Why should I buy Bordeaux?

It’s time to buy your 2005 Bordeaux. Stew Leonard’s has a wonderful collection of 2005 Bordeaux for you to purchase as well as a few of the older vintages which will only increase in price as they become ready to drink. The 2005 vintage is one of the greatest vintages in the last century so don’t miss out on obtaining a few of these great wines for yourself. We have some of the truly great wines that are considered ‘IGW’, or Investment Grade Wine, as well as many wines in the lower tiers that will only appreciate in value but will be ready to drink much sooner than the First-Tier Bordeaux. Whether you are buying them to enjoy now or hold onto for a few years to bring out and impress your friends and family, Stew’s has something for everyone.

If you are considering making the plunge into buying some Investment Grade Wine or maybe just considering buying some of the great lower tiered wines of this vintage here are some reasons why you should consider some of these great wines.

Many of the 2005 Bordeaux received very high scores from both Robert Parker and the Wine Spectator. These scores coupled with a top vintage like 2005 will make the price of these wines soar year after year because as people buy them to put away or to drink they become more difficult to find. According to David Sokolin in his book, Investing in Liquid Assets,” The fine wine market has lately experienced a vertiginous run-up in prices. The 2000 Bordeaux first-growths (Margaux, Mouton, Lafite, Latour, and Haut Brion) and their Right Bank equivalents) Petrus, Lafleur, Cheval Blanc, Ausone) have doubled in price in the past three years, while the 2005s opened in the stratosphere and will almost inevitably climb higher still…” Let’s look at a few examples.

First-Tier Bordeaux
These are the most expensive and sought after wines in the world and with an increase in global wealth there is a group of people who are able to afford these wines at any cost especially from emerging markets of Asia. Some of these wines have received a 100 point score (there are only 59 wines to ever receive this top rating). These wines capture the attention of wine collectors all over the world because of their limited production and availability. We have three 100 point wines here at Stew’s for you to consider investing in:
Chateau d’Yquem 2001 (Sauternes)
Chateaux Margaux 2005 (Margaux)
Chateaux Haut Brion 2005 (Graves)

Just a notch below the 100 points are wines in the 95 to 99 score. These are much more affordable and will certainly increase in value over the next decade. I encourage those of you who would like to have something really special in your cellar to consider some of the following wines for purchase. Many of these are in the Second-Tier and are often called “Super Seconds” because they rival those in the First-Tier in quality and sometimes, in price. [Prices were valid at Stew Leonard's Vineyards as of the date of this article - August 2008 - but may change because these wines move fast.]

Bordeaux by Regions

PAUILLAC

Pauillac may be considered the most famous region in Bordeaux.  These wines are predominantly built on Cabernet Sauvignon. The wines are full bodied and intense, complex and full of character with a perfect balance of firm structure and elegance. They soften and only improve with time developing more complex flavors and bouquet.   Pauillac includes three of the top five estates – the premiers crus(First Growths), as designated by the classification of 1855.  They are probably the most famous names in the wine world: Chateau Latour, Chateau Lafite-Rothschild, and Chateau Mouton-Rothschild.  Other celebrated producers are include Chateau Pichon-Longueville Comtesse and Chateau Pichon-Longueville Baron.

*IGW  Investment Grade Wines

Lafite-Rothschild 2005   98 points Wine Spectator  $1700.00
“Delivers blackberry, dried porcini, tobacco and licorice aromas.  Full-bodied with layers of velvety tannins and loads of dark chocolate, cigar box, currant, berry and mineral.  Beautiful and balanced and made in an ethereal style  Represents the quintessentially elegant style of Bordeaux.” WS

Pichon Longueville Comtesse 2003    95 points Robert Parker  $199.99
“The brilliant 2003 is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot.  Dense and plum/purple-colored, the 2003 offers gorgeous aromas of blackberries, plum liqueur, sweet cherries, and licorice.  Fleshy, full-bodied, and intense, displaying a seamless integration of wood, acidity, and tannin.” RP
A great wine to keep for a while or drink now- I still have a few 1999’s left in my cellar and I’m saving them for next year when my daughter gets married!

