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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.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEOpen 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.Wine and Spirits | 96 W&SWonderful 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. 12,500 cases made..Wine Spectator | 95 WSIt 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.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 93 RP-NMGood deep ruby-red. Reticent nose showed some dark cherry with aeration. Densely packed but youthfully closed, even a bit austere today, offering hints of black raspberry and minerals. This is fairly tannic wine (the IPT is 72) but there’s nothing hard about it. My sample gained in sweetness and texture with aeration, although its fruit character remained tightly wound. Give this time in a carafe if you plan to try it anytime soon. At this tasting, the ’04 La Mission was showing much more personality.Vinous Media | 91+ VM

This is certainly one of the stars of the vintage. With its solid tannins and dark, smoky character, it is going to be powerful, but with such elegance. The fruit flavors combine richness and freshness in fine harmony.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEIntense aromas of tar, blackberry and wet earth, with just a hint of tobacco and flowers. Full-bodied, chewy and long. Extracted, yet turns caressing and velvety in texture. Broad-shouldered and muscular for this estate. This is better than the 2000. Best after 2012. 3,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe 2004 Cheval Blanc has always been a wine that I felt needed patience on behalf of the wine lover, and so it is proving to be the case. Served blind I remarked upon a surprisingly Burgundy-like bouquet with ample red cherries, candied strawberry and redcurrant scents, the Merlot clearly more conspicuous than the Cabernet Franc, at least for now. The palate is medium-bodied with just a touch of coarseness on the entry. I appreciate the weight and balance here and belatedly the Cabernet Franc begins to express itself on the latter half, lending structure and grip, a dash of spice and a bit of sinew. Whilst it will never have the persistence of other vintages and regrettably continue to be dwarfed by the 2005, it remains a very fine Cheval Blanc from Pierre Lurton and his team. Tasted September 2016.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 92 RP-NMGood bright ruby-red. Subdued but pure aromas of plum, flowers, licorice, menthol and Asian spices. Suave on entry, then dry and tight in the middle; extremely backward and shut down. Most impressive now for its finesse of texture. But today there’s little sign of the fleshiness the wine showed in the spring after the harvest. Lock this one away for a while and forget about it. This vintage has more cab franc than merlot.Vinous Media | 90+ VM

A smooth, delicious wine. The fruit flavors go right through this ripe, complex wine, leaving the tannins and wood as supporting acts. As with so many 2004s, the aftertaste is fresh, with great acidity.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEA big, smoky, tapenade, plum, black currant, and spring flower-scented nose is followed by a medium to full-bodied, textured, layered wine with sweet tannin, low acidity, and impressive concentration as well as depth. This is a gorgeous, hedonistic yet complex Margaux to drink now and over the next 12-14 years.Robert Parker | 91 RPThis is very fresh and firm with really beautiful chocolate, walnut and berry character on the nose and palate. Full body with chewy yet polished tannins and a flavorful finish. Subtle and fine. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 91 JSA solid red, with blackberry, plum and light cedar aromas and flavors. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a long, caressing aftertaste. All together here. Best after 2008. 25,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

In 1999 JP Moueix purchased this parcel of what had been Certan-Giraud and renamed it Hosanna. Though neighboring Pétrus, the pleasures of the wine are far more delicate. Floral scents of jasmine and fraises des bois combine with licorice spice as it takes on air, all standing against the blackness of the tannin, earthbound and powerful in its own light-handed way. Both shy and tough, this wine needs ten years from the vintage to begin to show its complexities.Wine & Spirits Magazine | 94 W&SChristian Moueix gave the celebratory name Hosanna to Château Certan Guiraud after he purchased it in 1999. He has now made his mark on the property, combining elegance and power. The style of the property seems to hone in on structure and tannins, but the fruit, dense and black, is also there.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEBright blackberry, forest fruits and freshly cut flowers. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a long, caressing finish. Lots of black licorice and fruit character. Needs some time to develop in the bottle. Best after 2010. 1,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WSMore structured and tannic than usual, the 2004 Hosanna reveals a noble bouquet of spring flowers, cedar, menthol, and caramelized sweet black cherries and currants. The flavors are rich, savory, and medium to full-bodied, but strong tannins appear in the finish, suggesting 3-4 years of bottle age will be beneficial. It should drink nicely for 12-15+ years thereafter.Robert Parker | 90+ RPGood bright, deep red. Fresh, nuanced nose combines red cherry, tobacco, truffle, smoke and earth. Plump but fresh and intense, with an attractive restrained sweetness and firm underlying structure. This rather sexy and accessible Pomerol spreads out nicely to coat the palate, and finishes suave and lively, with firm tannic spine.Vinous Media | 90 VM

