2004 Red Burgundy...

WINE TALK
1

Has anyone had pleasurable experiences with this difficult vintage aside from Domaine Leroy???

2

A few here and there have been just fine. For instance, I opened a Jadot CSJ last week and very much enjoyed it. Don’t recall which other top 04 Jadot I opened with similar result, maybe it was the Musigny…

3

Hi Aaron,
Some wines were indeed - at least to my sensitivity, and I think I’ve above-average sensistivity - free of the meanies, and were still quite fun at 4-5 years-old whilst all else tasted (smelled) a bit yucky.
I’d suggest things like Fourrier CSJ, Bouchard Père Volnay cuvée Carnot, Jadot Beaune Ursules as examples.

The thing with 2004 is, it’s really a question of whether you want to buy (something) or have already bought - I think this distinction really colours people comments.

Unless priced incredibly attractively, why would you buy any 04s if 2000-2002 are available - all of which are much better vintages, and run no risks assuming decent storage. Whether the odds are 33% for or against, or higher or lower, it is a crapshoot so could work out far more expensive the vintages just mentioned. Effectively, why take such a risk on easily the least satisfying red vintage since 1994 (whether you think 94 has some merits or not - and I personally see few).

Of-course you will have a different mind-set if you already invested, and you can say the same about 94 too… :wink:

4

Sure. Chambolle Charmes from Barthod was nice a couple weeks ago. Zero greenness and I’m sensitive to the stuff. But I hear Cras was hit bad so it is certainly uneven.

The best 2004s are generally still not all that good, but the bonus is they develop rapidly and are drinking well now. And yes Fourrier is nice as well.

But as Bill says - I wouldn’t buy it unless the price was right.

5

and, of-course it makes a massive difference if you have the luxury of tasting first…
(assuming you are on a sensitive day!)

6

As Bill Nanson stated above there are probably better wines generally from a vintage like 2002
and at competitive prices. For the most part my experience with 2004 has been less than
favourable, where the sometimes called “green meanies” are quite evident.

I bought some 2004’s on release but have pretty well finished them. There were some surprises, and I also
found the wines from Gerard Mugneret attractive.

From time to time on this forum I have been accused of having a less than sensitive palate regarding
the 2004’s but that probably has been somewhat overstated. [basic-smile.gif]

I would agree with Bill that you should consider another vintage and can recommend 2002 from my own experience.

Hank [cheers.gif]

7

Certainly not looking to buy but just intrigued overall looking at the vintage as it has evolved. There were a few 02 Southern Rhones that turned out to be solid wines.

94 IMO has very, very little to offer except seeing progression/regression over the years as well as tasting for site/producer style in rough vintages.

8

Bill…producers, producers and producers.

I bought LT 1994 because it was on fire-sale by LCBO - [wink.gif]

I would do the same with LT 2004 if it was on discount-sale but no Rousseau 2004 please [stirthepothal.gif] .

9

I have had one out of a couple of cases. I recently had a structured 2004 Barthod Chambolle-Musigny Beaux Bruns 1er. It was proper, but not charming.

I would not recommend buying this vintage in general. My experience has been that the wines tend to worsen (become greener) with air. A lot of them seem to be browning and on a premature aging trajectory. I would recommend tasting anything before you buy it.

Even better, as Bill and Hank suggested, buy another vintage. I haven’t had a bad bottle from the 2002 vintage from top to bottom (except for two corked Faiveleys). I recently back filled 2002 Jadot Ursules for $60. It is drinking lovely. Wine Spectator (web only) recommended the 2005 Barthod Narbantons (90) and last I looked online it could be had for $50.

Happy Hunting!

10

Yes, but I don’t think I’ve had any pleasurable bottles from the vintage from Domaine Leroy.

11

IMO, it’s more accurate to state that they are dying rapidly and should be consumed now…

TTT

12

No, that’s just silly. Maybe the bad ones are, but good ones are doing just fine. I keep opening them to decide if they’re worth keeping, and it’s almost gotten frustrating how few of them are giving me an excuse to sell them. Of course, it depends on which wines you bought in the first place.

13

3…2…1…

14

Keith - how advanced are the ones you are opening? I had a lovely Rousseau Charmes over the summer but it tasted like a 30 year old wine.

15

Like you say, there are exceptions. (Some Grivot and Roty wines for instance).
But the few I did buy were recommended by “The experts” and for the most part have been very disappointing.
There’s nothing silly about this vintage as a whole. It sucks!

TTT

16

Don’t open them now, they’re ALL going to be fine at some undetermined point in time. [stirthepothal.gif] pepsi

17

Generalization about Burgundy wines - hmm [head-bang.gif] .

Why drink Burgundy then… [scratch.gif]

18

Can’t say I’ve experienced that phenomenon yet, I must say. Most of the 2004s I’ve had don’t seem to have changed much over the last few years, for better or for worse.

19

I had a very enjoyable 2004 Dufouleur Père & Fils Gevrey-Chambertin last week. No green notes that I could detect. Also no real fireworks. But a solid Burgundy all in all!

20

Since I have tasted close to no 04s, I’ve viewed these discussions with detachment.

For what it’s worth, I had an 04 Jean-Pierre Gaunoux Pommard “Les Perrieres” (AOC Pomerol) last night at Blue Hill and detected no ladybug juice or anything flawed. The wine, decanted and drunk over two hours or so, offered up a nice sour cherry pinot nose with some relatively untoasted oak. It was still a young adolescent: The tannins are a bit rough. (Dare I say “rustic”? Dare I say that it summoned thoughts of nebbiolo briefly?) This was a bit stern even with meat (shades of 1988), but will probably be better in five years. I’d have no fears if I owned it.