Pontet Canet  2005   96 points Robert Parker  $129.00
“A rising star from Pauillac with neighbors the likes of Lafite, Latour, and Mouton.  This wine is close to First-Growth in quality and the reviews and wine public knows it. The ’05 Pontet Canet is as of high a quality as many California cult wines currently trading for ten times the price.  This bottle will soon cost between $200.00 to $300.00” David Sokolin, Investing in Liquid Assests.  
This wine is one of my favorites—it will be gone before you know it.

MARGAUX

Margaux wines are silky, deep, mellow and fragrant.  They are smoother and more supple than anything else- like deep, dark, rich velvet.  The wine is made primarily from Cabernet Sauvignon with support from Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petite Verdot. These are world famous wines with incredible depth, complexity and elegance. The most famous is Chateau Margaux receiving a whopping 100 point score in 2005. Other chateaux to look for include Chateau Palmer, Brane Cantenac, and Cantenac Brown.

Chateau Margaux 2005  100 points Robert Parker  $1700.00
 “The 2005 Margaux, a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot, boasts a dense opaque blue/purple color as well as an extraordinary bouquet of spring flowers, blueberries, black raspberries, creme de cassis, licorice, and, despite its having spent two years in 100% new wood, only a subtle touch of toasty oak. Although full-bodied, the wine seems light on its feet because of the silky tannins as well as the great gravel terroir from which it comes. Beautiful purity, length, and nobility define this modern day classic. Is it better than the 2000, 1996, 1990, or some of the vintages from the decade of the eighties? Who knows, but it is unquestionably one of the all-time great wines made at Chateau Margaux. This estate has produced only exceptional wines over the last three decades. The seamlessness of the 2005 suggests it will perform well early, but it should last for a half century or more. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2050+.” RP

ST-JULIEN

St-Julien is the smallest of the communal appellations, but its Cabernet Sauvignon based wines represent the most consistent quality in the entire region.  It has no premier crus, but it has some famous Second Growths such as Leoville Barton and Leoville Las Cases as well as some wonderful unclassified regions.  “This area is known for its “feminine” style of wines- meaning they are not to robust or overpowering. St-Julien wines certainly live up to that description. They age elegantly and gracefully, like a beautiful woman, and they have the strength and finesse to grow ever more appealing as the years pass by.”   Kevin Zraly, Windows on the World Complete Wine Course.

Leoville Barton 2005   96 points Robert Parker   $220.99
“Delivers breathtaking aromas of blackberry, currant, licorice and flowers. Full-bodied, with a solid core of fruit and supersilky tannins.  Dark chocolate, currant, berry and licorice follow through.  This is racy and beautiful” RP
 I tried this at the 2005 Bordeaux tasting and it was amazing!

Ducru-Beaucaillou 2005    97 points WS  $299.99
“This is an exceptionally powerful wine with a dense purple color, superb intensity, and a beautiful sweet nose of spring flowers, raspberries, blueberries, graphite, and crème de cassis.  Full-bodied with fabulous concentration, exceptionally high tannin, good acidity, and massive layers of richness that build incrementally on the palate.  It may be the finest wine produced at the estate since the 1982 and 1961 Ducrus.  Anticipated maturity: 2018-2050.

ST-ESTÈPHE

St-Estèphe produces the most austere wines of the Bordeaux region. The wines have high acidity, firm tannins, and somewhat less fruitiness than some of the other Bordeuax but in a warm year, like 2005, St-Estèphe can be the best of Bordeaux. St-Estèphe has 2 great Second Growths: Cos d’Estournel and Montrose.

Cos d’Estournel 2003  99points Robert Parker   $190.00
Parker   This will increase in value because” it is drinkable at a young age yet willevolve for 3 decades or more.”  “Just for the record, this beautiful “03 wine was originally priced at $75.00 and as of mid-2007 sells for nearly $200.00”  Here at Stew’s we are selling this at $190.00 a bottle which is a great price.  Get it while we have it. I consider this one of the best investments in wine you could make if you are looking for something affordable right now.  Grab it while you can! 

