Author: Dirk Chan
I’ve been harping on the greatness of the 2005 Bordeaux vintage for over a year now, and even I am getting tired of writing about it, but a tasting with friends a couple of sundays ago really hit home that in great vintages, there are great wines across the board, and diving in and buying will reward you down the road. Our friend Richard Beeken hosted a Bordeaux afternoon for Ed Fong, Peter Robertson, Wayne Logus, Ivan Ivankovich and myself that featured a flight of 1982 Bordeaux.
Included in the 1982 flight was the Ducru Beaucaillou (2nd Growth), Lynch Bages (5th Growth), Grand Puy Lacoste (5th Growth) and a mystery 1982 brought in a brown bag by Ivan. It is always humbling to be tested with a blind challenge, and we threw out guesses that the mystery wine was a right bank Merlot based wine (Trotanoy), a high class St. Estephe (Montrose), or a 2nd Growth Pauillac (Pichon Baron). When it was revealed to be the 1982 Fourcas-Hosten, a Cru Bourgeois from Listrac in the Medoc, we were pretty much floored. Furthermore, the price was $10 purchased in 1985! In voting, we put it 2nd behind the amazing Lynch. This proves once again that it is important to buy all you can afford in a great vintage like 1982, 1990, 2000 and 2005. This is not the first time we’ve had lower ranked wines in a blind tasting that best and easily compete with wines costing much more.
So fast forward to 2005, the Petit Chateaux and Cru Bourgeois of this vintage will afford you this same experience with ten years cellaring. Of course, $10 won’t buy you a bottle twenty years hence, but here are a few to peak your interest. Oh yes, do sign up for the upcoming tasting at deVine where you can taste the Petit Chateaux and Cru Bourgeois before you buy!!
2005 Bordeaux: Petit Chateaux & Cru Bourgeois Tasting: phone 780-421-9463 or book online here.
2005 Château Hauchat La Rose – $34.99
2005 Château Petit Bocq – $44.99
2005 Château d’Agassac – $49.99
2005 Château la Garde – $54.99
2005 Château Grand Barrail Lamazelle Figeac – $59.99
Speaking of lessons learned, I should have taken your advice from years ago, Dirk, and bought more 2000 Bordeaux. Of course, at the time I had other things like car payments, rent, and debt management to worry about and only sporadic income. However, in retrospect I really should have borrowed or something to stash away more of the 2000’s back in 2003.
Also, if I knew then what I know now, I would have spent my entire Canada Scholarship on 1990 Bordeaux back in 1993!
Comment by Mike Yan — March 30, 2009 @ 12:55 pm
Mike, i’ve always believed that in great vintages of any wine that your chances of getting an extraordinary wine with cellaring is great enhanced by the greatness of the vintage. That’s why i am a proponent of buying all you can afford in any great vintage. Given the hype etc, and what we’ve tasted, there is no doubt 2005 is going to be a legend, and although some softing of prices has occured in the States, up here where the volume was low to begin with, prices are only going to appreciate over time. That’s why the Cru Bourgeois are so worthwhile in a vintage such as this.
Given the mediocrity of the 06, 07 and 08 vintages (and the still astoundingly high prices for such mediocrity), the 2005’s if anything is going to be even more sought after. If people think 2005 is expensive now, in ten years, they will be astronomical, especially for the 95 pointers. Buy buy!
Comment by Dirk — March 31, 2009 @ 10:59 am