April 3, 2012 – Wine: 2005 Chateau Cote de Baleau

I remember reading back in 2006 that the 2005 vintage from Bordeaux was turning out to be something quite remarkable, so I snatched up a few half-bottles using professional ratings and price as my guide.  Some I bought through futures offers, the rest I discovered on the shelf.  At that point, my experience with Bordeaux was rather limited.  It takes a different mindset to enjoy Bordeaux when you have become accustomed to Napa Valley, but there are qualities about each that most will find appealing.  In this instance, more like fascinating.

This wine started off with an incredible nose, again filling the vicinity around the decanter with this wine’s perfume (slightly less so than the Oracle).  In fact, the nose is perhaps the most enjoyable aspect of this wine.  The palette is dark and difficult to describe, but I’ll take a stab at it.  I sensed sweet black prunes, notes of black currants, salty minerals, and many other subtleties that I will leave as an exercise to the reader.  The finish was substantial, lasting into the better part of a minute.  The flavors were as far from delicate as they were from harsh, leaving a definite impression on the entire palette, all the while maintaining near ideal balance from start to finish.  I’m looking forward to the next one of these I get to open.

2005 Chateau Cote de Baleau