February 24, 2024 - Bordeaux 2004 - 20 Years On - 33 Reds: All wines tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) 2004 is a mediocre vintage overall, with many pleasant wines, but without the depth of better years. 2) At the top, the vintage produced some classic, old-school wines with lots of freshness and fresh fruit. 3) At the lower end, many wines lacked fruit and ripe tannins, resulting in some astringent and slightly drying wines. 4) An alarming number of Right Bank wines (5 out of 16, no Left Bank wine) were oxidized, including some heavyweights like Petrus, Evangile or Figeac. An unacceptably high proportion of faulty wines. 5) I’m not sure that the 2004 are currently in a good phase, many of my scores were lower than in previous tastings. The question is if it’s just a weaker phase or the beginning of the end. 6) At the top and the only wine >95pts was a layered Le Pin (rated 96pts), with a charming Vieux Chateau Certan, a surprising Issan and Clos l'Eglise, as well as an elegant Lafite sharing second place (all rated 94pts).
TN: Medium expressive nose, dark berries, herbs, earthy notes, woody notes, some leathery notes. On the palate this is one of the more complex wines of the tasting. Dark and blue fruit, even some floral hints, minerality, herbs, some slight oak tones which are not intrusive but add to the complexity.. Structured and fresh and without any fault. Quite complete. I’m not the biggest fan of this winery as the wines here tend to big quite big and opulent. In this cooler vintage, however, this worked quite well (same is true for Peby Faugeres).
September 2, 2021 - Commanderie Bx
August 6, 2020 - Very modern and surprisingly opulent for a 2004 Bordeaux. More Napa than St.Emilion in style, but still tasty. Still quite young, so no rush to drink bottles anytime soon, I'd easily give this another 15-20 years as it has the acidity and tannin structure for that
December 11, 2018 - CP)
April 15, 2017 - Still young, but starting to offer its ripe, mineral driven, black cherry, stone, and plum fruits, licorice, smoke and earthy character. Give it a 3-5 more years to develop even more textural and aromatic nuances.
November 29, 2016 - 19+, (chap) hält Niveau mit 2000er,
January 3, 2016 - Popped and poured. This is a dark ruby wine. On the nose, I get plum, some wood, an interesting green note (which dissipates with time), and a slight bit of heat on the backend. In the mouth, this is lush but spicy -- really "juicy" above all else. Overall, this is a very nice wine; it is enjoyable yet classy. Yet I am ultimately left with a somewhat anonymous feeling. 92 points.
November 19, 2015 - Tasted at Rendezvous by Kerry Wines, Hong Kong. 197 wines. We managed to sip 32 in two hours. Hard work…but happy to roll up our sleeves, exercise our swirling wrists, put on our wine spectacles, clear our noses and cleanse our palates….we do what we can to make the world a better place!!!
Blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc and clearly sufficiently aged for more than a lot of months in oak. A Saint Emilion sleeper. Liquorice and dark cherry aromas. Ripe, fresh dark fruits and espresso. Top-shelf tannins with a body to die for...thinking a blend of 80% Beyonce and 20% Nicole Kidman with the simple beauty of Sandra Bullock...wrap that one up in a bottle and, well, you are swinging for the fences! She is fairly high maintenance...duh, did you think Christmas comes every day!? She also will continue to impress over the next 10+ years so do not be shy...take her for a spin!
June 5, 2015 - Drank at Canon-la-Gaffelière
Incredibly complex nose of dark fruit, earth, leather and tobacco. Mouth coating smooth rich palate with an incredible length. Amazing.
November 30, 2014 - Showing more age in the color than in the wine, with black and white truffle, Cuban cigar, stone, licorice, sweet plum and dark cherry aromas. This is followed by a concentrated layer of fresh, ripe plum and tobacco that is pure silk, stone and velvet in the finish. Drink now, or age it for more complexity.