J'attendais plus de cette bouteille. Certes c'est un très joli vin, mais en dégust pure, il souffre d'une amertume un poil dominante et d'un manque de gourmandise. En mangeant, les paramètres se rétablissent un peu, et le vin est très agréable, un médocain classique avec ses notes de tabac/cèdre. mais il ne décolle jamais véritablement.
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Pulled the Gruaud Larose slightly earlier than I might have otherwise liked - was doing inventory and noticed a bulging capsule which is a worry with bottles purchased on the secondary retail market like this one. Pretty classic, still on the fruit (classic Cabernet) but with a leafy character here. Bit of graphite but not too much. Showed better after an hour in the glass so I probably needn’t have worried. A bit less immediately profound as my memories of the 02 Leoville Barton although it does have the same depth and nice neat tannin. Long finish after one lets it get going.
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[Served blind] Definitely went to Bordeaux with this blind, ageing apparent with its tannins resolving and slight amber on the otherwise dark rim. It didn't taste green so it made me think of a hotter year or more left bank. I guessed Pauillac, Phil said he didn't get enough pencil shavings to go Pauillac and went St. Julien.
A really beautifully aged Bordeaux that is hitting its peak. Structure is still holding firm with tannins fully resolving. There is good intensity of black fruit with graphite undertones, with tertiary notes of drying fruit. Hard to see this getting better except for preference towards more tertiary notes. Drink now for the next decade+.
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Ruby with light garbet. Color just starting to change but still very red. Red fruit, cherries mixed with some aged aromas - dry leaves. Balanced and smooth on the palate with lingering acidity. Some residual tannins but mostly smoothed out. Really wonderful.
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Sweet ripe fruit, quite full weight on the palate but a lightness in the mid-palate perhaps reveals that this is an 02. A lot of oak and tertiary leather reduces the score. Dark fruits predominate what is a nicely perfumed and quite floral (classic St Julien) wine. Finish is long and there is complexity here. Drinking now and will last for another 20 years.
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Cork broke upon opening but was otherwise sound. Decanted 1.5 hours. Deep garnet-red color with virtually no fading or browning. The nose was to me classic Gruaud, with iron, red clay, red berries, herbs, and a hint of tobacco. On the palate the wine was classic Gruaud as well, chewy rather than elegant, a complex mixture of those chewy tannins, deep fruit, coffee, good acidity and, in this vintage, lower alcohol. The finish was moderate and a bit tannic with enough fruit to suggest more evolution. Purchased on release and stored in my cellar since.
We didn't finish the bottle on day one and left the remainder in a stoppered decanter. On the second day the wine's hard edges had softened, the flavor deepened, and the nose rounded out. Have I not been decanting Gruaud long enough all these years? It was far more reminiscent of its Leoville peers on day 2.
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Dark, inky purple with a rather understated nose. Black currants and your normal (wonderful) bordeaux bouquet. On taste, there are still some residual tannins that indicate aging for another 5+ years would be a treat but otherwise, the wine is wonderfully balanced. Full bodied but smooth, just a wonderful glass paired with a christmas steak.
(Add'l note: Tasted vs 2017 Domaine Eden Cab and it was clear how much more earth Bordeaux is vs California Cab, which showed tons more red fruit. Some in our group preferred that!)
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Note: I use the recommend scale, so 85 represents a very good wine.
This one reached the magical 90 for me. Smooth, perfectly integrated. Seemed to be goo to go upon opening, although I did decant for a while. Classic St Julien. Delicate, but not weak. by ant stretch.
Sadly, my last.
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2002 Bordeaux 20 years on tasting (Fribourg): 2002 Bordeaux 20 years on tasting. Key takeaways: 1/ 31 out of 32 wines were in flawless condition which indicates either luck or less bottle variation in the vintage, 2/ On average still early days with the fruit predominantly primary, 3/ solid hedonistic quality with only few laggards, but also no blow-outs, 4/ structures built on both tannin and acidity, but common mid-palate weakness, 5/ best wines were Valandrau, Palmer and a surprise underdog Lagrange (all 95), 6/ biggest disappointment was a cooked Figeac (87). More comments and full list of wines included in the tasting story.
Tasting note: An intense and bold wine showing an impressive array of aromas. A bit of coffee, red cherry fruit, spice and fresh as well as dried herbs and sweet notes of caramel. Palate was still pretty wild, but in good harmony. Best to cellar a bit longer, but at this stage for me on a par with the higher rated 2000 – could this become a match for the 1982 a couple of decades down the road?
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Excellent colour and nose, still some tannin, good fruit. Ready but will keep. One of the better 2002s I’ve tried.
On the night, arguably drinking better than the 2000 tasted alongside it, which is a much finer wine but needs more time.
Tasted at the Winos’ Gruaud-Larose dinner, vintages 2002, 2000, 1999, 1996, 1990, 1986, 1982, 1975, 1973, 1967, 1961 (see reviews for the other vintages)
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A very traditionally-styled Bordeaux that's a bit bulky and clumsy but I still like it's earthy, smoky flavors. There are good flavors of dark black currants with a full, silky palate and lovely nutty aged Bordeaux flavors on the finish. Taut and barely ripe, it nevertheless works for me. I would drink this now as the fruit may be drying out a bit. 90-
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Took a little time to open up! Nose of creamy, leathery, sweet dark cabernet fruits, a hint of spice, dried leaves! Smooth palate, slightly sweet and again a hint of spice, a medium finish! Showing very well, cheers.....
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Right out of the bottle, that unmistakable BDX nose. Red fruit, earth, mushroom, with hints of dry gravel ad blackberry. Very lean on the palate, with drying tannins. I like the nose on this more than the palate, but overall, a much more enjoyable package to me than overdone modern-style wines. I think this will hold for a while, but am inclined to drink my other bottle sooner than later.
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One of the best bottles of this I have had. It’s totally open and ready to drink, with slightly bretty notes of horsesaddle, barnyard, there is some sweet and sour dark fruit, also some red berries, leather, cassis and some spices. It’s medium+ bodied, with medium+ acidity and also medium+ tannin that is not perfect and still a little rustic. Good length. This is old-school in the best sense of the word, with slightly rustic tannin, some brett, but also nice drinkability and mid-weight character. Sometimes I miss this style of wine a little. While everything is cleaner today, from lower yields, more concentrated, but sometimes also a little heavier, but unquestionably often better in quality, it‘s refreshing to drink something like this once in a while.
Dark blackcurrant, a graphite minerality, wood and then a touch of orange / citrus starts to come through. Sweet fruited on the palate, nice texture, medium weight, tangy and mouthwatering on the finish. The main downside for me is a high toned element, maybe a slight touch of VA, that protrudes a touch, but overall a nice classic Bordeaux. Not nearly as good as Leoville Barton for me in 2002.
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Dark garnet, blood color. Clear signs of aging. Classic Bordeaux nose of cassis, sweet black fruits, and a touch of floral notes, and spice. Hint of mint. On the palate, medium bodied with still ripe black fruits, balance tannin, and plenty of acidity. Texture of fine cotton. Medium alcohol. Finish has nice length but is slightly drying as the tannins are a little overbearing or the fruit has left the finish slightly. Drinking well and unlikely to improve. Drink up.
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Plum, black currant, leather, macerated black cherry, and wet cedar soil. Medium and graceful, but with a beautiful wrapping of subtle acidity that gently grips the dark fruit with a politely enveloping demeanor. Finishes soft and flavorful. 91-92. Drink now.
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Pretty good showing with notes of horsesaddle, barnyard, also some dark fruit, red fruit, leather, cassis and some spices. Medium+ bodied, with medium+ acidity and also medium+ tannin that is pretty good quality, but slighty rough. Good length. A mid-weight, slightly rustic and bretty Gruaud but drinking nicely now if you don‘t mind some „very classic claret“.
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The wine has improved markedly over the past few years! The colour remains deep and glossy! Nose is superb, slightly mineral along with big pure ripe sweet blackcurrant fruits, absolutely gorgeous! Smooth palate, sweet and ripe, but lacking complexity and strength, still, I'm very pleased with it! The vintage 2002 in Bordeaux is often overlooked, so it is somewhat a bargain! Although I'm a big fan of Pauillac, this lovely St Julien did soothe me, approaching the peak of its maturity, worth seeking out if you can get it at a fair price!
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Søtlig, varm frukt, tydelige vaniljetoner, et lite hint av lær, mokka og kaffe. Varm, søtlig frukt også på smak, medium fylde, litt stram og en anelse metallisk og et lett jordlig preg. Pent drikkemoden.
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Encore très bon. Un peu triste à l’ouverture mais gagne en suavité et fruité après quelques minutes dans le verre. Délicieux, avec des arômes de tabac blond sur un ensemble d’on complexe fruité et bien poli. Belle fraîcheur et vivacité encore. Est largement à point mais loin d’être passé.
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Tasted at the chateau as part of the guided tour. Aromas of new oak, leather and red berries. Quite elegant, with fine tannins, and more typical St. Julien than the blockbusters in the nineties and eighties. Lacks some concentration.
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Note: I use a scale on which 85 represents a very good wine.
Decent Bordeaux from a not so spectacular vintage. Took a little while to open in a decanted (at least 1 hour). A little sharp, but this did not interfere with enjoying the bottle. The fruit was a little much in the background for me, hence 87 rather than something higher.
