Thematic tasting of Bordeaux 2004

• 2004 Château La Fleur de Boüard 79 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Lalande de Pomerol

  Dark black purple. Lots of oak and heat but try to get past that and you get nice spicy flowers and spices. Chocolate and spice lifted with dried herbs and shades of blackcurrant fruits finishing on bitter bark. Really dry, a stoic and hard wine. Its like licking rust off a rock.

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• 2004 Château La Confession 81 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

  Moderately dark purple. Smells of preserved yellow fruits, perfumed flowers and lined by sandalwood. Plummish, gentle chery fruits backed by mocha notes. Familiar and comfortable. Drinking for now.

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• 2004 Château La Croix St. Georges 80 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  Pretty nose that is mocha-tinted violets, plums and smoke. Classic approach with gentle half-firm tannins supporting savory berries with touches of gingseng and wolfberries. It does lack some freshness though and fruits are a little cooked? and warm. Bottle issue?

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• 2004 Château Fleur Cardinale 85 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

  Stinky nose of marmite, essence of chicken, old oak barriques, sandalwood, truffles and nice dark flowers. Savory notes of fermented bean curd paste. This also has creamier denser texture with luscious dark nice and juicy fruits. This has lots of fillings but not overstuffed. Ends on extra dark chocolate notes.

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• 2004 Château Lucia 83 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

  Dark purplish. Pretty lavendar scented black raspberries with new worldish nail varnish oomph. Quite modernly styled. Sweet cassis laced raspberries. A beautiful young lady but dime a dozen on orchard road. Sweet yes, special no. Noted this has developed into a much more forward wine since the last tasting.

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• 2004 Château Monbousquet 85 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

  Garrique-like smells of animal barnyard, fowl feathers and cigar box. Interesting enough to stand out among the rest of the right banks. Its kinda a more backward and austere styled wine with good black fruits lying in wait. At the moment, there's more light cherry plum fruits and bitter herbs on the finish that just throws me off a little. Masculine wine ...like a farmhand after a long day's work helping out in the barn. Really liked the nose but was slightly less impressed by the palate.

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• 2004 Château Pavie Decesse 84 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

  Powerful nose showing smoke, pain grille, dark mocha roast, sweet cassis liquer, big dark round berries wrapping up with hazeline snow white hand cream. On the palate, I had been expectant of great things but it was not to be. It felt underwhelming compated to the nose. Relatively singular and weak when considering the nose. In fact, the palate is just too elegant (not a bad thing) for the nose. It was like wearing a suit to the hawker center. Finishes with powdery chalky tannins. Maybe it is not ready yet.

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• 2004 Château Angélus 85 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

  This is definitely shut down. I get intermittent waves of the aromatic perfumery of blue flowers on a bed of compost made up of pine leaves and just a sprig mint. Left it in the glass for half an hour to open up but it only seems to just give up more on the palate with plushier plums and dark forested fruits. The nose was still very much shut down. Strong tannins that might make this an ager.

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• 2004 Château du Tertre 83 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Dry cardboard with touches of milky chocolate and lavendar. Cherries and small red berries with some ripeness. Mocha and chocolate surfaces. Approachable and fun. Drink now.

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• 2004 Château Prieuré-Lichine 81 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Gunpowder smoke plus smoked tomatoes. Pretty classic fruits with good balance of wood bark, dreid herbs but a relatively thin wine. A daily drinking wine than a classed growth.

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• 2004 Château Palmer 83 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  Flower scented smoked meats, brambly cherries. Good feeling of quiet strength but needs more structure. Finishes on dried herbs and nutmeg. Really underwhelming for the price. Reasonably masculine but a boorish guy rather than the princely status given to its name. Meh!

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• 2004 Château Lascombes 85 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux

  The most floral of bouquets of the tasting. This is the prettiest belle of the ball. Sweet raspberries, touch of meatiness and just a sprig of greeness. Approachable fresh red currants and red berries. Feminine, elegant and enjoyable with quite a long lingering finish that sort of drops of too quickly at the end instead of ringing out in style.

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• 2004 Château Léoville Poyferré 81 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien

  Cod liver oil poured over fumey notes of dark plums. Very neutral wine that is neither good nor bad. It doesn't incite any feelings whatsoever although it is neither dull nor badly made. Its just uncontroversial, nonchalent but respectable. Maybe its shut down now? I am at a loss for words. This is that guy in the class that doesn't look average but he is just not noticed. Nobody minds having him around though. I call this a 81+???. I really think this has shut down a lot from the last tasting I had.

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• 2004 Château Clerc Milon 77 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac

  Lifted airy and light ...almost aroma-less! Lightish thin tempranillo-like cherries on a bed of alc heat. Weak and forgettable. This is watery and almost tastless! Where's the pencil shavings, capsicum and meatiness ? I am disappointed but is it also shut down considerably? I hope to re-taste it in a few years time. I just can't believe the meekness.

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• 2004 Château Haut-Brion 83 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

  A little browning already at the edges! Smells like a tempranillo with sweet morello cherries and strawberries. Very elegantly styled. I tried to get more secondary aromas but as hard as I tried... nothing...I will not trick myself to make up aromas for this illustrious first growth. On the palate, soft and cherryish . Good finesse but I wouldn't say I was blown away. I don't understand what is the fuss about. Am forgetting about it as we speak. Another 2004 that has closed down for the moment?

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Going through the notes, I still like the 2004 vintage a lot. Most of them are good and it doesn't have to be the big names. Although I do think maybe a number of them have shut down for business and might re-open in another 3 years? Prices are at sane levels. This is definitely a drinker's vintage.