2005 Château Hosanna

($160-$250) Good deep red. Quintessential merlot aromas of raspberry, plum, espresso and sexy oak, with a whiff of mushroom. Big, rich, seamless and sweet, but with beautifully integrated acidity giving the wine excellent thrust. The intense but utterly suave red fruit flavors power straight through the substantial ripe tannins. Finishes with lovely aromatic persistence and excellent grip. Gorgeous, refined wine: Christian Moueix refers to this as |the feminine version of Petrus.|

Author: Stephen Tanzer

Issue: May/June 2008

Dark crimson. Meaty and intense on the nose. Great breadth of fruit, animal and mineral on the nose! Very sweet palate entry ? flattering. Then a vice-like grip of tannins. Fine and chewy on the finsh. Very very youthful but with lots hidden in there. Fine and fizzing with energy under the surface.

Author: Jancis Robinson

Dark in color, with lots of blackberry, jam and dark chocolate aromas. Full-bodied and tight, yet powerful, with velvety tannins and a long, caressing finish. Like a tightly wound ball of silk thread.

Author: James Suckling

This is an absolutely spectacular effort from Christian Moueix's tiny jewel in Pomerol - Hosanna. An extraordinary nose of blue and black fruits, floral notes, licorice, and truffle soars from the glass of this dense purple wine. A blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, this wine often has the most complex set of aromatics of any Pomerol. Velvety tannins, a multi-dimensional mouthfeel, and stunning finish give this full-bodied, extravagantly rich wine accessibility now, but it is certainly capable of lasting 25 or more years. Sadly, there are only 1,200 cases of this.

Author: Robert Parker