This lot is comprised of 1 bottle(s) of 2005 Chateau Lafite Rothschild Pauillac - 750ml. Estimate for this lot is between $1100 - $1500 with a reserve of $750. The wine in this lot belongs to collection 11530.
Condition
Please note the following condition/s on 2005 Chateau Lafite Rothschild Pauillac Bordeaux In Neck.
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Based in Calgary, this consignor has had a lifelong relationship with wine. He vividly remembers bottles of Chateau de La Gardine Chateauneuf du Pape on his family’s dinner table and how he enjoyed playing the part of "wine steward". In his 20s he had friends who worked for prominent fine wine merchants and had his first “a-ha” wine moment after tasting a 1988 Columbia Crest Merlot. He was a sales representative for Britannia Wine Merchants and his association and interest in fine wine and dining led to trips to the major wine regions of the world. He began drinking the fruit forward wines of Napa and Sonoma but his taste soon expanded to the more subtly expressive wines of the old world. He was always curious about the ageing process and its ability to soften tannins and develop secondary and tertiary characteristics in wine - so he began to buy and cellar Bordeaux from the 1988, 1989 and 1990 vintages in the early 1990s, as well as select purchases of Barolo and Super Tuscans throughout that period. Much of his collection was purchased upon initial release through several private wine stores in Calgary and a significant subset was procured directly from the winery or as part of library offerings. All bottles have slept at 55F and approximately 70% humidity away from light and vibration. He had always intended to consume these wines with family and friends and has been extremely diligent about proper storage conditions.
The tasting note for 2005 Chateau Lafite Rothschild Pauillac is from Robert Parker and the score is 96 - Having tasted the 2005 Château Lafite-Rothschild several times both blind and non-blind, it comes across as a First Growth politely requesting more time to "settle". Here, from an ex-château bottle tasted in Bordeaux, it delivers that graphite, pencil-box bouquet that unfurls gradually in the glass, biding its time, graceful but not intense. Parallel to some of its fellow 2005s, it is developing a little more spice, namely thyme and sage, than I recall. The palate is medium-bodied and beautifully balanced, to wit, a sophisticated Pauillac that priorities elegance and poise over intensity of fruit—in keeping with Lafite Rothschild's style. You come away with the sense that it will take its time and decline, giving away a great deal in its primacy, even if it is still more approachable than the 2005 Latour for example. Therefore, I would be inclined to set this aside for several more years.