Angelo Gaja Barbaresco 2004

Jancis Robinson: Very similar colour to the 06, maybe a little darker, more garnet. Smells more youthful just as it looks more youthful. Smoky sweet red cherry. Fragrant and delicately spiced, but less expressive than the 06. Touch of spicy oak and oak sweetness. Amazing to have so much depth and richness and velvet but within a more direct and structured and yet really dense and powerul wine. Definitely more held back than the 06 at the moment though there is that fine sweetness underneath. More of a powerhouse than the 06 and the oak seems to show more. 18.5/20 (2010)

Parker: The 2004 Barbaresco reveals fresh, perfumed aromatics that lead to layers of crushed flowers, spices and sweet raspberries. This is a wine of rare class, elegance and pure breed. It offers outstanding length and silky, elegant tannins to round out the inviting finish. 93/100 (2007)

Falstaff: Funkelndes, sattes Rubin; feine würzige Noten, nach Nelken und Zimt, dann etwas Rose und Himbeere; samtiges Tannin, sehr dicht gewoben, zeigt feine Körnung, baut sich Schicht um Schicht auf, jung, im Finale saftig. 94/100 (2007)

Wine Spectator: There's an excellent balance of fruit and tannins, with vanilla, flowers and berries throughout, along with tar. Full and racy, with a long finish. It's all here. 95/100 (2007)