2005 Chateau Laforge, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 1x750ml

Vinous 90

Good red-ruby. Nuanced, spicy aromas of black cherry, tobacco, mocha, graphite and licorice pastille. Rich, ripe and sweet, with fat red fruit flavors complicated by caramel, smoke and earth. Lots of sweet new oak showing today in the middle palate and on the aftertaste, which features building tannins. But juicy acidity keeps this wine youthful and fresh. [Stephen Tanzer, 01/05/2008]

Robert Parker 95

Tasting far superior than it did from cask, the bottled 2005 Laforge is fabulous. Moreover, there are 2,500 cases of this offering from the brilliant Englishman, Jonathan Malthus, who has proven he can turn quite a qualitative trick in both Bordeaux and Australia’s Barossa Valley. This dense purple-hued St.-Emilion offers up a glorious nose of graphite, blueberry and blackberry liqueur, licorice, and a whiff of acacia flowers. Full-bodied, thick, and juicy, this blend of 92% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc possesses terrific purity, an extravagantly rich mouthfeel, and wonderful precision. The result is a provocative, compelling wine that should be drinkable between 2013-2028. [Robert Parker, 04/01/2008]

Anticipated maturity: 2013-2028