Château Vieux Robin, Cru Bourgeois Supérieur

When we talk about the great vintages in Bordeaux from the last decade, 2005 is right at the top of the list. In a Food & Wine article published in 2006, critic Robert Parker declared: “If wine drinkers are willing to forgo the most prestigious châteaux, they will find an ocean of high-quality 2005 wines at reasonable prices from lesser appellations and little-known sub-regions.” He was right then, and today, it’s still the case. In 2015, Jancis Robinson reported that 2005 is “Bordeaux’s best vintage of the century so far,” adding that out of 70 wines she had tasted, each a decade on, it was “slightly frustrating,” that only one wine, one of “the cheapest,” was approachable. SommSelect readers know that I frequently travel to Bordeaux to seek out the kind of gems Parker and Robinson are talking about.My latest discovery is today’s 2005 Château Vieux Robin Cru Bourgeois Supérieur—completely off the beaten path, rarely seen by Americans, and a wine I fell in love with. Château Vieux