Open the bottle and you'll find harmony in the glass but the wine remains subtle stony and mute as if the flavors lie behind a closed door. Over the course of several days that door begins to open the stoniness transforms into sleek fruit as if to mirror the complexity of the multicolored pebbles that sustain Haut-Brion's vines a range of flavors from red to purple to black. The structure grows increasingly substantial while the harmony remains lending the wine mysterious power. Twenty years from now this will just begin to reach a plateau and should sustain itself long after.

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 the brooding character. This is so true of 2004 with its hugely firm structure underlying the initial supple fruit. At the end the acidity is an enticing surprise lifting the aftertaste.

Wonderful aromas of dried flowers currant berries and mineral. Full-bodied yet reserved and refined. Lovely texture with a pure silk feel. Seamless and beautiful. Great length. Even better than from barrel. Best after 2012. 12500 cases made. -JS

Finesse styled vintage of Haut Brion, which offers a perfume of smoke, cigar box, cherries, forest floor and green, leafy aromas. Soft and elegant, the finish, with its ripe, black and red fruits, spice box and plum sensations is refined in character. This drinks well today and should be even better with a few more years in the bottle. This is the first vintage where Jean-Philippe Delmas was fully in charge from start to finish at Haut Brion.

The 2004 Haut-Brion has a superb bouquet with very well-defined blackberry, cedar, cigar humidor and dried blood scents that blossom in the glass - quintessential Haut-Brion. The palate is medium-bodied with an almost medicinal entry and fine acidity. It's the eucalyptus aspect that really defines the finish, something that I was not expecting. Does that detract from typicité? Maybe, yet still very enjoyable. -- Neal Martin

Shines as an admirable effort in a challenging year. Dark garnet in colour, it could be more forward on the initial attack, but with time the fruit aromas open up on the palate. The texture is light and lacks punch and depth, but the balance is there. Not one for long ageing, but it is drinking well now. Merlot dominates the blend (61% of the total), and the wine was aged in 76% new casks (bottled in June 2006).

93+ Tasted at the French Embassy in London. The Haut-Brion ’04 may be entering a rather awkward phase. The nose is reticent at first and demands continued coaxing from the glass. Blackberry, cranberry and leather eventually emerge, later joined by bay leaf, leather and a touch of wild heather. The palate is medium-bodied with ripe tannins, dominated by cedar and undergrowth characters. It does lack a little depth and there is a touch of piquancy towards the finish. I feel this is entering a dumb phase but will come through the other side with all guns firing. Drink 2015-2030.

It has been a few years since I last tasted the 2004 Haut-Brion. Now at 12 years of age, it retains its deep color. The bouquet is "pleasant" if not as complex as the 2004 Latour, yet it's possibly just biding its time as it gradually opens with black fruit, black olive, even a touch of mint that might dupe you into thinking Pauillac. The palate is medium-bodied and very harmonious, almost caressing thanks to the Merlot lending that velvety texture. The second half changes tack, the Cabernet nudging the Merlot off the stage and delivering a more structured, possibly foursquare finish that is linear and correct. It is an excellent wine for the vintage although it will always be overshadowed by the 2005 inter alia. Maybe more personality just needs to develop? Tasted September 2016. - Neal Martin