Vinous (92-95)

(a negociant wine, but Boillot harvested these grapes and vinified with 30% whole clusters; aged in all new barrels) Full ruby-red. Wild aromas of black and red cherry, five-spice powder and cumin. Fat, concentrated and sweet but quite pliant, with the exotic Asian spice character accenting the sappy black raspberry and cherry fruit. Sweet but lively wine, finishing with broad tannins and terrific verve.

Indulge in the illustrious Jacky Truchot Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru Vv 2005. This revered wine, crafted in the heart of Burgundy's celebrated vineyards, exemplifies the exceptional savoir-faire of legendary winemaker Jacky Truchot. With his ascetic philosophy, Truchot has notoriously favoured tradition over technology, resulting in wines of incomparable elegance and purity.

The Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru Vv 2005 2005 boasts a vibrant, ruby-red hue, unfolding a complex bouquet of red fruits, earthy undertones, and subtle spice. Aged for 18 months in French oak barrels, the wine is a harmonious balance of power and finesse. Its lingering, palate-caressing finish is a testament to the quality of the Grand Cru terroir.

Highly sought after by enthusiasts, the Jacky Truchot Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru Vv 2005 is a treasurable gem, encapsulating the allure and sophistication of Burgundy wines in an unforgettable journey of epicurean delight.

Discover the allure of the distinguished Jacky Truchot Clos de la Roche Grand Cru 2005. This exemplar produced in Morey-Saint-Denis, Burgundy, France, is a tribute to the dedicated wine-making practices of Jacky Truchot. Histories of personal touch echo in its delightful complexity. The blend of Pinot Noir diligently aged in oak barrels provides a sensuous confluence of red and black berries nuanced by earthy undertones. Intricate moulding of the vineyard's limestone-clay soils birthed this velvety, full-bodied wine.

Critics extol its excellent balance and harmonious integration, ageing potentiality, impeccable acidity, and fine-grained tannins as extraordinary. Jacky Truchot's distinct approach to minimal intervention and initial fermentation with indigenous yeasts preserves the unadulterated character. The Jacky Truchot Clos de la Roche Grand Cru 2005 epitomises craftsmanship blending tradition and innovation. Taste the legacy of this cherished Grand Cru, a must-have for any seasoned wine aficionado.

Burghound (97)

There is the first whiff of secondary character to the gorgeously complex red, black and violet-infused aromas that are trimmed with a dazzling array of spice and sandalwood hints. The round, intense and overtly muscular broad-shouldered flavors possess real power and superb intensity that slowly builds from the mid-palate to the explosively persistent and robust finish. I really like the purity of expression here on the linear and stony backend that has a dusty quality from all of the dry extract that coats the palate and buffers the still notably firm tannic spine. This is a big wine but it remains impeccably well-balanced and it should live for decades, indeed it is still very much in need of more cellar time.

Vinous (96)

Saturated, dark red-ruby color. Soil-driven aromas of dark cherry, mocha, cocoa powder and pungent minerality. Like liquid silk in the mouth, with great finesse and perfume to its ineffable raspberry and mineral flavors. Wonderfully concentrated, classy wine with an utterly seamless texture. This saturates every millimeter of the mouth. The suave, perfumed finishing flavors go on and on yet remain virtually weightless. A great wine: Meunier considers it the best he has made since 1993.

Wine Advocate (97-98)

From vines said to have been planted in the 1880s, the Roty 2005 Charmes Chambertin Tres Vieilles Vignes announces its distinction a foot away from the glass, with uncanny intensity and clarity of black fruit essences, along with ineffable mineral and animal suggestions. Tactile cinnamon spiciness, bitter-sweet herbs, and black cherry and black raspberry concentrate (fresh, yet with liqueur-like intensity, sweetness and viscosity) saturate the palate, and a dark and rising tide of mineral and carnal flavors meets the fruit and spice in a thunderous finish. There is mystery aplenty here, with the sex appeal well beneath the surface.

Wine Advocate (97-98)

From vines said to have been planted in the 1880s, the Roty 2005 Charmes Chambertin Tres Vieilles Vignes announces its distinction a foot away from the glass, with uncanny intensity and clarity of black fruit essences, along with ineffable mineral and animal suggestions. Tactile cinnamon spiciness, bitter-sweet herbs, and black cherry and black raspberry concentrate (fresh, yet with liqueur-like intensity, sweetness and viscosity) saturate the palate, and a dark and rising tide of mineral and carnal flavors meets the fruit and spice in a thunderous finish. There is mystery aplenty here, with the sex appeal well beneath the surface.

