1 | Wine | 91 to 95, 2004 | Page 2

"Shows beautiful aromas of crushed berries and currant, with hints of mineral. Full-bodied, with lovely currant, licorice and mint. Long and caressing. Very refined and balanced. Another winner from Pontet-Canet."

"Shows bright berry, earth, mushroom and leather on the nose. Full-bodied, with very ripe, almost raisiny fruit. Tight and lean now, but the rich fruit comes through on the finish."

"The dense ruby/purple-colored 2004 offers smoky creme de cassis, kirsch liqueur, crushed rock, and spring flower aromas. Opulent, flamboyant, rich, dense, and lavishly endowed, it possesses enough fruit and glycerin to nearly conceal its elevated tannin." Reviewed by Robert Parker.

"Shows fine balance and texture, with a light chalkiness adding some structure to hints of white peach, apple tarte Tatin, ground ginger and lemon pound cake. Spice and floral notes linger on the clean-cut finish."

"Scavino’s 2004 Barolo Carobric comes across as classic in its expression of violets, black cherries, minerals and sweet toasted oak. It too offers gorgeous inner sweetness to its fruit, but it is more focused and less concentrated than the other 2004 Barolos. This is a beautifully proportioned, vibrant Barolo that is sure to find many admirers. Carobric is made from a blend of Rocche di Castiglione, Bric del Fiasc and Cannubi This bottling has often suffered an identity crisis among the single-vineyard wines in the lineup but in recent years its personality has gradually begun to show its potential."

"Giacosa's 2004 Barbaresco Santo Stefano is a superb wine. Sweet, floral, mentholated aromatics meld into an expressive core of ripe fruit, with superb length and elegant tannins to round out the finish. Made in a more linear style than the Asili and Rabaja, it doesn-t possess the expansiveness of those two wines, but it does reveal tremendous depth, harmony and balance. This pure, sweet, long Barbaresco is the best Santo Stefano in years."

"Smoky cherry and cassis aromas are complicated by wilted rose, cured meat, licorice and sexy oak spices. Lush and creamy in texture, offering well-delineated red- and blackcurrant flavors, good dusty tannic grip, and a sweet, expansive finish. Impressively deep and chewy, but good mineral lift keeps everything in check."

"This red offers a gorgeous beam of currant and fig paste, surrounded by ample supple tannins and notes of coffee, worn leather, violet, licorice snaps and iron. The long, rich finish has nice detail now, but better to cellar this for maximum effect."

"Made in a traditional style, it is already beginning to show aromatic complexity from its extended aging. Cedar, leather, Asian spices, incense, black cherry, and blackberry lead to a rich, elegant, plush wine in the style of the superb 2004 vintage. Flavorful, stylish, and lengthy, it will continue to blossom with several more years of cellaring and drink well through 2024."

"Weaves together a complex array of ripe, rich currant, anise, smoky oak and black cherry. Dense, concentrated and persistent, with great depth and focus. Ends with an amazingly long, richly flavored finish."