St Estèphe:

Chateau Cos Labory 2005: This wine is not immediately expressive on the nose, but has a dark, attractive profile of fruit with an edge of nutty oak. On the palate this is also true, there is little here in terms of aromatics or flavour, and the wine is just a little ungiving at present. Nevertheless it clearly has an attractive texture and a good grip, and a nicely composed character. It is difficult to judge in this state, and I will have to hedge my opinion. The structure, however, certainly holds promise. 15.5-16.5+/20

Chateau Lafon-Rochet 2005: This has a lovely, characterful, smoky nose full of dense, pure fruit. The palate is dark and extracted, and has a rather chunky style. There are piles of extract which dominate the palate, and the acidity is shifted a little towards the low side. It has a good density, but a very big, chewy, warm vintage style which may hold this back from greatness. 16+/20

Chateau Phélan-Ségur 2005: This has a very dark hue, and lovely, aromatic, dense, dark and rather gravelly fruit. The palate has a rather pure character with an appealing leanness, and a raft of attractive red fruits presented in a direct, very well defined frame. This certainly has a pleasing nature, backed up by good extract and substance. There is a lot of stuffing for the cellar here. Very good indeed. 17+/20

Pauillac:

Chateau d'Armailhac 2005: There are some deliciously lively aromatics here, this wine possessing a pure, crunchy, slightly smoky redcurrant and cranberry nose. It is very finely composed on the palate, with a very ripe and rounded nature, and with plenty of substance despite the crisp character of the nose. This firm, meaty presence of fruit is wrapped around a core of delightfully ripe tannins. This has great potential. 17.5+/20

Chateau Batailley 2005: This has a very open, accessible nose with some nice summer fruit character. The palate is immediately seen to have a very soft style, with a lot of texture and a wealth of ripe, chewy, mouth-coating tannins. It has a very flashy, slightly meaty toffee-tinged flavour and along with this there is rather low acidity. Unsurprisingly it all rounds off in a big, grippy finish. A touch overdone for me. Nice wine, but this will never be great. 16+/20

Chateau Clerc-Milon 2005: This has very dark, nutty, oaky fruit on the nose, and yet has a very cool style on the palate, displaying a very bright, vigorous nature despite having a very dense structure. The fruit character helps, as it has a real crunchy, leafy, cranberry and redcurrant style. There is good grip and a firm acid backbone. A fine structure; rather a lot of tannin but it all balances out. This could end up a really classic, meaty, typically dense Clerc-Milon. 17.5+/20

Chateau Grand-Puy-Ducasse 2005: This is dense and rather reserved, and is showing some nutty oak and dense fruit on the nose, but it is a little muted compared to some of its peers. It has a lighter, elegant style, fresh and crisp, with a fine balance. The composition is good, but the flavours are well hidden today, as was noted with the aromatics on the nose. Could be good but difficult to judge at present. 16-17+/20

Chateau Haut-Bages-Libéral 2005: This has a very vibrant raspberry fruit, bright and direct in character, but with a creamy edge to tone it down. The palate is textured and fills out nicely with a raspberry cream character, in a slightly flashy fashion. This is a very ripe, supple style, with soft midpalate tannins building to a large presence at the finish. The acid is veering towards the low end. It shows the warmth of the vintage a little in its structure, but nevertheless there is plenty here to commend. Very good. 16.5+/20

Chateau Lynch-Bages 2005: This has a slightly smoky nose, with a wealth of pure, nicely directed, quite fine fruit. There is a similarly high quality of dense but nicely composed fruit on the palate, with well covered tannins at the core, which show through a little on the midpalate. It has a rather large, chewy style, belying its big, structured character. But there is a decent frame of acidity too. Very good indeed, with fine potential. 17.5+/20

