Chateau Calon-Ségur 2005: Wow, this has a very deeply characterful and intense nose, with very dark and fairly pure fruit, just tinged with a little soot. Ethereal, perfumed, rather gravelly, certainly characterful, this is quite enticing. On the palate it starts with a slightly confected edge to the fruit, but this disappears to leave through the midpalate a brooding presence of massive, somewhat overbearing tannins. There is dark fruit behind it, a moderate texture, and fairly fresh acidity, but the extraction here is huge. There is some good substance to help support it though. It will need 20 years to come round, but if the rest of the wine holds out this could be great. 18+/20

Chateau Cos d'Estournel 2005: This is a real contrast to Calon, with a pure, ethereal and complex perfume of fruit and flowers on the nose, overlaid with grainy, honeyed oak, and just a few elements of charcoal. The palate is very polished at first, but then reveals a slightly coarser element with a huge core of tannins. Lovely flavour of fruit though. Lots of structure, lovely fresh acidity, and no doubt great potential for the future. An excellent result but it needs 10-15 years. 18-18.5+/20

Chateau Lafon-Rochet 2005: Sweet and aromatic fruit, bright, gravelly, lifted, vibrant but not confected. Red fruit character, with notes of chalky redcurrant. Nice texture, supple weight and firm tannins at the core. A very well composed palate, a good presence in keeping with the seam of tannins beneath, and nicely firm acidity. A little gravelly, not really exciting but this is certainly very typical of the appellation, of good quality and very likely to give some very rewarding drinking in the future I would think. 17+/20

Chateau Meyney 2005: A very unusual nose here today, with a sensation of stretched-out beef stock and some dirty gravel, rather withdrawn overall, and only bare hints of fruit although it seems very reticent in this respect. Is it just closed down at the moment? Quite some substance and structure on the palate, cleaner fruit here, very hard in terms of substance and style though. Nevertheless it has appeal, more than the nose would suggest; everything is in good balance, with firm tannins and crisp acidity underneath the hard and polished structure. If the aromatic profile develops in a favourable fashion this could be very good indeed. 17+?/20

Chateau d'Armailhac 2005: Wonderful nose, exotic fruit, although with plenty of toasty oak still apparent. Dark, rich but certainly still vibrant. An elegantly styled palate, harmoniously put together, with some very fine tannins and a fine, gentle texture overlying it all. Good fruit, firm substance at the core, and overall this has a very good combination of elements. And an appealingly ripe and grippy finish too. This certainly has some fine potential for the future. 18+/20

Chateau Clerc-Milon 2005: A touch more reticent and woody than the d'Armailhac, a little less expressive of fruit. The palate similarly shows less character, a firm texture wrapped up a fairly crunchy shell. There is little in the way of fruit-related flavour to balance it out, but there is certainly substance here, decent acidity and a well hidden core of tannins which are ripe and well composed. There is potential here although it is difficult to judge with certainty when it is in such a reticent mood. 17.5-18+?/20

Chateau Lafite-Rothschild 2005: The nose here is restrained compared with Margaux and Haut-Brion, tasted alongside, although it shows plenty of wonderfully typical Pauillac fruit, all gritty and wood-grained. There are notes of gentle cherry and perhaps even brambly, blackcurrant fruits wrapped up in elements of cedar and pencil shavings, as well as violets, rose petals and tar. This purity comes through on the palate which is a little lighter and less prodigious than some of the other first growths, although it has no lack of elegance or potential. There is almost a crunchy lift to it, and a superbly defined, elegant style. Wonderful wine, one that focuses on definition and elegance rather than power. 19+/20

Chateau Lynch-Bages 2005: Deep, slightly smoky, rather dusty dried red-fruit character here. Perfumed too, fairly bright and lifted. A gently composed palate, elegant, with a gentle presence of fruit, good structure beneath, perhaps a slight coarseness to it but the tannins are at least ripe. Soft but with grip, slightly prominent alcohol at one point, and a touch of heat too, but there are certainly some good points here. It would be good to reassess in a few years to see where this goes; I suspect it will be very good though. 16.5-17+?/20