Wine & Spirit Magazine (98)

This is a great vintage from Domaine Leflaive, which owns 4.92 acres in Chevalier, including a significant portion of vines dating to the 1950s. This 2005 is marked by the concentration of a smaller-than-average harvest (cool weather during flowering caused poor or uneven fruit set). The season was dry, the grapes harvested on the 20th and 21st of September, fruit days on the biodynamic calendar, following several days of north winds and sunshine that peaked the fruit ripeness. The beneficent conditions and the care with which estate manager Pierre Morey and Anne-Claude Leflaive farm their vines resulted in this brilliant Chevalier. It shows an aristocratic finesse from the moment the bottle is opened. The wine's power and dynamic intensity make it hard to resist, as if it went beyond perfect balance and form to sustain the energy of the fruit in the glass. The taste is little more than a caress that lasts for minutes, bringing idealized images of Burgundy to mind: the sun on a hillside of yellow herbs growing between the vines, the roots working their way through minerals in the soil, a cool limestone cellar where wine rests in oak. The elegance that comes from Chevalier's high point on the hill separates it from Domaine Leflaive's more broad-shouldered Bâtard, the distinction amplified in this vintage. Both are wines to enjoy for decades to come.

Vinous (88-90)

Good deep red. Aromas of black cherry, redcurrant, minerals and nutty oak. A step up in stuffing and sweetness from the Allots, showing more mid-palate texture and depth. Here the substantial dusty tannins hit the palate later, as there's more buffering material.

Vinous (92-94)

(this holding, mostly from vines planted in 1990, yielded 28 hectoliters per hectare in 2005, according to Lignier) Deep, bright ruby-red color. Highly nuanced, very pure nose combines briary black cherry, brown spices and licorice, with soil-inflected pepper, dried flowers and eucalyptus. Suave on entry, then complex, tactile and intensely flavored in the middle palate, showing more finesse of texture than the Faconnieres and a juicy core of dark fruits. This mounts and gains in thickness toward the back, finishing with firm tannins and lovely subtle complexity. Lignier says he would wait eight years to drink the crus in 2005.

Wine Spectator (94)

Pure aromas and flavors of black cherry, blackberry and plum, with a dense profile and supple texture. Tightly wound now, with red currant and mineral elements that move in on the finish. Should become more elegant with time. Best from 2014 through 2035. 130 cases imported. -BS

Wine Advocate (92-94)

Alluring scents of ripe purple plum, black currant, clove, and star anise mark Jadot’s 2005 Vosne-Romanee Beaux Monts. Smoked and roasted meat flavors ally themselves to dark fruits and exotic spices on the palate, with subtle hints of caramel and vanilla from the oak accenting rather than intruding. This displays a warmer, more obviously rich and opulent character than many young 2005 Vosnes and than nearly any other 2005s from Jadot. Deep, fat folds of fruit persist with spices and low-toned roasted meat into an imposingly long, sumptuous finish. One could enjoy this soon if it does not close up, but it certainly has the concentration and potential to reward at least five years’ patience.

The Lucien Boillot Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru 2005 is an unforgettable Pinot Noir hailing from the esteemed vineyards of Burgundy's Côte de Nuits. Crafted by venerated producer Lucien Boillot, this is a wine steeped in an exemplary pedigree. The Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru exemplifies Boillot's stringent selection process, utilizing only premier cru quality grapes from deftly-managed, older vines.

The wine boasts an alluring complexity, harmoniously blending rich, dark fruit character with hints of spice and earthy undertones indicative of its limestone soil origins. Following traditional Burgundian methods, the wine was matured in French oak barrels, imparting an additional layer of depth as well as a refined finish.

Its stellar 2005 vintage is received by critics as one of the most distinguished vintages, promising concentrated flavours and ageing potential. Luxuriously indulgent yet nuanced, the Lucien Boillot Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru 2005 is a profound testament to Burgundy's inimitable terroir.

Imbued with the elegance of Burgundy, the Marchand Freres Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Cuvee Eline 2005 is an exceptional display of French winemaking prowess. Harvested from old vines from the illustrious Morey-Saint-Denis vineyard within the Côte de Nuits region, this wine ensures masterful viniculture by Marchand Freres - a reputed family winery known for meticulously crafting complex Pinot Noir varietals.

It honours traditional methods featuring hand-harvesting, thorough berry selection, and utilisation of oak barrels touching which imparts a unique flavour profile. It exhibits a clarion purple robe and tantalises the palate with succulent cherry aromatics, zinging spices subtly harmonised with a velvety tannic structure.

The Marchand Freres Morey-Saint-Denis 1er Cru Cuvee Eline 2005 offers an intriguing blend of seductive fruitiness, intriguing minerality, and elegant complexity, perfectly suited for mature wine aficionados to cellar or savour right now.

Jancis Robinson (19)

Smudgy crimson. Quite raw still on the nose - although wonderfully subtle and gorgeous on the palate. Dry finish and slightly crackling tannins - sort of taffeta. Great intensity but very noble. Almost grating energy but wonderful intensity. Fantastic texture, intensity and complete. Hidden. Liquorice.