Chateau Lynch-Moussas 2005: A dark and smoky nose, with a little stony violet character providing nice interest. It is not too expressively forthright, however. The palate has a nice appeal, though, showing a gently creamy texture, a seamless, nicely composed structure, with a harmonious presence of nicely covered tannins and a gentle but fresh and lively fruit acidity. This has a good finish too. Very good indeed. 16.5+/20

Chateau Pichon-Baron 2005: A bright and forceful nose here, showing crunchy fruit with a fresh, redcurrant and blackcurrant character with a dash of pepper. Very pure and typical Baron style on the palate as well, which has supple tannins, well covered with a fine texture, and a nice acid backbone. Very good indeed; elegant but with weight and excellent potential. 18+/20

Chateau Pichon-Lalande 2005: A beautifully pure, dense, summer fruit nose here, elegant, but showing vigour. This is a real delight on the palate; harmonious, elegant and composed, showing a lot of vigour, direction and elegance, There is a slight fleshiness to the texture, with fresh, lifting acidity and beautifully hidden tannins. This is very fine indeed and has superb potential. 19+/20

Chateau Pontet-Canet 2005: Exotic, interesting, spicy nose, full of very dense and perfumed fruit, notes of roast herbs and a layer of cashew nut oak. The palate is very full, a touch creamy, with a lovely composition. Rich fruit, good substance and weight, ripe well covered tannins and a delicious, balanced style. This has great potential. Another success for Pontet-Canet, and a much higher score than my en primeur tasting. 18.5+/20

St Julien:

Chateau Beychevelle 2005: Very deep, pure fruit here, with exotic perfumed violets and white pepper. This has plenty of interest to offer! Pure, a little lighter in style than some, a lifted character, with cherry and cranberry freshness of fruit. A great acid backbone, nicely defined, with an elegant, well composed style. A very fine Beychevelle indeed. 17+/20

Chateau Branaire-Ducru 2005: The nose here shows attractive fruit aromatics, with plenty of very open cherry and raspberry characteristics. When I tasted this en primeur I noted that it needed to flesh out a little, and indeed the palate shows it has done just that. It has a fairly dense structure with a full, creamy, rather seamless composition. There is a firm core of tannin hidden beneath. This seems much less paradoxical in its nature than when I last tasted it, but the likely outcome is no different. This should be just fine. 17+/20

Chateau Gruaud-Larose 2005: The nose here suggests sweetness, perhaps reflecting the layer of warm, honey-tinged oak, but also plenty of sweetly ripe fruit, presented in a very dense, dark fashion. The palate shows an elegant structure, but it does not have the rich structure or concentration as some of its peers within the commune. Nevertheless it has a pure and seamless nature, with well covered and well judged tannins. Very good. 17+/20

Chateau Lagrange 2005: A really attractive, lifted style on the nose here, with a touch of bright cherry and cranberry fruit. It has a crunchy but ripe character that I really admire. The style is firm, elegant and crisply framed, with less depth of texture and substance than some but there is still plenty of material here. There is ripeness and a good defining acidity. Nice style. 17+/20

Chateau Langoa-Barton 2005: This is immediately compelling. Here we have very decisive aromatics, in a very pure and complex style, with a great depth of very dark, complex fruit. And on the palate the wine shows itself to be similarly impressive; it is pure and creamy, with a wealth of svelte, ripe tannins which provide lovely substance and grip through to the finish, but which sit very well with the fresh acids and elegant texture. Lifted, defined and with excellent fruit complexity this is, as I have said before, the greatest Langoa I have ever had the good fortune to taste. 18.5-19+/20

Chateau Léoville-Barton 2005: Immediately following the Langoa, big brother Léoville shows a very dark, pure and dense yet also rather more reserved nose. It is concentrated and pure, but also withdrawn. A very serious structure, with a lovely grip of tannins which are well compensated for by rich texture and extraction and a fine balance of dense, ripe fruit. This is superb quality and although less flattering than Langoa on the day this is clearly a wine of great significance which with appropriate time in the cellar will be truly great. Excellent. 19+/20