Drink 'em if got 'em.
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I'm half-way through 12 of these, drinking one or so a year. Inspired to write this note by a delightful wine, right in its drinking window, that is definitely improving year on year. Not a great year and not a trendy wine - but it was up there with the most enjoyable wines I've had recently.
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1/1, cork 80% soaked. Deep ruby/garnet core, pale garnet rim. Clean, relatively youthful cedar nose, with red and black berry fruit. Medium/full bodied, creamy mainly red-toned fruit - including a touch of cranberry, cedar, touch of spice, fine tannins - fairly soft on mid-palate, attractive vibrant acids, trace of firm tannins still on the good length finish. Accomplished, structurally mature if aromatically quite youthful. No hurry here.
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Pristine bottle - perfect fill and cork. The bouquet is very promising: fresh blackcurrants and spice, without a hint of funk or brett. The attack is quite good too, full of brambly fruit with a touch of dark cherry. Then the telltale redcurrant takes over and the wine grinds to a halt, literally. The middle section is pinched, grippy and drying, leading (or not) into a finish that simply isn't there. There is some enjoyment to be had, hence the score, but this isn't a patch on most previous bottles and I'm glad it's my last. Tasted with a relatively humble Chinon (Raffault Les Peuilles 2011) which totally outclassed it.
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Medium-purple color with some ruby. Opens up with some air in the glass. Notes of blackcurrant, horsesaddle, barnyard, also some red fruit, tobacco and leather. It's medium+ bodied, with medium+ tannin that is a little rough around the edges and medium+ acidity. Medium length. A classic St-Julien, the Brett is not dominant but slightly recognizable but the wine lacks the depth, persistence, complexity and polish of the best vintages. Still fun to drink.
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Nice transparency, touch of age. Beautiful bouquet, bit of stable and quite fresh actually. Wonderfully increasing length after being in the glas for some time despite decanting shortly before use. Sticky tanins, bit of chocolat or tabaco. Nice balance, round, but not very full.
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1ere bouteille Couleur : rouge pourpre, léger reflet orangé sur le disque. Nez : très beau sur le havane, le cèdre, les fruits rouge. Mais le cèdre domine En bouche : très bonne surprise, la matière est bien présente, les tanins commencent à se fondre. Belle longueur, le havane et le cèdre sont également bien présents. Très bien
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Mature classic St. Julien, probably in the optimal drinking window. Blackberry, black cherry, cassis, leather, cigar box, forest floor. Medium + intensity and length. Ingenious companion to light red meat. Good drinking now.
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An easy afternoon with close friends; Saint Julien & Pomerol (@ FD): Rustic bouquet with barnyard and autumn impressions and also classical cabernet and cassis. On the palate red berries, bell pepper, rustic again, a touch of bell pepper, some sweetness and a touch of celery. A bit drying in the finish.
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This has settled down into middle age, with classic brambly Gruaud notes and spice. There are plenty of good points, notably the broad, solid base and the length of the finish, with a softness to the middle section that sets Gruaud apart from Léoville-Barton, for example. On the other hand, the fruit lacks the sparkle of a great vintage and there isn't enough of it. I can't see it improving any further but it shouldn't decline either over the next few years.
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Klassischer und auch typischer St.Julien mit Graphit, Leder, Spice Box, süßem Holz, Cassis und roter Kirsche. Am Gaumen sehr fein, gute Balance, vielleicht etwas sperriges Tannin aber das gibt sich mit Luft. Denke nicht das der Wein noch zulegt dürfte sich aber problemlos noch einige Jahre halten.
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Drank this over three days, and it needed that time to show its best. On the first day it was tightly wound, with a shallow taste profile and a metallic bite on the finish. Had it at 87-88. On the second day it opened into a slightly rustic offering, with medium plus acid, and medium minus tannins. On the third day...a pure and powerful wine of substantive depth and length hence the 91.It's a relatively big, red-fruited wine that is showing little if any tertiary flavors. All in all for me, this wine is not worth the money nor the cellar time.
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Classic Gruaud Larose with cedar, pencilshavings and some cassis. Medium bodied with OK structure. For the current bordeaux prices I guess it can be considered as a bargain.
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Plum fruit, red currant, cedar, and a hint of licorice. Drinking very nicely at this stage and has years left. This is classic St Julien style and did not disappoint.
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3 hrs in the decanter. Pencil shavings, earth, leather, cool cassis notes. medium body, good freshness, the initial poopy nuances dissipate slowly. Rustic tannines, classically built, very good. Happy b-day, L. Even better on day 3!! Left half a bottle in the fridge. Tannines have softened, fruit is more prominent and darker in aspect. Up 1 point.
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Better than last year, with much more weight and depth: the fruit has settled down and jammified producing a classic Gruaud which is very satisfying- excellent value.
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A nice wine considering the vintage. Noticing some green tannins and missing intensity. Paid 28 euros on release. Very happy to have bought it, but would not reload on current prices!
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Weekly tasting group #173; A fully blind test. (@ My place): Red with a carmine rim. In the bouquet a classical Bordeaux bouquet with cassis, other dark forest fruits, vanilla, sweet spiciness and beautiful oak. On the palate dark and red berries, just a touch of bell pepper, well dosed oak, beautiful acidity and still sticky, slightly drying tannin. There was a leftover of 1/3 bottle which I put in the cooler and drank the next day at room temperature. The second day it even showed more of its luxury. Great effort for 2002! Beautiful wine. Pnp still a bit too young. The second day perfectly ready. It should be no problem to cellar this wine until 2020. 90 - 92 for this time. One more bottle to go… ;-)
No decant; barnyard nose, herbs, flowers, cinnamon; delicate, balanced structure, solid fruit, satin on the tongue (next day grip was more tense, as fruit faded a bit): schist, black cherry, plum, mint, chocolate; 18
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A real beauty I met today! dark red in colour! Charming nose of dark fruits, tobacco leaves, a hint of leather! Smooth caressing palate! Nicely balance! Not a complex wine but end it with great style and beauty! I enjoyed it immensely! Can be easily kept for another decade! I think it is still selling at a reasonable price! Worth seeking out!
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Another charming 2002 Medoc. Still purple. Cinnamon, herbs and earth on the nose. Firm but not hard structure. Dark fruit, currants, & tea. Good finish. Oak is totally absorbed. Classic balanced traditional Medoc.
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Drank this over three days, and it needed that time to show its best. On the first day it was tightly wound, with a shallow taste profile and a metallic bite on the finish. Had it at 89-90. On the second day it opened into a delightfully rustic offering, with medium plus acid, and medium minus tannins. Very satisfying! On the third day...Wow!...a pure and powerful wine of substantive depth and length. Overall, a relatively light, red-fruited, and traditional offering that needs considerable time to breathe. Ready to drink now, and there is no rush, but it needs a day-long decant to reveal its charms; four to six hours is likely insufficient. 92-93.
This seems as good a time as any, given this delightful yet underappreciated 2nd Cru from a consensus below average vintage, for a rant on the inconsistency of Bordeaux scoring.
<Rant On>Bordeaux scoring is in the words of Winston Churchill (albeit regarding a rather delicate foreign policy matter), "a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma." Some reviewers seem to score Bordeaux on a curiously complex basis of vintage, growth (including Cru Bourgeois), appellation (with points apparently automatically deducted for humbler appellations), and second wines. There appears to be certain unwritten hierarchical rules for scoring Bordeaux, such as; Cru Bourgeois should not outscore classed growths, points should be deducted for vintage (in all but the heralded vintages) and second wines should not score less than at least two points below an estate's first wine (with a three point margin apparently preferable). By contrast, humble Cru Bourgeois often outclass many great growths in the same vintage (Potensac, for example, routinely confounds blind tasters by outshining all but the best (not necessarily highest classed) wines in the vintage), unclassed wines from the Cotes de Castillon and Cotes de Blaye appellations often outdo wines from the Haut-Medoc, including the hallowed four appellations, and second wines often show better than other great growth first wines (yes, even first wines of higher-classed growths). Ever experienced a $12 Cru Bourgeois out perform a big-named $45 Margaux in a blind tasting!? I have! Ever experienced a $9 Kirland Signature branded Medoc destroy a reputable Graves and a third growth!? Yes again! And somewhat further afield (possibly sacrilegious to some), ever experienced an average vintage Latour put a great vintage, higher scoring Lala (Rhone) to bed!? Yep, you guessed it, I have, etc., etc., etc! Finally, it seems that reviewers hold Bordeaux wines to a higher standard than most other appellations around the globe, with the possible exception of Burgundy. Are $12 - $20 Argentine Malbecs and Spanish Garnachas, for example, consistently higher quality than $12 - $20 Bordeaux as comparative scores sometimes imply!? I contend that every Bordeaux should be scored on its merits, not on growth, vintage, appellation, and second wines. </Rant Off>
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Weekly tasting group #146; Bordeaux: Right bank or Left bank? (@ RW): Beautiful barnyard and cassis in the bouquet. Good oak as well. On the palate dark and red berry fruits and focused. Firm acidity and tannin. The wine has a good length. Certainly very ok, but for 2nd Grand Cru Classé a little disappointing. Still has a future of several years, so maybe everything will fall into place in a few years. Not sure. 89 – 90 for today.
