Dear Artisans,

We want to make all your Fridays just a little brighter.

Today's cellar raid did for us!

We have 35 pristine and carefully cellared bottles left of a St-Emilion Bordeaux Blockbuster from 2005, the mythical vintage Vinous rated 98-pts overall.

How, and where, did we get these?
👇👇👇
I've used 24 bottles since then for special tasting events and dinners and every single bottle was sublime. Yup, no bottle variation, corked, leaking, or anything questionable. Just pure liquid silk.

I don't know why I was so surprised—the Jackson Family would know how to properly store wine, wouldn't they?
I've been told that I sensationalize everything, which makes it hard to choose from our email offers. I've also learned that folks have named these "the daily temptation" 😂

So, "don't take my word for it" - here's the Cellar Tracker and Vivino praise:
Now you know why we include them 😇

To recap:

  • 35 Bottles Left, Pristine Condition & Perfectly Cellared

  • Lowest Price in the State

  • "Most Under-the-Radar" Elite Bordeaux

  • Owned by Beau-Sejour Becot & Previously Leoville / Langoa Barton

  • "Magical" 2005 Vintage (becoming rare in the world!)
Further reading [Skimmable]
2005 was an incredible year for Bordeaux, and the Right Bank in particular: Vinous Media gave the vintage 98 points and declared it "magical" - Wine Spectator, too, was super impressed by the vintage, giving it 97 points and saying the wines were

"Opulent and powerful, with solid backbones of tannins and acidity."

Chateau Grand Pontet is a Grand Cru Classé and has been under the same ownership as Chateau Beau-Séjour Bécot since 1980 when it was purchased by the Becot family. (If the Becot family name sounds familiar that is because they also own the well-known Right Bank estate, Chateau Beau-Sejour Becot, as well as La Gomerie in St. Emilion and Joanin Becot in Cotes de Castillon.) Sylvie Pourquet, the sister of owners Gerard Becot and Dominique Becot, manages Chateau Grand Pontet today. The 19 hectare vineyard of Chateau Grand Pontet is planted to 75% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon in a single block, and the vineyards are well situated on the famous limestone plateau found west of the village of St-Emilion. The wine of Chateau Grand Pontet is aged in 80% new, French oak barrels for between 12 to 18 months.

In an earlier review, Robert Parker had this to say the 2005:

"Sophie Porquet, the same woman who makes the fabulous Joanin-Becot in the Cotes de Castillon, has run this property since 1999. A 35-acre vineyard situated on limestone and sandy/clay soils, it is generally a blend of 70% Merlot and equal parts Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. The blockbuster 2005, which tastes even better than it did last year, boasts an opaque purple color as well as aromas and flavors of chocolate, espresso roast, melted licorice, and blackberry liqueur. Huge muscle, richness, power, and fruit, a terrific, multilayered texture, and a long, tannic finish are accompanied by a natural alcohol of 14% plus. The dry extract figures are almost off the charts. Give it 5-6 years of bottle age, and consume it over the following 25-30 years. It is a sleeper of the vintage."

Happy Friday, Friends.
—James Tran
2005 Chateau Grand-Pontet Saint-Emilion Grand Cru

17 / 20 Points - Jancis Robinson:
"Sweet vanilla-edged black cherry. Richly fragrant and inviting. Then fine savoury, mineral depth. Fine tense structure. Dense, aromatic mid palate and long fresh finish. Very young but very well defined."

93 Points - Robert Parker:
"Kudos to proprietress Sophie Porquet, who also makes the sensational Cotes de Castillon, Joanin-Becot. From this 35-acre vineyard she has fashioned a sensational blend of 70% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Her finest effort since taking over this property in 1999, the 2005 boasts a saturated purple color followed by notes of ripe blackberries, black currants, licorice, incense, chocolate, and espresso. Thick, highly-extracted flavors nearly obscure the elevated tannins. This big, serious, rich claret is meant to last for three decades or more. A great wine for the vintage, it is also a sleeper of the vintage given the fact that this estate remains under most consumer’s radar. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2030+" - Robert Parker (Apr 2008)

92 Points - Wine Spectator:
"Intense aromas of crushed berry, toasty oak, coconut and milk chocolate lead to a full-bodied palate, with soft, velvety tannins and a long, flavorful finish. Stylish and voluptuous. Best after 2013. 4,500 cases made." (Mar 2008)
Only 35 bottles left.

Last Call:

$139.97 btl (1-5)
$135.97 btl (6-11)
$129.97 btl (12+)
Here's more Bordeaux we strongly recommend. Click on their images:
This incredible Chateau is credited with saving not only Saint-Emilion, but all of Bordeaux from complete devastation from the nonstop phylloxera attack that destroyed the world’s vineyards in the late 1800s. $129.97 btl

👉 From 2015, Among the Greatest Vintages EVER in Bordeaux
👉 98 Points and described as “HEAD-SPINNING, STUNNINGLY BEAUTIFUL, POSITIVELY STELLAR, EXPLOSIVE”

Chateau Pavie Macquin Saint-Emilion 2015
99pt Bordeaux (First-Growth Bordeaux Haut-Brion’s Neighbor) "Ethereal/Exhilarating/Seamless" $159.97 btl

👉 We poured this last week for an event and people went NUTS
👉 From 2015, Among the Greatest Vintages EVER in Bordeaux

Château Pape Clément Pessac-Leognan 2015
$79 versus $5,000 POMEROL - 20 bottles left.

Chateau Rouget Pomerol 2016
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