Château Beaumont 2002                                (87)
A slightly earthy spicy nose leads to a surprisingly supple mid weight palate that means it should drink young. Drink 2004 - 2015.

Château Belgrave 2002                                  (87-88)
Tobacco scented nose and fairly concentrated palate with ripe tannins means they have done better than many at Belgrave. Drink 2008 - 2015.

Château Camensac 2002                               (87-88)
It's all a bit tight just yet but tannins seem ripe enough. Drink 2008 - 2015. 

Château Cantemerle 2002                        (85-86)
An attractively spicy fruity nose is let down by harsh tannin and sour acidity. Drink 2008 - 2015 

Château Citran 2002                                 (87)
Plums and blackcurrant on nose and palate. Tannins and acid are hard to call and may be a little on the firm side. Time will tell. Drink 2006 - 2015 

Château Coufran 2002                                   (86-87)              
Coufran has high levels of merlot, so I wasn't expecting great things this vintage, but they have done fairly well with supple raisin and prune scented fruit, that's just a little lacking in concentration. Drink 2005 - 2015. 

Château de Lamarque 2002,                        (85-86)
Spicy fruit marred by harsh tannin. Drink 2006 - 2012. 

Château La Lagune 2002                              (88-89)          
One of the more successful Haut-Médocs with attractive ripe fruit and spice elegant ripe tannins and decent length. Drink 2007 - 2020. 

Château La Tour Carnet 2002                       (86-87)
Supple ripe blackcurrant and plum fruit bit a little short. Drink 2005 - 2012. 

Château Malescasse 2002                        (87)
Fairly ripe fruit and tannin with reasonable length. Drink 2006 - 2015 

Château Cantenac Brown 2002                     (89-90)
Typical Margaux floral style plus berry and blackcurrant fruit on the nose with a medium rich palate with ripe tannins. A bit more weight would be welcome. Drink 2006 – 2020.

Château d’Angludet 2002                               (85-86)
Aromas and flavours are of black and red currants with violets but it doesn’t seem quite ripe with hard extracted tannins and firm acid. Drink 2008 - 2020

Château Dauzac 2002                                     (86-87)
Nose is of dark fruit plus nuts while the palate is very firm and extracted and firm acid that dominates the medium ripe fruit. Doubt the fruit has the depth to fight back. Drink 2010 - 2020

Château du Tertre 2002                                 (85-88)
Curious nose with a pungent animal quality and green coffee bean. Palate seems riper with ripe tannin and plumy fruit with mid length. Drink 2005 - 2015

Château Dufort Vivens 2002                          (89-90)
A tight mute nose but a relatively generous palate with ripe tannin supporting creamy blackcurrant fruit allied to good length. Drink 2008 - 2022.

Château Ferrière 2002                                    (88-89)
Quite mute nose with a little black currant and nut. The palate is moderately rich with ripe-ish tannin and firm acid. Should come round in time Drink 2010 – 20.

Château Giscours 2002                                  (88 – 89)
Promisingly ripe fruit on the nose of blackcurrant and berry lead to an elegant palate with ripe fruit and a sheen of polished new oak. Is it elegant of a little light? Drink 2007 – 2017.

Château Kirwan 2002                              (88 – 89)
A seductive perfumed nose with scented fruit and nuts, while the palate offers medium ripe dark berry fruit, just about ripe tannin and medium to good length. Drink 2007 – 2017.

Château Labégorce 2002                              (88 – 89)
A seductive perfumed nose with cherry oak and blackcurrant, while the palate offers medium ripe dark cherry fruit, ripe tannin and medium length. Drink 2007 – 2017.

Château Lascombes 2002                             (92-93)
Low yield of around 25 hl/ht no doubt contributed to the ripe, intense character of this wine with its seductive perfumed nose of dark fruits and scented, cedar scented new oak. The palate is impressive with ripe blackcurrant, cherry, a whiff of oak, nut and coffee, all supported by ripe tannins adding weight and giving focus. Drink 2008 – 2030.

Château Malescot Saint-Exupery 2002       (90-91)
A successful vintage for Malescot with ripe perfumed fruit leading to ripe tannins and good weight and length. Drink 2006 – 2021.

