GRAND PUY LACOSTE 2005

Has subtle blackberry, licorice and currant on the nose, with hints of mint. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a very pretty texture. Caresses everything. Refined and balanced. A beautiful wine that's hard to keep your hands off now. Best after 2012. 14,165 cases made.

(78% cabernet sauvignon and 22% merlot) Good bright ruby. Vibrant, pure aromas of cassis, violet, minerals and licorice. Big attack: this enters the mouth like a wave. Then fresh, firm and classy in the middle, with a medicinal austerity but also lurking sweetness to the flavors. This spreads out nicely on the back end, finishing with fine-grained tannins and excellent length. I like the acid/tannin balance here. In its combination of precision and refinement, this surpasses the 2003 here. Wait until 2013.

A fabulous GPL. Perhaps better than the legendary 1982? It shows laser-guide...

This estate's finest wine of the decade is the 2005 Grand-Puy-Lacoste, a fleshy, sumptuous wine evocative of cassis, sweet red berries and cigar box, framed by a touch of creamy new oak that integrates with opening. Medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, with an enveloping core of fruit, rich tannins and a seamless but authoritative profile, it concludes with a long, resonant finish. Just entering early maturity, it will continue to develop for several decades.