but 2005 is the finest vintage for these wines since 1982. The range of scores for these wines should give readers an idea of just how consistent this vintage is at this level. Given the style of the vintage, most of these wines should be accessible young yet evolve for a decade or more because of their concentration and tannic structure.

Wine Advocate #164 April 06  Case ($502.00) Bottle ($41.84)

Still a good price! Phd

                                                                                                          

 

 

Château Fombrauge   (90)   An in-your-face style of wine, the 2005 Fombrauge (the largest vineyard in St.-Emilion) is a blend of 77% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. The inky/purple color is followed by a big, sweet nose of chocolate fudge, jammy black cherries, blackberries, smoke, and pain grille. This chewy, powerful, decadent St.-Emilion is a modern-styled, impressively endowed, pure, intense wine. It is another brilliant example of winemaking from proprietor Bernard Magrez. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2020+.

Wine Advocate # 176 April 08 Case ($470.00) Bottle($39.16)

                                                                                   

 

 

Magrez-Fombrauge   (95)

The quintessential garagiste offering from proprietor Bernard Magrez, this blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc receives such Burgundian treatments as a cold pre-fermentation maceration, malolactic in barrel, aging on its lees, and no fining or filtration. Offering a dense purple color along with huge creosote, smoke, melted licorice, fudge, blueberry, graphite, and coffee characteristics, it represents full-throttle, modern winemaking at its most intense, and is likely to cause neo-traditionalists to suffer from migraines. Expect this beauty to hit full maturity around 2014, and keep until 2030+.

Wine Advocate # 176 April 2008

6 Pack Case ($1378.00) Bottle($114.83)          

 

 

 

Château Fonplégade   (92)

Now owned by an American syndicate, this hillside property, not far from Angelus, has been completely renovated, and the quality has risen with each new vintage. The finest wine I’ve tasted over the last three decades is their 2005, which exhibits a dense purple color as well as a sweet nose of black currant and cherry jam intermixed with licorice, smoke, espresso roast, and scorched earth. Full-bodied with impressive concentration, a beautiful texture, and a long, 40+ second finish, this superb wine is unquestionably a sleeper of the vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2030.

Wine Advocate # 176 April 08   Case (674.00) Bottle ($56.17)

                                                                                   

Château Clarke, Haut-Médoc   (90-92) 

Château Clarke, a Cru Bourgeois Supérieur, was purchased by Baron Edmond de Rothschild, of Château Lafite Rothschild, in 1973. He set about completely replanting the vineyards and building a new state-of-the-art winery. Over the last twenty years, Clarke, along with its neighbors Chasse-Spleen, Poujeaux, and Malmaison have significantly raised the reputation of the outlying Médoc appellations of Moulis and Listrac.

Wine Advocate # 164, April 06   Case ($362.00) Bottle($30.17)

                                                                                                           

Château Coufran, Haut-Médoc              (88-90) 

The predominance of Merlot at Chateau Coufran, together with an intense plummy quality to the wine, has led some to refer to Coufran as the Pomerol of the Médoc.

Wine Advocate #164, April 06  Case ($302.00) Bottle ($25.17)

This is the one I would buy!phd
                                                                                   

                                                                  

Chateau Fontenil Fronsac             (90-92)                                 The classic 2005 Fontenil (a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon) exhibits a deep ru  by/purple color, tremendous finesse, elegance, and purity, plenty of tannin and structure, that distinctive minerality found in the finest Fronsacs, and a persistent, long finish. The 2005 compares favorably with this estate’s terrific 2003, although the former wine is more structured and tannic. It will require 3-4 years of bottle age, and should keep for 15-20. 

Wine Advocate # 164, April 06   Case ($422.00) Bottle($35.17)

                                                                                               

 Château Goulée, St-Estèphe   (89)

Proprietor Michel Reybrie and his winemaker, Jean-Guillaume Prats, have fashioned a brilliant blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot. The dark purple-hued 2005 reveals a sumptuous bouquet of licorice, black currants, black olives, smoke, and damp earth. Fleshy and supple-textured with good tannin as well as decent acidity, this seriously-endowed, complex effort can be consumed over the next 12-14 years.

