88 points
Premieres Cotes de Blaye, Bordeaux, France. 13.5%
Marc Pasquet – viticulteur a Plassac, Gironde, France.
This is the sort of quality minor Bordeaux that can be wonderful value, but many I find a bit extracted, sometimes a bit hard. But in 2005 I suspect that many of the best will be like this with a more solid core of fleshy, slightly sweet fruit, giving a really well balanced friendly if forthright and quite strong wine.
This has a lovely spicy note on the nose, almost Southern French. Wonderful value. Stong wine but still good drinking now and over the next 5 years (to 2014).
