Wine of the Month - July 2019

For the month of July 2019, we offer our subscribers the well-aged 2005 and 2006 vintages to sample.

This month's selection:

• 1 x Château Verdignan 2005, Haut-Médoc, Cru Bourgeois, 88 pts
• 1 x Château d'Armailhac 2005, Pauillac, Fifth Growth, Grand Cru Classé, 93 pts
• 1 x Château La Lagune 2006, Haut-Médoc, Third Growth, Grand Cru Classé, 92-94 pts
• 1 x Château Quinault l'Enclos 2006, Saint-Emilion, Grand Cru Classé, 92-94 pts

Tasting Notes

Château Verdignan 2005 - "Space limitations did not allow complete tasting notes for this Cru Bourgeois, but 2005 is the finest vintage for these wines since 1982. The range of scores for these wines should give readers an idea of just how consistent this vintage is at this level. Given the style of the vintage, most of these wines should be accessible young yet evolve for a decade or more because of their concentration and tannic structure." - Robert Parker Jr., The Wine Advocate (4/23/2006, Issue 164), Ratings: 87-88

Château d'Armailhac 2005 - "I think the 2005 d’Armailhac may turn out even better than its stable mate, Clerc-Milon. This combination of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot achieved 13.3% alcohol. Revealing lovely creme de cassis-like notes, a beautiful texture, brightness, and sweet tannin, it is an impressively endowed, medium to full-bodied, relatively approachable 2005, although it will undoubtedly display more tannin after bottling. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2020+." - Robert Parker Jr., The Wine Advocate (4/23/2006, Issue 164), Rating: 90-93, Drink: 2015-2025

Château La Lagune 2006 - "Wow, has this property come back with resounding quality over the last three or four years, producing wines that are better than anything they made during their glory days in the seventies and eighties. The 2006 La Lagune, a superb effort for the vintage, boasts a saturated purple color as well as a sweet perfume of boysenberry jam intermixed with raspberries, pain grille, and flowers. Exceptional fruit purity and medium body result in a sensational wine that should be drinkable in 3-4 years, and last for two decades." - Robert Parker Jr., The Wine Advocate (4/29/2017, Issue 170), Ratings: 92-94, Drink: 2021-2050

Château Quinault l'Enclos 2006 - "An extraordinarily elegant Quinault with remarkable purity and texture has been produced in 2006. This blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc achieved 13.5% natural alcohol, and enjoys every state-of-the-art winemaking technique, most of them Burgundy-inspired (especially the cold pre-fermentation maceration, malolactic in barrel, and aging on its lees with plenty of batonnage). A top-notch success for proprietor Alain Raynaud and his wife, Francoise, this deep ruby/purple-colored effort exhibits sweet aromas of spring flowers, blueberries, and raspberries. Medium-bodied and layered, with attractive sweetness, ripe tannin, a seamless integration of acidity, tannin, and alcohol, and a long finish, it will drink beautifully in 3-4 years, and should last for 15 or more thereafter." - Robert Parker Jr, The Wine Advocate (4/29/2007, Issue 170), Ratings: 92-94