2004 Wine from France

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 Spectator, 95 points: A seamless Champagne, showing a texture of raw silk, this weaves vibrant acidity with an expressive range of glazed apple and poached white cherry fruit flavors, with pickled ginger and saffron spice details and rich...

jamessuckling.com, 91 points: I drank this at Pastis resto in New York City just before my Brunello event on May 18. Love the Paris Bistro vibe. Lovely soft tannins with coffee and cedar with ripe fruit. China tea. Subtle. Cloves too. Full and round...

Burghound, 91 points: A surprisingly airy and like the La Justice, very pinot nose that is both elegant and transparent dissolves into supple, detailed and quite finely balanced middle weight flavors that are both delicious yet serious and...

Vinous, 90 points: Medium red. Fresh red berry and cherry aromas accented by minerals and spices. Fresh acidity sharpens the brisk, mineral-laced redcurrant, bitter cherry and graphite flavors. Smoked meat and tobacco tones emerge on the...

Wine Spectator, 92 points: Highly perfumed, boasting violet, cherry, black currant and mineral aromas and flavors, with fine length. Opulent and packed with sweet fruit, yet harmonious and elegant for the appellation. Drink now through 2016. 210...

Decanter, 96 points: It was a dry vintage up to August, which turned exceptionally wet and cool. September saved the vintage with the ideal weather conditions - low rainfall and cool nights. The graceful nose opens to white flowers, ripe...

Vinous, 93 points: Bright yellow. Bright and precise on the mineral-driven nose and in the mouth, displaying lively citrus pith, pear and melon character. Dry and sharply focused, delivering a suave blend of power and verve and...

Wine Spectator, 91 points: Aromas of raspberry and citrus, with just a hint of sweet tobacco. Full-bodied, with a solid core of fruit and a caressing, layered tannin structure. Very well made. Excellent. Best after 2011.–JS

Neal Martin's Wine Journal, 91 points: A very fine nose, very intense but tightly coiled with blackberry, a touch of earth, cedar and rose petals. Superb. The palate is medium-bodied, very good acidity with earthy black fruits, tobacco, quite austere on the...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 99 points: A wine that tastes akin to liquid rocks as well as white currants and quince is the light golden 2004 Ermitage Cuvee de l’Oree. This is a fabulous wine, with blockbuster intensity and richness. This is the kind of wine...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 91 points: 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...

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...

Wine Spectator, 95 points: This shows lots of mulled spice, warm tobacco leaf and well-roasted cedar accents, but isn't short on fruit, offering enticing layers of red currant, plum and blackberry confiture. The long finish is riddled with sweet...