2005 Clarets for the Cellar

Our Opening Offer described 2005 as ‘a brilliant and exciting vintage for Bordeaux.’ It seemed expensive at the time, with chateau owners charging a premium for this almost universally good harvest –the first for some years. We’ve seen a couple of superb vintages since, of course –2009 and 2010 –with prices to make many of us wish we had dug deeper to buy 2005 en primeur. Its indisputable quality was founded on completely ripe, healthy grapes, perfectly balanced by vibrant fruit, vivid colour and strong but ripe tannins. Our message then and now: a vintage to buy (or re-buy). Joanna Locke MW