Duke of Bourbon - Rare Wines - Fine Spirits - Personalized Service - David, Judy and Ron Breitstein - 20908 Roscoe Blvd - Canoga Park CA 91304 - Phone:  818/341-1234 or 800/4-FINE-WINE - Fax:  818/341-9232
20908 Roscoe Blvd • Canoga Park CA 91304
Hours: Mon - Sat • 9AM - 6PM
Phone: (818) 341-1234 • Fax: (818) 341-9232
Outside California: (800) 4-FINE-WINE

Cheers! from the Duke of Bourbon

As you probably remember from our emails over the last few weeks, the Duke hosted a tasting of affordable 2005 Bordeaux. There is no doubt that the 2005 vintage is just great! The wines we showed were excellent representatives of the vintage and their respective areas. All of them were deep in color, long on flavor and beautifully balanced. They should live for decades if you choose to age them for a long period. Most of them were tasty enough to enjoy now, especially if you enjoy full, rich, young wine.

All of the wines are priced aggressively with the hope you will have strong interest. If you would like to call the store for assistance and guidance, we welcome your call. Here is a chance to get some terrific wines at very special pricing. They are listed below in the order that we served them. That means that the fabulous Sauternes we tasted is listed at the bottom of this email. You lovers of Sauternes are probably incredulous at the prices from that appellation, so do not miss out on the Chateau de Malle being offered here!

Special note: All wines assort for the discounts indicated.



WineList
Price
3-11 Btls.
Save 10%
12+ Btls.
Save 15%
2005 Chateau Larrivet-Haut-Brion Blanc (Pessac-Leognan)46.7542.0839.74
The vineyards of Chateau Larrivet-Haut-Brion lie on the same ridge of gravel as neighbors Chateau Haut-Bailly and Chateau La Louviere. The red vines, which dominate the vineyards, are 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Merlot and are approximately 20 years old, the average age remaining low because of active replanting. There is also a small plot of white vines covering perhaps 12 acres, these being 60% Sauvignon Blanc, 35% Semillon and 5% Muscadelle. Production is less than 2,000 cases of white wine annually. Note: The term, brion is widely accepted to be a local term for gravel.

The 2005 Chateau Larrivet-Haut-Brion Blanc was rated 90 points by the Wine Advocate. Their notes: "Made in an atypically soft style, the 2005 Larrivet-Haut-Brion offers notes of figs, honeyed melons, citrus oil, and spice. Medium-bodied with excellent concentration, it will require consumption at an earlier age than some of its peers."


WineList
Price
3-11 Btls.
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12+ Btls.
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2005 Chateau Haut-Canteloup (Medoc)16.9915.2914.44
Chateau Haut-Canteloup is located in the northern Medoc with vineyards planted on both sandy and gravelly soils. The 40-year-old vines are about 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc.

The Wine Advocate rated the 2005 Chateau Haut-Canteloup 88 points and called it a "Sleeper of the Vintage." Their notes: "A strong effort as well as a sleeper of the vintage, the 2005 Haut-Canteloup possesses a dense ruby/purple color in addition to a sweet bouquet of black currants, licorice, and spice. Pure and medium-bodied with excellent fruit concentration and precision." Made to drink in the near-term.


WineList
Price
3-11 Btls.
Save 10%
12+ Btls.
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2005 Chateau Croix-Mouton (Bordeaux Superieur)22.5020.2519.13
Formerly known as Mouton (the name had to be changed because of a lawsuit by Mouton-Rothschild), this is an impressive small estate owned by the immensely talented Jean-Philippe Janoueix, winemaking superstar on the rise. This is a wine that will give you immense pleasure because you can drink it now while you still remember why it is so good and before it gets lost in your cellar.

The Wine Advocate rated the 2005 Chateau Croix-Mouton 89 points. Their notes: "The young, creative, talented Jean-Philippe Janoueix (who also makes the fabulous Confession, La Croix St.-Georges and Le Conseiller) produces this super-Bordeaux from a humble vineyard. A blend of 65% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec, this beauty boasts an inky/ruby/purple color as well as a sweet bouquet of incense, black raspberries, blackberries, coffee, and spice. Deep, supple, lush, and opulent, it is a super effort for its pedigree and price."


