Last night we grilled a huge (3") ribeye as well as some corn, accompanied by a watercress salad. Wine was the 2004 Ch. Leoville- Barton (St. Julien). Surprisingly open from the git-go (is that a real word?). Rich, fleshy, ripe but with an acidic backbone. Tannins are fine and ripe. Mostly cassis fruit, with a note of sweet licorice. Some graphite on the finish. Lovely Medoc with lots of potential, I need to cellar my remaining ones, but wow it's lovely now. Maybe I should get more. I saved one glass for several hours later, still showing fresh and structured,with some mocha notes. Best 2004 I've tried. A-
Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency