772 | Wine | 86 or higher, 3 L | Page 4

"A big, structured, intensely rich effort with raspberry, blueberry, and spring flower garden characteristics, stunning purity, full-bodied power, and good underlying acidity as well as harmony." Reviewed by Robert Parker.

"This estate’s finest effort - ever, the 2005 Malescot St.-Exupery should be sought out by readers looking for intensity combined with superb richness, fascinating elegance, and a surreal concoction of blue and red fruits, a silky texture, and a delicate yet powerful wine that builds incrementally, never becoming overwrought. This dense purple-colored, medium to full-bodied tour de force in winemaking is already displaying remarkable complexity. It should only get better over the next decade, and will last through 2030. I would not be surprised to see this wine merit a few more points with additional aging." Reviewed by Robert Parker.

"Explosive ripe aromas of redcurrant, minerals, chocolate mint and tomato. Large-scaled, voluptuous and sweet, with very intense berry and chocolate flavors lifted by minerals, menthol and spices. Finishes with wonderfully broad tannins and an extremely long finish that leaves the palate vibrating. From a very cold terroir (the soil is clay over rocky limestone) that takes longer to warm up each day, but in 2005 this vineyard obviously reached near-perfect ripeness. Offers an exciting combination of thickness and depth with lift." Reviewed by Stephen Tanzer.

"Delivers breathtaking aromas of blackberry, currant, licorice and flowers. Full-bodied, with a solid core of fruit and supersilky tannins. Dark chocolate, currant, berry and licorice follow through. This is racy and beautiful."

"Rich and complex, with a focused, full-bodied core of earth, currant, mineral, tar, cherry and spice, firming up on the finish. Wonderful depth and dimension that cellaring should reward."

"Sweet, smoky, meaty aromas interwoven with melted asphalt, camphor, blackberry, cassis, and charcoal scents emerge from the complex aromatics. In the mouth, the wine is full-bodied, displaying sweet tannin, a concentrated mouthfeel, and a long, heady finish with substantial fruit, glycerin, and extract. It should drink beautifully for 20+ years." Reviewed by Robert Parker.

"Dark in color, with a fabulous purity of fruit, from blackberry to blueberry. Full-bodied, showing awesome concentration, but with a finish that's beautiful and honest."

"Deep ruby. Explosively perfumed nose offers a profound bouquet of ripe cherry, blackcurrant, yellow rose, Asian spices and vanilla bean; you could use this for incense. Deep and sweet but remarkably precise, offering powerful dark berry and kirsch flavors supported by substantial, velvety tannins. The fruit plows through the finish with superb energy, depth and clarity, fully absorbing the tannins. A big but wonderfully balanced example of Monte Bello, and sure to reward extended cellaring."

"A barrel sample of the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection offers terrific fruit intensity and purity, a more laid-back style, a meaty, chewy texture, and impressive opulence as well as length. It should evolve for 10-15 years." 92-94 pts. Reviewed by Robert Parker

"Shows ripe strawberry, raspberry and plum pudding. Full-bodied, with loads of ripe, juicy fruit. Chewy and tannic, yet polished. Big and powerful."