2004 Le Dome, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru

A fragrant, ethereal-styled, dark ruby/purple-tinged effort, Le Dome’s 2004 offers a precise, pure nose of menthol, cranberries, raspberries, and cherries. This medium-bodied St.-Emilion, which obviously includes considerable Cabernet Franc in the blend, exhibits good ripeness, striking elegance, and potential complexity as well as purity. Although there is not a great deal of depth, it is a suave 2004 that should shed its tannin in 2-3 years, and drink well over the following 12-15.

Good full ruby-red. Subdued but nuanced aromas of raspberry jam, orange peel, minerals, coffee and leather. Intensely flavored but youthfully unevolved; quite concentrated but tight and brooding. Less broad than the 2005 but strong for the year. Finishes with very suave tannins and subtle persistence.