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Bordeaux 2004: The Right Bank
Bordeaux 2004
At Two Years
At Three Years
At Four Years
St Emilion & Pomerol
Completing my review of the red wines of the 2004 Bordeaux vintage at four years of age are the wines of St Emilion and Pomerol. I last tasted the majority of these wines at the UGC tasting in 2006, when I thought on the whole the right bank was a success, and I was particularly impressed with one wine, which was Troplong-Mondot.
Troplong-Mondot wasn't included in the line-up here, so it is not possible to compare my opinions, separated by just over two years, but for many other wines some comparison was possible. What soon became apparent is that these are rich wines, many showing plenty of extraction, some with deep, chewy and rather inky fruit. One or two wines bordered on over-extraction, a right bank (mainly St Emilion) disease where wines are pushed to the limit, and sometimes beyond the limit. I can only suppose that the winemakers see this as a style that will curry favour and good scores from the right palates. I can't see any reason why anybody would want to make such undrinkable wines
I may as well draw your attention to the principal offender. I began the tasting with Barde-Haut, a property purchased by the Gracin-Cathiard family in 2000 and which in some vintages has garnered high praise. I found this particular vintage completely overdone, reeking of meat stock and balsamic vinegar rather than wine. Others teetered at the boundary; Canon-la-Gaffelière is frequently in this group, but I usually find it falls just on the right side of the fence for me, and in this vintage it is a wine with great potential I think. Moving onto more successful wines, the stars included the usual suspects (for my palate), these being Cheval Blanc and Chateau Figeac, although I did hear some negative opinions of the latter from fellow tasters, so this would not be a universally held view I am sure. Another notable wine was Grand Mayne, which has displayed something of a sea-change since my last tasting. Last time it seemed quite lost on the palate, but today it was much better defined and lively. Although I have naturally reviewed my note from two years ago, I actually remember the disappointment at sensing its confected fruit and buttery oak, so it was instructive to see how the aromatic profile and flavour has developed.
In Pomerol there were many very good wines which will do well with a decade in the cellar, led by La Conseillante but with many others, including Clinet and Gazin, not far behind. All told, here and in my associated tastings of the Médoc and Pessac-Léognan there were some very good wines. The Bordeaux drinker unable to look beyond the most exalted vintages, namely 2000 and 2005, should naturally ignore these notes and opinions. But those looking for good quality Bordeaux for drinking can find some rich pickings in this vintage, hopefully at a slightly more favourable price. (17/12/06)
The Right Bank 2004: Tasting Notes
Tasted at the IMW 2004 Claret Tasting in November 2008. Click
to locate stockists.
Chateau Barde-Haut 2004: An intense but overall unappealing nose here;
aromas of roasted meat stock, balsamic vinegar, with a jammy fruit nose, and
tinny overtones too. Rather animalistic. On the palate it is fat, creamy,
softly textured, showing much of the character found on the nose, with no
significant frame underneath it all. There is a huge background of tannins which
dominate the finish, and a decent presence of acidity, but it seems over-worked
to me. This is one I would avoid. 13/20
Chateau Belair 2004: There are
vibrant fruits in evidence here, red fruits predominantly, still with a trace of
toffee and vanilla, faint notes of the oak still fading. Rather dry and reserved
on the palate, showing a lot of structure, very spicy tannins, and a moderately
fleshy, creamy texture. Firm acidity. It seems quite unintegrated at present,
but it may come good with time. It certainly has a lot of grip. 16+/20
Chateau Berliquet 2004: This has spicy, peppery red fruit on the nose,
with traces of high-toned balsamic elements alongside, and also a rather
minerally-chalky edge. The palate is attractive, round and a little silky, and
there is a nicely judged structure, with well-covered tannins and a decent acid
backbone. There is a little hot, feral note to it I didn't pick up last time,
but it is a minor point. Interesting wine. 16/20
Chateau Canon 2004: The nose
here carries the aromas of roasted meats and dark red fruits with a mineral
streak. It seems to have a nice definition, and does not seem over-ripe or
volatile. Indeed the palate is nicely rounded-off, well defined with a good
frame of acidity and tannin. Well judged, rather reserved in style, not too
flashy or over-done. This will be very good with time in the cellar. 16.5+/20
Chateau Canon-la-Gaffelière 2004:
Here is an interesting wine, showing notes of high-toned fruit on the nose,
perhaps with a slightly jammy character, but certainly with some dense, meaty
undertones. A fat style on the palate, just a touch inky, with piles of dense,
ripe, meaty-beefy fruits. It has a very rich style with a soft, fleshy and
flattering texture, but there is nice if rather subdued acidity. There is plenty
of appeal for me; it is just on the edge for me in terms of ripeness and
extraction, but I don't think it has gone too far. Really very good indeed. 17.5+/20
Chateau Cheval Blanc 2004:
Initially this wine does not seem so expressive, but with a little time in the
glass it does open up a little. There is elegant fruit here, red and stony, with a perfumed but rich and meaty character, nicely defined. Compared to many
of its peers it starts off rather dry, but it shows more fleshy fruit through
the midpalate. It has a balanced character, with elegant texture, a nice core of
tannin and good, bright acidity. Rather withdrawn and tight, there is a
suggestion of suppleness wrapped around a lot of grip. This is very primary and
youthful, but should be delicious with time. 17.5+/20
Chateau Figeac 2004: This has a
really appealing nose today, with perfumed and stony fruit, with a little trace
of spiced meat stock alongside. The palate is quite gentle compared to some of
its peers, with slightly roasted fruit laid over gritty, elegant tannins and a
firm acid backbone. This is sinewy rather than fleshy, but certainly not lean.
