04 left bank clarets

[rjsussex]

Very brief notes from checking up on a vintage i like very much and bought heavily in (the last value vintage...):

-Issan: mature already, subtle and pretty perfume, gently opulent, lovely but for early drinking.
-Durfort: v keen on this property but recent bottles of the 04 have seemed a bit overworked. Lots of life ahead of it anyway.
-Cantemerle: they pushed hard here so the wine is dark and lean. I like but it's not going to soften.
-Brane Cantenac: a beauty. Really stylish and impeccably balanced, but don't keep too long.
-Dom de Chevalier: love this property to to bits and have followed it from the 70s. The 04 seemed a touch vegetal from first bottles but last nights was just lovely - dark minerals everywhere and such a subtle length.
-GPLacoste: tonight's bottle seems less good than i recall: there's a markedly honeyed sweetness which is attractive but then a bit cloying... Perhaps this bottle not at best.

Richard

[JimHow]

Have you had '04 Leoville Barton lately, Richard?

[Ramon_NYC]

Drink now on the '04 Brane-Cantenac?

[Bacchus]

I'm an '04 fan too, and have a fair bit of it. That said, has anyone an opinion on the '02 Brane-Cantenac? Jim, perhaps?

[JimHow]

We did a live virtual tasting of Brane Cantenac a few years back, I'm trying to remember the vintage, I don't think it was 2002. I have absolutely loved the entire left bank from 2002, from north to south. D'Issan was one of my favorites. I'm not recalling that I've had the 2002 Brane Cantenac.

[Houndsong]

Aside from a few odds and ends, what I have of 04 consists of a case each of PC and Leo B. I wasn't thinking of starting on those for a few years more at least.

[rjsussex]

Thanks for replies.

Looking at all my 04s, I can add: Barton and PC both need more time than those above, I think, though not sampled recently. Also need to retaste Poyferre, Langoa and Lagrange. The Langoa at its original price was/is a terrific bargain - though bargain of the vintage for me is the wonderful Soc Mallet. 2 dark horses are the T H Brion and the Carmes HB, the former I'm pretty sure less good than the 02, the latter really subtle but needs more time. Armailhac and Clos du Marquis were pleasantly classy some weeks ago after less good first bottles. Chasse (sorry, Chasse!) was the only let-down of my 04s.

When I joined BWE, I did some 01s v 04s and some 02s v 04s, and I recall the Poyferre 02 having the edge, the lagrange 02 and 04 being neck and neck, the Durfort 04 preferred to the 02, the THB 02 preferred to the 04, the PC 01 edging it over the 04, and the Barton 01 I think preferrred to both the 04 and the 03... (And I prefer the Soc Mallet 04 to the very good 03). And, my memory being so bad these days, I think I got a sample bottle of the Montrose 04 and much preferred the excellent 01. But those sessions were a long time ago. I certainly prefer Clos du Marquis 04 to the 01. And without question the Dom de Chevalier 04 (my favourite of the ones in my note above) is superior to the 01.

Hope useful.

Richard