TN The lid is off the 2002 Ducru Beaucaillou

[Houndsong]

This must be what great Bordeaux was like before all of the Greatest Vintages Ever.

[JimHow]

I'm gonna break my 4 week drinking fast tonight as well...

Looking forward to your note, Hound, from 2002L, that greatest of vintages in this century!

[Houndsong]

Very 2002. It had that sort of acrid, tense bouquet that makes your nostrils quiver, and a finish of lip-smacking acidity and tannin. In between it's a medium-weight wine with cool but ripe fruit. And it's still young. It was fine on its own but seemed richer with steaks. Probably most like the 2002 Duhart - high pitched - but it's been so long on that one I can only vaguely recall it. Not the structure and drive of say a 1996 but a seeming complete wine in the vintage.

[chris kissack]

A nice wine I think. It's cooler style of vintage which wil appeal to many who are turned off by modern Bordeaux. Because it's a 'lighter' style of vintage there are some who have earmarked it as early drinking, but I don't agree (although I've only tasted a relatively small selection of wines, all left bank). It's nice to see someone else feels that at least one wine is "still young".

[Houndsong]

I've never thought of the 02 left bank wines as early drinkers, unless you like to drink your Bordeaux early, which some do, including me somtimes when I'm in the mood. But there's nothing in their constitution per se that makes them so.

[JimHow]

I haven't had Ducru from 2002 but the thought of Ducru + 2002 makes my mouth water, that has got to be my kind of wine!

[Claudius2]

Jim
I have a case of it in Sydney.
Must try to bring it back to Singapore.

[JimHow]

You are a lucky man, Claudius.
One of the most classy, seamless, traditionally styled St. Juliens combined with one of the most classically styled, restrained, old school Bordeaux vintages.... Mmmmmmmm!!

[chris kissack]

I've never thought of the 02 left bank wines as early drinkers, unless you like to drink your Bordeaux early, which some do, including me somtimes when I'm in the mood. But there's nothing in their constitution per se that makes them so.

No me neither. But others have made that comment, such as Jancis Robinson after the 2009 Southwold tasting (annual UK tasting attended by merchants and highly selected members of the press - i.e. not me!) when she wrote "The wines were never going to be particularly long lived, so many should be starting to drink well now", here: http://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/a200910132.html.

[Houndsong]

Well Chris in reference to that bit the 2002 Malartic Lagraviere really did stand out for me when I had it last spring. It's more full bodied and richer than most of the 02s I've had. But I also liked the Sociando Mallet as well or better than just about every other 02 I tried. Guess I'm a masochist.

[JonoB]

2002 LLC is a tour de force... Nice to know that Ducru was built along those lines as well.