Chateau Phélan-Ségur (St Estèphe) 2004: CS 47%, M 51%, CF 2%. A little Cabernet Franc in this vintage for Phélan-Ségur. Lovely, open, sweet fruit on the nose, the oak is still resolving here, but it shows a good concentration of fruit too. Good depth, structured, very complete style, a little dense, gritty and perhaps a bit tight. Lovely structure overall and nicely balanced components. Very good potential here. I like this a little more than my last tasting. 16.5+/20

Chateau d'Armailhac (Pauillac) 2004: This has a really nice character on the nose, with quite classically styled dark fruit with a liquorice tone, showing a little early rather wild and complex character already. Nice weight, texture and depth on the palate. It is supple and rounded, truly very finely balanced, with ripe tannins appearing just before the finish and gentle acidity. This has lots of potential for the future. 16.5+/20

Chateau Clerc-Milon (Pauillac) 2004: A denser hue than the equivalent d'Armailhac, with dark fruits showing a slightly warm and spicy character. Lovely weight on the palate, a supple style, well textured with ripe, well composed and balanced tannins. There is good acidity behind it too. This is really very good and has delicious potential for the cellar. 17+/20

Chateau Lagrange (St Julien) 2004: A nice character here. On the nose I find some sweet, dark fruit and there is still evidence of some buttery oak too. There is a rich, cherry-laced aroma, rich but fresh as well. The palate is attractive, balanced, with some depth and nicely rounded out fruit. Elegant, not hugely deep and textured, but well styled, and a nice persistence. Altogether this is very good and appealing , with good potential. Not that long since I last tasted this I see, and it is showing well still. 17+/20

Chateau Siran (Margaux) 2004: There is direct, vibrantly styled fruit present in a lively fashion on the nose. It has a rather lean composition on the palate, rather firm with apparent acidity, with a straight forward texture that does little to impress. It has a nice flavour though, and it holds together well on the finish, where it shows a little more flesh. Rather light on grip. Overall, being generous, quite good. 14.5+/20

Chateau d'Issan (Margaux) 2004: A really quite stylish nose here, showing a good, typical Margaux perfume. Ripe fruit, attractive and brimming with characterful aroma. Full, carrying good flavour at the start, then showing a harder structure through the midpalate, but it continues with a good texture and it has decent acidity. There is a nice but gentle, rounded sweetness to it. Quite impressive. 16.5+/20

Chateau Brane-Cantenac (Margaux) 2004: CS 67%, M28%, CF 5%. This has a lovely open nose, and a good depth, with plenty of deep, ripe, dark fruits. It has a concentration I admire, but with a minerally freshness too, and this seems like a very attractive Brane-Cantenac. Cool composition on the palate, with cherries, perhaps a touch medicinal in character but certainly fresh, light-footed, clean and precise with a nice direction, but with a good depth of flavour too. Underneath it all a gentle layer of ripe tannins. This has more approachability than my tasting after bottling, and is impressive. 17+/20

Chateau Sainte-Colombe (Côtes de Castillon) 2004: This is 70% Merlot, fermented in oak using one-year old Pavie barrels. On the nose it is very flashy, but it is attractive. Showing lots of rich blackberry fruit and obviously a lot of oak too. Although rich, the nose does have a bright and slightly crunchy feel, which I find appealing. Quite lean and crisp on the palate, well defined, with a fairly bare structure of firm, ripe but hard tannins overlaid with sharp, black fruits. The finish maintains this tannic feel. A nice wine, although I am not sure how well this will come together. 15.5?+/20

Chateau Cap de Faugères (Côtes de Castillon) 2004: This is 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, from vines that average 30 years of age. It spends 12 months in used oak. It has a very characteristic, meaty, fruit rich nose, with a very ripe, slightly feral character. The texture on the palate is lovely, it has an immediately apparent creaminess, but beneath this there is a deeply set structure, good grip and firm acidity. A big, rich style showing a wealth of sweet, dark fruit, but not overdone and nicely structured. Very good potential 16.5-17+/20

Chateau Faugères (St Emilion) 2004: Again this is 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, from vines that average 35 years of age. It spends 14 months in a mix of 50% used oak and 50% new. Lovely, pure, deep fruit on the nose, with a dark, roasted, meaty style. This is very attractive. It has texture and a fresh and admirable depth. The tannins are ripe and well balanced and overall this is very nicely composed. It is stylish, concentrated, and it has a dense finish. This has great potential. 17.5+/20

Péby Faugères (St Emilion) 2004: This is 100% Merlot, a selection of the best parcels. Oak fermented and matured, there are typically only 100 cases per annum. It has a fine and concentrated nose, with deep fruit, particularly notes of blackberries swirled in cream. There is a fine delineation and a good, vigorous nature, overall a firm and yet creamy style. With good acidity and a lovely backbone of well balanced tannins, this is in fact delicious. Wonderful clarity on the finish. And not over-extracted. Excellent wine. 18+/20

Chateau Fonroque (St Emilion) 2004: This has a lovely presence of fresh fruit on the nose, vibrant with good fruit complexity already shining through, with notes of dark liquorice. Full, creamily supple and gently weighty on the palate, and overall this is really nicely put together. I think this is an under-rated vintage for Bordeaux, and Alain Moueix was certainly in agreement with this sentiment. 16.5-17+/20

Chateau Pavie (St Emilion) 2004: A very dense and glossy appearance here. The nose is appealingly aromatic, carrying the essence of freshly crushed blackberries, perhaps a little cherry, alongside which there is plenty of spice and aromatics derived from this wines time in oak, which exceeded 24 months. The palate is initially a little surprising, not showing a lot of flesh at first, but this fills out in the midpalate and it has all the rich, creamy texture here that you would expect. There is a wonderful depth of fruit, with a pickling-spice complexity that sings extract, quality and promise to me. Deep, structured, but harmonious, the tannins being firm and defined, but well covered with fruit. This has excellent potential. 18+/20

Chateau Monbousquet (St Emilion) 2004: There is a very intense and even exotic character on the nose here, certainly evident complexity and depth of character. This has been in 100% new oak for over 18 months and this shows as a smoky, charcoal-tinged character in the aromatics I think, which rather hides the fruit at present. Lots of ripe character on the palate, with pickling spices rather like the Pavie, and pepper. It starts off a little soft and unknit but shows better through the midpalate where the acidity comes out to provide some definition. Good flavour. Ripe tannins and sufficient texture to match. It holds together well on the finish. Excellent potential here. 17.5+/20

Chateau Coutet (Barsac) 2004: Very youthful on the nose, with aromas of honeysuckle and honey alongside some sweet and unresolved oak. The palate has a fat and creamy nature, with a well rounded and broad presence. Although rich it has elegance and freshness, defined by a nice backbone of acidity, as well as a lovely floral edge. This is really very good indeed and could well be excellent one day. 17.5+/20