This 2004 Lafon Rochet seems better than 2003 Lafon Rochet.

[JimHow]

…at least at the outset. Let's see how it develops….

[JimHow]

This seems to have more crispness, crunchiness to it than that stewed, Australian-like 2003 from the other night.
(A little unfair of a comment about the 2003 because it did come around in the end, but still it was quite unbalanced for most of the night.)

[JimHow]

Man, it is just so amazing how different Bordeaux vintages can be from year to year.
This is really much more classic St. Estephe. A lovely, beautiful, not-over-the-top bouquet.

[JimHow]

This 2004 Lafon Rochet is a Robert Goulet kind of wine.
For my taste, it is head and shoulders over the '03.

[JimHow]

I give this wine 91 points. Very solid. And I am really having trouble imagining it getting better with age. It is 11 years old now and the core of fruit is nice. Not anything profound, but just real nice solid St. Estephe. With more age it might become more angular and hard. Drink up! I'm glad I have another 11 bottles in my cellar. Again, better than the 2003.

[robert goulet]

2004 is just wonderful in so many ways on the left, it's an earlier drinking vintage which is fantastic way to kill time while waiting for those structured vintages to start showing