Château Margaux 2002                                  (93-95)
Perfumed, ripe, dark cherry and currant fruit and oak on the nose a ripe, elegant palate showing berry, blackcurrant, oak, a coffee like spice and great length without ever being extracted or blockbuster like. A beauty. Drink 2006 – 2025.

Château Marquis d’Alseme Becker 2002    (84-86)
Dark fruit on nose and palate, but tannins and acids hard and sour.

Château Marquis de Terme 2002                (87)
Fairly ripe blackcurrant and oak on the nose with an appealing, if a shade light, bramble fruit on the palate aided by some ripe tannin. Drink young. Drink 2005 – 2012.

Château Monbrison 2002                                  (87)
Fairly ripe fruit and tannin – mid weight with a little raisin character.

Château Prieuré-Lichine 2002                       (88-89)
Quite ripe blackcurrant and liquorice on the nose while the palate is still split into component parts of oak, fruit and tannin, which is almost ripe but a little over extracted. Drink 2010 - 2025

Château Rauzan-Gassies 2002                   (90-91)
An inviting modern ripe nose and palate with quite dense, fruit and oak, but importantly balancing acidity. Drink 2007 – 2027.

Château Rauzan-Ségla 2002                      (86-87)
A fairly attractive nose flatters to deceive as the palate is a little hollow and the acid and tannin on the firm side suggesting it’s been worked hard to extract flavour. Drink 2008 – 2017.

Château Siran 2002                                  (85-88)
A confusing wine with attractive perfumed Margaux style fruit but palate is firm and a bit bitter. Drink 2008 – 2015.

Carruades de Lafite 2002                                (87-88)
Merlot (46% of blend) dominates plumy nose and palate with medium concentration and remarkably soft texture. Drink 2006 - 2015. 

Château Clerc Milon 2002                               (89-91)
Enticing nose with cherry, blackcurrant, coffee and oak. Fairly rich, ripe palate with firm, just ripe, tannins and medium to good length. Drink 2010 - 2025. 

Château Croizet-Bages 2002                         (85-86)
Stalky green blackcurrant nose but the palate, confusingly, seems riper. Drink 2006 - 2012. 

Château d'Armailhac 2002                              (86-87)
Vigorous, youthful fruit on the nose, but the cherry scented palate is short on concentration and tannins are almost, but not quite, ripe. Drink 2008 - 2020. 

Château Duhart-Milon-Rothschild 2002         (88-89)
Blackcurrant with a touch of spice and plum on the nose. Palate has ripe tannin and fruit but lacks power and is surprisingly soft and elegant. Drink 2007 - 2015. 

Château Grand-Puy Ducasse 2002                  (89-90)
Tight dark fruit on the nose leads to a palate with plenty of ripe blackcurrant, creamy oak and firmish oak. Drink 2010 - 2025. 

Château Haut-Bages Libéral 2002                   (89-90)
Tight but ripe blackcurrant on the nose and palate, the later also shows vanilla and liquorice too. Firmish, ripe tannin with mid to good length. Drink 2010 - 2022. 

Château Lafite Rothschild 2002                        (93-95)
Dark colour with ripe but not exuberant blackcurrant fruit plus spicy prune and vanilla on nose. Powerful palate with cherry, blackcurrant, oak, coffee or chocolate all of which is supported by firm but ripe tannin giving good length. Drink 2010 - 2040. 

Château Latour 2002                                          (93-94)
Opaque wine with an interesting nose of dark fruit and earthy spice. Palate is quite powerful with ripe fruit such as plum and blackcurrant. Tannins are ripe and add weight and length. Drink 2010 - 2035. 

Château Lynch-Bages 2002                             (90-91)
Deep colour with ripe but not lush fruit including blackcurrant, liquorice and nut on the nose. Plate has firm ripe but not aggressive tannins supporting reasonably ripe fruit and decent length. Good but not as good as some in this vintage. Drink 2010 - 2025. 

Château Lynch-Moussas 2002                      (89-90)
An attractive modern style with ripe blackcurrant fruit and nutty oak. Mid to good length. Drink 2008 - 2022. 