Surprisingly fruity, this was quite a nice discovery. Full of bright, arresting red cherry and cranberry, which jump out of the glass. The follow-up is not quite so good, the wine lacking the usual depth and power. If the 1982 is Marlène Dietrich, full of throaty power, this is a starlet on the beach at Cannes, all sparkle but not much else, although the usual tastes of blackberry and liquorice did emerge in the background as the evening went on. Medium-bodied and with only a fair finish, but not a trace of brett. Overall very enjoyable if atypical.
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Opened the bottle four houes before drinking. Still some tannines but pairs very well with game. Wine is ready to drink but holds for another 2 or 3 years.
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Medium bodied, with an herbal quality to the tobacco and blackberry fruit in the nose, the wine has a light rustic, sandy quality to the tannins in the crisp, red plum and earthy finish.
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My contribution to a wine tasting event at La Quinta Resort & Spa in La Quinta, CA.
Classicly-styled Bordeaux. At its peak right now. WOTN among some greats - '09 Sassicaia, '06 Tignanello, Viader V, '07 Guado il Tasso. Notice this group prefers Italians - well this GL may have convinced them to give Bdx a serious consideration.
Not a fantastic year in Bordeaux, but this is a great wine from a subpar year that can be obtained very reasonably. I may pick up a few more.
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A perfectly pleasant fairly old Cabernet. Nothing unpleasant about it, nor was there any wow factor. Glad it was a gift, I'll be sticking with new world if this is the value Bordeaux offers.
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Decent 2002 but INCREDIBLY expensive in Japan: 3 times the price in EU/US. (Ex-Château.)
Medium size nose, tight but very attrative. Still young and berry-like with cedar and Bordeaux soil. A whiff of reductive rubber notes in this btl. On the palate, it gives me the impression of not fully mature fruit, but still very well made. Acid levels are a little too high but I can live with them. This wine is too fruity for me to see it as a wine that is ready to go. We won't buy anything, but I'd say that before 2018 (as the CT average suggests is the end of days for this wine) is too early if you share our taste in mature Bordeaux. Completely disliked by wife. Tasting at Riedel Bar, Yokohama.
Deep, dark purple with dark core and light purple rim. Lovely nose, with blackberries, licorice, tobacco, black tea leaves and a delicate hint of caramels. On the palate quite rough and square, full bodied, slightly earthy with lots of dark fruits and very present tannins. I find this a bit unpolished right now, and not sure of how it will develop. Might be worth waiting for some years until next bottle.
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Occasional tasting group (@ My place Bordeaux 2002 plus some other nice wines.): Beautiful and luxurious bouquet with good oak, smoke, tobacco, coffee and some barnyard. Also some floral notes and herbs. On the palate the same impressions. Very juicy and harmonious. Early maturity and ready now and will stay on this level for several years. Until 2017 at least.
Very classic bordeaux in the best meaning of the word. No surprise here, nor any reason for disappointment. Red berries, minerals, in the background some mint and pepper. Right now starting to blossom in it's prime drinking window. Give it about 1h of air. The only thing that makes a higher rating unavailable is a little vegetative undertone - or in a positive approach a "cru bourgeois" tone.
Gruaud Larose is always a sure value when looking for "real" bordeaux. No high tech or extravagance here, just all building stones of classic bordeaux.
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Deep colour. Dark spice, dried herbs, licorice, prune, blood plum. Light-Med wt, blackcurrant, tar, licorice, mulberry leaf, leaning herbal. Tart crisp finish, lots of tannins, hint of green.
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Blood red; meaty, cedar, blackcurrants; initial flush of black fruits, refresh acidity, then pinched palate; attenuated finish. Well proportioned. Time may flesh out.
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Dark red with orange rim. Nose of blackberry, tobacco, and some smoky meaty stuff. On the palate, dark fruits, currant, pencil led, and again this umami meaty nicy stuff. Healthy acidity paired good tannins - good maturiy after few hours of decant but this one is clearly further in development than the previous bottles I have had....
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This vintage showed the aged perspective of Gruaud Larose. Softened herbaceous aroma revealed more floral and spice notes, which were not apparent in the younger vintage, ie 2005. Mild tannins blended well with the sweet fruit structure, which was the strongest component of the wine. The spicy notes were also apparent on the palate. Finish was rather abruptly short, giving bland/watery aftertaste. Nevertheless, given the nature of the vintage, I would agree that this was well made and very enjoyable at this moment in time. Popped and poured.
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Dark red with orange rim. Nose of blackberry, tobacco, and some smoky meaty stuff. On the palate, dark fruits, currant, pencil led, and again this umami meaty nicy stuff. Healthy acidity paired good tannins - good maturiy after few hours of decant but can easily be alive and kicking for another 5 to 8 years I guess
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Decanted roughly 3 hours and consumed over another 2. Virtually opaque black-red color. Muted, ripe nose of cassis, tar, earth. Moderately full on the palate and nicely balanced but it lacks the stuffing I expect of Gruaud even in lesser vintages. Nice but not exciting.
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Dark red with orange rim. Nose of blackberry, tobacco, and some smoky meaty stuff. On the palate, dark fruits, currant, pencil led, and again this umami meaty nicy stuff. Healthy acidity paired good tannins - good maturiy after few hours of decant but can easily be alive and kicking for another 5 to 8 years I guess.
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Tasted non blind. Decanted 12 hours before serving.
Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of aspirin, white pepper, sandlewood and plum. Flavors of berries, cherries and raspberries. Bright acidity, firm tannins, full bodied. Drink now with plenty of air or continue to hold.
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Very tight after pouring a small taste immediately after opening: tertiary flavors of smoke, burnt earth, and tobacco were dominant with heavy tannins.
Totally opened up after 2 hour decant as well as on Day 2. Fruit/berry aroma and flavors as well as spicebox round out the initial tertiary flavors as well as a softening of the tannins reduce the harshness of the mouthfeel. Really a beautiful wine that will age effortlessly for at least 3-5 years, though it is drinking well now with a multi-hour decant.
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Dark red with orange rim. Nose of blackberry, tobacco, and some smoky meaty stuff. On the palate, this wine dark fruits, currant, pencil led, and again this umami meaty nicy stuff. Healthy acidity paired good tannins - good maturiy after few hours of decant but can easily be alive and kicking for another 5 to 8 years I guess.
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wapfu's earlier note hit the nail on the head. Disappointing wine. 3rd time I've had this wine with consistent results. Can't imagine that this will improve.
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Really enjoyed this tonight with dinner in Bordeaux. Lighter-bodied for a GL but really transparent to the terroir with wonderful flavors of black fruits, smoke, tar, graphite and tobacco. The finish is already complex and the tannins pretty much resolved. This is delicious at the table right now.
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Very dark garnet with hints of brick. Med. intense blackcurrants nose. Med. body, good acidity, red berry character, cocoa, then a bit plummy. Not very well integrated. Black berries, coffee. Good length, but not much elegance.
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Decanted 2 hours. Nose dominated by graphite, with nice dark berries and leather behind. On the palate, black fruit, spices, graphite and slate. Medium finish. Good, if not tremendously remarkable.
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Popped and aerated at cellar temp. for 12+ hours. Dark purple/garnet, clear rim. Attractive nose of blackberry, tobacco, leather, subtle vegetive notes, and hints of of smoke. A touch of VA too. Medium-plus body, nicely concentrated. On the palate, this wine shows youthful flavors of ripened dark fruits, currant, earthy spices, pencil shavings, and an impression of crushed stones. Plus acidity paired with racy, astringent tannins push the flavors through on the moderate close. Aside from the slightly disconcerting but rather inconsequential VA, this youthful wine is quite successful for the vintage and could use at least 3-5 more years in the cellar to develop more nuance...should drink well for many more.
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Decanted this for 2h before drinking. Actually quite nice. Very live and concentrated. Full of black fruits and coffee notes. Nicely structured with round tannins. There's some complexity due to time in the bottle, but predominately primary. This is young is very approachable but could live another 10 years. Nice medium+ finish.
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From magnum. Very disappointing. Thin, lacking fruit, stringent and a bit sour. No sun in this wine. This may be a second cru but as far as I am concerned this is an empty suit. What a pity and waste of money. I have a number of mags left; hopefully this was an off bottle but more likely that Parker was right with his original verdict.
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Tour de Bordeaux; Next stop: St. Julien @ my place (Netherlands): Basket full of fresh fruit: blackberries, cherries and redcurrant. But also interesting tropical notes (mango, banana), leather, tobacco and decent minerality. The wine still has some youthful astringency, but all together this is quite open, elegant and drinking fine now. 17/20
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From 375. Riper and more fruit forward than I was expecting. Nice classic claret secondary notes of cedar, leather and cassis. Some fine residual tannins on finish. From this format at least, drinking really nicely. Its sad to compare current release prices to the nice QPR of this gem.
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The bottle was uncorked (but not decanted) 4 hours before tasting. The wine is dark red. It had a deep and complex bouquet with a lot of dark fruits and cedar. On the palate a lot of cassis, cherries and licorice and juicy. There is very much acidity and bitterness which is dominating at first. A few hours later some pleasant sweetness appeared and made the acidity less evident and the wine much more pleasurable. The score went up from 87 to 90. Overall I think this wine needs another 4 - 5 years of cellaring at the least. And thanks to the firm backbone of acidity and tannin it might age well even several more years. Will be an interesting wine to follow from 2015 onwards.