WineList
Price
3-11 Btls.
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12+ Btls.
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2005 Domaine de Courteillac (Bordeaux Superieur)22.9920.6919.54
The steady hand of Michel Rolland helped make this gorgeous wine. Merlot comprises 63% of the blend, Cabernet Sauvignon 23% and Cabernet Franc 14%.

The Wine Spectator rated the 2005 Domaine de Courteillac 90 points. Their notes: "Dark in color, exhibiting beautiful aromas of blackberry, coffee and milk chocolate. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a light toasty oak and citrus fruit aftertaste. Balanced and pretty."


WineList
Price
3-11 Btls.
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2005 Chateau Cap de Faugeres (Cotes de Castillon)28.99 26.0924.64
Quality is the watchword at Chateau Faugeres which has vineyards in both the Saint-Emilion and Cotes de Castillon areas. Cap de Faugeres is their wine from the Cotes de Castillon. It is Merlot-based (85%) with the balance being Cabernet Sauvignon (5%) and Cabernet Franc (10%). "Cap" sees a little less time in oak than the St.-Emilion Faugeres, but is still a substantial wine.

The Wine Advocate rated the 2005 Chateau Cap de Faugeres 89 points. Their notes: "Always one of the top Cotes de Castillons, the 2005 Cap de Faugeres is revealing more rustic tannin than it did from barrel, but it is a weighty, deep, rich effort offering a flamboyant nose of black fruits, coffee, chocolate, and toasty oak. While dense and full-bodied, the rough tannin in the finish suggests it will benefit from another year or so of bottle age; it should keep for a decade."


WineList
Price
3-11 Btls.
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12+ Btls.
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2005 Chateau Caronne Ste.-Gemme (Haut-Medoc)29.9926.9925.49
This is an estate in the central Medoc with records stretching back to 1648. The wine is Cabernet Sauvignon-based (60%) with about 37% Merlot and the balance Petit Verdot. Intense wine at a price to fit the budget.

The Wine Spectator rated the 2005 Chateau Carrone Ste.-Gemme 91 points. Their notes: "Offers raisin and dried fruit, with very ripe fruit aromas and coffee and oak undertones. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a long finish. This is pumped up, but I like the flamboyant character."


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Price
3-11 Btls.
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2005 Chateau Puygueraud (Cotes de Francs)32.0028.8027.20
The Cotes de Francs, smallest of the Bordeaux appellations, occupies the highest slopes of the Gironde River to the east of Saint-Emilion. Chateau Puygueraud is leading the breakthrough of this previously little-known region. This wine is produced mainly from Merlot with, however, a proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon that is quite high for the region, as well as a touch of Malbec with its peppery character.

The Wine Spectator rated the 2005 Chateau Puygueraud 92 points. Their notes: "Shows lovely black currant, floral and black licorice notes. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a tight bead of fruit and mineral throughout. Has a long finish."


WineList
Price
3-11 Btls.
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12+ Btls.
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2005 Chateau Faizeau Vieilles Vignes (Montagne-St.-Emilion)32.5029.2527.63
This top-flight estate may be the finest vineyard in Montagne-St.-Emilion. It consists of 25 acres of old-vine Merlot planted on a limestone/sand plateau. The average age of the vines is 50 years, although some were planted in 1904.

The Wine Advocate rated the 2005 Chateau Faizeau Vieilles Vignes 90 points and named it a Sleeper of the Vintage. Their notes: "Possibly the finest Faizeau made to date, this sleeper of the vintage reveals a deep ruby/purple color along with a lovely nose of kirsch, licorice, and pain grille. Full-bodied, ripe, and seamless with excellent harmony among its component parts, it hit 14.5% natural alcohol and is made from 100% Merlot. This extravagant, flamboyant effort should drink well for a decade."


WineList
Price
3-11 Btls.
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2005 Chateau Grand Corbin-Despagne (St.-Emilion), Grand Cru37.5033.7531.88
The vines of this Grand Cru estate sit on sandy soil and average 40 years in age. The wine is about 75% Merlot and 24% Cabernet Franc, the balance being Cabernet Sauvignon. This is a solid and well-made wine that attains elegance with age.

