Wine Advisor
La Tour Haut Brion 2004
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Deep red. Plum, mocha, smoke and a whiff of caramel on the nose. Lush, round and deep for the vintage: there's something almost Burgundian about this wine's silky flavors of cherry, raspberry, smoke and spices but the wine is still a bit youthfully unforthcoming. Finishes with fine, late-arriving tannins and lingering notes of dark raspberry, smoke, minerals and earth. A superb showing.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
Ruby-red. Reticent aromas of black plum and burning tobacco. Lush, dense and supple in the middle, with sweetness building toward the back. Finishes with substantial sweet tannins and very good length; as taut on the finish as the 2005. On this day, this wine seems almost as strong as the 2005. Enologist Jean-Philippe Masclet notes that the tannins were a bit dry at the beginning but are now much more supple.
Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer
(60% merlot, 38% cabernet franc and 2% cabernet sauvignon) Full ruby-red. Cool, medicinal aromas of inky black cherry and bitter chocolate. Densely packed but suave, with strong acidity giving this merlot-based wine excellent delineation of flavor. Bitter chocolate and black cherry are lifted by a floral element. Best today on the long finish, which features impressive tannic structure for merlot. Enologist Masclet describes the rather unusual 2004 blend as a new vin de garage
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
This has a lovely nose with blackberry, cedar, briary and wild hedgerow with great clarity. The palate does not quite live up to expectation but is still commendable, quite feminine for this property, harmonious and more open than out of barrel. Earthy black fruits, but it is the finish that just falls short, rather monolithic three years ago and the same here. As always with the now extinguished property, it may surprise throughout its evolution. I am cautiously optimistic! Drink 2011-2020. Tasted November 2008.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The nose is muted at first, then a very pure blackberry, damson, cedary nose emerges with superb definition. Good concentration on the palate with very well-integrated tannins. Very focused and cohesive. The palate has very firm tannins. Quite backward and broody at the moment. Good weight. Just lacks a bit of attack and acidity, a little monolithic. This will be interesting after bottling as it could be a long-term wine. Tasted April 2005.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
A dark ruby/purple color is followed by a medium-bodied wine revealing elegant boysenberry and cherry notes interwoven with notions of crushed rocks, smoke, and herbs. This restrained, refreshing 2004 is ideal for drinking over the next 12-15 years.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Only 2,000 cases were produced of the 2004 La Tour Haut-Brion, which is the estate’s next to last vintage as the entire vineyard was absorbed into La Mission-Haut-Brion in 2006. In that vintage, virtually the entire production of La Tour Haut-Brion was utilized for La Mission’s second wine, La Chapelle de la Mission. The elegant 2004 La Tour Haut-Brion exhibits resiny notes intermixed with blueberries, cherries, and earth. While pinched in the finish and displaying austere tannin, it is a fresh, elegant, restrained effort that should evolve for 10-15 years.
About the Producer
La Tour Haut Brion was a separate château, under the same ownership as Châteaux Haut Brion and La Mission Haut Brion. Until 1983 Ch. la Tour Haut-Brion was the second wine of La Mission Haut-Brion, but after the take-over of La Mission and La Tour by the Domaine Clarence Dillon, La Tour gained its own identity. The last vintage of this wine in its own right was 2005, it has since been incorporated into the production of La Mission. The vineyards are planted with 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Cabernet Franc, 23% Merlot, a similar mix to Haut Brion itself.