Château Mouton Rothschild 2002                     (90-93)
Blackcurrant, berry, cedar and nut on the nose together with attractive cherry and blackcurrant fruit on the palate and good length. Tannin is just about ripe but it finishes with a touch of bitterness. Drink 2010 - 2025. 

Château Pichon-Longueville Baron 2002       (93-94)
Distinctive cedar or cigar box edge to the ripe fruity nose. Palate is reminiscent of a 2000 with plenty of fruit and ripe supple tannin combine with perfume and elegant classy texture and length. Drink 2007 - 2030. 

Château Pontet-Canet 2002                             (89-91)
Vibrant ripe blackcurrant and plum on the nose with attractive fruit and ripe tannin on the palate although it needs a little more concentration to be really good. Drink 2008 - 2022. 

Les Forts de Latour 2002                                (88-89)
A precocious, perfumed silky wine at this very early stage. There are prune, liquorice, floral notes and blackcurrant notes allied to supple ripe tannin and mid to good length. Drink 2007 - 2020. 

Château Bahans Haut-Brion 2002                  (85-87)
Nose of redcurrant, plum and tobacco is better than the palate, which has a sour green streak. Drink 2007 - 2015. 

Château Bouscaut 2002                                    (84-86)
Mid weight and palate a little sharp. Drink 2007 - 2012. 

Château Carbonnieux 2002                              (87-88)
Just about ripe enough with firm tannin giving weight but lacks a little on the mid-palate. Drink 2010 - 2020. 

Château de Fieuzal 2002                                  (90-91)
Lochlan Quinn's property has had a fairly successful year, avoiding the over extraction that marred the 2001 for me. This shows ripe blackcurrant plus vanilla, black olive like spice and good length. Drink 2008 - 2020. 

Château de France 2002                                   (85-87)
Cherry and red currant fruit but acids are a bit tart. Drink 2006 - 2012. 

Château Ferrande 2002                                    (85-87)
A little green on the nose but palate is better bur not inspiring. Drink 2007 - 2015. 

Château Haut Brion 2002                                  (93-94)
Nose is ripe but not exuberant but there's ripe plum, prune, tobacco and chocolate reflecting the 51% merlot in the blend. There's similar fruit on the palate with ripe tannin, giving power, length and good balance. Drink 2010 - 2040. 

Château Haut-Bailly 2002                                 (86-88)
Prune and olive on the nose while the firm palate is probably just the wrong side of the ripe or not. Time will tell. Drink 2010 - 2025. 

Château La Louvière 2002                                (85-87)
Flatters to deceive on the nose with attractive aromas but the palate lacks weight and ripeness. Drink 2007 - 2017. 

Château La Mission Haut-Brion 2002              (91-93)
Prune, plum, nut and scented spicy oak on nose. Modern style on the palate with plum and chocolate but there's a backbone of firm ripe tannin giving good length. Drink 2007 - 2025. 

Château La Tour Haut-Brion 2002                   (89-91)
51% merlot is reflected in the prune and tobacco scented nose. Palate shows modern ripe fruit with chocolate and prune with mid to good length and ripe tannin. Drink 2007-2020. 

Château Larrivet Haut Brion 2002                    (?)
Sample seemed a little oxidised but wine seemed firm and acidic. 

Château Latour Martillac 2002                        (90-92)
Very more-ish nose with beautiful ripe blackcurrant and vanilla. Palate has similar attractive fruit with spicy notes of soy or liquorice and ripe tannin that ads weight and length. Drink 2008 - 2022. 

Château Malartic-Lagravière 2002                (91-92)
A classy elegant wine with an array of fruit including ripe blackcurrant, cherry and plum plus mineral and nut. Ripe tannins play their part in adding a structure for it all. Not but has excellent persistence. Drink 2008 - 2025. 

Château Olivier 2002                                        (86-88)
Lighter than you'd hope but some attractive spicy fruit with plum and black olive and soft palate. Drink 2005 - 2012. 

