Chateau Hosanna, Pomerol 2005

This is an absolutely spectacular effort from Christian Moueix’s tiny jewel in Pomerol – Hosanna. An extraordinary nose of blue and black fruits, floral notes, licorice, and truffle soars from the glass of this dense purple wine. A blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, this wine often has the most complex set of aromatics of any Pomerol. Velvety tannins, a multi-dimensional mouthfeel, and stunning finish give this full-bodied, extravagantly rich wine accessibility now, but it is certainly capable of lasting 25 or more years. Sadly, there are only 1,200 cases of this.

The 2005 Hosanna is a dense, potent wine. Huge tannins wrap around a core of inky dark fruit, chocolate, spice, leather and menthol. The typical flamboyance of Hosanna is very much on display, but the tannins are equally potent. A few hours in the decanter brings out the wine's creaminess and volume, both of which are considerable. The 2005 is an especially somber, brooding Hosanna. Readers can look forward to another 10-15 years of fine drinking.

(-) Good deep red. Quintessential merlot aromas of raspberry, plum, espresso and sexy oak, with a whiff of mushroom. Big, rich, seamless and sweet, but with beautifully integrated acidity giving the wine excellent thrust. The intense but utterly suave red fruit flavors power straight through the substantial ripe tannins. Finishes with lovely aromatic persistence and excellent grip. Gorgeous, refined wine: Christian Moueix refers to this as "the feminine version of Petrus."