White Wines:

Chateau Bouscaut Blanc 2004: This is very grassy on the nose, with plenty of nettly, green pepper aromas; obviously the Sauvignon Blanc is dominating the wine at present, although I believe the proportions are roughly equal. Lacks great impact on the palate, but is quite fresh with decent acidity. Nettly flavour, like the nose. Good. 15/20

Chateau Carbonnieux Blanc 2004: This is rather closed on the nose today, and it expresses little other than a faint nettly-mineral character. It has a very attractive palate though, showing a limpid freshness with fine acidity and good balance. Well structured, but unsurprisingly with very muted flavours at present, but these will open out with time. Very good potential. 15.5-16.5+/20

Domaine de Chevalier Blanc 2004: As with last years sample of the 2003 this is quite closed, showing little more than a faint crispness. The palate clearly shows that this is built for the cellar; balanced, elegantly textured, sappy but reserved, vaguely nettly through the midpalate but rounding out with a flourish of flavour on the finish. Potentially very good indeed. 17.5+/20

Chateau de Fieuzal Blanc 2004: Very stylish on the nose, rather complex too, with little notes of caramelised fig alongside the fresh, creamed asparagus and nettle character. Very sappy style on the palate, delightfully fresh, but with a little delicate edge to the structure and a fine balance. An elegant, quite complete wine. Great potential. 17+/20

Chateau Larrivet-Haut-Brion Blanc 2004: A nice, rich, greengage and green-yellow capsicum style here. This richness is matched by a big, full style on the palate, which shows good structure but plentiful fruit to match, in an exotic creamy, capsicum style, like the nose. Very fresh, with good acidity. Appealing. 16.5+/20

Chateau Latour-Martillac Blanc 2004: Rather muted on the nose, showing a little oak though, but with some greengagey-nettly aroma also showing. Rather brutally structured, a bit oaky, pithy and certainly very masculine in style. Firm acidity and naked fruit; there is no cushion to soften the impact here. But good cellar potential. 16+/20

Chateau Malartic-Lagravière Blanc 2004: A lovely nose here, fresh and exuberant with crystal clear fruit; what a refreshing change after last year's effort. Rather Sauvignon-dominant on the nose, green and grassy, but with an appealing passion fruit note, melded with some oak. Full yet reserved, structured and pithy, with fresh, peppery, nettly acidity. Very good potential. 16.5+/20

Chateau Olivier Blanc 2004: A rather muted nose, rather oaky, and this character carries through onto the palate which shows nothing more than a little subtle peach fruit. Lean, and perhaps a little tinny and stretched out. It may fatten up with time though, and has an appealing pithiness. 14.5-15.5+/20

Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte Blanc 2004: A divinely expressive fruit nose here, with juicy grapefruit and even a little banana, which is unusual but not actually all that unattractive in this instance. Good body, pithy, a little sinewy even, with a firm, full structure. Quite firm and masculine, showing much better than my tasting earlier in the year. 15.5-16.5+/20

Red Wines:

Chateau Carbonnieux 2004: Unlike the white Carbonnieux this is not at all closed; it has a vibrant red fruit character, a melange of gravelly, raspberry notes. Firm, solidly put together wine, perhaps a little coarse, showing a firm, tannic structure. Seems well extracted. Has a certain rustic appeal. Good. 15.5+/20

Chateau Les Carmes Haut-Brion 2004: A good nose here, quite forward compared to some other wines, ripe, gravelly, perfumed, with a sheen of oak. There is a dry, reserved palate showing similar fruit. Rather firm tannins, perhaps a touch over-extracted, overall lacking balance. A disappointment. 14/20

Domaine de Chevalier 2004: This has a dark, floral, gravelly fruit nose, with little notes of sweet blackberries and butter. Full and rounded style on entry, evolving to a gravelly, mineral character through the midpalate. Firm tannins, nicely composed, not at all overdone. Fine, fresh acidity. This has very good potential. 17+/20

Chateau de Fieuzal 2004: An interesting nose here, showing some obvious, confit cherry fruit blended with some sweet oak. Good style on the palate though, showing more typical gravelly red fruit. Nicely proportioned tannins; this is a firm, solidly composed wine which should be very good. 16.5+/20

Chateau Haut-Bailly 2004: Why is the nose here always so complete? This really reminds me of the 2005, tasted in April this year. It has refined, perfumed, floral, mineral-edged fruit rather than the less elegant gravel exhibited by so many of the other wines. A lovely style on the palate, mineral-edged fruit, showing lovely structure. Beautifully poised, with a fine presence on the palate. This has fabulous potential. Who couldn't like this? 18.5+/20

Chateau Larrivet-Haut-Brion 2004: A rather exotic nose here, showing perfumed fruit, tinged with minerals, presented in an absolutely beautiful style. The palate is very finely composed, fine fruits, with a grippy structure beneath, and precise acidity. This nicely poised wine has a just lovely, supple style. Very impressive. 18+/20

Chateau Latour-Martillac 2004: There are lots of ripe fruits on the rather forward, open nose of this wine, perfumed in character, with a layer of oak. But the palate disappoints; it has a hollow centre, and lacks texture. Thin and perhaps over-extracted as there is an incongruous wall of tannin to match. A great shame, as the nose held some promise. 14/20

Chateau Malartic-Lagravière 2004: This has a subtle, reserved nose, rather closed, but showing a little perfumed, oaky fruit. Nicely composed on the palate, with soft tannins, a solid yet creamy impact and fresh acidity. This certainly has potential. Very good. 16.5+/20

Chateau Pape-Clément 2004: This is exotic, perfumed, deeply fruited, with an attractive pickling spices complexity. Fine texture on the palate, with lots of texture and a lovely extract. The tannins are ripe, rather svelte and peppery, and come with fresh acidity. Tannic finish. This is set up for good development in the cellar. 17.5/20

Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte 2004: This modern-styled wine shows some sweet and buttery oak on the nose, wrapped in some confit black fruits. Rounded and a little creamily textured, the wine hides its supple tannins well until the finish. Nice, cool style, with pepper-spice notes. Attractive. 16.5/20