John Gilman 93+ The 2005 Chandon de Briailles Maréchaudes is an excellent example of the vintage, but like so many of the top 2005s, it is quite closed down now and is taking longer to start to stir than I initially anticipated when I tasted the wine out of barrel. The deep and youthful nose delivers scents of cherries, red currants, incipient notes of forest floor, gamebirds, a bit of bonfire and an excellent base of Maréchaudes soil tones. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and still quite sappy at the core, with ripe tannins, tangy acids and excellent length and grip on the still fairly youthful finish. Originally, I thought this wine might be drinking by now, but I would still keep it tucked away in the cellar for at least another five years before starting to open bottles of this fine wine. (Drink between 2018 - 2050)