 
Let us SELL YOUR WINE for you here on eBay with our Wine Consignment Program Just watch the video above for details. We may also buy your wine directly. Just contact us for details. |     Ratings & Tasting notes: 99 points Allen Meadows - Burghound: There really is not all that much difference between the way this bottle showed and my original review from late 2007 other than the nose of this most recent experience is notably less exuberant. However it remains just as kaleidoscopic and dazzling with its array of red and black cherry, cassis, plum and subtle earth notes replete with beguiling Asian spice cabinet aromas and essence of rose petals. The intense, powerful and breathtakingly concentrated flavors possess a taut muscularity before culminating in a palate coating finish of simply huge length. Not surprisingly, this is still structured to the point of being chewy yet it is never rustic or coarse because the gorgeously detailed palate impression is buffered by buckets of dry extract. As readers know, I often use the word Zen to describe the kind of inner harmony of a great vintage of Romanée-Conti but rarely with La Tâche yet in 2005, the LT has this element of inner calm and grace as well. In sum, I remain confident that this huge but utterly classy and stylish wine will go down as one of the all-time great LT's. (1/2012) 99 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: The 2005 La Tache epitomizes the unique mysteries of Pinot (not to mention the character of a great site), with its aromas of game, musk, iris, star anise, vanilla, allspice, and naturally also an abundance of sweet, ripe, implosively tiny-berried fruit. Imagine a black Riesling. On the palate, a vivid freshness of fruit, pungency of spice and flowers, and melting away of what in point of analytical fact are abundant tannins, all engender an almost white wine dynamic of fruit-mineral call-and-response and clear, incisive penetration of flavors to every recess of the mouth. This is a T.R. sort of wine -- you just don’t feel the stick. (DS) (4/2007) 99 points Wine Spectator: A dark side emerges with La Tâche, revealing profound scents of violet, black currant, bilberry and licorice. Definitely meaty and solid--as the French would say, carrée (square)--yet with great depth, richness and length, along with sweet fruit. A fabulous La Tâche, like a well-tuned Ferrari, this is a red Burgundy of classic proportions. (Web Only--2012) 96 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: Deep ruby-red. Superripe aromas of cherry, currant, tobacco and smoky, nutty oak, with traces of vanilla and sweet butter; showing less of the early treble notes of flowers and spices than usual for La Tache but they are lurking in the background. Then wonderfully supple, silky and sweet, conveying an impression of brooding extract; quite large-scaled for young La Tache but not yet differentiated. This showed an increasingly tactile quality with aeration but remained rather monolithic. Finishes with wonderfully broad, ripe tannins. This, too, appears to be shutting down but all the elements are in place to make a monumental bottle. 96(+?) points (4/2008) Jancis Robinson: This was already drinking absolutely beautifully, even though presumably it will gain layers and even greater complexity. But what a stunning amount of pleasure it is giving even at this early stage! My verbatim notes: Gorgeous, complete, wonderful pure cherry juice flavours even though it will presumably close down. Already dense and layered but with beautiful freshness. 'Parp. Parp,' it seems to be saying, so eager is it to broadcast its charms. 19/20 points. (9/2009) Bottle Size: 750 mL Storage History: Stored in a climate controlled cellar on its side in the dark at 55 degrees F and 75% humidity since purchase. Condition: 100% Genuine.Perfect fill level, capsule and wine clarity. For exact label condition, see photos. |
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Alcohol Sales Disclaimer: Cultwines is participating in a closed category of wine sales on eBay. As a participant in this category, Cultwines had to be pre-approved by eBay prior to listing wine on the website. For more information about wine sales on eBay, please click here Shipping Restrictions & Notes: We can ship to ALL states EXCEPT the following: We collect 7% sales tax in the state of Florida For all items with FREE shipping: Free shipping includes FedEx ground shipping at no charge within the Continental USA. Additional charges will be applied when shipping to Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico or anywhere else outside of the Continental USA. If you want to purchase the item and you live in such areas, you may do so and then request an invoice for the total. If you have already paid for the item we will send you an additional invoice for the difference in shipping. We realize this may be upsetting, but shipping to such areas is over double the cost of shipping within the Continental USA. eBay has not yet devised a system where the listing can automatically be free for the Continental US and calculated for the outer US states/territories. We apologize in advance for this inconvenience. International Shipping: International wine shipments are totally at the discretion of the Buyer. International shipments are sent with an expedited method and usually take 3-5 days for delivery. However, with International Shipments there can be many delays associated with transit including customs procedures, flight delays, weather delays and others. Furthermore, Cult Wines International will NOT be held liable for international shipments in any way whatsoever. Should the package be spoiled, damaged, broken, lost or seized by customs, NO refunds will be given. If you are International Buyer, once you have paid for this item you are agreeing to these terms. If you have not yet paid or the item has not yet shipped, and you wish to cancel the transaction, please don't hesitate to contact us. Age Requirements: The