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Similar to the typical GL flavor profile (berry fruit, pencil lead, tobacco, etc) but a bit sweet. This was mildly corked, and I couldn't get past it. Others didn't seem to mind.
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Drank with wine maker Greg Brewer during a dinner at Cellini in NYC after doing a tasting of his wines. Medium bodied, a baby, but suprisingly drinkable. A mouthfull of sweet chewy tannins with a fruity, forward, taste with lovely notes of spice. Aromatically ripe with a balanced finish.
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For the moment this is one of my favourite wines to drink...this is a wine you can impress winelovers who love smooth wines and as well some wine lovers who love big wines...2002 BDX is so good,so good QPR...this isn't a light wine vintage,its a vintage with wines with a lot of tannin...but the fruit is there as well...so a lot of drinking pleasure...www.everyoneweb.com/chateaujochen
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I was very surprised last night. This 2002 is too good to be true. The nose is wonderful deep, tempting with earth, animal, tabacco, fruits, very seductive of layers and dimensions. First sip is a bitter taste and when I get used to it, it shows up very nice complexity, delicious, charming inpact. Aftertaste is smooth, long and intensively finished.
Drink 2010 - 2020...................I should rate it 95-96/100......................
ps. If compare with Ornellaia 2006 last week, Gruaud Larose 2002 is much better in everything....indeed....
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Medium-bodied the deep purple with a muted nose of spice.Tannins still not yet in balance leaving one with a hint of vegetal and a puckering finish. Shows best in the mouth swirl -chewy and cherry sweet. Okay for the $27.00 I paid for 4 bottles at futures in 2003. But compare this to the 2000 Cantemerle which I had last night and paid $18.00 at futures prices in 2001 and it is day and night.
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An easy afternoon with close friends. 2009 (@ My place): Like my previous note. This is a beautiful wine, but not living up to the expectations. Gruaud should do better. Even in an off vintage. Possibly it needs more ageing, but at the moment I am not sure about the wine’s potential.
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Third or fourth bottle of this and for the last two years it was in a closed phase...was anxious to now if its became already enjoyable or not...it did...very smooth fruitlayerd,nice acidty and complexety.This wine will nicely evolve within 10 years.2002 will be a classic vintage a notch below 2004-witch is extremely underrated...www.everyoneweb.com/chateaujochen
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Ruby. Beautiful and deep and complex bouquet. Toasty oak. A somewhat sweet start. Very juicy. Cassis. A bit cherries as well. Earthy. Although I tasted quite many Cordier wines over the years, I did not recognize their style in the first instant. The wine is still too powerful and young. It does not have the “raw” power of Talbot, but on the other hand the finesse Gruaud can have is not showing yet. For the moment 89, but there is potential here. Especially on the finesse side, so a few points more are certainly possible. Wait at least 4 – 5 years.
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Decanted quickly via funnel, but only allowed 15 minutes to breathe before first tasting in a Bordeaux glass.
Colored a deep red to black with blues apparent; translucent, unclouded, and leggy in the glass. Bouquet of big spiced apple and tart berry notes with accents of soft almond, wood, carraway seed, and jam. Splashed onto the tongue with a complex burst of earthy butter, citrus, chocolate, licorice, tobacco, wood, and tomato. The body is rich yet ethereal and makes a watery transition to bloom into something reminiscent of minty, tea-soaked ripe fruit. Tart finish fading to haunting complexity. Assertive and engaging but not overpowering, with a chewy mouth feel. Extremely sippable, engaging, and pleasant. Delicious.
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Half bottle cost $25. Decanted but no time to breathe. The closure is cork but in good condition (soft and supple on the bottom). The colour is medium-dark. The nose is dry but aromatic and enticing. The flavour is rich and dry but subtle and nuanced. The tannins are still present and chewy, but somewhat softened from a little age. I think I like it! Very good to excellent (88.5). This wine would pair better with food, than as an evening drink at the computer. I shall have to drink it with my homemade stew tomorrow then.
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Decanted 3 hours before drinking. Deep purple color. Very concetrated nose, with hints of smoke wet wood and blackberries. On the palate is medium-bodied with high acidity and good notes of exotic spices. The problem is the dry tannins. Aftertaste about 17 sec.
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Immensely satisfying "comfort claret" as subdued on the palate as Bordeaux should be, but still very fresh with a ripe berry nose and enough fruit to hide the tannin and sustain the greenish menthol finish.
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The color is a dark garnet red with even concentration and good clarity. The nose is a little reticent with notes of light smoke, blackberry, and cedar. Blackberry and other fruit carries over from the nose to the palate. Tannins are soft. Good level of acidity. Nicely balanced structure. Medium weight body. The finish is medium length and is moderately complex. On the second day in the decanter, I pick up a touch of oxidation and a light oak / vanilla component on the nose. Better the first day but still drinkable on the second. 50 + 4 + 11 + 15 + 8. Add a plus after the 89
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LILA Bordeaux Tasting: Great fruit forward notes, fresh forest berries, not too dark; great “lead pencil” bright cassis; Grt nose; silky bod, not a monster, but even and nice.
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Brooding nose with leather, tobacco, jammy fruit, and violets. Very nice! On the palate surprisingly accessible, with lots of jammy fruit, leather, black chocolate, sweetish, chewy tannins and a nice but noticeable acidity. I gather this will close down, but it is delicious right now, albeit in a rather international style (however, there is enough St. Julien character to keep this interesting). Parker mentions an astringent note that I didn't find in this bottling.
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UGC tasting in Chicago. Moderately perfumed start with concentrated plum and blackberry aromas. Similar fruit on the palate with very good balance and length. This might fly under the radar given critics' scores.
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2002 Guraud Laors exhibits some red fruit and some tobacco as well as violet aromas. It is round with a lot of finesse and a long, mineral finish and good tannin integration
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3/18/2024 - vinum bonum wrote: 90 Points
J'attendais plus de cette bouteille. Certes c'est un très joli vin, mais en dégust pure, il souffre d'une amertume un poil dominante et d'un manque de gourmandise. En mangeant, les paramètres se rétablissent un peu, et le vin est très agréable, un médocain classique avec ses notes de tabac/cèdre. mais il ne décolle jamais véritablement.
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3/16/2024 - GAET Likes this wine: 91 Points
Bon Saint-Julien, mais un peu moins avenant que celui bu il y a quelques années.
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12/10/2023 - geraldsng wrote:
Pulled the Gruaud Larose slightly earlier than I might have otherwise liked - was doing inventory and noticed a bulging capsule which is a worry with bottles purchased on the secondary retail market like this one. Pretty classic, still on the fruit (classic Cabernet) but with a leafy character here. Bit of graphite but not too much. Showed better after an hour in the glass so I probably needn’t have worried. A bit less immediately profound as my memories of the 02 Leoville Barton although it does have the same depth and nice neat tannin. Long finish after one lets it get going.
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12/7/2023 - Michael Hung Likes this wine: 92 Points
[Served blind]
Definitely went to Bordeaux with this blind, ageing apparent with its tannins resolving and slight amber on the otherwise dark rim. It didn't taste green so it made me think of a hotter year or more left bank. I guessed Pauillac, Phil said he didn't get enough pencil shavings to go Pauillac and went St. Julien.
A really beautifully aged Bordeaux that is hitting its peak. Structure is still holding firm with tannins fully resolving. There is good intensity of black fruit with graphite undertones, with tertiary notes of drying fruit. Hard to see this getting better except for preference towards more tertiary notes. Drink now for the next decade+.
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2/12/2023 - Simoneats Likes this wine: 91 Points
Ruby with light garbet. Color just starting to change but still very red. Red fruit, cherries mixed with some aged aromas - dry leaves. Balanced and smooth on the palate with lingering acidity. Some residual tannins but mostly smoothed out. Really wonderful.
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1/9/2023 - Philip67 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Sweet ripe fruit, quite full weight on the palate but a lightness in the mid-palate perhaps reveals that this is an 02. A lot of oak and tertiary leather reduces the score. Dark fruits predominate what is a nicely perfumed and quite floral (classic St Julien) wine. Finish is long and there is complexity here. Drinking now and will last for another 20 years.
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1/1/2023 - tomandlu wrote: 93 Points
Cork broke upon opening but was otherwise sound. Decanted 1.5 hours. Deep garnet-red color with virtually no fading or browning. The nose was to me classic Gruaud, with iron, red clay, red berries, herbs, and a hint of tobacco. On the palate the wine was classic Gruaud as well, chewy rather than elegant, a complex mixture of those chewy tannins, deep fruit, coffee, good acidity and, in this vintage, lower alcohol. The finish was moderate and a bit tannic with enough fruit to suggest more evolution. Purchased on release and stored in my cellar since.
We didn't finish the bottle on day one and left the remainder in a stoppered decanter. On the second day the wine's hard edges had softened, the flavor deepened, and the nose rounded out. Have I not been decanting Gruaud long enough all these years? It was far more reminiscent of its Leoville peers on day 2.
