TN: Chateau Leoville Poyferre 2004

[Ray Barnes]

Uncorked February 4, 2016. Very nicely done, perhaps a bit heavy on cedar in the bouquet. The chap with whom I was having quite an opulent dinner said it smelled like a new oak barrel. It did not taste overly oaky though. Good palette weight and length (IMHO), cigar box (wood, earth, and vanilla) scents, nice cassis flavor, good length, ripe tannins. It was purchased en primeur for less than $40 a bottle, and suffice to say was worth the money, although now I think it would be difficult to find the Chateau's second wine for that price. Compared to the recently tasted 2000 Guigal Hermitage, this had about the same weight, but a bit drier finish, which my colleague preferred. I would say the honors are pretty evenly divided between them, but liked this St. Julien a lot. Compared to the 2004 Branaire Ducru, this has a bit more flesh, but is not quite as rich in flavor as the 2004 Leoville Las Cases - which is not to say that it is worse, I liked the style of this wine a lot. Rated excellent plus, I wish I could afford a vintage of this beyond 2004.