purchase of alcohol by persons under the age of 21 is prohibited by law. You must be at least 21 years old to purchase and receive wine. By purchasing wine listed by Cultwines on eBay, or otherwise placing an order with Cult Wines International, you are representing yourself to be at least 21 years of age. Cult Wines International reserves the right to verify proof of age before shipping. Someone over the age of 21 must be available to sign for the package upon delivery. Wine cannot be shipped to PO Boxes. Holds on Wine Shipment during Summer Months: Your wine will ship within 24 hours, or on Monday if you purchase on Friday, Saturday or Sunday. However, we will hold shipment of your order when requested, and keep your wine stored in our cellars until the weather is more suitable for wine shipment. To hold your order, please tell us in the "Comment" section of the order during checkout. Please also include the date which you would like us to ship. We will hold you wine for free for up to 5 months. Combined Shipping Policy: Most of our items have free shipping. However, if you purchase more than 2 bottles from us which do not have free shipping included, you will still get a discounted shipping rate of $5.00 flat for all of your bottles. If the combined shipping doesn't total up automatically upon checkout, please contact us before paying and we'll send you an invoice reflecting the shipping combined. Exception: Our $5.00 combined shipping rate includes FedEx ground shipping at only $5.00 for 3 bottles or more within the Continental USA. Additional charges will be applicable when shipping to Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico or anywhere else outside of the Continental USA. If you want to purchase the item and you live in such areas, you may do so and then request an invoice for the total. If you have already paid for the item we will send you an additional invoice for the difference in shipping. We realize this may be upsetting, but shipping to such areas is over double the cost of shipping within the Continental US. eBay has not yet devised a system where the listing can automatically be $5.00 for combined items in the Continental US and calculated for the outer US states/territories. We apologize in advance for this inconvenience. Disclaimers: Regardless of the date or temperature during shipping: Wine spoilage in transit is NOT covered. Expedited/overnight shipping or shipping insurance DOES NOT change this policy. When purchasing shipping insurance, remember that shipments are only covered for breakage during shipping or complete loss of the package. If you have purchased wine but are worried about heat spoilage or freezing temperatures, simply let us put the order on hold, and we will ship when you want. If you decide to ship the wine during the summer months, heat can create the wine to expand and push past the cork. The wine may arrive with a tiny bit of wine that has seeped or leaked from the capsule. Some buyers may find this upsetting, but typically such short-term heat exposure creates no damage to the wine itself. However, older vintages can be more fragile than newer ones. Cool packs can be added to the shipment for a small fee should you request. This should prevent such seepage when combined with expedited shipping. Please remember, that slight leakage or seepage can be common during shipping and this is NOT a valid reason to return the wine for a refund, and we will NOT grant one. We have systems in place to prevent this. Either wait until the summer months or pay for expedited shipping with cool packs. Cult Wines International also cannot guarantee the condition of the cork or quality of the wine in the bottles. We do not make the wine we sell. If you do not like the wine in the bottle, please take it up with the vineyard. On older vintages corks can shrink, and degrade. The cork may break or crumble when you remove it. This is normal for older wines. We do our best by storing the wine in optimum conditions and accurately describing the condition of the bottles, but obviously this is as far as we can go when it comes to quality assurance. | |
Regarding Vintage Wines:
Cult Wines International cannot guarantee the condition of the cork or quality of the wine inside the bottles. Many of the vintage wines we purchase come from private collectors, hotels, restaurants and estate sales. We examine our wines carefully before purchase and never attempt to purchase wine with poor provenance. Wines which we feel have provenance issues will be discounted greatly and will be detailed in the description. We do our best by storing the wine in optimum conditions and accurately describing the condition of the bottles, but obviously this is as far as we can go when it comes to quality assurance. Wine is alive inside the bottle and changes over time. Cult Wines International cannot guarantee when the peak drinking window of a wine is. Older wines may be past their peak when you open them. Older vintage corks can shrink, and degrade. The cork may break or crumble when you remove it. This is normal for older wines. There is always a risk with older wines. It's as simple as that. You may open one up and have one of the greatest experiences of your life. You may open a similar bottle and find it's past its prime or oxidized. That is the inherent risk assumed by the buyer in the vintage wine world.
Some buyers do not know how to drink older wines, and in turn end up having a bad experience for no reason other than lack of knowledge. If you purchase a bottle 20 year old or older, please check out these 7 tips for enjoyment:
1. Keep in mind that the lower the fill level is of the wine inside the bottle, the greater chance the wine has oxidized. This is not a rule but rather a calculated risk. A wine at base neck or greater has basically no risk of oxidization. A wine right at halfway mid-shoulder has a 35-40% chance of being oxidized. Below that, the risk keeps increasing further. Keep this in mind when purchasing.