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12/26/2022 - Simoneats Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark, inky purple with a rather understated nose. Black currants and your normal (wonderful) bordeaux bouquet. On taste, there are still some residual tannins that indicate aging for another 5+ years would be a treat but otherwise, the wine is wonderfully balanced. Full bodied but smooth, just a wonderful glass paired with a christmas steak.
(Add'l note: Tasted vs 2017 Domaine Eden Cab and it was clear how much more earth Bordeaux is vs California Cab, which showed tons more red fruit. Some in our group preferred that!)
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12/13/2022 - John Nezlek wrote: 90 Points
Note: I use the recommend scale, so 85 represents a very good wine.
This one reached the magical 90 for me.
Smooth, perfectly integrated.
Seemed to be goo to go upon opening, although I did decant for a while.
Classic St Julien. Delicate, but not weak. by ant stretch.
Sadly, my last.
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10/3/2022 - sirpat00 wrote: 94 Points
2002 Bordeaux 20 years on tasting (Fribourg): 2002 Bordeaux 20 years on tasting. Key takeaways: 1/ 31 out of 32 wines were in flawless condition which indicates either luck or less bottle variation in the vintage, 2/ On average still early days with the fruit predominantly primary, 3/ solid hedonistic quality with only few laggards, but also no blow-outs, 4/ structures built on both tannin and acidity, but common mid-palate weakness, 5/ best wines were Valandrau, Palmer and a surprise underdog Lagrange (all 95), 6/ biggest disappointment was a cooked Figeac (87). More comments and full list of wines included in the tasting story.
Tasting note:
An intense and bold wine showing an impressive array of aromas. A bit of coffee, red cherry fruit, spice and fresh as well as dried herbs and sweet notes of caramel. Palate was still pretty wild, but in good harmony. Best to cellar a bit longer, but at this stage for me on a par with the higher rated 2000 – could this become a match for the 1982 a couple of decades down the road?
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12/25/2021 - John Nezlek wrote: 88 Points
Note: I use a scale on which 85 represents a very good wine.
Classic claret. Pretty much good after opening.
Seems to be ready to go, although I have a few more, and I am not in a rush to drink them.
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7/31/2021 - Richard Nabavi Likes this wine: 92 Points
Excellent colour and nose, still some tannin, good fruit. Ready but will keep. One of the better 2002s I’ve tried.
On the night, arguably drinking better than the 2000 tasted alongside it, which is a much finer wine but needs more time.
Tasted at the Winos’ Gruaud-Larose dinner, vintages 2002, 2000, 1999, 1996, 1990, 1986, 1982, 1975, 1973, 1967, 1961 (see reviews for the other vintages)
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6/19/2021 - Golfbeforewine wrote: 93 Points
Great wine, very well integrated. Earthy but with the warm sweet at the end. Great drinking window
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5/7/2021 - dream Likes this wine: 90 Points
A very traditionally-styled Bordeaux that's a bit bulky and clumsy but I still like it's earthy, smoky flavors. There are good flavors of dark black currants with a full, silky palate and lovely nutty aged Bordeaux flavors on the finish. Taut and barely ripe, it nevertheless works for me. I would drink this now as the fruit may be drying out a bit. 90-
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4/18/2021 - sharonandroland wrote: 92 Points
Good drinking window
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4/15/2021 - Tao wrote: 92 Points
Can't help myself to open another bottle to enjoy, what a charmer! Please see my previous notes for a bit more details! Thank You!
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3/31/2021 - Tao wrote: 92 Points
Took a little time to open up! Nose of creamy, leathery, sweet dark cabernet fruits, a hint of spice, dried leaves! Smooth palate, slightly sweet and again a hint of spice, a medium finish! Showing very well, cheers.....
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3/11/2021 - S-C-S Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for 2 hours ... very classic bordeaux, love it ... next bottle in 3 years.
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3/10/2021 - Zweder wrote: 90 Points
Luxurious bouquet with some pleasant barnyard and horse stable smells. Same on the palate, Still juicy.
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2/20/2021 - JCGuthrie wrote: 91 Points
Right out of the bottle, that unmistakable BDX nose. Red fruit, earth, mushroom, with hints of dry gravel ad blackberry. Very lean on the palate, with drying tannins. I like the nose on this more than the palate, but overall, a much more enjoyable package to me than overdone modern-style wines. I think this will hold for a while, but am inclined to drink my other bottle sooner than later.
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12/12/2020 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 91 Points
One of the best bottles of this I have had. It’s totally open and ready to drink, with slightly bretty notes of horsesaddle, barnyard, there is some sweet and sour dark fruit, also some red berries, leather, cassis and some spices. It’s medium+ bodied, with medium+ acidity and also medium+ tannin that is not perfect and still a little rustic. Good length. This is old-school in the best sense of the word, with slightly rustic tannin, some brett, but also nice drinkability and mid-weight character. Sometimes I miss this style of wine a little. While everything is cleaner today, from lower yields, more concentrated, but sometimes also a little heavier, but unquestionably often better in quality, it‘s refreshing to drink something like this once in a while.
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7/25/2020 - MattGeneve Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark blackcurrant, a graphite minerality, wood and then a touch of orange / citrus starts to come through. Sweet fruited on the palate, nice texture, medium weight, tangy and mouthwatering on the finish. The main downside for me is a high toned element, maybe a slight touch of VA, that protrudes a touch, but overall a nice classic Bordeaux. Not nearly as good as Leoville Barton for me in 2002.
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5/1/2020 - SB5784 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark garnet, blood color. Clear signs of aging. Classic Bordeaux nose of cassis, sweet black fruits, and a touch of floral notes, and spice. Hint of mint. On the palate, medium bodied with still ripe black fruits, balance tannin, and plenty of acidity. Texture of fine cotton. Medium alcohol. Finish has nice length but is slightly drying as the tannins are a little overbearing or the fruit has left the finish slightly. Drinking well and unlikely to improve. Drink up.
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12/28/2019 - Sigurdur Likes this wine:
Fantastic wine. Glad I still have another bottle.
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11/9/2019 - Cipivts Likes this wine: 89 Points
Pale ruby-garnet, a bit on the fruit side, not much structure but drinking well now
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10/2/2019 - csimm wrote: 92 Points
Plum, black currant, leather, macerated black cherry, and wet cedar soil. Medium and graceful, but with a beautiful wrapping of subtle acidity that gently grips the dark fruit with a politely enveloping demeanor. Finishes soft and flavorful. 91-92. Drink now.
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4/26/2019 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 90 Points
Pretty good showing with notes of horsesaddle, barnyard, also some dark fruit, red fruit, leather, cassis and some spices. Medium+ bodied, with medium+ acidity and also medium+ tannin that is pretty good quality, but slighty rough. Good length. A mid-weight, slightly rustic and bretty Gruaud but drinking nicely now if you don‘t mind some „very classic claret“.
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10/27/2018 - Tao wrote: 93 Points
The wine has improved markedly over the past few years! The colour remains deep and glossy! Nose is superb, slightly mineral along with big pure ripe sweet blackcurrant fruits, absolutely gorgeous! Smooth palate, sweet and ripe, but lacking complexity and strength, still, I'm very pleased with it! The vintage 2002 in Bordeaux is often overlooked, so it is somewhat a bargain! Although I'm a big fan of Pauillac, this lovely St Julien did soothe me, approaching the peak of its maturity, worth seeking out if you can get it at a fair price!
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10/17/2018 - mchern02 wrote: 90 Points
Pnp; wine got more subdued with some time in decanter
Nose: plum, wood, flint, leather
Palate: dry, limited acidity and structure in body, dried cherries poking through
Finish: abrupt, somewhat fruity with mild length
After two hours: mellowed our and became drinkable and enjoyable, if not simple
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10/11/2018 - GuWin wrote: 89 Points
Søtlig, varm frukt, tydelige vaniljetoner, et lite hint av lær, mokka og kaffe. Varm, søtlig frukt også på smak, medium fylde, litt stram og en anelse metallisk og et lett jordlig preg. Pent drikkemoden.
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9/1/2018 - RolandFranz Likes this wine: 93 Points
Encore très bon. Un peu triste à l’ouverture mais gagne en suavité et fruité après quelques minutes dans le verre. Délicieux, avec des arômes de tabac blond sur un ensemble d’on complexe fruité et bien poli. Belle fraîcheur et vivacité encore. Est largement à point mais loin d’être passé.
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8/12/2018 - mchern02 wrote: 89 Points
Decanted two hours
Nose: crushed plum, anise,
Mouth: full bodied initially but tapers our to thin red fruit and not much weight, slightly herbaceous
Finish: short and a bit tight; touch of minerality
Tastes like a normal table wine which is good for Sunday night leftovers
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7/9/2018 - AudunG wrote: 89 Points
Tasted at the chateau as part of the guided tour. Aromas of new oak, leather and red berries. Quite elegant, with fine tannins, and more typical St. Julien than the blockbusters in the nineties and eighties. Lacks some concentration.
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5/26/2018 - John Nezlek wrote: 87 Points
Note: I use a scale on which 85 represents a very good wine.
Decent Bordeaux from a not so spectacular vintage. Took a little while to open in a decanted (at least 1 hour). A little sharp, but this did not interfere with enjoying the bottle. The fruit was a little much in the background for me, hence 87 rather than something higher.