Vinous (92-95)

Good full medium ruby. More exotic on the nose than the Brulees, showing an aroma of blackberry liqueur. Large-scaled and fat but youthfully unevolved, with inky depths to its brooding, chocolatey flavor. A wine of compelling richness but not yet showing the personality of the Brulees. Broad, slow-mounting finish reveals surprisingly strong acidity (the pH here is a low-for-the-cellar 3.35). This is likely to require at least a decade of bottle aging.

Vinous (95+)

Saturated bright ruby-red. Knockout nose combines black raspberry, licorice, minerals, meat and smoke. Large-scaled and impressively dense, with superb energy to the dark fruit, licorice, mineral, spice and game flavors. The explosive finish is like an avalanche over the palate, driving out everything in its wake. Substantial ripe tannins are hidden by complex finishing flavors of red fruits, smoked meat and leather. For all its soil-driven wildness, this sappy, extract-rich wine is quite pristine. Should be a monumental bottle by 2020.

Vinous (89-92)

Bright medium ruby-red. Pure aromas of blackberry, licorice and violet. Ripe, dense and sweet, with firm underlying minerality giving definition to the dark fruit and chocolate flavors. Finishes with substantial ripe tannins. Meo believes this may turn out to be his best Chaumes to date.

Vinous (94+)

Deep red with ruby highlights. Distinctly purple aromas of blackberry, violet and menthol. Silky on entry, then considerably subtler and suaver than the Chateau des Ducs, with lovely finesse of texture and superb building fruit. Highly concentrated, young and impeccably balanced Volnay, finishing with sweet tannins and a whiplash of fruit. Much more accessible today than the Chateau des Ducs, but this too will reward extended cellaring.

Wine Advocate (93-94)

The Potel 2005 Vosne-Romanee Les Gaudichots offers a nose of cherry, red raspberry and spice box. Cinnamon and white pepper are among those that hitch a ride on the creamy palate, where intensely ripe, sweet red fruits, raw meat, and suggestions of caramelized root vegetables expand to fill all recesses of the mouth. Concentrated and complex manifestations of meat, roasted root vegetables, and mineral along with distilled red fruit suggestions inform the superbly long, multi-registered finish. Amazingly, there are three whole barrels of this.

Burghound (97)

This beauty had not come my way since I first reviewed it from bottle in 2008 and it continues to shine beautifully. There is some secondary development lurking in the background of the wonderfully spicy aromas of both red and dark currant, violet, game and newly turned earth. The dense, powerful and sappy flavors are still blessed with seemingly endless reserves of dry extract while the supporting tannins, while certainly present, are no longer so prominent as to render the strikingly long finish unduly compact or too tightly wound. While this should continue to age effortlessly for years to come, it's not so far away that it couldn't be enjoyed now. A seriously lovely Clos de la Roche.

Vinous (89+)

Good pale, green-tinged color. Stony, pure and subdued on the nose. Tightly wound today, with the citrus, mineral and spicy oak flavors coming across as dry, even austere. Strong acids and minerality give the finish a faint hard edge and make this tricky to taste today. Right now the fruit is in the deep background.

Vinous (92)

Bright gold-tinged yellow. Aromas of citrus fruits, minerals and spices, with deeper notes of honey, truffle and oatmeal emerging with air. A rich, powerful, uncompromisingly dry Chablis with more energy and cut than the 2006. This was austere from the start and there's nothing easy about it even today. But the finish impresses for its tactile texture and wet-stone minerality, and there's fruit lurking, so I would check back in on this very broad wine in another couple of years.

Vinous (91+)

Saturated, deep ruby-red. Liqueur-like black raspberry, blackberry and licorice aromas retain good freshness. Very large-scaled and dense, with superripe berry, licorice and chocolate flavors offering superb depth and sweetness. Perhaps a bit monolithic and powerful for a wine from this cellar, but obviously youthfully clenched today. The big tannins saturate the teeth. I'd put this away for a decade.

Vinous (87-90)

Bright red-ruby. Cherry, redcurrant, leather and tobacco; offers a noble Nuits-Saint-Georges rusticity. Broad and sweet, with good minerality but a lower pitch than the Perrieres. A bit less open today owing to the later end to the malolactic fermentation. Finishes with substantial chewy tannins and hints of tobacco and leather.

Wine Advocate (90-91)

The Cathiard 2005 Vosne-Romanee Aux Reignots displays black cherry, clove, cinnamon and cumin aromatics, fine continuation of spice and luscious black cherry and cassis fruit with a flattering, supple feel, though it’s overall just a bit too marked by obvious wood for its own good, and slightly less texturally-refined than Cathiard’s Chambolle. His vines in Reignots are only approaching twenty years of age. Interestingly, I recently revisited the last vintage from old vines, 1987, and that wine was still attractive, if a bit attenuated. Also recommended: 2005 Bourgogne ($39.00;85).