I was prompted to open this by recent notes on how well it showed at the 2004 Bordeaux Executive Wine Seminar.
2004 Château Lascombes : Dark purple to rim. Nose is quite forward, dark fruits, berries, cassis, cherry and a lot of oak and vanilla on opening. Very full-bodied with layers of lush ripe dark berries and overt oak, finishes with nice tannic and acidic structure, even a hint of citrus, and good balance. First impression is of a "modern" oaky sweet wine, but after sitting in the glass for an hour or so, more interesting things start to happen. The oak and vanilla in the nose start to recede a bit but some tarry smoky notes come forward, with the fruit just roaring out of the glass. In the mouth, the wine remains full-bodied, lush, and ripe, with great balance, fine tannins, a freshness offered by some acidic backbone, and a long finish. No longer a sloppy drooling puppy, it looks like this could develop into a classic Bordeaux with some age. After another hour the wine starts to close down, with tannins coming forward and the fruit receding a bit. This appears to be in the blush of youth - will it go into hibernation or remain deliciously drinkable throughout its lifetime? Has the stuffing to go a couple of decades or more. Excellent-outstanding.