2005 Château de la Dauphine (France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Fronsac) 02/01/2009
Purple/garnet colour, hardly any gradation of colour at the edge. My wife smelt steak off the bat ( I kind of agree). Vanilla/oak dark fruit are also on the nose with some herbes de Province lurking in the background. The palate is quite full and round with already integrated tannins, although I am sure this will be able to cellar for up to another four years.
I have followed this chateau since '89 and find that this is the most accessible wine that can be drunk young that I have had to date. Could change of ownership have something to do with it? Past vintages were able to be laid down and after about 4 years of dumbing down opened up again with a beautiful old Bordeaux type nose. I am not sure that this will do the same. I have the feeling this was made to satisfy the new world market and may have departed from previous vintages. Time will tell.