2004  Haut-Bailly, Pessac Leognan Graves, Graves Classified Growths, Bordeaux, France
Relatively pale color. Slightly roasted aromas with cedar, red fruit, and menthol nuances. Svelte and  characterful on the palate with elegant tannin. Slight dip on the middle palate with a touch of bitterness. However, the aftertaste is better-balanced and more flavorful. While this wine would certainly not stand out in a blind tasting, many wine lovers are sure to find it charming and attractive. 90/100


 

 2004 Pape-Clement, Pessac Leognan Graves, Graves Classified Growths, Bordeaux, France

Beautiful deep dark color. Elegant bouquet of red fruit, redcurrant, and roasted aromas with an underlying richness that is unfortunately somewhat spoiled by an impression of TCA.
Despite the problem that seems to affect this particular bottle, I find that 2004 Pape Clément has plenty of volume and a solid, forthright structure, although almost to the point where it lacks personality. There is plenty of juicy fruit on the palate, but also significant oak. Was barrel ageing overly ambitious this year? This experience calls for tasting another sample.
Non rated

2004 Palmer, Margaux, Third Classified Growths, Bordeaux, France

While quite refined, the nose is fairly reserved, with hints of red fruit, black pepper, and balsamic aromas.  Starts out quite delicate and well-focused on the palate with ripe, chewey tannin. Attractively taut and slightly bitter with an aftertaste of medium intensity. Château Palmer produced a successful, ethereal, and particularly well-balanced wine in 2004. 92/100

2004 Malescot Saint-Exupery, Margaux, Third Classified Growths, Bordeaux, France

Characterful, powerful bouquet still showing considerable oak. Round, well-balanced, and smooth, with silky tannin on the middle palate. Interesting mineral side with hints of graphite on the finish. Long, but somewhat linear aftertaste. Already very pleasant to drink. 89/100

2004 Leoville Barton, Saint-Julien, Second  Medoc Classified Growths, Bordeaux, France

There's an initial impression of raspberry jam and cedar on the nose, but this is somewhat undermined by a solvent aroma that comes through when the wine is swirled in the glass.
Well-balanced and imposing on the palate with seductive tannin, even though this tannin is still very firm, with a marked oaky character. Beautiful overall roundness and a well-structured aftertaste showing fine ripe fruit. If one overlooks the curious volatile impression on the nose, Léoville Barton would appear, once again, to have produced a first-rate wine.
91/100
 

2004 Leoville las Cases, Saint-Julien, Second  Medoc Classified Growths, Bordeaux, France

What finesse on the nose! A wonderful medley of red fruit with hints of menthol and delicate toasty oak. There are also rich, floral aromas of great complexity.
Remarkably tight, well-focused, spirited structure on the palate. Characterful fruitiness with remarkably silky tannin and a hint of liquorice that offset the tight, austere texture.
A superb wine not dissimilar to the excellent 2001. 95/100

2004 Montrose, Saint-Estephe, Second  Medoc Classified Growths, Bordeaux, France

(73% of the crop went into the first wine in 2004)
Nutmeg and wet fur, with a slight herbaceousness and muskiness on the nose. Develops by degrees on the palate. Round, but more herbaceous than fruity. The flavor profile is nevertheless consistent with the bouquet.
The aftertaste is, once again, somewhat herbaceous, as if the fruit were underripe. A fairly disappointing Montrose whose future is difficult to evaluate at this stage. 88/100

 2004 Pichon Comtesse de Lalande, Pauillac, Second  Medoc Classified Growths, Bordeaux, France

Fairly reserved although clearly elegant. Somewhat austere and mineral.
Lots of class on the palate, with considerable freshness (however, one wonders if the estate may not have picked a tad too early) and a fine, well-defined texture. Curiously, the wine is much more forward than older vintages at the same age. Well-balanced and clearly marked by Petit Verdot. This wine is well worth several more years of cellaring to achieve its full potential. 91/100

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2004 Evangile, Pomerol, Bordeaux, France

The immediate impression on the nose is of a certain sweetness, as well as roast coffee beans and oak.
There are layers of flavor on the palate with astonishingly fresh fruit. 2004 L'Evangile is silky and forward, but has great class. It is a fairly rich, big wine.
It is a great success, especially for people who prefer their wine opulent.
90/100

 2004 Vieux Chateau Certan, Pomerol, Bordeaux, France

As with Léoville Las Cases, one is overwhelmed by the superb, pure fruit, enhanced by fragrant Virginia tobacco aromas. The bouquet is well and truly many-faceted, making this wine somewhat mysterious and difficult to pin down. The palate is altogether impressive, with magnificent balance and finesse. The structure is tight, but there is no aggressiveness. This wine is obviously extremely well-made and I see a great future ahead for it. 94/100

(61% Merlot in 2004)
Medium-expressive nose of nutmeg and cocoa. Quite elegant on the palate with pleasantly granular tannin. Well-balanced aftertaste, but does not quite develop the volume and poise one would hope for.
Tasted blind, 2004 Haut-Brion does not particularly stand out. Truth to tell, this will not be a very great wine. 89/100

 

Great breeding on the nose with elegant oak and an attractive aroma of red fruit purée.
Well-focused fruitiness on the palate. This is powerful wine, but one with many delicate aspects thanks to rich, yet elegant tannin that enhances the wine's intrinsic fruitiness. Excellent, well-balanced aftertaste that finishes a touch mineral.
Perhaps less complex than Latour and Mouton, but this Lafite is superb! 94/100

An enchanting bouquet, both expressive and tremendously complex.
Magnificent, caressing mouth feel from the very first with exemplary extraction. Remarkable tannin and a superb, deep, mineral taste. A very great wine!  A touch above the other 2004s. 96/100

Unusual, subtle nose of cocoa, oak, licorice, spice, and prune. Finely-textured tannin on the palate, but also quite round, and shows a great deal of character. Elegant aftertaste, but I had hoped for a little more complexity. A beautiful wine that is missing only volume and concentration to be among the very best of the vintage. 91/100

 

AlainBringolf

Further articles on ccvo-bg

Bordeaux wine tasting by topic

Bordeaux wine tasting by Chateau

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