Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2005: The Grand Backbone Vintage

This report covers a recent tasting of 30 Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines from 2005, wines born of a growing season that brought nearly ideal conditions. Summer was hot but not extreme, with an average temperature of 23°C (73°F) through June, July and August, notably cooler than the scorching 2003 two years prior. Rainfall was minimal, with just 12.5 millimeters through July and August. Crucially, nighttime temperatures remained cool, preserving acidity and slowing ripening. The Mistral wind ensured favorable sanitary conditions, even after early-September rains.

Twenty years on, backbone has emerged as the hallmark element of the 2005 red Châteauneufs, often with edgy tannins providing notable grip. Tertiary aromatics range from dried red fruits and kirsch to enticing licorice, tobacco, leather and forest floor notes. A consistent thread across these wines is freshness allied to structure, the signature of a year in which Grenache achieved excellent ripeness and seldom overripeness. The best 2005s show a superb equilibrium, with tannins that are far more resolved than in their youth yet still firm enough to provide structure and transparently communicate the vintage.

Laurence Feraud of Domaine de Pegau is visibly proud of her 2005 Cuvée Laurence.

At the very top, Château Rayas and Château de Beaucastel delivered wines of stupendous allure, setting a benchmark for the vintage. Other highlights include the wines from Henri Bonneau, Clos des Papes, Clos Saint-Jean, Domaine de Marcoux, Domaine du Pegau and Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe. At the more modest end, a handful of bottles display drying fruit or rustic tannins, though even those wines show admirable balance. Furthermore, two 2005 whites thoroughly surprised me with their longevity. These rich, textural wines show notes of honey, wax and dried flowers alongside a vein of freshness that keeps them alive and kicking. Lastly, readers should note that I reviewed the outstanding 2005 Châteauneuf-du-Pape from Domaine de la Vieille Julienne in April last year, which is why it is not included in this report.

François (left) and César Perrin presented their brilliant 2005s at the newly renovated Château de Beaucastel.

From a drinking perspective, Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2005 divides neatly in two. About half of the wines reviewed here are ready to be consumed without further cellaring, offering immediate, fully mature pleasure. The rest of the 2005s continue to evolve slowly, with some top cuvées exhibiting reserves of energy and flawless overall balance that promise at least another decade of refinement. For collectors, 2005 remains a reliable, high-caliber vintage for both current enjoyment and long-term cellaring.

I tasted the majority of the wines in this report in Châteauneuf-du-Pape in late August 2025, with follow-up tastings at my office in Zurich.

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