I am tempted to give this wine five stars... I guess the only reason I do not is that I have enjoyed other vintages (such as the 2000 or even the more classically made 1982, just 11.7% alcohol) which have more depth. But why almost five stars at this early stage? This wine shows such a fine quality and a certain delicacy, bordering on a Margaux-like laciness, and yet it DOES have power underneath, what you expect from a Saint Julien. It also has a streamlined, focused quality, with no distractions (not excessively thick, but also not too edgy). Based on a tasting in March 2005, so it will likely be closing soon. Based on that tasting: 4 stars+.

Certainly an impressive wine, but its acidity detracts from its up-front fruitiness, as does the tannin with fruitiness in the after-taste.

This is the first "expensive" Bordeaux that I've tried ($45 for me is expensive!). It was a good, strong wine, but I was not overly impressed with the flavor. It had lots of oak and tannin. I recognized the quality in the concentration of the wine, it was very dark and I could tell it was a good wine, but I just was surprised it didn't carry more flavor. For a cheaper wine, it would have got 4 stars, but not at this price (for me).