It needs a lot of time, but could be excellent in due course. 17.5+/20
Clos Fourtet 2004: This
has a stylishly delightful nose, with aromas of toasty oak and attractively
warm, rich and spicy fruit. The palate follows on in the same vein, showing good
flesh, with lots of characterful fruit, held in a well-defined frame of acidity.
There are fine tannins and overall it has style and plenty of vigour. I like
this very much. 17+/20
Chateau Grand Mayne 2004:
Tasting this wine at two year's of age it seemed very soft and flabby; it seems
to have undergone a metamorphosis since then. Today it has a dense, dark and
spicy nose, rich in meaty-beefy fruit, a characteristic which seems not unusual
in this vintage. The palate still seems soft and very ripe, but there is a
dense, inky, fleshy substance to it too, with lots of ripe tannins showing at
the finish. It has a dense, somewhat chewy character, and clearly has some good
potential. A revised opinion here. 16.5+/20
Chateau Larmande 2004:
Slightly high-toned fruit here, with a slightly spirity, mint-tinged character
to the nose. It has a very good start on the palate, with a harmonious nature
and nicely judged texture. There are notes of spice and exotic flavours, rested
on an elegantly presented rather than fleshy texture. It has good grip
underneath, rich fruit and a fresh character. Overall this is really very good
indeed. 17+/20
Clos de l'Oratoire 2004:
Another dark-fruited wine, with little meaty notes on top of blueberry and
bramble fruit. Soft, fleshy, rounded and showing good substance, with a ripe,
meaty character, but beneath this there is a ripe tannic grip, and there are
some firm acids too. This has developed into an overtly showy wine, with plenty
of meaty grip, and this has potential for providing some good drinking in the
future. 16+/20
Chateau La Tour Figeac 2004:
Plenty of spice and exotic fruit on the nose here, set against a background of
brambly, blackberry fruit. A soft and creamy entry, with a rather more drawn-out
structure through the midpalate. There is some flesh here, but this is more than
countered by the dry seam of tannin. Good acidity. It does seem a little
unintegrated at present, but it does have potential. 16+/20
Chateau Beauregard 2004:
This vintage has a fine, exotic, spiced aroma, with some toastiness to it. The
palate has a soft style, rather ripe in character, rich in fruit with a little
jamminess. Dark bramble and cherry fruit seems to dominate, and underneath there
is a ripe seam of tannin and acidity. Lots of extract at the finish, and there
is some length to it as well. More meaty and deeply flavoured than I recall, but
a very good wine. 16.5+/20
Chateau Clinet 2004: This has
an elegant character, with red and black fruits showing through, but also with a
ripe, raw, animal edge to it. It has a nice entry, quite precise and well
defined, fresh but with a supple texture. There is a lot of structure, but it is
well covered, with a seam of ripe tannins and good acidity nicely countered by
ripe, spiced fruit. This has complex fruit character, and a good, dense,
substantial finish. Excellent potential. 17.5+/20
Domaine de l'Eglise 2004: This wine seems fairly closed down on the
nose. The palate is soft and creamy, and it does show some fruit character
despite the subdued aromas, together with a little mint. Fat, with ripe
chalk-tinged tannins, and a little chewy. Nevertheless, difficult to judge in
its currently withdrawn state. 15.5-16.5+/20
Chateau Gazin 2004: This wine
shows some reserved fruit character on the nose, with notes of toffee, cream and
vanilla rather more noticeable at present. There is fatly textured fruit on the
palate which is ripe, soft and round, with an appealing touch of grit to the
raspberry, toffee-tinged fruit. Today it seems rather diffuse and unfocused,
nevertheless all the components are here, with an appropriate balance, and with
time this could be very fine indeed. 17.5+/20
Chateau Hosanna 2004: This wine has a dense and meaty character on the
nose, with a little trace of high-toned balsamic. Very ripe in style, somewhat
unfocused at present, certainly unintegrated on the palate. The tannins are
dense and fairly chewy, with a lot of grip at the finish, but there is good
acidity here too. It is a very rich and substantial wine that I suspect my come
together in the cellar. 16-16.5+/20
Chateau La Conseillante 2004:
This has lovely fruit on the nose, just a gentle application of oak, sweet and
dense, not overdone, with some very typical Pomerol spice. Fresh, stylish, rich
but balanced on the palate, with a good freshness to it. Dense tannins, lots of
character, with good acidity underneath it all. Very primary still, but with
really fine potential. Excellent wine. 18/20
Chateau Petit Village 2004:
Raspberry fruit on the nose here, a touch feral, with notes of ice cream and
vanilla too. Still a little oak showing here. Starts off rather lean and
elegant, then fleshes out in the midpalate, but it always maintains its
middleweight substance. Nice, gritty, complex fruit, and bare structure at the
finish. Very good indeed. 17+/20
Chateau Clos Rene 2004: This wine has an appealing nose, with stony-gravelly
restrained fruit presented in a fresh style. Good structure on the palate,
elegant, with stony, elegantly spiced red fruit. It has flesh but also
definition. I think this is a well composed, nicely made wine. Very good. 17+/20