Drink 'em if got 'em.
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5/2/2018 - Cognacblanc Likes this wine: 91 Points
Classic Bordeaux. Delicate fruit with fine parchment like texture. Mellowing tannins
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4/15/2018 - gooner1221 wrote: 92 Points
I'm half-way through 12 of these, drinking one or so a year. Inspired to write this note by a delightful wine, right in its drinking window, that is definitely improving year on year. Not a great year and not a trendy wine - but it was up there with the most enjoyable wines I've had recently.
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2/4/2018 - Paul D Likes this wine: 90 Points
1/1, cork 80% soaked. Deep ruby/garnet core, pale garnet rim. Clean, relatively youthful cedar nose, with red and black berry fruit. Medium/full bodied, creamy mainly red-toned fruit - including a touch of cranberry, cedar, touch of spice, fine tannins - fairly soft on mid-palate, attractive vibrant acids, trace of firm tannins still on the good length finish. Accomplished, structurally mature if aromatically quite youthful. No hurry here.
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2/4/2018 - Julian Marshall wrote: 87 Points
Pristine bottle - perfect fill and cork. The bouquet is very promising: fresh blackcurrants and spice, without a hint of funk or brett. The attack is quite good too, full of brambly fruit with a touch of dark cherry. Then the telltale redcurrant takes over and the wine grinds to a halt, literally. The middle section is pinched, grippy and drying, leading (or not) into a finish that simply isn't there. There is some enjoyment to be had, hence the score, but this isn't a patch on most previous bottles and I'm glad it's my last. Tasted with a relatively humble Chinon (Raffault Les Peuilles 2011) which totally outclassed it.
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1/14/2018 - NostraBacchus wrote: 89 Points
Medium-purple color with some ruby. Opens up with some air in the glass. Notes of blackcurrant, horsesaddle, barnyard, also some red fruit, tobacco and leather. It's medium+ bodied, with medium+ tannin that is a little rough around the edges and medium+ acidity. Medium length. A classic St-Julien, the Brett is not dominant but slightly recognizable but the wine lacks the depth, persistence, complexity and polish of the best vintages. Still fun to drink.
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12/24/2017 - MichielH wrote:
Nice transparency, touch of age. Beautiful bouquet, bit of stable and quite fresh actually. Wonderfully increasing length after being in the glas for some time despite decanting shortly before use. Sticky tanins, bit of chocolat or tabaco. Nice balance, round, but not very full.
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12/17/2017 - GAET Likes this wine: 92 Points
1ere bouteille
Couleur : rouge pourpre, léger reflet orangé sur le disque.
Nez : très beau sur le havane, le cèdre, les fruits rouge. Mais le cèdre domine
En bouche : très bonne surprise, la matière est bien présente, les tanins commencent à se fondre. Belle longueur, le havane et le cèdre sont également bien présents.
Très bien
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11/23/2017 - Nels+ Likes this wine: 91 Points
Mature classic St. Julien, probably in the optimal drinking window.
Blackberry, black cherry, cassis, leather, cigar box, forest floor. Medium + intensity and length. Ingenious companion to light red meat. Good drinking now.
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9/9/2017 - Zweder wrote: 90 Points
An easy afternoon with close friends; Saint Julien & Pomerol (@ FD): Rustic bouquet with barnyard and autumn impressions and also classical cabernet and cassis. On the palate red berries, bell pepper, rustic again, a touch of bell pepper, some sweetness and a touch of celery. A bit drying in the finish.
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7/31/2017 - BernieMSY wrote: 90 Points
Deep purple. Dark fruits, good concentration, a little short on the finish.
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7/6/2017 - chokkon Likes this wine: 89 Points
No decant; barnyard nose, herbs, flowers, cinnamon; balanced, firm fruit, satiny; schist, black cherry, plum, mint, chocolate; 17.5
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6/5/2017 - MarcelloW Likes this wine: 88 Points
Not the most complex and powerful wine. A bit thin at the end. Ripe, but still drinking nicely. Give it an hour of air.
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5/8/2017 - Julian Marshall Likes this wine: 90 Points
This has settled down into middle age, with classic brambly Gruaud notes and spice. There are plenty of good points, notably the broad, solid base and the length of the finish, with a softness to the middle section that sets Gruaud apart from Léoville-Barton, for example. On the other hand, the fruit lacks the sparkle of a great vintage and there isn't enough of it. I can't see it improving any further but it shouldn't decline either over the next few years.
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4/7/2017 - Zweder wrote: 91 Points
Dinner in La Mere Germaine Chateauneuf-du-Pape with winemakers Dominique and Marie.: Beautiful, classical and rustic bouquet with dark berry fruits, earth, oak and cedar. On the palate the same impressions; red and dark berries, beautiful oak, good acidity but the tannin is a bit drying in the finish.
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12/26/2016 - pinotwok Likes this wine: 91 Points
Klassischer und auch typischer St.Julien mit Graphit, Leder, Spice Box, süßem Holz, Cassis und roter Kirsche. Am Gaumen sehr fein, gute Balance, vielleicht etwas sperriges Tannin aber das gibt sich mit Luft. Denke nicht das der Wein noch zulegt dürfte sich aber problemlos noch einige Jahre halten.
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11/12/2016 - jhill wrote: 88 Points
Decanted for two hours. Soft tannines, typical bordeaux. Should be drunk the next twelve months
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10/1/2016 - hitechnomad wrote: 91 Points
Still good body, fruit/tannin balance. Very nice. Bouquet a bit muted so drink up!
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7/26/2016 - brianakrin wrote: 91 Points
Drank this over three days, and it needed that time to show its best. On the first day it was tightly wound, with a shallow taste profile and a metallic bite on the finish. Had it at 87-88. On the second day it opened into a slightly rustic offering, with medium plus acid, and medium minus tannins. On the third day...a pure and powerful wine of substantive depth and length hence the 91.It's a relatively big, red-fruited wine that is showing little if any tertiary flavors. All in all for me, this wine is not worth the money nor the cellar time.
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5/6/2016 - Klugi Wine wrote: 90 Points
Classic Gruaud Larose with cedar, pencilshavings and some cassis. Medium bodied with OK structure. For the current bordeaux prices I guess it can be considered as a bargain.
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12/26/2015 - jhill Likes this wine: 85 Points
The wine is ready to drink. Decanted the wine for three hours. Subtle tannines. Pairs well with not to strong food
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12/24/2015 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 90 Points
From Magnum. Drinking well at present with soft tannins and good earth tones.
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11/25/2015 - BordeauxBoy Likes this wine: 91 Points
Everything you are looking for in a reasonably priced left bank Bordeaux. Nice complexity of flavors and drinking well right now.
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10/27/2015 - signotim Likes this wine: 90 Points
Plum fruit, red currant, cedar, and a hint of licorice. Drinking very nicely at this stage and has years left. This is classic St Julien style and did not disappoint.
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10/23/2015 - jkoenen wrote: 91 Points
3 hrs in the decanter. Pencil shavings, earth, leather, cool cassis notes. medium body, good freshness, the initial poopy nuances dissipate slowly. Rustic tannines, classically built, very good.
Happy b-day, L.
Even better on day 3!! Left half a bottle in the fridge. Tannines have softened, fruit is more prominent and darker in aspect. Up 1 point.
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10/4/2015 - Julian Marshall Likes this wine: 91 Points
Better than last year, with much more weight and depth: the fruit has settled down and jammified producing a classic Gruaud which is very satisfying- excellent value.
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10/3/2015 - Ilkkaw wrote: 91 Points
A nice wine considering the vintage. Noticing some green tannins and missing intensity. Paid 28 euros on release. Very happy to have bought it, but would not reload on current prices!
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9/27/2015 - FransS wrote: 87 Points
Although honorable for this vintage (quite balanced, medium bodied) this wine didn't attract me.
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6/29/2015 - Zweder wrote: 91 Points
Weekly tasting group #173; A fully blind test. (@ My place): Red with a carmine rim. In the bouquet a classical Bordeaux bouquet with cassis, other dark forest fruits, vanilla, sweet spiciness and beautiful oak. On the palate dark and red berries, just a touch of bell pepper, well dosed oak, beautiful acidity and still sticky, slightly drying tannin. There was a leftover of 1/3 bottle which I put in the cooler and drank the next day at room temperature. The second day it even showed more of its luxury. Great effort for 2002! Beautiful wine. Pnp still a bit too young. The second day perfectly ready. It should be no problem to cellar this wine until 2020. 90 - 92 for this time. One more bottle to go… ;-)
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6/28/2015 - chokkon Likes this wine:
No decant; barnyard nose, herbs, flowers, cinnamon; delicate, balanced structure, solid fruit, satin on the tongue (next day grip was more tense, as fruit faded a bit): schist, black cherry, plum, mint, chocolate; 18
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5/24/2015 - winelover20 wrote: 86 Points
I like Gruaud Larose. 2002 is ripe, yet to open, nose is ok., black berry, leather, on the palate quite herbal and surprisingly short. I prefer 2004.
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4/13/2015 - brianakrin wrote:
I agree with motz 12/14 bdx rant.
