Domaine Sainte-Anne Cotes du Rhone Villages Saint Gervais, 2004

This 2004 Saint Gervais from Domaine Sante-Anne has given me a great deal of pleasure in past years, but this bottle is beginning to show its age.

The color is still reasonably saturated but has lost a bit of its shine. Red fruit smells with a bit of charred wood. Donna detects a metallic smell. Aeration has improved past bottles, and I get more ripe fruit flavors, with some Mourvedre spice, on the second night. Not a first impression wine, but the more I drink, the more I like. Rhone critic and author John Livingstone-Learmouth (DrinkRhone.com) gave the 2004 Saint Gervais only ** and an earlier drinking window than the same cuvee from 2005 and 2006. This bottle is unquestionably past its prime but still offers pleasure.