Chateau Lascombes, Margaux Grand Cru Classe 2^nd Growth 2005 

This wine is super toasty in the nose with hints of dark chocolate and cassis. The mouth is quite structured urging a good 10 years and more in the cellar, yet already the black fruit is popping out. Fire up the grill for a big steak if you have to drink this tonight. 84 hectares are planted to 50% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot on soils of gravel, clay-limestone and clay-gravel. The final blend for this 2005 is 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot and the wine was aged exclusively in new French oak. Consulting winemaker since 2001 is Michel Rolland. 13.5% abv

The berry fruit is ripe and expressive in the nose, with a sense of cedar and a light touch of earthiness. The fruit comes through on the palate, with some chewy though ripe tannin and a touch of creaminess. 80.5 hectares of vines are planted on gravel and sand. The mix of vines is 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot and the remaining is a combination of Cab Franc and Petit Verdot. 13% abv

The nose features sweet black fruit, earthiness and wet stones. In the mouth there is an appropriate amount of acidity, a little on the tart side with ripe tannins and a moderate level of concentration. The style is fresh with an Old World sense of acidity making it quite food-friendly. While accessible now it would be nice to see this evolve over 6-9 years. The grapes are planted to about 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot. The wine is aged in French oak for 18 months, with 30% – 40% of the barrels being new. The estate is ranked as a 5th growth in the old classification. 13% abv

Chateau Saint-Pierre, Saint-Julien Grand Cru Classe 4^th Growth 2005

This is pleasure in a glass, ripeness of fruit, great density yet rounded off edges. The structure supports the density of flavor while the acidity carries the flavor a long way – very nice. The estate is planted to 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. 13% abv

There has a nice smoky essence in the nose while in the mouth you’ll find cranberries and dark chocolate. This wine is quite chewy and would certainly benefit from 6-8 years in the cellar. The estate is planted to 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 5% Cab Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. 13% abv

The nose smells of leather, earth, smokiness, horse blanket and a host of descriptors that get at a sense of brettanomycees as complexity rather than a flaw. That said, I know that this level of brett would be too much for those seeking a more purely fruity expression of the grapes of this appellation. This direction certainly has been consistent in the estate’s wines over time. and I think it hits the mark right on the edge without going over. The mouth is supple yet dense – filling the whole palate with flavor, the taste of dark chocolate. The estate is planted to 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. 13.5% abv