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4/9/2015 - Tao wrote: 92 Points
A real beauty I met today! dark red in colour! Charming nose of dark fruits, tobacco leaves, a hint of leather! Smooth caressing palate! Nicely balance! Not a complex wine but end it with great style and beauty! I enjoyed it immensely! Can be easily kept for another decade! I think it is still selling at a reasonable price! Worth seeking out!
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1/30/2015 - Ivin wrote: 92 Points
Another charming 2002 Medoc. Still purple. Cinnamon, herbs and earth on the nose. Firm but not hard structure. Dark fruit, currants, & tea. Good finish. Oak is totally absorbed. Classic balanced traditional Medoc.
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12/27/2014 - Motz wrote: 93 Points
Drank this over three days, and it needed that time to show its best. On the first day it was tightly wound, with a shallow taste profile and a metallic bite on the finish. Had it at 89-90. On the second day it opened into a delightfully rustic offering, with medium plus acid, and medium minus tannins. Very satisfying! On the third day...Wow!...a pure and powerful wine of substantive depth and length. Overall, a relatively light, red-fruited, and traditional offering that needs considerable time to breathe. Ready to drink now, and there is no rush, but it needs a day-long decant to reveal its charms; four to six hours is likely insufficient. 92-93.
This seems as good a time as any, given this delightful yet underappreciated 2nd Cru from a consensus below average vintage, for a rant on the inconsistency of Bordeaux scoring.
<Rant On>Bordeaux scoring is in the words of Winston Churchill (albeit regarding a rather delicate foreign policy matter), "a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma." Some reviewers seem to score Bordeaux on a curiously complex basis of vintage, growth (including Cru Bourgeois), appellation (with points apparently automatically deducted for humbler appellations), and second wines. There appears to be certain unwritten hierarchical rules for scoring Bordeaux, such as; Cru Bourgeois should not outscore classed growths, points should be deducted for vintage (in all but the heralded vintages) and second wines should not score less than at least two points below an estate's first wine (with a three point margin apparently preferable). By contrast, humble Cru Bourgeois often outclass many great growths in the same vintage (Potensac, for example, routinely confounds blind tasters by outshining all but the best (not necessarily highest classed) wines in the vintage), unclassed wines from the Cotes de Castillon and Cotes de Blaye appellations often outdo wines from the Haut-Medoc, including the hallowed four appellations, and second wines often show better than other great growth first wines (yes, even first wines of higher-classed growths). Ever experienced a $12 Cru Bourgeois out perform a big-named $45 Margaux in a blind tasting!? I have! Ever experienced a $9 Kirland Signature branded Medoc destroy a reputable Graves and a third growth!? Yes again! And somewhat further afield (possibly sacrilegious to some), ever experienced an average vintage Latour put a great vintage, higher scoring Lala (Rhone) to bed!? Yep, you guessed it, I have, etc., etc., etc! Finally, it seems that reviewers hold Bordeaux wines to a higher standard than most other appellations around the globe, with the possible exception of Burgundy. Are $12 - $20 Argentine Malbecs and Spanish Garnachas, for example, consistently higher quality than $12 - $20 Bordeaux as comparative scores sometimes imply!? I contend that every Bordeaux should be scored on its merits, not on growth, vintage, appellation, and second wines. </Rant Off>
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12/8/2014 - Zweder wrote: 90 Points
Weekly tasting group #146; Bordeaux: Right bank or Left bank? (@ RW): Beautiful barnyard and cassis in the bouquet. Good oak as well. On the palate dark and red berry fruits and focused. Firm acidity and tannin. The wine has a good length. Certainly very ok, but for 2nd Grand Cru Classé a little disappointing. Still has a future of several years, so maybe everything will fall into place in a few years. Not sure. 89 – 90 for today.
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12/8/2014 - Julian Marshall Likes this wine: 90 Points
Surprisingly fruity, this was quite a nice discovery. Full of bright, arresting red cherry and cranberry, which jump out of the glass. The follow-up is not quite so good, the wine lacking the usual depth and power. If the 1982 is Marlène Dietrich, full of throaty power, this is a starlet on the beach at Cannes, all sparkle but not much else, although the usual tastes of blackberry and liquorice did emerge in the background as the evening went on. Medium-bodied and with only a fair finish, but not a trace of brett. Overall very enjoyable if atypical.
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11/23/2014 - fatfishzsy wrote: 91 Points
香气巨大、宏伟，略显做作，结构纤细优美
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11/15/2014 - jhill wrote: 88 Points
Opened the bottle four houes before drinking. Still some tannines but pairs very well with game. Wine is ready to drink but holds for another 2 or 3 years.
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11/9/2014 - Craig C wrote: 90 Points
This has still got ten years in it. Recommended end drink before date close to infanticide !
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11/8/2014 - LIE-user wrote: 91 Points
What to say. Very traditional Bordeaux. And I really mean this as a big compliment.
To experience all the fun, that can be experienced here, please open the bottle two hours before drinking.
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10/4/2014 - stevenjstein Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted this bottle and it showed event better. Balanced, herbs, leather, dark red fruit.
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8/23/2014 - Jeff Leve wrote: 87 Points
Medium bodied, with an herbal quality to the tobacco and blackberry fruit in the nose, the wine has a light rustic, sandy quality to the tannins in the crisp, red plum and earthy finish.
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8/3/2014 - MichielV wrote: 89 Points
W steak from grill. Good wine. Not overwhelming but solid in color fruit and structure. Decent finish. Ready to go!
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5/13/2014 - brianakrin wrote: 89 Points
nice, ready,
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3/21/2014 - Monaco Likes this wine: 92 Points
My contribution to a wine tasting event at La Quinta Resort & Spa in La Quinta, CA.
Classicly-styled Bordeaux. At its peak right now. WOTN among some greats - '09 Sassicaia, '06 Tignanello, Viader V, '07 Guado il Tasso. Notice this group prefers Italians - well this GL may have convinced them to give Bdx a serious consideration.
Not a fantastic year in Bordeaux, but this is a great wine from a subpar year that can be obtained very reasonably. I may pick up a few more.
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2/2/2014 - foss wrote: 87 Points
A perfectly pleasant fairly old Cabernet. Nothing unpleasant about it, nor was there any wow factor. Glad it was a gift, I'll be sticking with new world if this is the value Bordeaux offers.
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1/25/2014 - StefanAkiko Likes this wine: 89 Points
Decent 2002 but INCREDIBLY expensive in Japan: 3 times the price in EU/US. (Ex-Château.)
Medium size nose, tight but very attrative. Still young and berry-like with cedar and Bordeaux soil. A whiff of reductive rubber notes in this btl.
On the palate, it gives me the impression of not fully mature fruit, but still very well made. Acid levels are a little too high but I can live with them.
This wine is too fruity for me to see it as a wine that is ready to go. We won't buy anything, but I'd say that before 2018 (as the CT average suggests is the end of days for this wine) is too early if you share our taste in mature Bordeaux.
Completely disliked by wife.
Tasting at Riedel Bar, Yokohama.
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1/18/2014 - GuWin wrote: 89 Points
Deep, dark purple with dark core and light purple rim. Lovely nose, with blackberries, licorice, tobacco, black tea leaves and a delicate hint of caramels. On the palate quite rough and square, full bodied, slightly earthy with lots of dark fruits and very present tannins. I find this a bit unpolished right now, and not sure of how it will develop. Might be worth waiting for some years until next bottle.
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12/28/2013 - chokkon Likes this wine:
no decant; dark ruby purple; fragrant nose; solid structure; dense fruit, black pepper; 17.5
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12/15/2013 - Zweder wrote: 91 Points
Occasional tasting group (@ My place Bordeaux 2002 plus some other nice wines.): Beautiful and luxurious bouquet with good oak, smoke, tobacco, coffee and some barnyard. Also some floral notes and herbs. On the palate the same impressions. Very juicy and harmonious. Early maturity and ready now and will stay on this level for several years. Until 2017 at least.
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8/24/2013 - LIE-user wrote: 90 Points
Very classic bordeaux in the best meaning of the word. No surprise here, nor any reason for disappointment.
Red berries, minerals, in the background some mint and pepper.
Right now starting to blossom in it's prime drinking window. Give it about 1h of air.
The only thing that makes a higher rating unavailable is a little vegetative undertone - or in a positive approach a "cru bourgeois" tone.
Gruaud Larose is always a sure value when looking for "real" bordeaux. No high tech or extravagance here, just all building stones of classic bordeaux.
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8/17/2013 - spillwine wrote: 89 Points
Idem
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7/15/2013 - sharonandroland Likes this wine: 89 Points
A bit tired (maybe the bottle), but very well balanced and well integrated smooth tannings and fruit of decent complexity.
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7/12/2013 - Vini Ciclismo Likes this wine: 85 Points
Deep colour. Dark spice, dried herbs, licorice, prune, blood plum. Light-Med wt, blackcurrant, tar, licorice, mulberry leaf, leaning herbal. Tart crisp finish, lots of tannins, hint of green.
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6/15/2013 - stevenjstein Likes this wine: 90 Points
Good red/black fruit. Not heavy on secondary flavors, but some light floral notes.
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5/21/2013 - RayOB wrote: 90 Points
Drank in London
Berries, plumbs and cassis. This is drinking wonderfully now.
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5/2/2013 - fournet Likes this wine: 92 Points
Old school, traditional Bordeaux. Musty. Nose to finish is classic. Moderate tannins with mild fruit.
