Clos Rougeard Saumur Champigny Cabernet Franc 2005

Gregory Fulchiero

Lean and mean. In the glass aromas of black pepper, 5 spice, and soft leather creep out with time. Well structured and akin to a lighter vintage Barbaresco. Fascinating wine

Rob Lateiner

Chocolate, a little green bell pepper twang that reminds me of VA but It definitely is not. Some heat though the wine is definitely too warm. Lighter bodied, less textural refinement compared to the 08 which is silk but everything could change with air. The wine was just popped and put on ice. Showing much better cooler but still needs lots of air. Unless the fantastic 2008 is still to shut down, this shows tremendous longevity. Fully ripe, fully loaded tannins, this is the most structured Vintage of Clos Rougeard I have tasted yet. Wine gets too cold and the oak becomes more prominent. Gets to the ideal temp and the oak comes across nicely and balanced, if not significantly so. Seems like a classic mid/mid-plus toast. Not the char of vosne nor the low coconutty temps of chambolle. The importance of oak matching fruit can hardly be overstated and is perfectly executed here. Could even be perceived as a touch heavy for some purists but that would be too nitpicky for me. Almost a gamey side to the great oak that plays in here, it's like the nuttyness and the char of the oak that seems to contribute this. Comes across more Vosne like when temp is cooler. Reminds a bit of Grivot actually. Black currant fruit here to the slightly lighter shades in the 08. Some black cherry in a more intense way than burgundy. Unfortunately no decanter but as the wine opens up after an hour and a half, the fruit comes out a whole lot more. The initial green, lighter body is gone and the profile is dark fruit with a little touch of ash momentarily evolving into incredible deep cigar tobacco with gorgeous blackberry notes. Not decanting this wine for an hour was probably one of the bigger mistakes I have made in wine consumption. This blackberry and cigar is the true nature of the wine as it has filled out. Always a humbling experience to see a wine change so incredibly like this. Unbelievable and beautiful. Texture will get there I imagine but isn't wildly seductive yet like the '08. The last sip is some incredible wild maine blueberry syrup/all those wild dark berries from around New Foundland, with a wild savory quality. Not at all sweet in an excessive way, just in the purest flavors of perfectly ripe and highly concentrated fruit. Probably the most dynamic shift in a wine I have seen other than Barolo. One of the better wines I've had though tannin and texture suppleness is not there yet. Jesus.

Nniccolò Contenta

Drinkin at its

Doug Kahn

Typicity at its finest. Beautiful example of Cabernet franc.

Zachary Sussman

Wine writer PUNCH

Sigh. Just the prettiest thing.

Jon Maxwell

Founder Veritas Wine Consulting

Very Bretty, which was a bummer, but great energy. Hmm. Certainly a disappointment relative to expectations, but I still enjoyed it.

Brett Pallesen

Rougeard 05 is too legit- BEAUTE

Mark Lindzy

Always wonderful, and 2005 ain't too shabby.

Ted

Green pepper, sweet cherries, chocolate, leather and a lot of goodness. Tannins are so soft. In a really good place and happy to be enjoying on the last day of 2019.

Sylvain Rhainds

2005