2002 lefties revisited

[Comte Flaneur]

Last night our group theme was 2002 left bank. We started off with:

Chateau Latour-Martillac blanc Graves 2015

From a distance the two halves looked like ‘amber tubes’ because the art decco labels look like beer bottles from a distance. Served very cold this wine improved as it warmed up. After it was noted that NM rated this 95 points we then all agreed it was an excellent wine rather than merely a good one. Stinging nettles, smokiness, new oak, purity and concentration, honeyed, silky texture, excellent finish will improve. Super vfm - it works out in the high £20s, about 40% the prices of DDC Blanc. 91

Domaine de Chevalier Pessac-Leognan 2002

Served warm, probably around 75 Fahrenheit made it impossible to judge this. At this temperature it tasted disjointed with raspy tannins and an austere persona. Some peppery notes. It was definitely not flawed. NR.

Chateau Belgrave Haut-Medoc 2002

Good honest old fashioned claret which has aged well. Gravel, smoke, tobacco, green pepper, residual rasping tannic bite, an austere personality, would be great with food and a lot of fun. 87

Chateau Rauzan-Segla Margaux 2002

A touch of class which has become the hallmark of aged and young Rauzans, with some satisfying truffle notes. Languid and cool fruited with a nod to sternness and austerity. I marginally prefer the 1999 and 2001 both tried recently, but very good nevertheless. 90 Footnote: the aforementioned three vintages are better than the 2004/06/08s, all disappointments. Rauzan came back on form in 2010, however, the vintage after the now late Karl Lagerfeld label.

Chateau Ferriere Margaux 2002

Traditional lean claret, in a good way, with nice lift and freshness and recognisable Margaux signature. A bit more rustic than its RS flight mate, but very satisfying glass of claret. 89

Chateau Lagrange St. Julien 2002

This really benefitted from being double decanted two hours in advance rather than being popped and poured. Mulberry fruit, impressive richness, compactness and class on the mid-palate and quite an austere finish which suggests to me it can improve further. Impressive. 91

Chateau Leoville-Barton St. Julien 2002

On great form last night. Perfectly judged, with richness, judicious heft, lift, verve, freshness and a satisfying raciness and grippiness all the way without being rustic or raspy. Plenty of trademark cigar box notes this is a more textbook expression of Leoville Barton than the smoother and rounder 2001 and I think I prefer the 2002 by a hair’s breadth. 93

Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste Pauillac 2002

A good effort for this estate, what I liked about this wine was that it is perfectly resolved, with nice secondary and tertiary tobacco leafy notes poking through. Modestly proportioned but highly satisfying. 89

Chateau Pichon-Longueville-Baron Pauillac 2002

This has always been an outstanding wine in the context of the vintage and arguably the best Baron from the non-trophy vintages in the 2000s. Last night we were reminded why. The lushness, satin-like texture and seamless mid-palate and long finish just oozed class in a wine which is frankly bordering on first growth quality. Special and stood out from the pack. 94

Chateau Pontet-Canet Pauillac 2002

This wine belied the transition the estate was making into more modern winemaking, and it is a svelte wine with no rough edges. It only lacks a bit of personality and I prefer the. 2001. Objectively an excellent wine, however. 90

Chateau Climens Barsac 2002

Classic Climens from an unheralded vintage. 90

We did not try any right banks last night on the untested view that’s it is fairly lean pickings over on that side. I would characterise the 2002 left banks as being ‘classic’ ‘traditional’ ‘Englishman’s claret’ but not ‘luncheon’ clarets. At the top end the quality is high. I would say these wines are level-pegging quality-wise with the 2001 and 2004 left bank, possibly edging them but they are ‘classic’ and for some palates bordering on austere. I am thrilled to have an unopened case of Leoville-Barton but lament having a sole bottle of Pichon Baron, which will be reserved for a special occasion. Happy to have half a case of Lagrange too.

[SF Ed]

Nice. I am a fan of 2002 - extremely classic Bordeaux.

I went long the top wines in 2002 since they were remarkably inexpensive on release. I've already tried Haut Brion (classic and already open), Lafite (nice but not complex), Pichon Lalande (super tasty) and Lynch Bages (classic and ready) and haven't yet tasted my Latour, La Mission Haut Brion, Las Cases or Pichon Baron.

SF Ed

[JimHow]

2002 Pichon Baron and Leoville Barton are beauties.
I've gotta sit down with the '02 Cos some time and really examine it.
Hound's Haut Bailly that he brought to my house was stunning.
I've been thrilled by Montrose, Lagrange, Smith Haut Lafitte, d'Issan, Lafite, Haut Brion, Sociando, Malescot, Calon Segur, the list goes on.
The way Bordeaux was meant to be.

[Blanquito]

02 Leoville Barton... $35... available on the shelf in 2005... sigh.

[JimHow]

And of course, the famous MacArthur's 2002 Heist.
We wuz there. Remember how giddy we were.

I'll never forget, after that long lunch, we went back into the store to buy a couple of the German half bottles that Rob Dayton brought to lunch, and the guy said to Winona... "We just released some 2002s at good prices...." I was about 15 feet away and was focused on something else, but the mention of 2002 caught my attention.

How did we not buy out the whole store!

Oh yes, add Gloria to the list of 2002 beauties.

[Blanquito]

Yes, the Gloria is a beauty. And pretty much fully in the mature drinking zone.

What’s the non-first-growth-division wine of the vintage?

[JimHow]

LLC.

[JimHow]

The Purple Baron is pretty hard to beat.

[AKR]

I think I might have a few oddballs left from this year. They seemed to have gained some weight over the years.

[Blanquito]

I’ve got a few 02 LLCs and 6 packs of the Purple Baron (MacArthurs haul), Leoville Barton and Gloria. The rest of my 02s are singles or doubles.

[Blanquito]

I sold all of my 02 Cos for a small fortune, as they were not my cuppa at all.

[JimHow]

Yeah, I had one '02 Cos and didn't like it, it seemed tight as a monkey's ass.
I have four left, maybe I'll uncork one at one point and see how it performs with some air.

[stefan]

I hope that some of the big boy 2002s will be hitting their stride by BWE-2022.

[Blanquito]

I hope that some of the big boy 2002s will be hitting their stride by BWE-2022.

That would be fun.

Will BWE 2020 include a broad look at the 2000 vintage? Along with the 1990s at age 30?

[Nicklasss]

I remember the 2002 Chateau Mouton Rothschild that Jim opened in Charlotte in 2016, in company of the Dayton. It was young but it was so great too, so Pauillac. It was having a long life ahead.

But the 2002 Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion I opened this summer at dstgolf's place was having a great nose, but the mouth was very whack and dry. I can't see how it can improve in the future.

Nic

[Jay Winton]

I was surprised how much I liked the 2002 Lascombes.