Chateau Léoville-Poyferré 2005: A great colour, and a wonderful purity on the nose, with essence of dark summer berry fruits being the order of the day, with a touch of white pepper. This has great depth and is clearly very impressive. It has a ripe, balanced, rounded composition, it is very firmly glued together, but has a sweet, harmonious character which is immediately appealing. There are ripe, svelte tannins which show through only at the finish. Very nicely judged extract. Very fine indeed. 18+/20

Chateau Talbot 2005: Quite an evocative style apparent on the nose, with aromatic and rather well concentrated redcurrant and cranberry fruit on the nose. It is perhaps lighter in impact than some of its peers, perhaps not so concentrated, and it has a slightly charcoaly character to the tannins, although they are very well covered by fruit. Rather soft and broad on the finish. A very good wine, although a little outshone within the context of the commune. 16-17+/20

Margaux:

Chateau Brane-Cantenac 2005: A very appealing and pure style, with good fruit, still with some nutty oak, but overall very serious and appropriate. It has a ripe, rather flashy style on the palate, but with a very fresh redcurrant fruit profile, with some rather herby fruit. It is rather soft and elegant, but still with a little masculine structure underneath, and there is more substance here than in many other vintages of Brane-Cantenac. Very good. 16.5-17+/20

Chateau Cantenac-Brown 2005: Here we have a big, fruit-rich nose, spiced with toffee oak and pepper. The texture at the start has appeal, it is flashy but not overly rich, although underneath there is a rather hard character. The fruit is perhaps a little leaner than some, and there is a pile of grippy tannin lying over it all, tannins which when tasting en primeur I described as "supple". In the final blend they seem nothing of the sort, showing a huge, chewy, overbearing, presence. The acidity is good, and it has the feel of a wine teetering on the edge of over-extraction. It lacks a little focus, and doesn't hold the short-term promise I thought it once did. I have moved my score in a downwards direction. 15+/20

Chateau Dauzac 2005: The nose here holds a little harshness, with a macerated fruit character, and a little streak of vanilla ice cream reflecting the recent presence of oak I imagine. The same is found on the palate, which shows a rather bare structure, but fleshes out a little in the glass. On the finish it shows a textured, fruity, mildly grippy character. Not quite as impressive as when tasted en primeur. A little more texture and depth would be preferable, but decent wine nevertheless. 15.5+/20

Chateau Desmirail 2005: This has appealing fruit, and is another wine still tinged by vanilla aromas. Dark, appealing, dry fruit. The palate is also quite attractive, although with a dry tannic backbone which seems a little bare, but with good acids. It is a touch hard on the finish too. It is not quite as flattering as its peers, and not so harmonious as some, but nevertheless there are good points here. 15.5+/20

Chateau Durfort-Vivens 2005: This wine is perhaps a little closed down on the nose, showing little in the way of fruit character on the day, although there is some honeyed oak apparent. It also seems a little spirity - I wonder what the alcohol content is? Nevertheless, it has a lovely presence on the palate, with a fresh redcurrant, cherry and cranberry style. The style is supple, soft, rounded, and overall it is quite nicely put together, although it misses the vigour present in some other wines. 16+/20

Chateau Giscours 2005: There is just the faintest edge of feral character here, along with dense berry fruit and still a firm presence of oak. It has a rather hard and serious structure on the palate, with sooty tannins offering a lot of drying grip, with a nice acid presence too. The tannins stand out a little from the gentle, lightly creamy texture, and my only concern is that the former may outlast the latter. Nevertheless the potential is here. 17+/20

Chateau Kirwan 2005: This is not as giving as some other wines on the nose, but it does show a presence of nutty oak with some rather reserved, smoky dark fruit. The palate has a very well defined structure with a lovely acid backbone, and well covered tannins. It is firm, nicely composed, and rather complete in style. The grip shows at the finish. The flavour is tightly wound up today, but this also has very good potential. 17+/20 

