Lagunilla - Rioja Reserva

Vintage: YEAR
Type: Rioja
Country: Spain



An Excellent Rioja that won a decanter silver medal in 2005. It has an intense ruby colour with little give on the edge, which is not surprising given its age. The aromas are of dark berry and the flavour of rounded plummy fruit.

Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz

Vintage: 2005
Type: Shiraz
Country: South Australia, Australia



To me, this was an Australian red wine that stood out from the other Austrlian exports showcased at the wine fair.

In a glass, it looks like your typical older shiraz: deep reddish-purple colour, long legs, slight fading at the edges. What sets this wine apart is that it has a slight mossy or earthy character on its finish, which is reminiscent of the Bordeaux from Chateau Rouselle 2004. Could this be an Aussie wine that is channelling a French spirit?

Well done to Wolf Blass for choosing a great company to take to the next level.

Ricossa - Barbaresco

Vintage: 2005
Type: Barbareesco
Country: Italy



The Barbaresco from Ricossa is an excellent, strong Italian wine. The Barbarescos tend to be a little lighter than their Barolo cousins and tend to mature quicker as well. This one is a fine example with dark cherry aroma and a great finish.

Berberana - Reserva

Vintage: 2005
Type: Rioja
Country: Spain



This rioja was perfectly acceptable as riojas go. A little young, so it was quite acidic with a full, meaty body. I detected a bit of vanilla in the taste, which was quite pleasant.

The Gran Reserva from Berberana is much better.

Chateau Teleki-Villany

Vintage: 2005
Type: Cabernet Sauvignon
Country: Hungary - Villany



This Cabernet Sauvignon, from the Villany region of Hungary, was enjoyable and full of flavour. It had great deep colour and a pleasant bouquet. As Hungarian Cabernet Sauvignons go it was middle of the pack, which means that it is a good wine (though I find Hungarian wine a bit over-priced).

Mt Boucherie - Pinot Noir

Vintage: 2005
Type: Pinot Noir
Country: Canada - Okanagan Valley




This bottle was a wedding gift from the Hotel that we stayed at. It's a good wine, with nice colour and a decent bouquet (for a Pinot Noir). The flavour is a bit light in complexity for my palette, but it would be a good summer wine to enjoy.

Chateau Rousselle - 2005

Vintage: 2005
Type: Bordeaux
Country: France




What sets this wine apart from the others presented during the Chateau Rousselle session was the colour. The wine is almost like a black ink but the taste has notes of almond and blueberry.

Glen Carlou

Vintage: 2005
Type: Shiraz
Country: South Africa - Paarl




Another nice Shiraz with good colour and flavour. It had a pleasant oak finish to it with a hint of berry.

Chateau Pierredon

Vintage: 2005
Type: Claret (Merlot with Cabernet Blend)
Country: France - Bordeaux



Another great Bordeaux from 2005. Medium-bodied and lovely on the tongue.

Chateau Les Ragottes

Vintage: 2005
Type: Claret (Merlot with Cabernet Blend)
Country: France - Bordeaux




This was a very good red with great flavour. Great oak tones and a lovely colour. Recommended. Apparently this was a great vintage year for Bordeaux.

Zweigeltrebe

Vintage: 2005
Type: ???
Country: Czech Republic



We had this wine in Prague and found a couple of bottles to take home. This wine was quite good though it was a bit strange as it had very strong floral overtones.

Laithwaite Shiraz

Vintage: 2005
Type: Oak Aged Shiraz
Country: Australia - McLaren Vale




This is another wine that I thought would be amazing that turned out to be rather mediocre. This is a "select" range from Laithwaite, but to be honest for the price you are better to go with something else. Perhaps with some more age it will mature into something special, but for now it is way to expensive for what you get.

More info here

Dragon Tree

Vintage: 2005
Type: Blend
Country: Wester Cape - South Africa




Flagstone Dragon Tree is a blend of 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Pinotage, 10% Merlot, 10% Cab franclinks, 6% Shiraz, and 4% Petit Verdot.

What a combination! Full bodied and strong. Great flavours and smoky overtones.

More details here.

Casillero del Diablo

Vintage: 2005
Type: Cabernet Sauvignon
Country: Chile



This is a great wine, and won an award for this year. It is fruity and full with a great balanced taste. Recommended.

Lyrup Crossing

Vintage: 2005
Type: Cabernet Sauvignon
Country: Australia



This wine was quite good. A light flavour and very fruity. Good wine to have with a meal

Lategan Family Reserve

Vintage: 2005
Type: Oak-aged Blend
Country: South Africa - Breede River Valley



An excellent wine, though you will need to let it breathe for a bit to bring out its full potential. Also, I think that it is now in its prime to be consumed. The oak taste is superb and the rest of the flavours are well balanced and smooth.

More info here.

Duca Petraccone

Vintage: 2005
Type: Primitivo
Country: Italy



For a wine that has won a lot of awards, this wine was quite disappointing. I found it adequate in practically every way with no real distinguishing traits. Perhaps the second bottle will yield better results.

Aresti Estate Carmenere

Vintage: 2005
Type: Syrah Oak-Aged Reserva
Country: Chile



Nice Syrah. It went well with the spicy dish we had that evening. Nice rich fruity taste.

More info Here

Maison Benedetti Châteauneuf-du-pape

Vintage: 2005
Type: Châteauneuf-du-pape
Country: France - Rhône



One of the only white wine reviews you'll see on this site, mainly because I'm not really a fan. I will say that this white is superb, rich and oaky with an excellent taste.

BTW, not many people know that you can get a white Châteauneuf-du-pape. You can find it, but the production is very small.

Legenda

Vintage: 2005
Type: Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot
Country: Italy - Vino da Tavola



Who knew that wine from Moldova could taste so good. The only thing I regret is that I only had one bottle.

More here

Cerro Tololo

Vintage: 2005
Type: Shiraz
Country: Chile - Elqui Valley



Wow was this wine young. Even after having left it for several hours to breath, it was way to acidic and harsh. We set it aside for a day and the next evening it was tolerable. Perhaps with a few more years it will taste better, but if you like to enjoy your wine when you buy it: stay away!

More here