2004 Ch Grand-Puy-Lacoste

This estate of Xavier Borie is fabulous during great vintages (the 1986, 1989, 1996 & 2000 are firmly etched in my mind), but it can be tannic (2001 & 2003) or leafy (1998) at other times. I’ve had the 2004 Ch Grand-Puy-Lacoste twice thus far, both times decanted over an hour from magnum bottlings sourced from Wine Culture, but with varying results.  

First tasted in February 2010 at Taste Paradise, ION Orchard, where I’d brought it straight from my cellar. Highly accessible. Ruby red, with a darkish hue, giving off a lovely bouquet of sweet roasted plums, cinnamon and that dry tobacco note that exemplifies the Pauillac terroir. Medium-bodied with good grip, fleshy, surprisingly soft and transparent, yielding good depth and layering, the fruit beginning to emerge from its shell, revealing structured sweet supple tannins, finishing with a bit of mouth-puckering intensity. Yet to develop further complexity, of course, but this wine has excellent balance and poise that’s almost feminine in quality. Elegant, like a tall beautiful woman in a long flowing gown. A classic claret in every sense of the word.

However, a second tasting, again straight from cellar to restaurant, at my departmental function at Ember on 17 November 2010 turned out to be somewhat disappointng. A deep violet hue, noticeably darker and more primal in character, dominated by notes of blueberries, raspberries and sweet cassis with just a hint of wild flowers and forest floor. Still rather tight and unevolved, no doubt rich in fruit intensity and velvety tannins on the mid-palate, but lacking in the Pauillac identity, tasting more like a generic red. Definitely needs more bottle time. To be honest, I’d expected far more character, and I’m at a loss to explain the variation between the two magnums. It’d be interesting to gain the impression of a standard bottle. In the meantime, I think I’ll keep my remaining magnum much longer in cold storage.