Chateau Grand Puy Lacoste, Pauillac 2005

Located on the left bank of the Gironde River, a few miles from the town of Pauillac, Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste (also known as Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste-Saint-Guirons) is a Fifth Growth classified Bordeaux wine that continually outperforms its classification. A very old Chateau - it's first mention in official documents appears at the beginning of the XVIth century - this estate extends over 225 acres in a single plot of land to the south of Pauillac - which is where the original name 'Grand-Puy' came from. Mr Lacoste added his name to the Chateau when he bought the property and kept it until the epidemic of phylloxera at the end of the XIXth century. GPL's reputation in the wine world will be down in part to Mr. Raymond Dupin, a legendary figure in the Medoc, who was proprietor until 1978 when he sold the estate to M. Borie. Nowadays, Francois-Xavier Borie is managing things. He renewed the cellars of the Chateau just before producing the great vintage of 1982. The vinification and ageing of Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste is conducted with the same technique and attention to detail, as those of the other estates managed by Borie - such as Chateau Haut-Batailley. Grand-Puy-Lacoste's wines are powerful, with distinct tannic structure, and rich blackcurrant and cassis notes which are the hallmarks of a good Pauillac. Cabernet Sauvignon is king at Grand-Puy-Lacoste, as the deep gravel topsoil with a limestone base is ideally suited for growing the grape. Cabernet is also what gives the wines their wonderful structure, and aging potential. The estate's second wine is called Lacoste-Borie