2004 Wine from France

Wine Enthusiast, 97 points: Following on from the great 2002 vintage of this wine, the 2004 is equally memorable. It is a magnificent wine, structured and beautifully balanced between the ripe white fruits and the tight texture that will allow it to...

Wine Enthusiast, 96 points: A blend of 66% Pinot Noir and 34% Chardonnay, this is opulent and full bodied, with toast and wood flavors. Rich and ripe, this beautiful wine is generous and still young, with just a touch of bitterness at the end.

Wine Enthusiast, 94 points: For a 2004, this is big and rich, but that is to be expected from Guiraud. The fruit is magnificently ripe, with flavors of peach and tangerine syrup along with the core of botrytis and dark honey. The aftertaste is...

Wine Enthusiast, 94 points: The rich Pol Roger style is contrasted here with the natural crisp minerality of a Blanc de Blancs. That gives a great tension, with the tight texture just waiting to round out as the wine ages further. Because it is...

Wine Enthusiast, 94 points: One of the best vintages since the great 2002, this is a sophisticated, fruit- and yeast-driven wine. It has a delicate touch, with its white fruit flavors well integrated into the toasty and tangy texture. It will age...

Wine & Spirits, 97 points: The energy in this wine recalls the 2002 Cristal (I wrote "energy" three times in my notes.) In 2004 it's explosive. The wine is saturated with flavor from floral notes of rose to pale limestone and equally pale fruit...

Neal Martin's Wine Journal, 95 points: Tasted at John Armit’s Lafleur seminar in London, the 2004 remains an outstanding wine of the vintage. It is just beginning to show signs of maturation on the rim, whilst the Cabernet Franc component is beginning to exert...

Burghound, 90 points: A gentle touch of wood serves as a background note for the somber and backward earthy black fruit aromas that lead to palate drenching flavors of solid depth and this really coats the palate with old vine sap. This is a...

Neal Martin's Wine Journal, 93 points: This has a similar nose to the Village Cru although it is perhaps more tempered and refined. Subtle touches of wet pavement and minerals, signature Anne-Claude Leflaive notes. The palate has lovely balance and poise, full...

Wine Enthusiast, 96 points: Of the pair of châteaux, La Mission Haut-Brion and Haut-Brion (both owned by the Dillon banking family) that face each other across the crowded streets of Pessac, Haut-Brion is the one with the structure, the darkness...

jamessuckling.com, 92 points: This is rich and decadent with truffles and blackberries on the nose that follow through to a full body, with ultra-fine tannins and a polished, pretty finish. Delicious now but will but better in a year or two.

jamessuckling.com, 96 points: It is hard to fathom the immense minerality on the nose here. Smells chalky with wet stones, petrichor, fresh white flowers and lemon - superior aromatic purity. The palate's struck with such clarity and precision; it...