Wine Advocate # 176 April 08 6 Pack Case ($218.00)

Bottle ($36.33)                                                    

 

Château Langoa-Barton   (90-92)

This primordial-styled, incredibly tannic St.-Julien reveals a dense purple color along with aromas of roasted meats, tapenade, cassis, melted licorice, and chocolate. Following the promising aromatic display, the wine shuts down in the mouth, revealing only excruciating tannin and good acidity. It will not be ready to drink for at least 15 years. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2040.

Wine Advocate # 176 April 08   Case ($1108.00) Bottle ($92.34)

Château La Tour Carnet   (91)

Shrewd consumers should be stocking up on this wine as it is both sensational and realistically priced. Once one of the most appallingly mediocre classified growths of the Medoc, this estate’s resurrection started around 2000, hitting its full stride in 2001, and proprietor Bernard Magrez continues to build on that success. A blend of nearly equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with small amounts of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, the inky/blue/purple 2005 possesses a beautiful nose of graphite, flowers, creme de cassis, incense, and a touch of new barriques. Full-bodied with crisp acidity, sweet tannin, and excellent definition and freshness, this sensational sleeper of the vintage should be at its finest in 8-10 years.

Anticipated maturity: 2015-2030.

Wine Advocate # 176 April 08 Case ($470.00) Bottle ($39.17)

                                                                  

 

Château Lascombes, Margaux   (95)

A gorgeous example of Lascombes, the 2005, a blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot, continues the remarkable turn-around in quality that began five years ago. A stunningly opulent wine with a dense purple color, the 2005 possesses a beautiful perfume of spring flowers, blueberries, blackberries, creosote, and graphite, full body, silky but noticeable tannins, a layered mouthfeel, and a stunning, 45+-second finish. This is a brilliant, modern-styled Margaux that should age for 30-35 years.

Wine Advocate # 176 April 08   Case ($1048.00) Bottle ($87.34) 

 

 

Le Carré   (91-93+)

The debut offering of this garagiste wine from a vineyard next to Clos Fourtet, Le Carre’s 2005 is packed and stacked. It boasts a dense purple color in addition to abundant quantities of black fruits, crushed rocks, and flowers nicely wrapped in toasty oak, good acidity, and ripe tannin. This is a noteworthy new addition to the ever expanding portfolio of Chateau Teyssier’s Jonathan Malthus.

Wine Advocate #164   April 06   Case ($1144.00) Bottle ($95.34)

                                                                                                           

 

 

2005 Les Asteries, St-Emilion   (95)

Part of the garagiste efforts from Jonathan Malthus, Les Asteries is a blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc. The dense ruby/purple-tinged 2005 reveals spicy, oaky aromas intermixed with scents of chocolate, blackberries, espresso roast, and graphite. This thick, juicy, modern-styled St.-Emilion offers impressive concentration, purity, and depth in its flamboyant personality. Very impressive! Anticipated maturity: 2013-2025

Wine Advocate # 176 April 08   Case ($1516.00) Bottle ($128.34)

                                                                                           

 

 

2005 Le Dome   (96)

A Cheval Blanc look-alike, this cuvee (which includes a high percentage of Cabernet Franc) boasts an ethereal nose of raspberries, menthol, spring flowers, and hints of cedar as well as new oak. Full-bodied, exceptionally fresh, and noble, this is a complex, classic, distinctive wine that should drink well in 3-4 years, and last for two decades. It is the finest Le Dome yet made, but sadly, there are only 1,000 cases

Wine Advocate # 176 April 08 Case ($2260.00) Bottle($188.34)                                                                                                                       

Château Le Petit Mouton, Pauillac  (88)

An excellent second wine, the 2005 Le Petit Mouton exhibits soft, lush, subtle herb-infused black currant fruit along with notions of licorice, smoke, and burning embers. Enjoy this well-made effort over the next 7-8 years.

