The vintage

2005

As good as the decade got

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The 2005 vintage, rated

As good as the decade got

In 2026 a bottle from 2005 marks a 21st birthday or anniversary

The vintage

Legendary · 5/5

A near-perfect growing season across most of Europe: dry, even and without a single crisis. Bordeaux 2005 is a benchmark, red and white Burgundy is the best since 1990, the northern Rhône is outstanding, Rioja excellent and Germany superb. Only two caveats - Champagne had a rot-affected harvest that few houses handled well, and Tuscany was patchy after September rain.

What we would buy, and why

With 2005 the vintage does not need defending, so choose on producer and provenance instead: ask where the bottle has been stored and buy from the estate with the better reputation, not the bigger name. Bordeaux at this level still wants decanting and will improve for another decade, so if the bottle is to be drunk on the night, a Rioja Gran Reserva or a good Burgundy is the friendlier choice. Skip 2005 Champagne, which is the one weak spot in an otherwise faultless year.

2005 in the world

In January 2005 the Huygens probe parachuted onto Titan, a moon of Saturn - still the most distant landing anyone has made. Three months later the first video went up on a new site called YouTube.

Best bets for 2005

  • Léoville-Barton, Pichon Comtesse or Lynch-Bages 2005, €200-600 - textbook Bordeaux from a textbook year
  • Red Burgundy 2005 from Mugneret-Gibourg, Ghislaine Barthod or Grivot, €150-600 - the best Burgundy vintage since 1990
  • Northern Rhône 2005 from Chave, Jamet or Chapoutier, €120-450 - Hermitage and Côte-Rôtie at full strength
  • La Rioja Alta Gran Reserva 904 2005 or Muga Prado Enea, €80-160 - excellent, sensibly priced and ready to drink tonight

How we grade a bottle

Fill level, label, capsule and cork, then provenance. Every bottle is checked by hand by people who have handled thousands of old bottles, and we write down the flaws as well as the good news. What the fill levels mean · How to choose a birth-year wine

Real people, not a chatbot

Ask a person about this year

The people who answer are the same people who check and pack the bottles. Ask for photographs, a condition report or advice on a year and you get a straight answer from the ANNO team, Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 18:00 CET.