Château Pape Clément 2002                          (91-92)
Liquorice and redcurrant fruit on nose with a bigger riper palate than expected with chocolate, blackcurrant, nut and mineral character. Tannins are ripe, but firm and add length. Drink 2012 - 2030. 

Château Picque Caillou 2002                          (87-88)
Good nose with blackcurrant and prune plus soy while the palate treads a tightrope between ripe and unripe fruit and tannin. Medium length. Drink 2008 - 2017. 

Château Rahoul 2002                                       (87-88)
Pleasant redcurrant fruit, fairly ripe but lacks a little stature. Drink 2006 - 2015. 

Château Smith Haut Lafitte 2002                  (91-92)
Smart modern style with ripe blackcurrant and vanilla showing on nose and palate, which also has a spicier side to it, ripe tannin and good length. Drink 2007 - 2025. 

Domaine de Chevalier 2002                           (91-92)
Prune, plum, chocolate and vanilla on the nose with ripe tannin and a well structured palate that traditionalists will enjoy, as it's ripe without being lush or jammy. Drink 2008 - 2025. 

La Chapelle de la Mission Haut-Brion 2002  (88-89)
Attractive nose of fruit, tobacco scents and a fairly good palate, tannin is firm but the right side of the ripeness line. Drink 2007 - 2020. 

Château Cos Labory 2002                              (85-87)
There are no bitter tannins but it’s surprisingly lightweight and supple for a St Estèphe. Drink 2005 – 2012.

Château Lafon-Rochet 2002                         (90-91)
A distinctive spicy nose that’s got liquorice or black olive alongside the usual blackcurrant. The palate in contrast has very pure blackcurrant fruit with the communes trademark firm, although I believe ripe, tannins allied to good length. Drink 2012 – 2030.

Château Les Ormes de Pez 2002                 (89-91)
Another St Estèphe with a spicy liquorice and olive scented nose and ripe but firm tannin and concentration on the palate. Drink 2010 – 2025.

Château Phelan Segur 2002                         (88-90)
Ripe blackcurrant mixes with soy and liquorice on the nose while the palate is ripe but firm and has mid to good length. Drink 2010 – 2025.

Château Beychevelle 2002                           (88-89)
Attractive ripe nose with blackcurrant, plum, nut and coffee. Palate is medium rich with supple ripe tannin. They have avoided the pitfalls of green tannin but it lacks a little stuffing. Drink 2008 - 2020

Château Branaire-Ducru 2002                     (88-89)
An interesting spicy nose mingled with dark fruits. Thankfully the palate isn’t over extracted and there’s a fair weight of ripe fruit but more concentration would have been welcome. Drink 2008 - 2020

Château Gruaud Larose 2002                      (93-94)
Gruaud Larose has been in great form in recent years and this is no exception, from the complex spicy nose to rich ripe palate with plum, prune, currant, vanilla, coffee and nut supported by ripe tannins this is a triumph. Drink 2010 –2030.

Château Lagrange 2002                               (84-85)
Not so much hidden depths as hidden shallows are the order of the day as this is lightweight and lacking in concentration. Drink 2005 – 2010.

Château Langoa Barton 2002                     (91-92)
The lesser of Anthony Barton’s wines out performs many so called higher-ranking wines. With its seductive ripe fruit and integrated scented oak on the nose it could easily be mistaken for a 2000. The elegant palate has blackcurrant, plum and nut with ripe tannin and good length. Drink 2008 - 2025.

Château Léoville Barton 2002                    (93-94)
Another cracker from Anthony Barton. More Margaux than St Julien in style at the moment with its perfumed ripe fruit with hints of violets and black cherry on nose and palate combining with liquorice like spice on the palate. Unlike many this doesn’t lack concentration and has ripe tannins that add focus and length. Drink 2010 – 2025.

Château Léoville Poyferré 2002                  (92-93)
A successful wine in a difficult year with inviting ripe cherry and blackcurrant fruit and a classy long palate with good tannins and length. Drink 2010 - 2030.

Château Talbot 2002                                      (89-91)
A well made wine with attractive, ripe supple fruit and fairly good length that only needed a little more concentration to have scored more highly. Drink 2008 - 2020.

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