Chateau Mouton-Rothschild 2005: Another supremely elegant style on the nose, although here we have a darker character than Lafite which was more perfumed and feminine. There is a more honeyed edge to the oak, also a slightly richer style to the fruit. It has that typical Mouton spice, hard to describe but perhaps a blend of smouldering embers with cinnamon, but I am sure there are better descriptions available! Great style on the palate, broad and rich, defined, very well structured, fleshy and more flattering than Lafite. Brilliantly composed, slightly loose-knit at present but this is just the wine's youthful character I think, as there is a great core of smoky tannins and fine acidity at the bottom of it all. Very impressive and a great wine for fans of Mouton. 19+/20

Chateau Pichon-Baron 2005: Expressive, bright and sweet red fruit character, especially cherry and cranberry, on the nose. A rather refined style at the outset, quite lifted and light, showing a broader flesh through the midpalate, and a very elegant and pure substance. A fine balance here, a lightly poised and very stylish effort. Very smoothly polished tannin core, although with plenty of substance piled around it, albeit alongside some rather gentle and delicate fruit. A very good wine with fine potential, but not up to what I expected given Pichon-Baron's recently admirable track record. In view of this thought I returned to the wine later in the day, pouring from a fresh bottle. My opinion was unchanged. 17-17.5+?/20

Chateau Pichon-Lalande 2005: A slightly sweet, toasty, marshmallow element to the nose here, with an element of cooked fruit here too. Rather leaner than expected on the palate, rather stony too. There is a nice substance, a slightly chewy-juicy feel, although it has rather a confected, sweet fruit character which is certainly less appealing. Quite firmly composed in terms of structure, and very dominated by tannins on the second taste. I find this tasting disappointing - I have previously been impressed by this wine at two years of age. What's happened here? Is this wine just having a bad day, or is it something more than that? In view of these concerns I returned to the wine later in the day, in order to taste from a fresh bottle. My opinion, however, was unchanged. I can only hope that this is an awkward moment for this wine, otherwise Bordeaux savants with cases of Pichon-Lalande in their cellar might well be disappointed. A conservative ranged score here. 15.5-16.5+?/20

Chateau Pontet-Canet 2005: A rather glossy style of fruit here, dark and intensely stylish, shining with black fruit character, dark with elements suggestive of roasted herbs, but the fruit itself is not in any way cooked or hot. Rather there is a very fresh complexity, of liquorice and macerated black fruits. Beautifully defined here on entry, pure and linear, fresh but very rich, and with a very significant presence of tannins. These have a very firm character, masculine and grippy, bright, nevertheless they sit very well with the rest of the wine. A hugely impressive effort that puts much of the rest of the appellation to shame. This wine could really go places, given the right cellar. 19+/20

Chateau Beychevelle 2005: Pure and gravelly fruit here, although it has a rather warm and loose feel to it. Elegant and certainly unforced though. This feeling comes through on the palate as well which has a soft and gentle start, and a slightly juicy character through the middle, where there are some nice red fruit notes although they do have a slightly confected edge. The tannins and grip are nicely hidden beneath though. This certainly has harmony and a very gentle feel to it all. Good acids. It should all come together very nicely given time. 16.5-17+/20

Chateau Branaire-Ducru 2005: I find it difficult to remember the characteristics of individual wines, unless they are unparalleled successes or truly dismal failures. Tasted upon release, Branaire-Ducru was one of the former. At four years of age it is still attractive, well defined, with a very direct style of fruit together with some smoky overtones, and there are also notes of dried herbs and autumn leaves coming in at the edges. The palate shows a lot of substance, broad and polished with a crunchy outer shell, but it doesn't quite have the generosity of texture or the richness of fruit to match. Some of the substance seen in previous tastings is still here, but I note that it seems very withdrawn and closed today. An awkward phase I suspect. I still think this will be excellent given time. 17.5-18+/20

Chateau Gruaud-Larose 2005: An evolving and elegant nose here, with aromas of tea leaf and woody berry fruit dominating, It seems very well defined and bright. Quite some substance when it arrives on the palate, broad and quite creamy but with a very polished surface. Not fat or overly fleshy but rather a defined wine with very linear edges. I adore the maturing character present on the nose, although it does also worry me a little for being present at this stage; it is rather forward. Nevertheless the palate is more youthful in structure, so this has time in hand yet I think. This is a good effort from the team at Gruaud. 18+/20

