Slightly more expensive than the other wines listed on this blog recently, I must say that I really enjoyed this 2005 Chateau Arnauld Haut-Medoc. I could be wrong, but I think 2005 is a fairly good year for this wine and the price was reasonable. With a hint of pine wood or perhaps cedar, this wine is deep with blackberries/blueberries fragrances (very nice). The first swirl had a medium to full body texture where the berries were definitely present (almost added a sweetness to the wine). The second swirl--spicy? Yes, definitely spicy to me--wow. It almost has a black pepper finish to the wine.
I purchased this one at Kinokuniya International in Omotesando for Y1,850, which seems market price here in Tokyo. I am going to give this one 3.5 stars. Very nice and one which I would recommend to bring to a casual dinner party.
Summary: Full body, very nice color (ruby). Has a kick at the end with some black pepper taste.
Rating: 3.5 stars
Purchase Cost: Y1,850 (Kinokuniya International)
Other Japanese Retailers: Y1,890 (Rakuten website)
USA Retail Price: $12.95
Food: Nabe (Japanese hotpot dish)