Wine Advocate#176 April 08  6 Pk.Case ($563.00) Bottle ($93.83)

                                                                                               

Château Le Bon Pasteur, Pomerol (94)

A superb effort from proprietors Dany and Michel Rolland, the 2005 Bon Pasteur is the antithesis of the kind of wine Rolland’s critics claim he makes (which they ignorantly suggest are over-oaked, over-extracted, and over-the-top). Nothing could be further from the truth. Rolland, a brilliant oenologist, has done more than any other person alive today for the quality of Bordeaux. His 2005 Bon Pasteur is an elegant, subtle, deep ruby/purple-colored wine offering hints of graphite, sweet mocha, black cherries, and berries that build incrementally in the mouth, ending in a cascade of full-bodied, concentrated fruit with good acidity, beautiful tannin, and stunning precision as well as length. The tannin structure suggests 3-5 years of cellaring is warranted, but based on past examples (even the opulent 1982, which is still going strong), the 2005 should age for 25-30 years.

                        Wine Advocate # 176 April 08   Case ($848.00) Bottle ($70.87)

                                                                                                           

 

Château Le Prieuré (86-88)

A richly fruity St.-Emilion, this 2005 offers up scents of Provencal herbs, lavender, licorice, spice box, and sweet cherries. Superficial and moderately tannic, it is ideal for drinking over the next 12-15 years.

Wine Advocate # 176 April 08   Case ($518.00) Bottle ($43.17)

                                                                   

 

 Château Les Trois Croix   (87)

The former regisseur for Mouton Rothschild, Patrick Leon, owns this estate. His richly fruity, surprisingly soft 2005 Trois Croix possesses excellent concentration and overall balance. Enjoy it over the next 7-8 years.

Wine Advocate # 176 April 08   Case ($290.00) Bottle ($24.17)

                                                                                   

Château Pape-Clément   (98)

Probably the greatest Pape-Clement ever made, the dense purple-colored 2005 (a blend of 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon) exhibits sumptuous notes of smoky scorched earth, graphite, melted licorice, and blackberries. Once past the exquisite perfume, the wine reveals full body, extraordinary concentration, plenty of chocolate, smoke, cassis, and blackberry flavors, and that unmistakable volcanic ash-like earthiness that comes from this appellation. The tannins are slightly sweeter than those found in most northern Medocs, but this is still a backward, large-scaled effort that requires 7-8 years of cellaring. It should last for 30-35 years.                                    

Wine Advocate #164   April 06   Case ($2020.00) Bottle ($168.33)

If you decide to buy something very good at a rather good price.. this is the one! Clementin 2nd appellation from Pape Clement is exceptional! This should be spectacular! PhD

                                                                                               

Château Pichon-Baron   (94)

As usual, this superb Pauillac possesses an inky/blue/black color in addition to a big, sweet nose of graphite, charcoal, burning embers, black currant liqueur, and toasty vanillin from new oak casks. Full-bodied with high but sweet, well-integrated tannins, the 2005 Pichon Baron is more backward than the blockbuster 2003 or prodigious 2000. Nevertheless, it is a superb effort whose power, length, and tannic structure suggest it should be at its peak between 2015-2035.

Wine Advocate # 176 April 08   Case ($1780.00) Bottle (148.33)

                                                                  

                                                                            

 

Sauternes 2005

Robert Parker on 2005 Sauternes:

“Frankly, these wines need at least twelve months of evolution before true qualitative judgments can be made. However, on my March trip I tasted some benchmark Barsac and Sauternese wines such as Yquem, Rieussec, La Tour Blanche, Guiraud, Coutet, De Malle, and a handful of lesser wines, and they are stunningly rich, well-defined efforts. My instincts suggest the 2005s are not far off the mark of the monumental 2001s. Certainly Yquem and Riuessec are towering examples of profound Sauternes that should be utterly amazing when released.” Wine Advocate #164 (Apr 2006)

                                   

 

The Following Reviews are from the Wine Spectator:

Château Coutet Barsac 

Spice, dried pineapple, honey and light apricot aromas, like freshly crushed grapes. Full-bodied and very sweet, with masses of crushed fruit character and a long finish. Best after 2010. 4,165 cases made. –JS       Score: 91        Issue: Mar 31, 2008                           Case ($710.00)            Bottle($59.16)   

                                                                                                               

 

 Château D’ Arche  

Apple pie and lemon tart aromas follow through to a full body, with medium sweetness and a lively, bright finish of citrusy acidity and spiciness. Very young. Powerful. Best after 2012. 4,165 cases made. –JS  Score: 92   Issue: Mar 31, 2008                                                                                           

Case ($410.00) 750 ml.                    Bottle ($34.16)                                       

 

