2004 Tertre Daugay

(includes 40% cabernet franc) Fresh ruby-red color. Plum, menthol, bitter chocolate and minerals on the nose. Quite backward and serious, with flavors of blueberry, tobacco and minerals. The tannins are ripe but the overall impression is of very firm backbone from the cabernet franc. This will need five or six years of bottle aging and should continue to evolve for another decade after that. Today this seems as good as the 2005, but that wine is painfully young.

(60% merlot and 40% cabernet franc, the latter harvested until October 27, according to consultant Stephane Derenoncourt) Deep ruby. Blackberry, cassis and spicy oak on the nose. Suave and fine-grained, with cabernet franc-dominated flavors of grapey blackberry, violet and minerals. Vibrant and shapely wine with very good mouth coverage. The firm tannins dust the entire palate.

Quite a savoury, tight, almost burnt nose and then rather tarry on the back palate. Very meaty, savoury – bit of marmite. Could do with a little bit more freshness although certainly some effort has gone in to packing flavour into this wine. Then rather seductive combo of black fruits and alcohol with the tannins pretty well hidden. Great fruit gently vinified. Tannins very definitely there but quite round. Very winning and a strong impression without being exaggerated. (JR)