Winemaker Notes
The 2004 La Joie is a dark to opaque ruby color. It has a powerful and youthful nose, very Bordeaux-like with distinct dark currant, blackberry, and cassis aromas, complemented by notes of anise, violets, graphite, and gravel. On the palate, it possesses rich, dense flavors of blackberry and dark plum with hints of new leather, and an interesting combination of earth and minerals. Its finish is long and sueded.
93 Points
"The 2004 La Joie, which is sourced from the same areas as La Muse, is usually composed of 70% or more Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc. This Pauillac-like effort is more tannic, structured, and masculine, offering hints of forest floor intermixed with smoke, seaweed, black currants, scorched earth, graphite, chocolate, and coffee. Powerful, big, and back-strapping, it is atypical for a 2004 given its structure and brooding character. Cellar it for 2-4 years and consume it over the following 15 or more." Robert Parker's
Wine Advocate
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Another great showing for a wine from this vintage, the 2004 La Joie is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. The majority of the fruit came from the Alexander Mountain Estate, followed by Knight’s Valley, Bennett Valley and Chalk Hill. Full-bodied, powerful and concentrated, it is richer than either the 2003 and 2001, and comes closer to the 2002’s personality. Sweet notes of caramels, espresso roast, forest floor, camphor, plums, chocolate and blackberries emerge from this full-bodied, unctuously textured, chewy, fleshy 2004. It requires another 3-5 years of bottle age and should keep for two decades or more.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Home to a diverse array of smaller AVAs with varied microclimates and soil types, Sonoma County has something for every wine lover. Physically twice as large as Napa Valley, the region only produces about half the amount of wine but boasts both tremendous quality and variety. With its laid-back atmosphere and down-to-earth attitude, the wineries of Sonoma are appreciated by wine tourists for their friendliness and approachability. The entire county intends to become a 100% sustainable winegrowing region by 2019.
Sonoma County wines are produced with carefully selected grape varieties to reflect the best attributes of their sites—Dry Creek Valley’s consistent sunshine is ideal for Zinfandel, while the warm Alexander Valley is responsible for rich, voluptuous red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are important throughout the county, most notably in the cooler AVAs of Russian River, Sonoma Coast and Carneros. Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Syrah have also found a firm footing here.