ST-ÉMILION/POMEROL

St-Émilion and Pomerol each have their own identity but they share one important thing in common and that is the Merlot grape-it thrives in these two appellations along with its junior partner, Cabernet Franc.  Merlots grown here on the right bank produce a deeply colored wine with aromas of ripe black fruit often with layers of smoke, cedar and vanilla. Powerful yet smooth and rounded these wines are elegant and age gracefully.  They are best after 5to10 years in the bottle!  Look for bargains from some of the smaller and less well known chateaux. They have the classic Merlot style, with a medium body and a spicy finish.  They offer a good value. The highest category, premier grand cru, is divided into 2 categories, levels A and B.  Level A contains only the world famous chateaux of Cheval Blanc and Ausone.  Pomerol has no classification system but is famous for its Château Petrus and Le Pin.

Château Pavie  2005  98 Points WA   $499.00
“The 2005 Pavie is reminiscent of some of the great 1900’s, 1929s, 1945s, and 1949s….extraordinary liqueur of minerals interwoven with crème de cassis, blackberries, and juicy cherries, it reveals a subtle note of smoky oak, massive body, a multi-layered mid-palate and texture. “ RP
Chateau Figeac  2005  95 points WS  $156.99
“The finest Figeac since the 1990 and 1982, the restrained, but complex 2005 exhibits notes of black olives, new saddle leather, tobacco leaf, and sweet cherry and black currant fruit. The wine is medium-bodied with racy tannins as well as a streamlined style built on finesse and delicacy rather than on power and concentration. Consume it over the next 15-20 years.” RP
Chateau Fonplegade  2005  92 points Robert Parker    $46.99
 The finest wine I’ve tasted over the last three decades(from them) is their 2005, which exhibits a dense purple color as well as a sweet nose of black currant and cherry jam intermixed with licorice, smoke, espresso roast, and scorched earth. Full-bodied with impressive concentration, a beautiful texture, and a long, 40+ second finish, this superb wine is unquestionably a sleeper of the vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2030.   This wine is a real beauty-try  keeping a bottle or two for a few years and in the meantime drink the 2nd label Fleur de Fonplegade  for $29.99.  WOW!!
Chateau de Candale 2005     $26.99
The stunningly deep color and lush nose of Chateau de Candale 2005 give way to a wine of superb intensity. A powerful bouquet of flowers, crème de cassis, blueberries, and truffles, it is incredibly intense with extremely high extract, yet it remains unbelievably delicate and light on its feet for such a massive wine. Rich, concentrated dark fruit flavors combine with velvety tannins on the palate for extraordinary balance and a lingering, complex finish that goes on and on. This elegant, generously concentrated St. Emilion will cellar for at least a decade, perhaps even two.  

GRAVES/PESSAC-LEOGNAN

Many people know Graves for its white wines but some of the world’s best reds come from this region.  The reds generally come from a sub-region called Pessac Leognan.  This includes the estate of Haut-Brion, the only property in Graves that was included in the 1855 classification and Château Pape Clément. Each château here is reviewed every 10 years and either upgraded or downgraded depending on its quality at the time. These wines are rich, round, very delicate aromas of black fruit and violets with some earthy tones of leather.  Coffee beans and minerals on the palate with great tannic structure.

Haut Brion 2005  100 points WS    $1,200.00
This is incredible on the nose, showing coffee cake, blackberry, floral, coffee bean and vanilla bean, with Chinese spices. A very complex, full-bodied red, with seamless, hyperpolished tannins that caress every millimeter of the palate. Lasts for minutes. So beautifully balanced, I'm left speechless. Is it even better than the 1989? Best after 2017. 9,080 cases made. –JS

HAUT MEDOC/MOULIS/LISTRAC

Look for some great values here.  These wines are generally ready just a few years after harvest, they shed their tannins faster than their nearby neighbor of St-Èstephe so don’t plan on keeping them for a long time.  These are meant to be drunk younger. One of the best producers here is Château Chasse Spleen.

Chateau Lagarosse  Les Comtes  2005  88 points WS  $16.99
Dark purple color with thick concentration around the edges. Soft and elegant on the nose with notes of fresh fruit and oak. Chateau Lagarosse “Les Comtes” is a supremely elegant wine, displaying attractive vanillin oak notes and ripe tannins carried to the long finish. A soft, fruity wine, with mineral, tobacco and berry character. Medium-bodied, with soft tannins and a velvety-textured finish. Best after 2010. Score: 88. —James Suckling, 2008.   This is a great buy for a Bordeaux of this class.