WTN: '04 Fourrier GC Cherbaudes 1er--chasing the green

Opened 90 minutes before dinner, decanted the last 1/2 hour and then followed for another 90 minutes. Color was a slightly cloudy dark cherry red with minor bricking. Initial nose was tart cherry but quickly moved to Gevrey earthiness which later laved on spices and darker fruits. No green-meanies on the nose. This is a keeper on nose alone.

Palate is not matching the nose yet. I don't get "greeniness" (I suspect that I'm not too sensitive to it). What I did get was an undertone to the fruit that impacted the purity, but added complexity. Nice dark fruits with a light touch--this is very much a tip of the tongue wine--with spice and some tang that are losing to the tannin tonight. As dinner progressed the tannic grip loosened while the wine lost some weight.

BTW, I opened this to participate in an ongoing survey of the '04 vintage. I can't imagine a less fortuitous time to open an '04. Hold for a least 3 years.

[David M. Bueker]

Thanks for the note. I don't get the "unpleasant green" thin either (in any of hte '04s I have tried). Of course I enjoy Sociando-Mallet & Pichon Lalande, thus making my thoughts on green streaks biased and unreliable.

These days anything other than a vintage of "perfect ripeness" is considered flawed in some corners. Too bad. I like fruit (love it in fact), but there's some wonderful things out there in less acclaimed vintages. As I said elsewhere: every vintage is different and has different things to say to us.