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Wine Reviews |
Wine
Ratings & Price Guide
I score for quality out of 100. For further
details of what these scores mean and, lets be honest, my own preferences,
so that you can interpret them. click
here. |
Château
Beauregard 2002
(88-89)
A successful ripe modern style with cherry fruit, ripe tannin and mid to good
length. Drink 2007 – 2017.
Château
Beau Soleil 2002
(87-88)
Plum and chocolate flavours are allied to soft-ish tannin and acid. Drink 2005
– 2010.
Château Bellegrave 2002
(86-87)
Ripe-ish cherry and plum fruit but it fades quickly. Drink 2005 – 2010.
Château
Bourgneuf Vayron 2002
(87-88)
Spicy cherry and raisin fruit with mid weight and ripe tannin. 2008 – 2015.
Château
Clinet 2002
(84-85)
Tasted twice and both times it had a distinctive, pungent, green nose of
peppers or raw coffee bean. There’s riper fruit on the palate but a terribly
sour acidity that doesn’t auger well. Drink 2008 – 2015.
Château
Gazin 2002
(85-86)
The fruit is a little on the green side and they have tried too hard I feel as
the tannins and acidity are too extracted and harsh to my mind. Drink 2010 –
2020.
Château
Le Bon Pasteur 2002
(89-90)
Arch modernist Michel Rolland has produced a successful wine in a difficult
year. It’s ripe and well structured but not a blockbuster by any means. Drink
2006 – 2017.
Château
La Cabanne 2002
(86-87)
Ripe-ish but a little hollow and short. Drink 2005 – 2010.
Château
La Conseillante 2002
(87-88)
Often a favourite of mine but not this year as it seems just the wrong
side of the line in terms of ripeness. There’s some attractive cherry and
chocolate fruit but a slightly harsh acidity and tannin bring it down. Drink
2010 – 2020.
Château
La Croix 2002
(90-91)
All the necessary components for an impressive wine are here – ripe fruit,
tannin, balanced acidity, oak and good length. They just aren’t together as a
team yet. Drink 2008 – 2025.
Château
La Croix du Gay 2002
(86-87)
Plumy, pruney nose with tannins that have been worked too hard on the palate
detracting from some attractive fruit. Drink 2008 – 2015.
Château
La Croix du Casse 2002
(86-87)
Mid weight plumy, fairly ripe wine. Drink 2005 – 2012.
Château
La Fleur de Gay 2002
(92-93)
Beautiful scented floral and raisin notes on the nose and not surprisingly then
a ripe powerful palate with good tannin and acids making a balanced, long and
elegant wine. Drink 2008 – 2025.
Château
La Pointe 2002
(88-90)
Surprisingly powerful ripe fruit and tannin with a layer of oak. All a bit
separate but should come together in time. Drink 2007 – 2017.
Château
L’Enclos 2002
(87-89)
Nose offers plum, raisin and milk chocolate whilst the palate is ripe and
surprisingly soft, but could do with a bit more weight. Drink 2006 – 2015.
Château
L'Evangile 2002
(91-92)
Light, tight but ripe nose and well-structured palate showing plumy fruit, oak
and good length. Drink 2008 – 2025.
Château
Le Pin 2002
( ?)
Barrel sample tasted shortly after fining in late February so hard to say except
there was good concentration and no greenness. Wouldn't be fair to score it.
Château
Petit Village 2002
(89-90)
Good ripe plum and prune fruit with a touch of oak on the nose has a mix of
cherry, plum and coffee allied to ripe tannin that’s maybe a little over
extracted. Mid to good length. Drink 2010 – 2020.
Château
Vieux Maillet 2002
(87
-88)
Scented raisin and plum fruit with a surprisingly soft palate. Mid length. Drink
2005 – 2012.
Clos
du Clocher 2002
(90-92)
Seductive perfumed nose of cherry and violet with ripe cherry and chocolate on
the palate together with ripe tannin that adds depth and focus. Very modern
style. Drink 2006 – 2020.
Domaine
de L’Eglise 2002
(89-90)
A very attractive wine with its raisin and plum fruit, oak, ripe tannin, mid to
good weight and real persistence. Drink 2008 – 2025.
Château Angélus
2002
(88-89)
Generous fruit with a note of coffee bean too. Quite elegant with mid to good
length. Tannin and acid a little firm but should be okay. Heard many say that
they liked it. Drink 2010 – 2025.
Château Armens 2002
(86-88)
Modern style if a little over extracted with oak dominating fruit at the moment.
Drink 2006 -2015.
Château Balestard
le Tonnelle 2002
(87-88)
Scented plumy fruit with ripe enough tannin but could do with more
concentration. Drink 2006 – 2015.
Château Beau-Sejour
Bécot 2002
(89-91)
Very drinkable wine with cherry, plum and vanilla tones plus ripe tannin and
good length, Drink 2007 – 2020.
Château Canon 2002
(89-91)
Attractive modern style with cherry and a hint of chocolate, ripe tannin and
good length. Drink 2007 – 2020.
Château Canon-la-Gaffelière
2002
(92-93)
Extremely classy wine with notes of nut and minerals on the nose while the
palate is powerful but not overblown and ripe tannin adds weight, structure,
focus and length. Drink 2008 – 2030.
Château Cap de
Mourlin 2002
(87-89)
Attractive ripe very drinkable style without ever being a heavyweight. Drink
2006 – 2015.