The Wine Advocate rated the 2005 Chateau Grand Corbin-Despagne 90+ points. Their notes: "This powerful, tannic, dense blue/purple-hued St.-Emilion will handsomely repay those with patience. It offers up a tight but promising nose of smoke, meats, creosote, black currants, blueberries, and cold, wet steel. A masculine, stern effort with a certain austerity, abundant tannin, and superb depth, purity, and richness."


WineList
Price
3-11 Btls.
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2005 Chateau La Vieille Cure (Fronsac)49.9944.9942.49
Fronsac has long been laboring in the shadows of neighbors Pomerol and Saint-Emilion. Thanks to new owners, the quality of the wines of La Vieille Cure have improved dramatically over the last 20 years. Here is a fine example of that quality.

The Wine Advocate rated the 2005 Chateau La Vieille Cure 93 points and called it a Sleeper of the Vintage. Their notes: "La Vieille Cure's amazing 2005 is even better than their terrific 2003 and 2000. The 2005 boasts an inky/ruby color as well as a gorgeously sweet perfume of charcoal, black cherries, black currants, and spring flowers as well as an underlying mineral component. Superb concentration, full-bodied power, wonderful symmetry, purity, and texture, and a multidimensional mouthfeel are all found in this fabulous sleeper of the vintage."


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Price
3-11 Btls.
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2005 Chateau du Tertre (Margaux)62.5056.2553.13
Chateau du Tertre is nominally a fifth-growth, but is widely considered to be underrated. Having been purchased by the owners of neighboring Chateau Giscours in 1995, the quality of the wines are definitely on an uptick.

The Wine Advocate rated the 2005 Chateau du Tertre 90 points. Their notes: "Even in the highly acclaimed 2005 vintage, du Tertre remains under most consumer's radar. Made by essentially the same winemaking team as Giscours, this cuvee exhibits a dense purple color, followed by earthy, truffle, smoky blackberry, floral, and cassis aromas. It is a beautifully pure, medium to full-bodied wine with abundant but sweet tannin, fine opulence, a multilayered texture, and a long finish that is neither aggressive nor astringent."


WineList
Price
3-11 Btls.
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12+ Btls.
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2005 Clos du Marquis (St.-Julien)72.0064.8061.20
Clos du Marquis is the other wine produced at Chateau Leoville-Las-Cases, one of the premier Chateaux in Saint-Julien. Unlike most "second" wines, this one is sourced from a single vineyard on the estate and more properly should be considered a different cuvee. It does receive a lesser percentage of new oak =E2=80=93 25% - than its sibling.

The Wine Spectator rated the 2005 Clos du Marquis 93 points. Their notes: "Fabulous aromas of crushed raspberry, blackberry, mineral and licorice follow through to a full-bodied palate. This is chewy yet silky, with a long, long finish. Balanced and powerful."


WineList
Price
3-11 Btls.
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12+ Btls.
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2005 Chateau d'Armailhac (Pauillac)62.9956.6953.54
Chateau d'Armailhac is perhaps the least well-known Bordeaux property in the Mouton-Rothschild portfolio. The style is "less masculine" compared to their other wines, because of the greater proportion of Merlot and Cabernet Franc in the blend. The estate has about 125 acres of vineyards on primarily gravelly soil with some portions of the vineyards being over a century old.

The Wine Advocate rated the 2005 Chateau d'Armailhac 90+ points. Their notes: "This powerful, tannic, structured effort from Mouton-Rothschild's stable is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Its dense ruby/purple color is followed by an earthy nose dominated by black currants and toasty, smoky oak. Medium to full-bodied with relatively high tannin, decent acidity, and a fine finish."


WineList
Price
3-11 Btls.
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12+ Btls.
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2005 Chateau de Malle (Sauternes) (375ml)29.9926.9925.49
Chateau de Malle is a second-growth in the 1855 classification. The vines (69 % Semillon, 28 % Sauvignon and 3% Muscadelle) have an average age of between 30 and 40 years. The varietals are vinified separately after multiple passes through the vineyard to pick the grapes at the perfect moment. The wines are then blended to become the nectar in your glass.

The Wine Spectator rated the 2005 Chateau de Malle 92 points. Their notes: "Green apple, toffee and lemon tart aromas open to a full body. Very sweet, with caramel, cooked apple and light vanilla flavors. Long and flavorful. Dense and sweet."

Note: Prices are good while our supplies last and we reserve the right to change them at any time without notice. Offer ends October 31, 2008.





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