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Along with Leoville Las Cases and a few others, this is among the stars of the appellation. Made in a more floral, supple, Margaux-like style, the deep ruby/purple-hued 2004 Leoville Poyferre exhibits sweet, broad flavors, and plenty of tannin lurking beneath the surface. However, the abundant cherry, black currant, licorice, and smoke notes obscure the tannic clout. This rich, powerful, broad beauty should be drinkable in 2-3 years, and last for two decades.Robert Parker | 93 RPA powerfully extracted wine, which almost—but not quite—submerges what is a fresh, fruity layer. The new wood that goes with the extraction is obvious at this stage in the wine’s development, but that cassis fruit will bring out the freshness later.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEClear leather and autumnal hedgerow aromatics, showcasing soft bramble fruits and full of life and character. After a slow start, the 2004 vintage is starting to stretch its wings and show some real character. This is a wine that surpasses its vintage, as you might expect from the producer. It was an abundant vintage with high yields, which perhaps explain why it is showing the beginning of tertiary character and less concentration to the fruit, but no doubt it will stay put at this moment of evolution for a long while. Drinking Window 2018 - 2034Decanter | 92 DECVery clean, with blackberry, currant and light vanilla aromas. Full and juicy, with chewy tannins and a long finish. Impressive despite a slightly hollow midpalate. Wait and see as this grows in the bottle. May be a bit overextracted this year. Best after 2011. 20,830 cases made.Wine Spectator | 90 WS

Dense and solid, relying on rich tannins to give it structure and richness. The flavor is deep and concentrated, with dark black fruits piling in under the dry tannins. A wine that will develop slowly.Wine Enthusiast | 92 WEThis vintage presents a clear deepening of colour, switching from tertiary to a plump and rich ruby. 2004 was not the easiest vintage in Bordeaux, with some rain over summer, but the harvest was good. It’s classic in style, with menthol, cassis, tobacco and slate notes. There’s nothing overly intense, and it’s not the most generous of years – this wine needs food to smooth its rough edges - but the balance and freshness make your mouth water and it’s really coming into its own, those hard, youthful tannins beginning to soften. One to enjoy over a long supper with friends. Aged in 50% new oak. Drinking Window 2018 - 2030.Decanter | 91 DEC(a blend of 52% cabernet sauvignon, 42% merlot and 6% petit verdot) Ruby-red. Aromas of black raspberry, black cherry, leather, game and dark chocolate. Pliant and smooth, with a rather fine-grained texture for a young wine from this chateau. Doesn’t possess the definition or lift of the best 2004 St. Juliens, but has a solid core of chocolatey-ripe dark fruits and finishes with ripe, horizontal tannins. MargauxVinous Media | 87-90 VM

Like Clos du Marquis, the nose is very backward and broody, though eventually aromas of blackberry leaf and citrus fruits emerge. Then becoming more minerally. Full-bodied, very tannic and robust with precocious ripe black fruits. Quite linear, very tight. Huge grip. It just lacks some joie-de-vivre, some brightness of fruit. As always, strangely unlovable, but undoubtedly impressive.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94-96 RP-NMIntense aromas of currant, blackberry and light vanilla. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a long, caressing finish. Layered, with everything in the right proportion for the vintage. Excellent. Reminds me of the 1996. Best after 2012. 20,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSA cooler year than 2003 or 2005, and the precision is clear, with layers of tight black fruits, cedar and fresh mint confidently on display. It’s pretty austere right now, but its weight and texture is far more impressive than its youth. In vintages like this, it’s clear that the terroir always takes precedence here. There is 90% new oak here, and yet you barely get a whisper of it besides the soft, cold ash smoke on the finish. Drinking Window 2020 - 2040Decanter | 95 DECThis is so beautiful now with ceps, mushrooms, bark and blackberries, as well as some flowers and black olives. It’s full-bodied, round and soft. Lovely now. Drink and enjoy now, or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSThis “super second” lives up to its billing. It is rich and concentrated with dark tannins that lie over the ripe, jammy fruit and black, rich chocolate flavors. Acidity and wood are there, but only just hints after the richness of the fruit. A real, magnificent aging wine.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WEThe 2004 Léoville–Las Cases has the tough job of following the 2005. It offers black fruit mixed with sous-bois, smoke and sage aromas, now moving into its secondary stage but without the intensity of great vintages like 2005 or 2010. The palate is well balanced, with off-dry tannin. Classic in style, fresh and poised, leading to a lovely, quite sensual finish that leaves you wishing for another sip. Very fine.Vinous Media | 93 VMShowing beautifully, with a classic elegance and beautiful complexity, the 2004 Saint-Julien reveals a healthy ruby hue as well as textbook currants, lead pencil shavings, dried tobacco, and dried flower-like aromas and flavors. It shows the more streamlined, elegant style of the vintage yet has plenty of sweet fruit, beautiful overall balance, and a great finish. It’s drinking at point today yet should continue evolving and drinking nicely for 15-20 years or so.Jeb Dunnuck | 93 JD