Chateau Lagrange 2005: Exuberant and ripe berry fruit on the nose here, nuances of smoke, but overall the suggestion of gently fat, fleshy fruit. Good substance on the palate, again soft and a little loosely held together, but we have here flesh, rather firm and crunchy tannins and good vibrant acidity. I like the character presented on the nose and there are some appealingly bright characteristics present on the palate too. This has a lot of appeal and will be excellent given time. 17.5+/20

Chateau Langoa-Barton 2005: Beautifully stylish nose here, dominated by gravelly fruit, with a fine, lifted, heady and sweet blackcurrant character. Roasted herbs, perfumed aromatic complexity, stylish and no shortage of elegant fruit. Brilliantly impressive on the palate, harmonious and creamy at the very beginning, and then showing a little more structure and grip. There is substance, style, flesh and admirably perfumed fruit. Ripe, slightly velvety tannins too. This is a very beautifully composed wine with huge potential for the future. 18.5+/20

Chateau Léoville-Barton 2005: Much less expressive on the nose compared to Langoa, but certainly in possession of great purity, with fine and reserved black fruit character. Dark, heady, roasted-herb perfume, it is actually very expressive but it is also clear that this character lies on top of a much more solid and substantial wine with much deeper foundations. The palate is glorious; immediately expansive and yet tightly composed at the same time. Aromatic, perfumed, yet rich and creamy, but linear and well framed. I know I have preferred the remarkable Langoa in previous tasting but Léoville-Barton is beginning to show its breeding now. Brilliant. 19+/20

Chateau Léoville-Poyferré 2005: Between the preceding two wines, the Barton pair of Langoa and Léoville, in terms of aromatic expression, perhaps with a slightly darker grain of fruit, richer and rather more intense. Great, pure, very stylish, a slightly more creamy presence on the palate than Barton, still with a very fine layer of structure beneath. Great tannic core, really rather grippy, although it certainly has the substance to cope. Fine acids too, bright and lifted fruit presence. Without doubt this is the equal of Barton, and it is great to see Poyferré perform at this level these days. Stylistically different, fleshier and more exotic perhaps, but certainly lovely quality here. 19+/20

Chateau Léoville-Las-Cases 2005: Beautifully defined and expressive nose here, a tight layer of raspberry and loganberry fruit intertwined with elements of charcoal, tar and toffee. The palate speaks predominantly of structure, as a seam of ripe and polished but very substantial tannins lie beneath the shiny and veneered fruit. A brilliantly vibrant finish. Not so expressive as some wines but very finely balanced nevertheless, and certainly well placed for the cellar. I think given time this stupendous effort will be a very fine, supremely elegant wine. 19-19.5+/20

Chateau Saint-Pierre 2005: Perfumed, chalky fruit, rather restrained, but what is apparent is a dark fruit character, with some appealing, crunchy, perfumed elements. Lots of substance on entry onto the palate, lots of texture and a broad style, with sweetly ripe but still firm tannins underneath it all. Good acidity, bright and vibrant fruit character, fresh and lively. Touches of coffee and liquorice too. This has very good potential. 18+/20

Chateau Talbot 2005: Nice, maturing character on the nose here, autumn leaves, undergrowth, tea leaf, along with a layer of red fruits still with an overt freshness to them. On the palate a very soft texture at first, then a more polished and stony but still generous substance in the palate. Firm, elegant, well composed wine, not fat or overly fleshy, but with enough substance to cover the tannins. Some harmony here. Very good. 17+/20

Chateau Brane-Cantenac 2005: Lovely nose, pure and aromatic, gravelly fruit, very typical of Margaux, very fresh too. I sense there is some good substance here though. On the palate indeed this is a wine with good substance, rounded and stylish, rather polished and detached at present but with fine structure, firm tannins, good acidity and plenty of promise. Henri Lurton aims for an elegant style of wine and in this vintage it has some substance too - altogether it works really well. Very good indeed. 17.5+/20

Chateau Cantenac-Brown 2005: Dense and dark fruit here, with an element of beef stock. Rich and meaty style. The palate is very soft and plumped up at the start, although there is a hollow character to its core. Nice fruit quality though, very fresh in style, and a vibrant character through to the finish. There is more substance in the midpalate too. Gentle, harmonious, this does flesh out if you give it time. A sterling effort from a once chronically underperforming estate, although there is yet more to come from this vineyard I think. 15.5-16+/20

