Jay Kline

9.3

Opened and poured into a decanter about an hour prior to service. The 2005 pours a deep ruby/purple color with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of ripe and tart black and red fruits: black and red brambles, cassis, tobacco, green pepper, graphite, espresso, earth and soft baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and the texture is silky. For what it’s worth, there were a number of nice wines at the table and I kept coming back to this which, now that I think about it, also Léoville-Poyferré seems to always deliver more than expected. The 2005 is in the zone and I don’t expect it fall off anytime soon. Drink through 2045. — 4 days ago

Steven Lee

9.4

Bday wine. Need decanting. initial open is rather bitter. then after 2 hours the fruit and mineral starts to emerge. orange rind, blackberry and raspberry. — 8 days ago

Nathan Renfro

9.9

Christmas Eve dinner with ribeye steak. What a wine! Lovely aromatic of ripe blue fruit, crushed stone, leather baseball gloves. Almost black color. About as perfect a wine as I have had. Blue and black ripe fruit, softened edges but powerful tannins. Perfectly matched acidity. Structured brilliantly. Graphite, stone, hint of menthol, licorice. Nice medium + finish. Perfect wine yet still so youthful, many, many years left. Will wait a few years before opening another bottle. — 18 days ago

Jerry Raphael

9.5

What a wonderful surprise; this wine was fantastic and seemed like a young wine not 36 years old. The color was red rim to rim no bricking at all and I kept looking at it wondering why considering its age. The nose and taste were both very integrated with lead pencil, a lot of dark fruits and a bit of spice. What also got me was the finish, just went on forever and so very smooth. I’m sure this wine would last a few more years but why wait; drinking so great right now.

I decanted the wine about 6 PM. My wine opener just drilled a hole in the fragile cork so decanted through a tea strainer into my to-go bottle and other then the cork bits there was very little sediment. Started drinking the wine about 9 PM with NYE Dinner at Anthony’s in Haddon Height.
— 10 days ago

Mike Evans

9.0

Lots of promise, great on the nose, but the tannin clamps down hard right now. It has a bright future but isn’t there yet. — 3 days ago

Martijn

9.3

This is really at an excellent point where fruit and some tertiary notes are combining so good together. — 10 days ago

Brad Jensen

9.4

Strong nose of cognac, plum, dates, caramelized sugar, violets and port, this is a big, bold wine. Red to amber color on a medium-to-full body this palate is intense and gently tannic. Grippy but gentle, with rich red and purple fruits, with notes of coffee, dark chocolate and menthol on a long finish. — 5 days ago

Scott Kahn

9.5

Beautiful wine - one that has improved with age! Deep and rich color with a bouquet of cedar in the glass. Dark and plentiful fruit, integrated albeit present tannins, and a long finish. This is best Estournel that I have sampled! — 2 days ago

Ron Siegel

9.3

Red & black fruit showing cherry, cassis, plum with mocha, spice, leather & sweet tobacco that seems to be fully mature — 4 days ago

Mike Evans

9.2

I think the Branaire style works well in a vintage like 2003 — 3 days ago