This very generous and well-ripened offering starts out with an involving display of cherries, cassis, herbs, sweet oak and loam in its deep and decidedly complex aromas, and it follows with equally wide-ranging flavors that show a real sense of layering and plenty of depth. Ripe, but always in balance and firmed by a good dose of youthful tannins, this latest Dominus bottling is among the winery's very best efforts ever, and it is certain to get better yet over the next decade.

Deep red-ruby. Deep but reticent aromas of dark raspberry, cocoa powder, hot rocks and minerals, with notes of menthol and wintermint. Very firmly built and backward, conveying a tightly coiled spring for a 2004, and an almost Saint-Estephe-like menthol austerity. Though a bit tough and youthfully green, this firmly structured wine is quite aromatic on the back and opened nicely with aeration. Give this a lot of time in the decanter if you plan to open a bottle anytime soon.