Two 2005 Bordeaux Titans at Flashback Prices!

To all Wine Exchangers,

Don’t look now but it appears as if the top value wines from one of Bordeaux’s all-time vintages are starting to disappear.

Take today’s offer as a prime example. You would think there would still be a sea of both of these wines from 2005 still in the market, both are produced in very good quantities. But the fact is we had to work to scrounge up enough cases direct from Bordeaux for this offer…and prices are rising.

Still, how could we not feature two of our all-time Winex Bordeaux picks from the Haut-Medoc, with bottle age, and both recently, glowingly reviewed?

Yes, the 2005 vintage, much like the 2000 vintage we focused on last week, is indeed all that.

The 2005 Chateau Cantemerle Haut-Medoc was something of knockout when it was first released. I remember tasting this wine back in 2007 and thinking, “This is Cantemerle?” I hadn’t tasted a Cantemerle since the 1989 with this much depth and richness and only the 2009 and 2010 since have matched it. Today? It’s aging perfectly, starting to open up a bit and reveal itself but with years of life ahead of it.

James Suckling tasted it in 2013 and had this to say (write?)

“Wow. This really shows wonderful depth and complexity on the nose with blueberries, fresh flowers and hints of stones. It’s full-bodied, with ultra-refined tannins and a long, long finish. Gets better and better with age: gorgeous now but will improve for many years to come. Excellent. 93 points.”

I think in the next 3-5 years you’ll be able to add a point or two to that number. This is that kind of wine…

Chateau Sociando Mallet’s 2005 Haut-Medoc is another wine that lit our collective fires when we tasted it ‘10 Years After’. Always one of the stars of the Haut-Medoc, this chateau has turned out one exciting, underpriced wine after another since their breakthrough 1982.

This 2005, as expected, was brilliant. Still extremely youthful yet dripping in powerful, densely packed blackberry and currant flavors, the wine’s tannic spine is still there but beginning to slowly yield. Drinkable now? You bet, though have something from the grill ready and waiting.

Robert Parker tasted the wine in 2015 for his “where are they now” tasting and it turned out to be one of the stars…

“It’s hard not to admire the brilliant Jean Gautreau, who has run this great terroir and estate (just to the north of St-Estèphe’s Château Montrose) with meticulous perfection for decades. The 2005 is a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc. Offering beautifully sweet crème de cassis and blueberries, this is concentrated essence of blue and black fruits, with some underlying minerality, a medium to full-bodied mouthfeel, and stunning texture, length and purity. This is superb Sociando Mallet, with surprisingly sweet tannin, which is even more remarkable in this vintage of high and occasionally hard tannins. Give it another 4-5 years of cellaring, and drink it over the following 30 years. 93+ Points!”

Considering these are recent tasting notes from two of the most respected Bordeaux tasters in the industry, there’s yet another added element of value when one considers the prices we have these wines featured at today.

These are two ‘sure bets’, and prices in Bordeaux on both of these wines are only going to rise. Less than 10 cases of each, secure yours now…

Kyle Meyer and Tristen Beamon, Proprietors, Wine Exchange