Wine Ratings

wines

The Château l’Eglise-Clinet 2004 was served from magnum ex-cellar. It has a very fragrant bouquet with wonderful purity and delineation: dark cherries, blueberry, a touch of orange sorbet and violets. There is real sophistication here, especially in context of the vintage, one of the few 2004s that possesses a bouquet that locks you in. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannin, superb acidity, perhaps "classic" in style for want of a better expression, but very long with that spicy kick of black pepper and tobacco on the finish. This is just beginning to drink now, though personally I would afford it another two or three years, just to make sure. Tasted March 2015.Robert Parker Neal Martin | 94 RP-NMThe 2004 l’Eglise-Clinet is an outstanding wine for the vintage, where notes both from bottles and magnum have been uniformly impressive. It has a fragrant bouquet with copious red cherry, crushed strawberry, orange sorbet and violet aromas that you would think come from a warmer growing season. The palate is beautifully balanced with fine-grain tannin, a fine bead of acidity, resolutely classic in style with a persistent tobacco-laced finish. It is a quintessential l’Eglise-Clinet that can be broached now, but will also age. Tasted at a private dinner in London.Vinous Media | 94 VMViolet, blackberry, vanilla and fresh leather follow through to a full-bodied palate, with velvety tannins and a long finish. Balanced and very pretty. A lovely wine. Best after 2010. 1,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 92 WS

No written reviews provided | 96 W&SA stunning example of the vintage, the 2004 l’Evangile is not far off the pace of their brilliant 2005. A blend of 89% Merlot and 11% Cabernet Franc (3,000+ cases produced), it exhibits a deep ruby/plum color, superb ripeness, and sweet blackberry, truffle, acacia flower, licorice, and toasty oak aromas. This knock-out effort is surprisingly rich, opulent, and fruity with good glycerin, medium to full body, and a stunning finish. It should drink beautifully young yet age for 15 or more years.Robert Parker | 93 RPSaturated ruby-red. Wild aromas of plum, cured meat, milk chocolate, smoke, mace and cinnamon stick. Sweet and opulent for the vintage, with a distinctly velvety texture to the flavors of plum, mulberry, smoked meat and exotic spices. Finishes broad and sweet, with sexy suggestions of woodsmoke, chocolate and wild herbs. I've had a soft spot for this wine from the outset.Vinous Media | 91 VMThe milk chocolate, berry and cedar character on the nose is subtle and refined. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a refined finish. All in finesse and elegance. Best after 2011. 3,330 cases made.Wine Spectator | 91 WS

Tasted from barrel in 2005, this was among the best wines of the vintage, with limestone-soil character coming through the fresh brightness of fruit. Ausone was all potential energy then, and it has only improved in the two years since. The wine shares the resonant depths of the ancient limestone caves at Ausone, as the flavors echo through the finish. It starts off from a small place, a sweet confection that brings roasted blueberries to mind, the caramelized oak tasting like the edge of charred fat on extremely fine grilled beef. Over the course of several days, the wine becomes increasingly more subtle and serious in tone, with delicate red fruit, gracious mineral-inflected tannins and detailed flavors that last effortlessly. This Ausone will live for decades.Wine and Spirits | 98 W&SPretty aromas of crushed blackberry, with hints of ash and light earth. Full-bodied, with ultrafine tannins and a long, caressing finish. Goes on and on. Such class. Sleek and racy. Best after 2012. 1,500 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSOne of the vintage’s most compelling wines (what’s new about that?), Alain Vauthier’s beloved 2004 Ausone has closed down considerably since I tasted it out of barrel, but it remains among the most concentrated wines of the vintage. Furthermore, along with Petrus, it will probably be the longest-lived. A dense purple color is accompanied by a celestial perfume of blue and black fruits, wet stones, flowers, and incense. On the palate, the wine exhibits exceptional power and concentration, but this historic terroir has also provided a surreal lightness to the wine’s impression. Beautiful flavors, sensational depth, and abundant structure suggest this 2004 will not be close to full maturity for 8-10 years. It should last for four decades.Robert Parker | 94+ RPGood deep ruby. Currant, minerals and nutty oak on the nose. Lush, sweet and pliant on the attack, then more closed in the middle palate, with a chewy, rather serious texture and impressive density for the year. The black fruit flavors are complicated by minerals, dark chocolate and mocha. Finishes with a rather powerful tannic spine that will require a good decade of patience. I can envision the 2006 evolving in a similar direction.Vinous Media | 93+ VM