Chateau Lascombes 2005: The density of aromas wipes the floor with some other wines of the appellation; this has a super-expressive nose, loaded with dark, concentrated, tight fruit with pickling spice complexity. I expected something modern, ripe and fleshy on the palate, but instead it has a slightly hard style, with lots of fruit but also showing a rather bony structure. The aromatics are delightful but this will take a long time to come around on the palate, but if the fruit lasts with the tannins this will be great. 17.5-18.5+/20

Chateau Malescot St-Exupéry 2005: This is very pure in style on the nose, and rather expressive, with a wealth of deep cassis fruit. Dense and a little spicy, pure and rounded, but with a little less texture and depth than I was expecting. Nevertheless, it is quite grippy, firm and structured, and that grip comes out a lot on the finish. Firm with a good presence of acidity. Good wine but there are some that overshadow it in this tasting. 16.5+/20

Chateau Marquis de Terme 2005: A dark, slightly meaty, macerated fruit feel to the nose, with a background of vanilla. The palate gives some pleasure, starting with a bright, fleshy, pulpy weight which surrounds an appealing tannic core. There is moderate substance, with nice grip. It is not as harmonious as some, but there is a nice definition and it will certainly be good enough to drink. 16+/20

Chateau Prieuré-Lichine 2005: Dark and rather handsomely styled fruit on the nose, and an attractive, pure, rounded, rather seamless character on the palate. The tannins are well covered at first, but have a very firm nature, and provide a rather fierce grip at the finish. Nevertheless there is a fresh, attractive crispness to the fruit, which has a cranberry and blackcurrant leaf character, and overall this has a nice, upright style. As is the case with a number of other wines, provided the fruit and texture outlasts the tannins, this could be very good indeed. 16.5+/20

Chateau Rauzan-Gassies 2005: There is very dark fruit here, showing a trace of vanilla, although it is not as open or expressive as some. The palate has a soft style, broad and although it certainly has a presence on the palate it lacks direction or focus. Nevertheless it has appropriate grip showing on the finish, and it is certainly a good effort for the estate. Decent wine. 15-16+/20

Chateau Rauzan-Ségla 2005: An elegant nose here, still showing nutty oak, but with a good depth of fruit. This opens out in the glass to reveal a little fruit complexity, laced with white pepper. Pure and creamy on the palate, components which are laid over a rather firm structure, accompanied by rich fruit and fine acids. There is elegance here, a rounded, complete style with lovely extract. I think this has fine potential. 17.5+/20

Chateau du Tertre 2005: This has a beautiful nose, with rather open, dense, cherry fruit accompanied by a little toffee oak and also a slightly feral character which resembles that found in the Giscours a little. A cool style on the palate, pure and aromatic, with raspberry fruit swirled with a touch of cream and vanilla. This has very attractive character, and finishes very well indeed. There is very good potential here. 17+/20

Moulis, Listrac and Médoc:

Chateau Fourcas-Hosten 2005: A bright, red fruit nose here which is delightful in its vibrancy. It is rather soft and delicate on the palate though, although only in the context of the vintage. It has a gentle, smoky character, but there is a good quantity of grip and acidity beneath. It is not a very well defined palate, but is certainly likely to offer good value if the price is right. 16+/20

Chateau Citran 2005: This has some exuberant fruit on the nose, lively and interesting fruit, with a touch of oak. The style is rich, soft and open, broad, and is perhaps lacking focus a little. There is good firm acidity and grippy tannins, but it isn't showing the aromatic character to match the structure that I would have hoped for. Again, though, these criticisms are minor points within the context of the vintage and this is certainly good wine. 16.5+/20

Chateau La Lagune 2005: The fruit in the nose is sweet and ripe, with a slightly meaty edge, and a trace of honey oak. It has weight on the palate, with a good balance of tannins and acid, the former nicely covered. It is nicely composed and quite harmonious, although the aromatics are lagging behind a little. I would think these will come good in bottle though. Very good potential indeed. 17+/20