2. Older wines have natural sediment in them that accumulates with age. These are tannins which precipitate out of the wine over time. The color of the wine will slowly fade from purple to brick red or even orange as the tannins accumulate and lump together to form the sediment. This sediment can be bitter when consumed but is harmless to health. However, for the best drinking experience, it is a good idea to drink sediment-free wine. Allow all vintage wines to stand upright for several days and even sometimes a few weeks if the wine has very fine sediments (as in older Burgundy or Champagne). Once the wine is clear you can proceed to uncork and decant the wine. Keep in mind the final drinking place of the wine and keep the wine there until it settles. If you bring an old wine with you to a friend's house or a restaurant with plans of drinking it that evening, you will disturb the sediments and make the wine impossible to properly decant.
3. Do not use a standard corkscrew as older wines have corks which will easily break during extraction. Purchase an ah-so or better yet a Durand. We have pulled out corks whole from 1945 bottles with a Durand.
4. Properly decant the wine. Purchase a decanter if you don't have one. We won't go into too much detail about decanting. There are many great videos on YouTube which will show you how to properly decant vintage wine. However the idea of decanting is to gradually pour the wine into a different container while leaving (and without disturbing) the sediment in the original bottle. A small amount of wine will be left in the original bottle which is full of sediment and is typically discarded. The decanter can now be swirled, handed around and poured without risk of sediment issues.
5. Allow the wine to breathe. Older wines require less breathing time than younger wines, but still typically need about 25-30 minutes for best aromas and flavor. These wines have been cooped up in an enclosed container for many years and often can have a musty smell upon freshly opening. This will usually go away upon breathing.
6. Do not expect old wines to taste like better versions of young wines. Older wines often taste completely different to their younger counterparts. They lose their fruity qualities and their secondary complexities increase. More earthy notes and minerality is to be expected. Most often the bouquet of wine improves over time, imparting a smooth, rich flavor without the bitterness of a younger wine. However its intensity decreases and the wine feels lighter and thinner in the mouth. To many people these qualities are highly desirable, however there are many people who prefer younger wines also. So simply don't assume you'll enjoy an old wine more than a younger one.
7. Not all wines get better with age. Bold, higher-end red wines, complex whites and dessert wines are the ones to benefit most greatly from age. Varietals which typically get better with age are as follows:
Riesling: A good Riesling can improve, growing rounder in flavor, virtually forever.
Cabernet Sauvignon: Bordeaux, California, and many other places produce Cabs with the bold richness needed to age well. However not all Cabs will develop delicious secondary and tertiary flavors. This is dependent on the structure, tannins, and richness of fruit needed to hold up to years of aging. Typically the higher-end Cabs are designed this way. Budget Cabs aren't typically suitable for aging over 15-20 years.
Chardonnay: This depends on acidity greatly. A rich, buttery Chardonnay won't have the structure necessary to age well and will fall apart within 5-7 years. Higher acidity Chardonnays with rich mineral tastes can very well improve with aging. Namely higher-end French White Burgundies.
Sauternes: Some of the longest lived non-fortified wines in the world. The combination of sugar and alcohol give these wines an almost immortal lifespan and the complexities they can develop are endless.
Fortified wine: Similar to Sauternes but even higher in alcohol and an extremely low chance of oxidization. Port, Madeira and the like age wonderfully because their high quantities of sugar and alcohol act to slow down the aging process, meaning that they can open well after even hundreds of years. Typically you can open the bottle, pour a glass and go back to the bottle months later to have another sip with the wine being completely unharmed.
Pinot Noir: This is greatly variable depending on the level of Pinot. Budget Pinot tastes great and there's no need to hang onto it longer than 5-7 years. However many experts hold that a well-aged Pinot is the holy grail of the wine world. High end French Burgundies like Romanee Conti are considered a travesty if opened too young as their flavors can evolve unlike anything else in the wine world.
Syrah: Most Syrahs age well, but only up to a limit–about 15 years.
Merlot: Merlot is a very forgiving wine when it comes to age. Many bottles can taste great young, however they can still benefit from some time in the cellar. Higher end Merlot like Petrus is well known for aging gracefully and beautifully.
Zinfandel: Like Cabernet Sauvignon, many Zinfandels have the potential to age to greatness.
Old Italian wines: Some varietals like Chiati do not benefit much from aging. Barolo is one of the world's greatest age-worthy wines. Brunello and Super-Tuscans are also excellent wines for aging. Italian wines from the 50s and 60s age well because they were made by farmers with primitive equipment. Their wines ended up very high in tannins, making them perfect aging candidates.