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Need a quick break from Grape Madness? Well, here's a good one for you...

I'm in New York and on my way back to the hotel from dinner, I picked up a bottle of the 2005 Chateau Plince Pomerol. I've never bought a bottle from the region and I'm really glad I did. Home to one of the most famous French wines, Petrus (the 2005 of which scored a perfect 100 and goes for roughly $5,000 a bottle), Pomerol is also one of the smallest appellations in Bordeaux (official name Appellation Pomerol Controlee). With mostly family-shared vineyards, Pomerol produces only about about 440,000 cases a year (compare that to 550 million cases in Napa) and all red varietals - Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec.

Wine Specator has this to say about it: This has a wonderful nose, with blackberry, licorice, Indian tea and light toasty oak. Full-bodied, with silky, integrated tannins and a long, caressing finish. A pretty, elegant young Pomerol. Much better in bottle. Close to the excellent 2000. Best after 2012. 3,665 cases made.

This really is a beautiful wine. Definite blackberry, licorice, tea and oak, with a little touch of earth and leather. It's a complex wine that's incredibly well balanced, with just the right acidity and tannins to make it feel vibrant and alive through the strong finish. Amazingly velvety and textured for a 2005 - particularly since it was just released in early March. No doubt this will get better with age, but certainly a great wine now - I can only imagine what it would taste like if decanted for an hour or so before drinking.

What you should do: If you like French Bordeaux's, buy it! This is an incredible wine for the price (about $50) and a good representative of the Pomerol region. This one will most likely make it on my Top 10 for 2009.

My rating: 92+
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