2005 Pichon Baron Bordeaux Blend - France - Bordeaux - Pauillac - Red - Second Growth

($150-$215) Dark red-ruby. Multidimensional nose offers deep aromas of currant, cedar, coffee, tobacco and minerals. The palate offers a rare combination of sweetness, energy and depth, with superb grip and a layered texture to the flavors of plum, cedar, tobacco and minerals. The finish features sweet, noble tannins and outstanding length. I find this more complete and ultimately more exciting than the 2003, but this will need at least a decade of cellaring. (The 2006 was in the middle of a racking and difficult to taste, but this wine conveyed the same impression of ripeness, energy and structure that my sample did last spring.)

Very dark and luscious looking. Exciting and slightly burnt. Thick and sweet and a bit medicinal. Flowers and sweetness. Hints of camphor. Hasn't closed down as many other people say their 05s have. A little less luscious and a little bit denser and drier than the 2009.

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.

Offers crushed currant and blackberry on the nose, turning to tar and licorice. Full-bodied, with a solid core of ripe fruit and seamless tannins. Goes on and on. Very, very beautiful. A cross between the 2000 and fabulous 2003.

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