The 2004 Thorevilos (200 cases) exhibits a deeper purple hue, and the nose is more restrained and closed than the Madrona Ranch's. It offers up hints of minerality, earth and spice. The wine hits the palate with lots of richness... Read More
One of the top wines of the vintage, the 2004 Angelus (a 7,500-case blend of 62% Merlot and 38% Cabernet Franc with a natural alcohol of 13.5%) is a classic, tannic, structured wine exhibiting a saturated dense purple color as... Read More
The 2004 Châteauneuf du Pape Hommage À Jacques Perrin continues to show well, and was even more open from this bottle than from one earlier this year. While still youthful, it has beautiful complexity and depth on the palate,... Read More
The dense ruby/purple-colored 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Paradise Hills Estate reveals notes of cocoa, coffee, chocolate and creme de cassis. It cuts a bigger swath across the palate than the Merlot, but with no hard edges. Deeply... Read More
WA 96 (12/2006): The brilliant, super-rich 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection (this cuvee is now aged only 15-16 months in barrels compared to older vintages that spent almost twice as long in wood) boasts an inky/purple... Read More
A spicy, expressive, pure and superbly elegant nose of black raspberry, cherry and hints of cassis combine with textured, sweet and gorgeously detailed flavors that almost glide across the palate as the finish is a portrait in... Read More
A terrific effort from Administrator Frederic Engerer and owner Francois Pinault, the dark ruby/purple-tinged 2004 Latour exhibits a strong cassis character intermixed with notes of crushed rocks, earth, cedar, and forest floor.... Read More
Performing better from bottle than it did from cask, this blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, and 11% Cabernet Franc has put on weight over the last year. It exhibits the classic style of both Las Cases and St.-Julien... Read More
A classic, old style Napa Cabernet Sauvignon, Montelena's 2004 reveals beautiful purity along with lots of creme de cassis fruit, a full-bodied mouthfeel, and a long finish. By Montelena standards, it is a bit more powerful... Read More
Wonderful aromas of spice, berry and lightly toasty oak. Medium- to full-bodied, with very fine tannins and a lovely finish. All in finesse. A mini-1996. -JS WS
This stunning wine is one of the vintage's great successes. Administrator Thomas Duroux has fashioned a modern day version of Palmer's brilliant 1966. Displaying a rare combination of power and elegance, this dense purple-colored... Read More
The 2004 Pavie (7,050 cases) tips the scales at 13.5% alcohol. One of the stars of the vintage, it boasts a dense purple color as well as a penetrating, fragrant perfume of creme de cassis, black cherry liqueur, licorice, Asian... Read More
This small estate owned by Chantal and Gerard Perse (9 plus acres planted with 43-year-old vines) is composed of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. In 2004, yields were a low 28-30 hectoliters per hectare, resulting in 400 cases... Read More
Beautiful, with lots of blackberry and currant, hints of toasty oak and fresh mushroom. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a long finish. This shows really well. Very ripe. Serious. Long and in harmony. 65 percent Cabernet... Read More
A blend of 89% Sonoma and 11% Napa fruit, the 2004 Reserve Claret is composed of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon. More coffee, toffee and caramelized red and black fruit aromas jump from the glass of this dense plum/purple-colored... Read More
This is a much different and classically styled with an ultra pure nose of ripe but austere green fruit brimming with oyster shell and seawater notes that introduce elegant, pure and sweet flavors all wrapped in a beautifully... Read More
No one ... let me say that again ... no one in the New World makes better Grenache than Manfred Krankl. Tasting four different cuvees was the equivalent of having a great chef, such as Daniel Boulud, cook all your meals for seven... Read More
The 2004 Sloan's spectacular inky/purple/garnet color is followed by notes of high quality espresso roast, chocolate, black currants, truffles and a striking minerality. Full-bodied and super-rich with that roasted character... Read More