Medium level of oxidation – almost, but not quite drinkable…
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2002
2002 Bouchard Père et Fils Beaune Grèves Vigne de l'Enfant Jésus
Medium, medium-plus colour. The nose is very fine; there’s latent oak that brings a little espresso macchiato into the equation but essentially it’s about a fresh, dark red fruit and occasional faint whiffs of bacon. Smooth, fresh and intense, it’s a classic middle-years wine – forward acidity and a narrow, lean complexion, but long too. This will be excellent – eventually! I won’t open another for 5 years, but I expect I’ll need to wait another five for real dividends. Super.
2002 Fevre William Chablis Le Clos
The 2001 seems the more muscular and dense. The 2002 has a little more barrel vanilla and dimension in the mid-palate – it seems a little riper – perhaps that’s just the sweetness of the barrels(?) Both bottles were drunk over 3-4 days, left unstoppered in the refrigerator each night – the 2001 really did seem bullet-proof. Today I have a very slight preference for the 2001, tomorrow, who knows?
2002 Engel René Grands-Echézeaux
Medium ruby-red. The nose has hints of dark, spicy oak and turned earth – as the glass drains there are beautiful flashes of red berries. Perfect freshness and still grainy, though generally background tannins. The flavours make a broad panorama on the tongue and are a mix of red berries and more raisined, lingering notes. Very long. I had the 99 a few months ago, but this seems much better focused and ‘together’ if perhaps not quite as concentrated. A lovely bottle and far from a shame to enjoy now.
2002 Chevigny Pascal Vosne-Romanée
This has medium, medium-plus colour. Tight, but a deep, brooding core of fruit topped by spiced red fruit, perhaps a trace of coffee too. The palate is also a little tight, but the texture is not bad, the tannin is relatively fine-grained with just a hint of astringency. Good balance of acidity but the fruit is now clenched around the core structure. Slowly mouth-watering. Relatively closed, but seemingly with everything in place – two bottles remain in the cellar – next one at 10 years of age I’d say.
2002 Bouchard Père et Fils Meursault Perrières
2002 Fevre William Chablis Bougros
2002 Latour Henri Auxey-Duresses Les Grands Champs
Medium, medium-plus ruby-red. The nose has a dense core, but is generally hard to get at for over an hour – after, it has some savoury hints, faint estery top-notes but stronger and almost good red fruit in the middle. In the mouth there’s good balance – perhaps a little ‘thin’ in the mid-palate, but just now that’s a 2002 thing, it’s definitely not just this wine. Despite that, there’s a nice cushioned texture and a reasonable finish. Decent intensity in the mid-palate. This is a value wine and was enjoyed.
2002 Mortet Denis Gevrey-Chambertin Lavaux St.Jacques
Medium-plus colour but a little younger looking than the 2003. The nose starts rather tight, only a few – though fine – higher tones. It’s wide and mouth-filling with a very nice impression to the slightly redder ripe fruit. Only from the mid-palate onwards comes the more typically mineral and spicy impression of previous wines. Still a bitter chocolate finish. The nose by now has added a small coffee-inflected dimension above a resonant red fruit note.