($150-$215) Dark red-ruby. Multidimensional nose offers deep aromas of currant, cedar, coffee, tobacco and minerals. The palate offers a rare combination of sweetness, energy and depth, with superb grip and a layered texture to the flavors of plum, cedar, tobacco and minerals. The finish features sweet, noble tannins and outstanding length. I find this more complete and ultimately more exciting than the 2003, but this will need at least a decade of cellaring. (The 2006 was in the middle of a racking and difficult to taste, but this wine conveyed the same impression of ripeness, energy and structure that my sample did last spring.)

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Very dark and luscious looking. Exciting and slightly burnt. Thick and sweet and a bit medicinal. Flowers and sweetness. Hints of camphor. Hasn't closed down as many other people say their 05s have. A little less luscious and a little bit denser and drier than the 2009.

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As usual, this superb Pauillac possesses an inky/blue/black color in addition to a big, sweet nose of graphite, charcoal, burning embers, black currant liqueur, and toasty vanillin from new oak casks. Full-bodied with high but sweet, well-integrated tannins, the 2005 Pichon Baron is more backward than the blockbuster 2003 or prodigious 2000. Nevertheless, it is a superb effort whose power, length, and tannic structure suggest it should be at its peak between 2015-2035.

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Offers crushed currant and blackberry on the nose, turning to tar and licorice. Full-bodied, with a solid core of ripe fruit and seamless tannins. Goes on and on. Very, very beautiful. A cross between the 2000 and fabulous 2003.

Professional content appears courtesy of Vinfolio

Professional content appears courtesy of Vinfolio