2005 Bordeaux - Most Expensive Vintage Ever

Two or three times in a decade Bordeaux revs up the spin machine to top speed. For reasons that are mysterious, this frequently happens at the beginning or end of a decade and mid-decade. For reasons that are even more mysterious, the mid-decade hype is usually about a vintage that the French call a "Vin du Gard", a wine to keep. Also referred to as "Classic", these vintages are usually less fruit forward and more tannic than other great vintages. Sometimes this works out reasonably well as in 1995/1996, but more often the wines are difficult and temperamental as in 1975 or 1986. Descriptions of the 2005 vintage suggest it will be more tannic than 1982, 1989, 1990, 2000 or 2003. Of course, many great "keepers" have come from similar vintages. But beware, many of these wines may not be user friendly to the American palate. It seems the friendliest wine will come from Margaux. Margaux wines I would bet on include Chateaux Margaux, Palmer, Angludet, Kirwan, D'Issan, Rausan Segla, Giscours, Prieure-Lichine, Lascombes, Malescot Saint-Exupery, Du Tertre, Dauzac, and La Lagune. This will be by far the most expensive vintage of Bordeaux ever. Relatively inexpensive wines to look for are Pipeau, Charmail, Fombrauge, Cambon La Pelouse, Senejac, d'Escurac, Forcas-Dupre, Labegorce, Labegorce-Zede, Lanessan, La Tour dy By, Mille Roses, and Tayac