Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts

I’m on a personal quest to do 10-year checkups on a few of my 2002s and have started the year with a rather un-inspiring Pontet Canet (see http://www.bordeauxwineenthusiasts.com/ ... f=4&t=3470 )

Continuing on, here are two others consumed at different nights at home.

2002 Ch. Branaire Ducru, Saint-Julien
Sniffed roasted herb and wood. Very young, highly acidic, classic-style, restrained, medium bodied wine. Everything plus a bit more that I can ask for in a $23 bottle (at release). A-

2002 Ch. Malartic-Lagraviere, Pessac-Leognan
I’ve never bought this producer at any other vintage and am glad I went for this at release of $26 per. There’s that Graves fresh leafy and herb notes. Black fruited with mineral. Consistently good with the one that I had at release. For my taste, just starting to get to that good drinking window. B+

I have one of those $23 per bottle cases of 2002 Branaire, I remember how beautifully restrained it was upon release. Sounds like it will be drinking well in another decade.

I had the Branaire last Friday but neglected to comment on it. I'm in agreement with your assessment although I'd just add that after about three hours in the decanter this really was spot on as the midpalate seemed to fill in and balance. Very savoury. Of course this was just at the moment the pot roast went down so it could be as well that it's a food wine (as it should be). While I'll hold a couple to the 20-year horizon I have no compunction about drinking these now.

I've also had the Malartic in 02 and have one more bottle. I thought it more substantial/punched-up than most 02 lefties although I couldn't ultimately decide if that was for better or worse. http://www.bordeauxwineenthusiasts.com/ ... tic#p15564

Increasingly I'm getting comfortable with the fact that, if I can't afford the "perfect" wine, or that such wine does not actually exist, I'd rater the imperfection (as I see it or others may) tend towards the austere than to the riper/sexed up side.

Houndsong wrote:Increasingly I'm getting comfortable with the fact that, if I can't afford the "perfect" wine, or that such wine does not actually exist, I'd rater the imperfection (as I see it or others may) tend towards the austere than to the riper/sexed up side.

Good point. I think that this is shared by quite a few here, myself included.