Chateau Lascombes 2005: Lascombes carries its usual raft of sweet and charry oak on the nose, over the expected dense, perfumed, rather admirable layer of dark berry fruits. With a rather toasty character it is hard not to admire it, even though the oak heavily dominates. And although sweetly fruited, there is a trace of a stony, gravelly perfume that is more typical of the appellation. The palate is, I have to admit, really rather fine. Yes there is a huge core of chargrilled oak but there is also some very aromatic red fruit, with a pure and lifted style, and good fresh acidity too. There is also a prodigious mouth-puckering core of tannins, and so this and the oak will demand this wine be left in the cellar for another 10-15 years at least. In the finish there are notes of perfume too, violets, elegance behind the power. An excellent effort and so much more defined than the 2004 vintage which I tasted here last year (and which was perhaps just not showing very well?). 18+/20

Chateau Margaux 2005: A glorious Margaux perfume here, so typical of the modern-day wines of the chateau, and defining what the rest of the appellation should aspire to. Wonderful, grainy, oak-wrapped fruit, great purity and lifted definition. There are streaks of darkness running through it, like perfumed soot, beautiful and yet brooding. Pure, quite cool and stony, gripping very firmly through the middle of the wine, with great substance and powerful tannins here. Behind this there lies a layer of slightly cool and stony fruit, but through the middle it shows more sweetness and generosity, still wrapped around those monumental but ripe tannins. This is a fine, pure but prodigious effort which will need decades to show its best. 19.5+/20

Chateau Monbrison 2005: Sweet and aromatic nose here, rather dense, dark, with a rather heady quality and density of perfume. Very appealing. Fresh too. Lots of presence on the palate, a rather polished style, but there is flesh and weight underneath it all too. Chalky red fruits, minerally, ripe tannins which have a rather grainy quality. A very admirable effort here. 17+/20

Chateau Palmer 2005: Dark and withdrawn in style, aromatic but with deeply coloured fruits to the fore, wrapped up with a more domineering tobacco-leaf and tea leaf element. This is more cigarry than many good cigars! Beautifully cool and defined on entry, broadening slightly but staying well defined, slightly crunchy, elegant but with wonderful substance beneath. Pure, slightly creamy, stylish, the substance very nicely wrapped around a core of ripe, grainy and bright tannins. A brilliant effort from Palmer this year; the complexity that will come in this wine will surely be astounding. 18.5-19+/20

Chateau Prieuré-Lichine 2005: A hugely characterful nose here, sweet and complex and rich, spicy although some elements that are found here are certainly oak-derived still. Dark, little nuances of toffee and chocolate richness. A full style on the palate, coolly defined but with relaxed wealth underneath, stylish and creamy. A very admirable quality here, full and yet fresh too, a touch juicy, overall this has plenty of substance and potential. An over-performer. 18+/20

Chateau Rauzan-Ségla 2005: A tighter nose than some, also with a firm oaky streak although with a more grainy character. Elements of smoke, tobacco leaf, rose petal, this is already showing a very fine dark fruit complexity. The palate is fine, with a very tight and pure frame for the substance of the wine, with crisp definition, gritty tannins and good acidity the most positive elements. Very soft towards the finish, charcoaly, with beautiful balance of flesh and structural elements. Overall, this is lovely. 18-18.5+/20

Chateau Cantemerle 2005: Rather sweet and warm character to the fruit here, with a roasted herb note to it as well. A touch baked and raisiny, with little nuances of balsamic. The palate has a stony quality to it, it has some flesh but is certainly not generous, and there is a nice core of ripe tannins. The fruit quality here is a little chalky, although still with that very warm feel to it. Nice substance though, and so I will remain optimistic. 16.5-17+/20

Chateau Preuillac 2005: Smoky, some fruit, but fairly withdrawn today. Good substance on the palate though, a gently creamy texture, lots of harmony and pleasure to be had here. Ripe tannins, velvety and well composed, with a meaty quality to the fruit. A very good effort which will blossom given time. It shows the strength of the vintage when lesser regions such as the Médoc have such success. 16.5+/20

Chateau Potensac 2005: Gently perfumed and rather chalky character on the nose, with some certain appeal. A rather hard character on the palate, with very linear qualities to the texture, and a leaner substance than some wines, Nevertheless it is bright and nicely structured, and there is a juicy, sappy substance to it that suggests this may come around with time. 16.5+/20