From the famous flagship estate of Jonathan Malthus, this wine normally has about 75% or more Cabernet Franc in the blend and the rest Merlot. With the great aromatic expression of the vintage, the 2005 Le Dôme offers up a smashing fireworks-like display of spring flowers, blueberries, forest floor, raspberries and cherries. Dense purple in color, medium to full-bodied, light on its feet, but super-intense and rich, this wine performed fabulously well, and is one of the superstars and profound efforts of the vintage. It is actually somewhat approachable, which is not always the case with many 2005s. Drink it over the next 20 years.

A Cheval Blanc look-alike, this cuvee (which includes a high percentage of Cabernet Franc) boasts an ethereal nose of raspberries, menthol, spring flowers, and hints of cedar as well as new oak. Full-bodied, exceptionally fresh, and noble, this is a complex, classic, distinctive wine that should drink well in 3-4 years, and last for two decades. It is the finest Le Dome yet made, but sadly, there are only 1,000 cases.

Bright ruby-red. Superripe aromas of black raspberry, plum, licorice and beefsteak tomato, with cooler notes of menthol and violet in the background. Large-scaled, rich and very ripe, with sweet, inviting flavors of plum, mocha, caramel and tobacco framed by harmonious acidity. Finishes with powerful but ripe tannins and excellent length. This is impressive but appears to be in a somewhat sullen stage; on this day, I found it a bit less bright and gripping than the bottle of Les Asteries I tasted alongside it. But this needs some patience. (Incidentally, I enjoyed a bottle of the 2002 Le Dome in Bordeaux this spring and rated it a solid 90 points; my original score had been 88+?.).

First bottle: Dark glowing red. Something a bit leathery on the nose. Is this 100% clean? Second bottle: Still rather muted nose. Fully ripe purple fruit sort of aromas and then quite dry tannins on the finish suppress the fruit. I’m a bit worried about this wine… Seems as though both bottles are failing to deliver the fruit that’s in there. Another bottle sent from the chateau and tasted in early Jan 2008 (tasting note written without consulting the note above): Dark crimson. Slightly charred note. Rather jagged acidity – something raw about this wine – an odd mixture of furry texture and rather obtrusive acid. I see that I noted a certain 'furriness' (lack of freshness) en primeur – it seems to have increased with time. (JR)