These are short impressions on the all the wines offered at this tasting. More detailed notes were impossible due to the limited space and the great number of people milling about.
Canon-la-Gaffeliere 2000 - Rich. Full. Sweet. Excellent
Canon-la-Gaffeliere 2005 - Full, deep flavor. Rich and concentrated. Excellent.
Clos de l'Oratoire 2000 - Fruity, plummy. Rich but dry. Excellent
Clos de l'Oratoire 2005 - Leather, tobacco, rich but dry. Great concentration. Like the 2000 but bigger. Excellent.
Chauvin 2000 - Dry. So so.
Chauvin 2005 - Very fruity nose. Extremely concentrated. Clearly superior to the 2000. Very good.
Dassault 2000 - Sweet fruit nose. Good.
Dassault 2005 - Spicy nose. Some sweetness. Better balance than 2000. Very good.
Fonplegade 2000 - Very ripe. Good.
Fonplegade 2005 - Plummy, fruity, sweet. Excellent + !
Fonroque 2000 - Closed nose. Nicely balanced. Tobacco notes. A bit light. Good.
Fonroque 2005 - Somewhat lighter than the other 2005s. Should be ready earlier. Good.
Franc-Mayne 2000 - Sweet. Already approachable. Very friendly. Good.
Franc-Mayne 2005 - Deeper aromas. Chocolate and tobacco flavors. Clearly superior to the 2000. Excellent.
Guadet Saint-Julien 2000 - Very deep, concentrated. Coffee and leather. Excellent.
Guadet Saint-Julien 2005 - Lush, ripe sweet. Excellent balance. Excellent.
Haut-Sarpe 2000 - Lighter than most. Good.
Haut-Sarpe 2005 - Sweeter, more concentrated than 2000. Some spiciness. Clearly superior to 2000. Very good.
La Couspaude 2000 - Fruity nose. Good fruit in the mouth. Nicely balanced. Good.
La Couspaude 2005 - Excellent concentration. Full and sweet. Excellent.
La Tour Figeac 2000 - Closed nose. Quite sweet. Very fruity. Very good.
La Tour Figeac 2005 - Similar to the 2000 but with more of everything. Excellent.
Larmande 2000 - Plenty of fruit. Excellent.
Larmande 2005 - Sweeter fruit with deep chocolate and coffee notes. Excellent.
Moulin du Cadet 2000 - Quite sweet but balanced by acidity. Excellent.
Moulin du Cadet 2005 - Closed nose. Sweet. Even better balance than the 2000. Excellent.
Nearly all the wines were of very high quality although the 2005 wines were clearly superior. This is the first time I've tasted barrel samples so maybe I'm wrong but it does seem to me that 2005 really is special.