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Monbousquet 2005

Tasting Notes

A beautiful effort from Monbousquet, this 2005 comes across to me as one of their strongest efforts, with notes of toasty oak, black cherry and blackcurrant fruit as well as some licorice, incense and flowers. Full-bodied and opulent, this is an amazing wine from a terroir on the so-called “wrong side” of St.-Emilion. Drink it over the next 15 or more years. It is an amazing performance. Drink 2015 - 2030.

94
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (219), June 2015

Mineral and blackberry, with violet. Full-bodied, with racy tannins and lots of flavor and style

92/94
James Suckling, WineSpectator.com, March 2006

The 2005 Monbousquet is a blend of 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep garnet-brick in color, it offers an array of earthy/savory notes - charcuterie, truffles, new leather, bouquet garni, and cigar box, over a core of blackberry preserves and redcurrant jelly. Medium-bodied, rich, and spicy in the mouth, it has a solid backbone of plush tannins, delivering a pepper and spice lift on the finish. Drink it now and over the next 10-12 years+. Purchased in 1993 by Gerard Perse, Monbousquet was his first Bordeaux acquisition before going on to purchase Chateau Pavie in 1998. The soils are a mix of sand, gravel, and clay.

93
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent, July 2022

Tasted blind. Blackish ruby. Very light nose. Round and sweet. Easy peasy. Not for a long life and with a hint of alcohol on the end, but already a fairly charming drink. Penalised slightly for heat and precociousness but grab it now. 14%
Drink 2012-2022

16
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, March 2017

Full ruby-red. Captivating aromas of black raspberry, smoked meat, mocha and licorice. Wonderfully sweet, dense and fat but with excellent vinosity and inner-mouth perfume to the flavors of berries, mocha and licorice. A compellingly tactile vintage for Monbousquet, with the substantial but sweet tannins buffered by the wine's chewy mid-palate material. This was aged in 80% new oak, compared to 60% to 65% in 2006 and 2007. Really transcends its less-than-ideal terroir in Saint Sulpice de Faleyrens.

93
Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar

Great body, wonderful complexity of flavour with less burnt undertones than in 2003 or 2001, on the same level of excellence as the 2000, great achievement and perhaps the best wine from Saint-Etienne de Lisse ever made. Drink from 2013.

18
Michel Bettane, Decanter.com, April 2006
Read more tasting notes...

From a less than noble terroir in Saint-Sulpice de Faleyrens, Gerard Perse has accomplished miraculous things at Monbousquet. Prior to his acquisition of this property in the mid-nineties, this wine tasted like watered-down Beaujolais, but Perse has turned it into one of the more stunning, modern-styled wines of Bordeaux. A blend of approximately two-thirds Merlot, one-third Cabernet Franc and 8-10% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2005 exhibits plenty of toasty oak, roasted herb, meat juice, blackberry, cherry, and spice characteristics along with a touch of incense. Full-bodied and opulent, with an atypically rigid structure, this is a remarkable achievement for such a humble terroir. It admirably reflects Gerard Perse's obsessive commitment to excellence. Look for this 2005 to hit its stride in 7-8 years, and last for 15-20.

95
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (176), April 2008

This is unquestionably the finest wine Gerard Perse has yet produced from this less than ideal terroir in Saint-Sulpice de Faleyrens. Perse put in a complete drainage system, which is essential in these flat, sandy, clay, and gravelly soils. The 2005 Monbousquet, a blend of 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon that achieved 13.5% natural alcohol, reveals terrific intensity and purity as well as a gorgeous perfume of sweet black cherries, roasted herbs, meat juices, kirsch, blackberries, and spice. Full-bodied and opulent, with more structure, tannin, and delineation than such top vintages as 2000, 1999, and 1998, the 2005 represents an amazing over-achievement for its modest terroir, and is a tribute to the extraordinary abilities and commitment to excellence of proprietor Perse. It should be at its finest in 4-7 years, and last for two decades or more.

94/96
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (170), April 2007

There are 7,000 cases of this 60% Merlot/30% Cabernet Franc/10% Cabernet Sauvignon blend from the home estate of Chantal and Gerard Perse. Although this is not considered to be one of St.-Emilion’s finest terroirs, everything is done in an artisinal manner - including hand harvesting, hand sorting, a draconian selection in both the vineyard and the cellars, and Burgundy-like treatments of malolactic in barrel and aging sur-lie. Monbousquet has been a stunning success ever since Perse took over the property. Earlier vintages continue to suggest that this cuvee has far greater longevity than expected given the opulence and enormous fruit. For example, the 1998 and 1999 remain infants in terms of development, and the 1995 is just coming into a pre-adolescent stage. The 2005 (13.5% alcohol) possesses a saturated blue/purple color as well as a big, sweet nose of pain grille, roasted herbs, grilled meats, black cherry jam, blackberries, and spice. Powerful, full-bodied, and dense yet elegant, deep, and layered, its pure fruit, concentration, and overall quality hide the moderately high tannin. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2023.

92/94
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (164), April 2006

Blackish crimson. Broad and chocolate on the nose. Thick and sweet. Then tart and introvert. Falls away on the end. 14%
Drink 2020-2030

15.5
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, February 2015

Very dark crimson. Quite toasty and developed on the nose. Easy oak with a bit of smoke. It's not TOO exaggerated. Though it's a little tough on the finish. Very advanced - not for the long term. Deliberately forced for early development? Date tasted 16th Feb 09.

15.5
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, August 2009
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.