2005 Chateau Lynch Moussas Pauillac Bordeaux 750 ml

“The wines were absolutely thrilling…Two thousand five is a magical vintage for Bordeaux,” wrote Antonio Galloni in Vinous.

“One of the greatest vintages of the past 50 years…easily my favourite vintage of the last few decades,” declared Bordeaux expert Jane Anson MW.  

“The 2005 vintage is definitely a Pauillac year,” said the late, great Steven Spurrier.

Upon release, the 2005s were catnip for collectors, and the frenzy drove Bordeaux prices higher than we’ve ever seen them. But over the years, savvy players with an ear to the ground have been able to pick off perfectly cellared lots from that spectacular year—and that describes the 2005 Grand Cru Classé Château Lynch-Moussas to a T. 

Not only did we spot a château-direct tranche of a 2005 Pauillac in pristine condition, but it’s Grand Cru Classé Château Lynch-Moussas, which boasts beautiful earthy black-cherry fruit and is drinking perfectly 17 years after harvest. No wonder Jancis Robinson called it “a long-term player,” rating it the same score she later gave 2005 Pontet-Canet and 2005 Pichon-Lalande! LIMITED.

So many pieces had to fall into place to make a great wine at Lynch-Moussas in 2005. In 1970, only 10 hectares of the original vineyard remained, and the property looked more like a run-down vacation home than a Pauillac Fifth Growth. Émile Castéja took over from his father that year, and by 2005, the vines he planted had reached 35 years of age and were in their absolute prime.

Wines like the 2005 Lynch-Moussas exemplify why Anson calls this property “one to watch.” Open it with friends and family with a ribeye cooked over the hearth and garnished with grilled cepes and compound butter, as the Pauillacois do!