Château Cheval
Blanc 2002
(95-97)
A candidate for wine of the vintage. The evocative perfumed nose has hints of
cherry, berry and oak whilst the palate is sensational. The fruit is ripe
scented and spicy with cherry, chocolate or coffee, vanilla with a quite
wonderful silky or velvet texture to the tannins. The finish lasts forever and
yet the wine is never huge, extracted or muscular, just perfectly balanced.
Château Côte de
Baleau 2002
(90-91)
Very modern, serious wine with scented fruit and oak, ripe tannin and good
length. Drink 2005 - 2015.
Château Dassault
2002
(85-86)
Tight lean, slightly green fruit and tannin. Drink 2006 - 2012.
Château de
Valandraud 2002
(93-94)
My first taste of Jean-Luc Thunevin’s infamous ‘garage’ wine. Now I
understand the fuss, as it’s a beauty, even in this difficult year. There’s
a seductive floral or perfumed quality to the nose along with oak and berry
fruit. The palate is well ripe and well structured with plenty of dark fruit,
polished sheen of oak and good length. Drink 2006 - 2020.
Château Faugères
2002
(91-92)
An impressive wine with prune and raisin on the nose and a rich, well-balanced
palate offering enough to suggest it will develop and last well. Drink 2008 -
2025.
Château Figeac 2002
(88-89)
Ripe cherry fruit and oak are the main flavours with tannin a touch firm and mid
weight. Drink 2010 – 2025.
Château Fonplégade
2002
(87-88)
Cherry and liquorice fruit while the tannin and acid are a touch firm. Drink
2007 – 2020.
Château Franc-Mayne
2002
(91-92)
An impressive wine with beautiful scented fruit, a powerful ripe palate and good
length. Drink 2008 – 2025.
Château Grand Mayne
2002
(90-92)
A powerful ripe wine with ripe tannin and fruit that’s just a touch over
extracted. Impresive though. Drink 2010 – 2025.
Château La Couspade
2002
(87-89)
Fairly ripe blackcurrant and cherry fruit and tannin just about ripe if a shade
firm. Could do with a bit more middle palate. Drink 2008 - 2020.
Château La
Dominique 2002
(87-89)
Very modern style with ripe fruit and thick texture. Perhaps a bit over done
though. Time will tell. Drink 2008 - 2020.
Château La Gaffelière
2002
(90-91)
Very modern ripe cherry and plum fruit on the nose while the palate has ripe if
firm tannin, but plenty of fruit and length. Drink 2007 - 2020
Château La Grangère
2002
(86-87)
Coffee and plum on the nose but the palate isn’t quite ripe and probably has a
bit more acidic bite than is healthy. Drink 2008 - 2020.
Château La Tour Figeac 2002
(91-92)
Perfumed fruit and oak on nose and a well-structured long palate with good fruit
and an attractive tobacco like spice too.
Château Lacisse
Ducasse 2002
( ?)
Tannins are firm but there was an odd note to this that I really didn’t like.
Château Laforge
2002
(91-93)
Perfumed nose with prune, raisin and oak while the palate shows those flavours
too plus plum, chocolate and a liquorice or soy like spice. Ripe tannin adds
weight, length and focus. Drink 2006 – 2020.
Château Larmande
2002
(90-92)
Perfumed nose of cherry, nut, chocolate, raisin and spice and a firm but just
ripe palate with good length. Drink 2010 - 2025.
Château Roylland
2002
(89-90)
Benchmark St Émilion grand cru with its plumy fruit and a touch of oak, mid to
good length and ripe tannin. Drink 2005 - 2015.
Château Teyssier
2002
(89-90)
Plum berry and liquorice spiced fruit with ripe tannins and good length. Drink
2005 – 2015.
Château Trianon
2002
(90-91)
A very attractive that balances firm structure with ripe fruit and good length.
Drink 2010 - 2030.
Château Troplong
Mondot 2002
(93-95)
One of the stars of St. Émilion with perfumed vibrantly fruity nose offering
dark cherry, plum, nut and chocolate, all echoed on the palate, which is ripe
with silky tannins giving length and focus. Lovely. Drink 2008 - 2030.
Clos Fourtet 2002
(92-93)
Very ripe with succulent cherry and chocolate fruit and a whiff of new oak, ripe
tannin and good length. Drink 2008 – 2025.
Le Dôme 2002
(94 – 95)
If any grape succeeded this year it was cabernet franc as shown by both both
Cheval Blanc and Le Dôme, with 75% of the variety, have shown. The nose on this
is quite tight-knit and restrained but shows cherry with fragrant tobacco spice
while the palate is a heavenly delight with flavours of cherry, blackberry,
liquorice and nut but also an impressive balanced, ripe tannic structure with
superb length. It just oozes class. Drink 2006 – 2025.
Le Petit Cheval 2002
(89-89)
The name is entirely accurate as this represents a scaled down version of Cheval
Blanc with similar cherry, berry and chocolate aromas but without the length and
amazing texture. Tannins are ripe but a little firm on the finish. Drink 2008 -
2018.
Sanctus du Château
La Bienfaisance 2002
(92-93)
A very fine wine with its perfumed nose of violets and plum and a palate
offering ripe dark fruit, ripe tannin, oak together with good balance and
length. Drink 2005 - 2015.
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