2005 Beaulieu Comtes de Tastes

Always one of my favorite wines, this blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon from 37 acres of vineyard in the southern part of the Médoc is a surprisingly large-scaled wine in 2005. Dense ruby/purple, this is certainly the most concentrated, largest-framed and muscular Beaulieu I have ever tasted. Rich, concentrated and cedary, with notes of fruitcake, black cherries and blackcurrants, this wine is a beauty and a major sleeper of the vintage. Drink it over the next 5-6 years.