Clos de Vougeot VV, Château De La Tour 2005

Out of all of the less than 20 year old wines in the tasting, the 2005 possesses the most aromatic complexity with simply knockout scents of still relatively primary red and dark berry fruit, spice, floral, humus, game and smoked tea. There is strikingly good concentration yet absolutely no sense of heaviness to the seductively textured and velvety broad-shouldered flavors that coat the mouth with abundant reserves of dry extract that also buffer the still very firm tannic spine. In addition to the obvious assets of complexity and concentration, what really impresses me about this exceptionally powerful wine is the impeccable balance and harmony as nary a hair is out of place. Note however that this is going to be one very, very long-lived effort and I wouldn't touch a bottle for at least another 10 to 12 years. In a word, stunning.

This too is very densely fruited with the same intense floral notes but here the fruit is darker with blue and black berry aromas that continue onto the palate saturating and hugely concentrated flavors that exude power and punch yet there is real depth as well, all wrapped in a very firmly but not aggressively structured finish that leaves no doubt that this will last for 50 years or longer. I quite like this but readers should note that this is a wine expressly made for those who intend to cellar and forget it for a long while.