Château De Malle

Green apple, toffee and lemon tart aromas open to a full body. Very sweet, with caramel, cooked apple and light vanilla flavors. Long and flavorful. Dense and sweet. Best after 2009. 3,330 cases made. –JS                Score: 92Issue:   Mar 31, 2008                       

Case ($710.00) Bottle ($59.16)     

Château Doisy-Védrines  

Intense aromas of honey, dried pineapple and botrytis spice. Full-bodied, very sweet and very powerful, with loads of dried fruit and sweetness on the finish. Lots of clove and orange peel. Same quality as the 2001. Best after 2013. 3,500 cases made. –JS Score: 93                Issue: Mar 31, 2008                                           

Case ($506.00) Bottle ($42.16)   

Château Filhot         

Pineapple skin, apple and honey on the nose. Full-bodied, very sweet and very lively, with intense acidity and a spicy aftertaste. The best in a while from this estate. Best after 2009. 5,000 cases made. –JS  Score: 90  Issue: Mar 31, 2008                                      Case ($350.00)  Bottle ($29.16) 750ml     

 

This is coming from thewinedoctor.com..

St Julien

The wines of St Julien are, surely, the epitome of Bordeaux, are they not? Sandwiched as it is between Pauillac to the north, with its three first growth estates, and Margaux to the south, with its obvious first growth, this small commune still makes a huge contribution to the wines of the left bank and of Bordeaux as a whole, with a distinctive and elegant style and the promise of consistency which is perhaps unrivalled by its neighbours. It is this  admirable array of qualities that is responsible for my opening thought; grand though the wines of Latour, Lafite, Mouton and Margaux may be, they will never possess that quintessential quality that is St Julien. A quality that I might describe as a precision, although as soon as I write that it is clear that this one word goes only a very short way to describing the fine quality of some of the wines of this commune.

Although the commune is not blessed with a Premier Grand Cru Classé estate as its neighbours to the north and south are, St Julien is in possession of five reliable and excellent properties at the Deuxième Cru level, something that neither Pauillac nor Margaux can boast. Although each of these properties may have its detractors, and there are some points of criticism with which I would agree, these five estates are without doubt the standard bearers for the appellation, the figureheads behind which the rest of the commune marches. And they are responsible, certainly in the case of Léoville-Las-Cases and Léoville-Barton - on the other three I would be content to debate the matter - for some of the greatest wines in all Bordeaux.

St Julien - The Appellation

A relatively small cluster of estates, St Julien is demarcated by the Chenal du Despartins and Jalle du Nord to the south, which separate the commune from an expanse of lesser land classified only as Haut-Médoc (the appellation of Margaux is further south again) and the Ruisseau de Juillac to the north, which marks the boundary with Pauillac. Here the two communes are contiguous, the vineyards of Chateau Léoville-Las-Cases lying next to those of Chateau Latour, a geographical fact that will surprise nobody who is a fan of St Julien's prime contender for first growth status, if only such a revision of the 1855 classification were ever possible. The terroir is much the same as was discussed in the guide to Margaux, although perhaps less varied. As a result of drainage, as evidenced by the channels flowing into the Gironde indicated on the map, there is a huge sweep of gravel croupes unbroken save for a small river which flows through the commune just to the south of Talbot, Langoa-Barton and Léoville-Barton.

The first of these three estates, Talbot, is one of the largest of all the Médoc, but closer to the river lie the three daughters of what was once for certain the largest estate in all Bordeaux, this being the Léoville estate. This estate came into being in 1638, when it was a little more than a gravel mound surrounded by damp marshland which regularly flooded at high tide. Vines were planted by Moytié later in the 17th Century, and the estate subsequently came to the noble De Gascq family, at which point this gigantic property was recognised as one of the greatest of all the Médoc, second only to the four accepted first growths of the era, Latour, Lafite, Margaux and Pontac (Haut-Brion). It was the inheritance of this sizeable estate by four family members, followed by its partition during and after the Revolution, that resulted in the three Léoville estates we know today. Of these three perhaps the most potent symbolism comes from Léoville-Las-Cases, with its imposing stone gateway looking onto the vines, topped by one of the Léoville lions (below). It is a magnificent sight to behold. Léoville-Barton remains eternally popular, however, firstly for the quality of the wines, secondly because during the latter 20th Century the proprietor, Anthony Barton, maintained a favourable pricing policy so that one of the most exciting wines of the region was usually released at a more affordable price than would otherwise be expected. Unfortunately these wines often very quickly found their own price level on the market, the subsequent profit going to brokers and middle-men which must have been disheartening for Barton. The third of the trio, Léoville-Poyferré, was for many years the cause of disappointment. Many wines were good, but they were not up to the standard of its two peers; in the latter 20th Century, however, under the direction of Didier Cuvelier, this situation has been reversed.