As so often, Léoville-Barton stands out for its style and elegance. With fresh fruit and acidity allied to generous tannins, it sums up the character of the 2004 vintage. Very classic in Bordeaux terms: not hugely powerful, but delicious.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThis is an impressively endowed vin de garde that should age effortlessly for 20-30 years. How Anthony Barton continues to fashion uncompromisingly primordial Bordeaux that are always among the biggest and densest of all the St.-Juliens is beyond me, but he does it year in and year out. Moreover, when it’s time to set the price, he appears to have the consumer foremost in his mind. The 2004 is a classic Leoville-Barton meant for long aging. Concentrated, with loads of smoke, creme de cassis, forest floor, and earthy notes emerge from this impressive, but oh, so backward wine. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2030+.Robert Parker | 92+ RPBright red-ruby. Deep aromas of black raspberry, black cherry, leather, smoke and flowers. Dense but juicy, with lovely finesse and flavor intensity. Notes of mocha, chocolate and leather linger nicely on the lively finish, which features substantial but rather fine tannins. This is excellent.Vinous Media | 91 VMCurrant and dark chocolate, with hints of mineral. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a long, caressing finish. Balanced. A more delicate and refined style. Best after 2011. 21,250 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WSPowerful minerality runs through this wine, wrapping the primary flavors of blueberries into blackness. There’s also an herbal edge, the scent of rosemary cutting through the fruit. More extracted and showing more oak than Bartons of times past, this is structured to age two decades from the vintage.Wine and Spirits | 90 W&S

Impressively dense, dark flavored wine, very rich and quite extracted. But it still keeps the elegance and some of the freshness of 2004, and there is plenty of blackberry flavor to push the wine along. Heavier than many 2004s, it still shows that great acidity.Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEOne can’t say enough about the efforts Bruno Borie is pouring into this wonderful estate that I have often called the “Lafite Rothschild of St.-Julien.” An undeniable success, the 2004 Ducru boasts sweet aromas of creme de cassis, spring flowers, pain grille, licorice, and road tar. This pure, medium-bodied wine possesses moderately high tannin, superb concentration, good sweetness, and low acidity. Give it 2-3 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 25 years. Also tasted: 2004 Croix de Beaucaillou (88; $25.00)Robert Parker | 93 RPAgainst my expectations, this is not quite as appealing as the 2003 to drink right now, a little more foursquare although extremely classic with plenty of St Julien finesse. The tannins are tight and firm, and this still feels extremely young - you certainly see the majestic ageing ability of Ducru in both the 2003 and 2004. The fruit character is dark, rich and powerful, with a menthol edge growing bright through the palate along with a ton of liquorice root. Extremely good, but lacks the thrill of the 2003. Drinking Window 2019 - 2040Decanter | 93 DECGorgeous aromas of crushed blackberry and currant. Full-bodied, with ultrafine tannins and a long, caressing finish. This is a Ducru with reserve and lots of finesse. Best after 2011. 15,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WSThis Ducru is such a harmonious wine, with cedar, berry and truffle character. It’s full-bodied with gorgeous tannins and a pretty finish. Drink now.James Suckling | 92 JSNo written review provided. | 92 W&SDeep ruby-red. Reticent nose hints at violet, menthol and spicy oak. Sweet and lush on entry, then broad and classically dry in the middle, with slightly edgy acidity currently dominating the wine’s precise berry and licorice flavors. Finishes with serious, broad tannins that reach the incisors. This is long but the 2006 is longer.Vinous Media | 90+ VM