A big wine, with bitter chocolate flavors, and packed ripe fruit. It is intense and very dark, a great success.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEVery grapey and fresh on the nose, with hints of flowers. Full-bodied, with very well-integrated tannins and a complex, subtle aftertaste of vanilla, blueberry and cream. Long and refined. Best after 2012. 5,416 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSA strong effort from the Becot family, this blend of 70% Merlot, 24% Cabernet Franc, and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon exhibits a saturated dense ruby/purple color, sweet notes of creme de cassis, cherries, earth, and subtle herbs, a spicy, medium to full-bodied, soft, opulent style, and a fleshy, long finish. Enjoy this hedonistic yet complex wine over the next 12-15 years. Just under 6,000 cases were produced.Robert Parker | 91 RPThe 2004 Beau-Séjour Bécot was picked between 2 September and 15 October. It has an attractive bouquet with redcurrant and cranberry fruit, flanked by a subtle floral and confit-like aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with fine delineation, quite cohesive with a strict and linear second half. This is one of the more saline vintages from the estate in the 1990s, nevertheless it represents a commendable 2014 with just a touch of bitterness surfacing right at the finish. Otherwise this is a fine contribution to the vintage. Tasted at the château.Vinous Media | 90 VMNo written review provided. | 90 W&S

A sensational effort and one of the stars of the vintage, Smith-Haut-Lafitte’s 2004 possesses an inky/blue/purple-tinged color as well as a sumptuous nose of lead pencil shavings, spring flowers, blueberries, and blackberries. Surprisingly full-bodied for the vintage with stunning concentration, purity, and overall harmony, this is another brilliant wine from the proprietors, the Cathiards, who have done such a spectacular job at this estate since the early 1990s. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2022.Robert Parker | 93 RPThe Cathiards have scored with their 2004. It is rich and dense, but keeps a fine sense of structure. While the tannins are dusty, almost sweet, they keep good balance with the elegant fruit and the enticing acidity. Keep for five years plus.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEOak dominates the wine for now, with luscious red- and black-currant fruit a whisper underneath. The juiciness of that fruit grows rounder and more substantial with air as the wine evolves toward elegance. Modern and supple, this should be at its best six to eight years from the vintage.Wine & Spirits Magazine | 91 W&SDeep red. Roasted red fruits, smoked meat, tobacco and a note of truffle on the expressive nose. Sweet and rather primary, with classic Pessac-Leognan flavors of iron, woodsmoke, hot stones and tobacco. Broad and smooth for the year, if not quite as dense as the young 2006. Finishes with lovely ripe tannins and lingering sweetness. This will offer early pleasure.Vinous Media | 90 VMLots of blackberry, spice and tobacco on the nose, with hints of cigar box. Full-bodied, with soft, round tannins and a dark chocolate and fruit aftertaste. Balanced and caressing. Best after 2009. 8,330 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

This has solid, modern, polished fruit that is taking on new-wood flavors. But that fruit is rich enough to power through the wood and give freshness and ripeness when mature.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WE

There has been a noticeable increase in the quality of Pichon Lalande’s second wine. A blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, and 6% Cabernet Franc, the accessible, impressively-endowed 2004 Reserve de la Comtesse possesses a deep ruby/purple color as well as notes of creme de cassis, charcoal, and spice box. It should drink well upon release, and evolve for a decade.Robert Parker | 88-90 RP