Nearby are the other two second growth properties of the appellation, Ducru-Beaucaillou and Gruaud-Larose, both of which have a history of turning out excellent wines even if they do not always receive the praise that might be expected from all critics. And further down the rungs of the 1855 ladder, there are a number of properties with very good reputations that have all, at some point or another, provided drinking pleasure for me. Of the two properties at the third growth level Langoa-Barton is an obvious choice, but I have had lots of drinking pleasure from Lagrange in the past also. The quartet of fourth growth properties all have something to offer. St-Pierre has long been, for many claret drinkers, a source of good value wine and he same is true of Talbot. For this reason I have a slight sentimental attachment with both, and some of the oldest tasting notes published on this site pertain to vertical tastings of these wines and, in addition, I have one or two vintages in the cellar waiting for a suitable moment. Branaire-Ducru, on the other hand, has always been something of an under-performer rather than an underdog, but several vintages in the opening years of the 21st Century have done much to change my opinion of the wine. Indeed, one or two have been magnificent. Beychevelle can also impress from time to time. Perhaps one has to squint a little to see the St Julien consistency that I alluded to in my introduction, but nevertheless I still hold the opinion that it exists. There is not the patchy variability of Margaux, nor the clutch of rarely sighted fifth growth chateaux of questionable quality that can be found in Pauillac to the north.

St Julien - The Classifications

As with Margaux, the chateaux of St Julien were subject to a classification in 1855, prior to the Exposition Universelle de Paris. My criticism is the same; this ranking is of historical interest and acts as a useful framework for organising tastings, writing up notes and any debate of the region, and is not a hugely valuable guide. Nevertheless, perhaps in St Julien the guide is a shade more relevant than it was in Margaux. There is greater consistency, and whether or not the chateaux all remain true to their 19th Century positions is probably more a matter of personal opinion here than it is elsewhere. Not everybody gains as much pleasure from wines such as Ducru-Beaucaillou and Gruaud-Larose as they might do from one of the Léovilles for instance, whereas others might even prefer Talbot. Nevertheless, I suspect most fans of the wines of this commune would not have to do too much shuffling before they came up with their own satisfactory listing, although I should point out that anyone tempted to do so would be better off opening a bottle; drinking the wines is a far more rewarding activity than reorganising them.

Below classed growth level there are not too many estates of interest, and this is perhaps not surprising as the aforementioned eleven classified properties account for 75% of the vines in the appellation, leaving little room other producers of quality. Here, Chateau Gloria is a stand-out property, not only for the wines but for its history. This estate was home to Henri Martin, and it began in 1942 with the purchase of 6 hectares of vines in St Julien. Over the ensuing years, assisted by his father Alfred, Henri went on to purchase more land, starting with a piece of the Beychevelle vineyard continuing with parcels from Léoville-Poyferré, Gruaud-Larose, Léoville-Barton, St-Pierre, Lagrange, Ducru-Beaucaillou and even Duhart-Milon (a Pauillac property, but they owned a small plot in St Julien), until it reached a sizeable 48 hectares. The reputation of the wine was good, perhaps not surprising considering that the vineyard originated solely from land entitled to the Grand Cru Classé label. Unfortunately for Martin, this title comes in fact with the chateau, not with the vines, so despite his fine portfolio of vineyards he had no more right to use this title than he had when he started. His only hope for Gloria was a reworking of the 1855 classification, an activity of which Martin was a strong exponent, but of course this has never happened. Martin did eventually realise his dream, however, with the acquisition of Chateau St-Pierre itself in 1982. Looking beyond Martin's creation, there are one or two other names to look out for, namely Lalande-Borie and Hortevie, but my recommendation would be that this is a commune where one should spend up to one of the reasonably priced classed growth properties if one can.