Château Larrivaux Red Bordeaux Blend Haut-Médoc 2005

Bordeaux wines of the Cru Bourgeois classification have been having a definition crisis recently. Whether andldquo;Exceptionnelandrdquo; or andldquo;Superieur,andrdquo; this classification was outlawed last year andmdash; but only after some producers had already started bottling and distributing this 2005 vintage. As you can see from the label, this wine was one of those that got through. It has a deep crimson color with notes of charcoal, pepper, oak and cherry on the nose, a medium body, and a long earthy and herbal finish. Luckily, the andldquo;Cru Bourgeoisandrdquo; classification will apparently be making a comeback, but with higher standards of quality to be followed. Itandrsquo;s hard to imagine what will come next from them if this fantastic wine was created with what are now to be considered lower-quality standards. For now, I guess will just have to drink this great wine and wonder.

Big tannins give way to blackberries and herbs on the palate. We think this wine will really open up and show much more complexity in a few years.

A classy Haut Medoc with deep ruby color and a sweet nose of black currants intermixed with tobacco leaf, licorice and spice box, this wine displays medium body, excellent fruit intensity, an enticing texture, admirable purity, and a spicy, relatively velvety finish. Drink it over the next decade.

This vintage is filled with great quality wines and a wine like this offers greater value. More approachable too on the palate since it's based on the Merlot grape.

Bordeaux wines of the Cru Bourgeois classification have been having a definition crisis recently. Whether “Exceptionnel” or “Superieur,” this classification was outlawed last year — but only after some producers had already started bottling and distributing this 2005 vintage. As you can see from the label, this wine was one of those that got through. It has a deep crimson color with notes of charcoal, pepper, oak and cherry on the nose, a medium body, and a long earthy and herbal finish. Luckily, the “Cru Bourgeois” classification will apparently be making a comeback, but with higher standards of quality to be followed. It’s hard to imagine what will come next from them if this fantastic wine was created with what are now to be considered lower-quality standards. For now, I guess will just have to drink this great wine and wonder.