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
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
Despite having over 40-plus acres of vineyards in the northeasterly sector of Napa just south of Calistoga, the production at Araujo remains relatively limited, with the flagship wine, the Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard, producing... 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
Light, bright gold. Powerful orchard and pit fruit aromas are complemented by smoky lees, iodine, chamomile and buttered toast. At once fleshy and energetic, offering deeply pitched poached pear, peach pit and brioche flavors... Read More
The 2004 La Grande Année Rosé is based on 68% Pinot Noir and 32% Chardonnay, 89% from Grand Cru villages and 11% from Premier Crus. Disgorged in July 2013, this salmon colored rosé champagne displays fine red berry and floral... Read More
The 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Melbury comes from Pritchard Hill and is aged 22 months in 100% new French oak. (About 600-700 cases of each of these wines are produced.) The 2004 Melbury is showing even better than it was early on.... Read More
The 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon St. Eden, which comes from a valley floor vineyard in Oakville, is another dead ringer for a great Pauillac, possibly a young Mouton. Dense bluish/purple in color with stunning notes of cedarwood, unsmoked... Read More
The 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Vecina emerges from an 11-acre western Oakville hillside not far from the famed Harlan Estate. This wine, which I rated identically in 2008, has a huge nose of bouquet garni, roasted meats and is clearly... Read More
This is extremely primary and the extremely late malo shows here as the nose is almost raw with earthy, intense, backward, indeed even awkward and rough flavors today that display a touch of vegetal quality and plenty of firm... Read More
Rose petal, mint and spice notes open up in the 2004 Barolo Rocche dei Brovia, a wine that is just beginning to open up. Silky and beautifully perfumed throughout, the 2004 is all about balance and harmony. With time in the glass,... 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
Good deep red. Sweet aromas of redcurrant, raspberry and minerals, complicated by sexy oak spices. Densely packed, oaky and sweet, with raspberry and milk chocolate flavors carrying through onto the lingering finish, which features... Read More
The 2004 IX Proprietary Red Wine (1,258 cases from a blend of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, and 6% Petit Verdot) is amazing out of bottle. Flamboyant, super-fragrant aromas of graphite, creme de cassis,... Read More
A beautiful example of the vintage, proprietor Michel Reybier and his top-notch winemaker, Jean-Guillaume Prats, have fashioned an exceptional wine displaying a dense ruby/purple color as well as a sweet perfume of boysenberries,... Read More
Like so many 2004s, the 2004 Dominus is a full-bodied wine showing brilliantly at age ten, with loads of complex cedar, kirsch, Christmas fruitcake, black currants and spice box. It has a creamy, opulent texture, but remains light... Read More
Another sleeper of the vintage for this property that has been doing impressive work over recent vintages, the 2004 (a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot) displays a dark ruby/purple color along with classic aromas... Read More
Medium ruby. Aromatic nose offers kirsch, cassis, violet and dark chocolate. Sweet, supple and stuffed with fresh dark berry fruit. A faintly medicinal, minty character suggests medium ripeness, and yet there's very good mid-palate... Read More