Château Larmande St Emilion Grand Cru Classé 2005 For Easter Celebration Dinner
We’ve opened several 2005 vintage Bordeaux the last several weeks for a mini ‘horizontal’ tasting - comparing various wine labels from the same vintage.
I wrote about three other 2005 vintage labels in these recent blogposts - Clos du Marquis with beef stroganoff, Sociando Mallet with grilled beefsteak, and Gruaud Larose BYOB at Entourage DG.
So, tonight, we served two purposes, to provide another ‘younger’, more approachable wine, versus the vintage aged 1981 magnum, featured in a separate blogpost, (Easter Celebration Family Dinner Vintage Bordeaux & Beef Tenderloin), and, provide a comparison of another 2005 vintage release.
Also, a minor point, but having fun with wine, in light of our Easter celebration, the Chateau Larmande packaging includes a Lavender colored foil, in the spirit of the festive occasion.
Château Larmande St Emilion Grand Cru Classé 2005
My CellarTracker (wine cellar management app) records show we hold or have consumed more than twenty different bottles from this producer over the years, since we’ve been keeping records of such.
I featured an earlier tasting of this label and producer in a blogpost back in 2019.
https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2019/09/chateau-larmande-2005.html
That post was written following a short time after returning from our trip to Bordeaux. Tonight’s tasting was consistent with that earlier experience, excerpted here.
I am still in the groove enjoying fine Bordeaux wines. Tonight, I pulled from the cellar this Right Bank Grand Cru Classé to enjoy with grilled beef steak and mashed potatoes.
Like several of the Left Bank producers that we visited last month, the wines of Saint-Émilion in the wine-growing region of Bordeaux were classified in 1855. However, unlike the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855 covering wines from the Left Bank Médoc and Graves regions, the Saint-Émilion list is updated every 10 years or so. Following the initial classification, the list was updated in 1969, 1986, 1996 and most recently in 2006.
According to my Cellartracker cellar records for this label, we hold six bottle remaining from two cases purchased on release a dozen years ago. Having purchased two cases at the time, it is clear that I enjoyed this wine and thought it was a great value.
My tasting note records indicated I last tasted this label three years ago in June, 2016.
https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2016/06/chateau-larmande-st-emilion-grand-cru.html
Château Larmande St Emilion Grand Cru Classé 2005
A Right Bank Bordeaux means the estate from where the grapes are sourced, sits on the east and north side of the diagonal flowing Gironde River that bisects the Bordeaux wine region, surrounding and named for the city of Bordeaux in southeast France.
Wines from the Right Bank are predominantly Merlot in the Blend of Bordeaux sanctioned varietal gapes.
Alternatively, wines produced in the Médoc, on the the Left Bank, that lies on the western and southern side of the river, are predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend.
Both Left and Right Bank Bordeaux wines are based on Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon respectively, with the percentages flipped, accented by small amounts of Cabernet Franc and perhaps Petit Verdot.
Château Larmande lies north of the town of St. Emilion, close to Soutard and Cadet-Piola. It consists of 60 acres of vineyards planted with Merlot (65%), Cabernet Franc (25%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (10%).
Château Larmande was sold to the French insurance conglomerate, La Mondiale in 1991.
Like several of the Left Bank producers that we visited last month, the wines of Saint-Émilion in the wine-growing region of Bordeaux were classified in 1855. However, unlike the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855 covering wines from the Left Bank Médoc and Graves regions, the Saint-Émilion list is updated every 10 years or so. Following the initial classification, the list was updated in 1969, 1986, 1996 and most recently in 2006.
According to my Cellartracker cellar records for this label, we hold six bottle remaining from two cases purchased on release a dozen years ago. Having purchased two cases at the time, it is clear that I enjoyed this wine and thought it was a great value.
My tasting note records indicated I last tasted this label three years ago in June, 2016.
https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2016/06/chateau-larmande-st-emilion-grand-cru.html
Château Larmande St Emilion Grand Cru Classé 2005
Wines from the Right Bank are predominantly Merlot in the Blend of Bordeaux sanctioned varietal gapes.
Alternatively, wines produced in the Médoc, on the the Left Bank, that lies on the western and southern side of the river, are predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend.
Both Left and Right Bank Bordeaux wines are based on Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon respectively, with the percentages flipped, accented by small amounts of Cabernet Franc and perhaps Petit Verdot.
Château Larmande lies north of the town of St. Emilion, close to Soutard and Cadet-Piola. It consists of 60 acres of vineyards planted with Merlot (65%), Cabernet Franc (25%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (10%).
Château Larmande was sold to the French insurance conglomerate, La Mondiale in 1991.
Tonight, this was consistent with earlier tasting notes -
In 2020, I wrote’
“Dark garnet colored, medium bodied, aromatic blackberry and black cherry fruits accented by tones of tar, smoke, earthy leather, hints of cedar and spice, (earlier reports of mocha were not apparent), on a firm lingering tongue puckering tannin finish - fruits slightly diminished from earlier tastings with seemingly increased acidity.”
*PS. A postscript on this tasting, after a couple days open in the bottle, chilled, this wine returned to its earlier elegance, structured balance and fruit, regaining my earlier rating of 89 points. (I demoted it to 88 for this initial tasting). Once again, I shouldn't P-n-P, pop and pour these complex aged wines, rather, give them respect, open them and allow them to breathe at least a couple hours before diving in!”
And previously ..
Tonight, as noted, consistent with those reviews, this 2005 release was a nice, pleasant, easy drinking, yet sophisticated, polished and nicely integrated and balanced wine, dark garnet colored, medium bodied, aromatic blackberry and black cherry fruits accented by tones of tar, smoke, earthy leather and notes of cedar, spice on a firm lingering tongue puckering tannin finish.
At twenty years of age, this is showing no signs of diminution from aging and probably can be held for several more years for prime drinking.
My recent blogpost, from the week before last, speaks to, "the adventure, joy, and perils of holding vintage wine for a couple decades or more ...". This continues to be a pleasant, easy drinking yet sophisticated wine and I fear as I consume the last bottles of my collection, I'll regret having drunk many of them too early!
RM 89 points.
https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=351693
http://www.chateau-soutard.com/chateau-larmande-.aspx
https://go.cellartracker.com/wine/351693
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