Notes:

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, Oct 07
The 2005 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee de Mon Aieul is 95% Grenache and 5% Syrah aged 100% in tank prior to being bottled. This wine always comes from the three best parcels of the estate Les Serres, La Crau, and Guignasse. This hugely concentrated, muscular wine is very powerful, excruciatingly tannic at present, but super-rich. Yields were a low 22 hectoliters per hectare because of the drought, and this blockbuster, muscular, virile style of wine needs at least 5-6 years of bottle age and should keep for two-plus decades. It is certainly a terrific Mon Aieul, but for those who are very patient. This estate has been on an outrageous run of successful vintages ever since 1998, no small thanks to the extraordinary efforts of the two brothers, Jean-Pierre and Thierry Usseglio. For them 2005 is a very structured, concentrated, powerful vintage that will require significant cellaring. 94 points

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, Feb 2007
There are 17,000 bottles of the 2005 Chateauneuf du Pape Mon Aieul (90% Grenache in this vintage and 10% Syrah). Dense ruby/blue/purple to the rim, this is no wimpy wine, tipping the scales at 15.8% alcohol, but the higher than normal acidity and moderately high tannins give it a decidedly vin de garde style that promises a considerably long life. Unlike the 2004, or 2003 for that matter, it is a wine for patient connoisseurs who are willing to invest 5-6 years. Made from very low yields of 22 hectoliters per hectare, this blockbuster, powerful, muscular style of wine should be at its best between 2012 and 2023. 93-95 points