When it comes to age worthy wines I have always been more of a grab a granny rather than a cradle snatcher. I bought a case of Camensac 2005 En Primeur in 2006 and have been resisting the urge to try the wines for some time. Buying En Primeur can be a gamble unless you research well beforehand but luckily I had been to Bordeaux for the En Primeur tastings so at least I had some idea of what I was buying. Tasting 200 + wines over 2 days is not as fun as I had imagined and to be honest most are so tannic at that stage that it can be hard to get an accurate idea of their potential. What I did note was that some wines were overripe and extracted and a waste of an outstanding vintage.
In 1855 Camesnsac was classified as a 5th Growth. Many commentators suggest that the wine rarely lives up to the classification but in 2005 Camensac was taken over by the owners of Chasse Spleen and Gruaud Larose so it is possible that we may see a return to its former glory.
On Sturday afternoon I decanter the wine and left it for about an hour. I had a small class to check on its progress and noted that the nose was still quite tight. The colour remained opaque in the core and there was a brief rim that still retained the youthful purple. On the palate the wine was still tight and concentrated so still too early to start drinking and it was only 4pm also.
At around 7pm I tried the wine again and it had evolved nicely at this stage. There were hints of vanilla and blackcurrant/plum on the nose with cedar and tobacco in the background. The fruit had opened up and was rounder but there was still a great concentration of dark fruit. This has plenty of potential to develop for another 6 years at least. I will try to drink one every year from now on and track its development. The wine cost about €23 when I bought it but would be over €40 to buy it today.
A note on the label change. When I opened the case I actually thought that I had got the wrong wine. The label has changed from the 2004 vintage and I can’t say that I am a fan of the new design.
Vinotheque 