Castle Haut-Brion - Pessac-Léognan 2004

Wine Advocate

94 / 100

byNeal Martinthe8/1/2014

Tasted at Bordeaux Index annual 10-year on tasting from an ex-château bottle. The 2004 Haut Brion has a very refined bouquet with scents of sandalwood, tobacco, sous-bois and wild mint all unfolding with time. There is almost something Pauillac-like about this Haut Brion. The palate is medium-bodied with a liquorice note welcoming you inside. The tannins feel taut but supple, the acidity well judged with plenty of chewy, liquorice-tinged black fruit towards the surprisingly primal, slightly tart finish. This deserves several more years in the cellar. Tasted March 2014.

Wine Advocate

95 / 100

byNeal Martinthe1/27/2009

This is an excellent Haut-Brion from a modest vintage. It has a charming, lifted nose of blackberry, cranberry and fresh black olives, all with fine definition and refinement. The palate is medium-bodied, very refined as if the wine is holding everything back until later. There are notes of blackberry, cranberry and a touch of raspberry leaf with a cedar/sous-bois character becoming more evident with aeration. Great persistency, but it is the sheer elegance of this wine that seduces. Impressive. Drink 2012-2025+ Tasted November 2008

Wein Wisser

18 / 20

byRené Gabrielthe11/19/2007

Leuchtendes Rubin-Purpur. Recht offenees, etwas schlank anmutendes Bouquet, rotbeerige Tendenzen, wenig Tiefe aufweisnd. Sich auch im Gaumenfortsetzende Leichtigkeit, trotz Muskel und Tanninen, trotz kernigen, fast grün anmutenden Noten, erst gegen das Finale Rasse und Klasse zum Vorschein kommend, deshald momentan leicht zu unterschätzen, kann noch zulegen.

La Revue du Vin de France

18 / 20

the8/29/2007

Le nez encore discret déploie des arômes fins de fumé et de fruits rouges. D'un grand équilibre, il se montre très moelleux, peut-être à cause de la dominante de merlot (61%) inhabituelle au cru. Davantage vinifié sur l'élégance que la puissance, il séduit par son côté suave.

Wine Advocate

92 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe7/2/2007

The dark plum/ruby-hued 2004 Haut-Brion exhibits a noble, discrete, smoky bouquet revealing notions of plum liqueur, black currants, sweet cherries, and subtle earth. In addition to its aromatic complexity, this medium-bodied effort reveals classic elegance and delicacy as well as sweet fruit in the mouth and a long finish. Give this streamlined, civilized wine 2-4 years of bottle age and drink it over the following 20-25 years. It is amazingly similar to Haut-Brion’s 1999.

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

91 / 100

byStephen Tanzerthe6/30/2007

Good 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. 91 (+?)

Wine Spectator

95 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe3/31/2007

Wonderful 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 Advocate

90-92 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe6/30/2006

Although atypically delicate and light for this estate, the 2004 Haut-Brion exhibits the essence of this fabulous terroir situated in the suburbs of Pessac. Gravelly, smoky, cranberry, black cherry, and plum-like scents jump from the glass of this fresh, medium-bodied red along with notions of road tar, earth, and truffles. Stylish, with crisp acidity, it is a beautifully made, pure, long 2004 to enjoy during its first two decades of life.

Wein Wisser

20 / 20

byRené Gabrielthe5/3/2005

Wine Advocate

93-95 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe5/2/2005

An atypically high percentage of Merlot (61%) in addition to 19% Cabernet Franc, and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon make up the 2004 Haut-Brion. Fifty-five percent of the production was utilized for the grand vin, a surprisingly forward, charming, silky effort despite the relatively high tannin. In fact, it reminded me of the 1985 even though those vintage conditions have nothing in common with 2004 other than high yields. In any event, the 2004 is a beautiful effort that is far superior to the 2002. Soft, gentle, and gracious, with a deep plum/ruby/purple color, it offers up aromas of smoked herbs, sweet plums and black cherries, and hints of mulberries as well as earth. Medium-bodied, structured, pure, round, and seductive, with a long finish, there is more here than meets the eye and the palate. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2024.

TAST

18 / 20

by Bettane & Desseauvethe4/28/2005

"Grande couleur, immense richesse de constitution mais peut-être au détriment du raffinement aromatique et du lissé du tannin qui a fait longtemps la gloire du cru. Bref on a gagné en vinosité mais peut-être pas en finesse du moins immédiate. Il est sûr que le vin vieillira superbement et longtemps mais 60 % de merlot dans l'assemblage dans une année à grands cabernets sauvignons (les cabernets francs magnifiques de la propriété ont été bien entendu intégrés dans le grand vin) c'est peut-être un peu trop ""too much"" pour une rive gauche !"

Carnets de dégustation RVF

8.50 / 10

the4/22/2005

61% merlot, 20% cabernet-sauvignon, 19 % cabernet franc. Après la robe sombre à reflets violets, le nez intense porte sur le café, puis exprime une note fumée, avec beaucoup de finesse. Souple en attaque, le vin offre un milieu de bouche dense, des tanins très fins comme d'habitude, une grande longueur et une belle finale fumée. Affichant une belle présence, ce vin dense et tannique se cache derrière un ensemble très fin avec de la chair. Si 2004 n'atteint pas le niveau de l'immense 2000, il se montre plus gfrand que 2001,2002 et 2003.