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4/2/2013 - chbeaumont wrote: 88 Points
Blood red; meaty, cedar, blackcurrants;
initial flush of black fruits, refresh acidity, then pinched palate; attenuated finish. Well proportioned. Time may flesh out.
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3/29/2013 - fandj wrote: 90 Points
Very classic Bordeaux, drinking very well right now, but still plenty of life.
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3/18/2013 - Perthor01 wrote: 90 Points
Dark red with orange rim. Nose of blackberry, tobacco, and some smoky meaty stuff. On the palate, dark fruits, currant, pencil led, and again this umami meaty nicy stuff. Healthy acidity paired good tannins - good maturiy after few hours of decant but this one is clearly further in development than the previous bottles I have had....
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3/3/2013 - NathanT wrote: 91 Points
This vintage showed the aged perspective of Gruaud Larose. Softened herbaceous aroma revealed more floral and spice notes, which were not apparent in the younger vintage, ie 2005. Mild tannins blended well with the sweet fruit structure, which was the strongest component of the wine. The spicy notes were also apparent on the palate. Finish was rather abruptly short, giving bland/watery aftertaste. Nevertheless, given the nature of the vintage, I would agree that this was well made and very enjoyable at this moment in time. Popped and poured.
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2/24/2013 - Perthor01 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark red with orange rim. Nose of blackberry, tobacco, and some smoky meaty stuff. On the palate, dark fruits, currant, pencil led, and again this umami meaty nicy stuff. Healthy acidity paired good tannins - good maturiy after few hours of decant but can easily be alive and kicking for another 5 to 8 years I guess
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1/1/2013 - tomandlu Likes this wine: 88 Points
Decanted roughly 3 hours and consumed over another 2. Virtually opaque black-red color. Muted, ripe nose of cassis, tar, earth. Moderately full on the palate and nicely balanced but it lacks the stuffing I expect of Gruaud even in lesser vintages. Nice but not exciting.
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12/30/2012 - Perthor01 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark red with orange rim. Nose of blackberry, tobacco, and some smoky meaty stuff. On the palate, dark fruits, currant, pencil led, and again this umami meaty nicy stuff. Healthy acidity paired good tannins - good maturiy after few hours of decant but can easily be alive and kicking for another 5 to 8 years I guess.
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11/2/2012 - wineismylife wrote: 92 Points
Friday night for ckinv368's Birthday (Farnatchi, Dallas, Texas): WIML92
Tasted non blind. Decanted 12 hours before serving.
Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of aspirin, white pepper, sandlewood and plum. Flavors of berries, cherries and raspberries. Bright acidity, firm tannins, full bodied. Drink now with plenty of air or continue to hold.
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10/21/2012 - Vstalam wrote: 94 Points
Very tight after pouring a small taste immediately after opening: tertiary flavors of smoke, burnt earth, and tobacco were dominant with heavy tannins.
Totally opened up after 2 hour decant as well as on Day 2. Fruit/berry aroma and flavors as well as spicebox round out the initial tertiary flavors as well as a softening of the tannins reduce the harshness of the mouthfeel. Really a beautiful wine that will age effortlessly for at least 3-5 years, though it is drinking well now with a multi-hour decant.
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9/18/2012 - Perthor01 wrote: 90 Points
Dark red with orange rim. Nose of blackberry, tobacco, and some smoky meaty stuff. On the palate, this wine dark fruits, currant, pencil led, and again this umami meaty nicy stuff. Healthy acidity paired good tannins - good maturiy after few hours of decant but can easily be alive and kicking for another 5 to 8 years I guess.
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8/26/2012 - spillwine wrote: 90 Points
Apogée
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8/24/2012 - jbrekke wrote:
wapfu's earlier note hit the nail on the head. Disappointing wine. 3rd time I've had this wine with consistent results. Can't imagine that this will improve.
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8/1/2012 - Ilkkaw wrote: 91 Points
Really nice wine from such a poor vintage. A classic claret and good wine to be drank with food but not on its own.
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4/4/2012 - dream wrote: 91 Points
Really enjoyed this tonight with dinner in Bordeaux. Lighter-bodied for a GL but really transparent to the terroir with wonderful flavors of black fruits, smoke, tar, graphite and tobacco. The finish is already complex and the tannins pretty much resolved. This is delicious at the table right now.
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3/13/2012 - MichielV wrote: 88 Points
had one bottle with pork with port sauce and it completely destroyed the wine it did not at all stand up. Kenny loved it at helens 50th!
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2/16/2012 - igaf wrote:
Very dark garnet with hints of brick. Med. intense blackcurrants nose. Med. body, good acidity, red berry character, cocoa, then a bit plummy. Not very well integrated. Black berries, coffee. Good length, but not much elegance.
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1/13/2012 - Fugu Me wrote:
Decanted 2 hours. Nose dominated by graphite, with nice dark berries and leather behind. On the palate, black fruit, spices, graphite and slate. Medium finish. Good, if not tremendously remarkable.
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12/1/2011 - *Vine* wrote:
Popped and aerated at cellar temp. for 12+ hours. Dark purple/garnet, clear rim. Attractive nose of blackberry, tobacco, leather, subtle vegetive notes, and hints of of smoke. A touch of VA too. Medium-plus body, nicely concentrated. On the palate, this wine shows youthful flavors of ripened dark fruits, currant, earthy spices, pencil shavings, and an impression of crushed stones. Plus acidity paired with racy, astringent tannins push the flavors through on the moderate close. Aside from the slightly disconcerting but rather inconsequential VA, this youthful wine is quite successful for the vintage and could use at least 3-5 more years in the cellar to develop more nuance...should drink well for many more.
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11/30/2011 - WinstonWolfe wrote: 90 Points
Fairly ripe and nicely balanced. Not very complex but enjoyable.
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11/24/2011 - Lombardi wrote: 90 Points
Decanted this for 2h before drinking. Actually quite nice. Very live and concentrated. Full of black fruits and coffee notes. Nicely structured with round tannins. There's some complexity due to time in the bottle, but predominately primary. This is young is very approachable but could live another 10 years. Nice medium+ finish.
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11/7/2011 - wap4u wrote: 83 Points
From magnum. Very disappointing. Thin, lacking fruit, stringent and a bit sour. No sun in this wine. This may be a second cru but as far as I am concerned this is an empty suit. What a pity and waste of money. I have a number of mags left; hopefully this was an off bottle but more likely that Parker was right with his original verdict.
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10/14/2011 - jkoenen wrote: 89 Points
Tour de Bordeaux; Next stop: St. Julien @ my place (Netherlands): Basket full of fresh fruit: blackberries, cherries and redcurrant. But also interesting tropical notes (mango, banana), leather, tobacco and decent minerality. The wine still has some youthful astringency, but all together this is quite open, elegant and drinking fine now. 17/20
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9/25/2011 - RayOB wrote: 91 Points
Double Decanted - Had with friends on an Autumn evening in London
Decanting really helps this wine to come out and play
Berries, plumbs and cassis. smooth with a nice length
It's getting better :-)
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8/13/2011 - RayOB wrote: 89 Points
More dead than expected
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8/5/2011 - St Paul wrote: 90 Points
I normally really like this chateau but this was not memorable at all. Maybe the rating is on the high side
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6/20/2011 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 90 Points
From 375. Riper and more fruit forward than I was expecting. Nice classic claret secondary notes of cedar, leather and cassis. Some fine residual tannins on finish. From this format at least, drinking really nicely. Its sad to compare current release prices to the nice QPR of this gem.
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5/14/2011 - Lord Rayas wrote: 89 Points
Dinner with Jay/Celine, Martin/Yvonne, Will/Belinda, Peter/Carol (Jay and Celine's): very classic old style claret with notes of currant, graphite and earth. solid effort if somewhat unexciting.
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4/23/2011 - Zweder wrote: 90 Points
The bottle was uncorked (but not decanted) 4 hours before tasting. The wine is dark red. It had a deep and complex bouquet with a lot of dark fruits and cedar. On the palate a lot of cassis, cherries and licorice and juicy. There is very much acidity and bitterness which is dominating at first. A few hours later some pleasant sweetness appeared and made the acidity less evident and the wine much more pleasurable. The score went up from 87 to 90. Overall I think this wine needs another 4 - 5 years of cellaring at the least. And thanks to the firm backbone of acidity and tannin it might age well even several more years. Will be an interesting wine to follow from 2015 onwards.
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4/19/2011 - sharonandroland wrote: 90 Points
Wonderful complex, but still shocked from the transport.
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3/10/2011 - Lord Rayas wrote: 86 Points
Gruaud Larose Wine Dinner (The Press Room): not as opulent as others. a little dry.
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1/16/2011 - jnanz wrote: flawed
Similar to the typical GL flavor profile (berry fruit, pencil lead, tobacco, etc) but a bit sweet. This was mildly corked, and I couldn't get past it. Others didn't seem to mind.
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3/9/2010 - gsquireh wrote: 92 Points
Drank with wine maker Greg Brewer during a dinner at Cellini in NYC after doing a tasting of his wines. Medium bodied, a baby, but suprisingly drinkable. A mouthfull of sweet chewy tannins with a fruity, forward, taste with lovely notes of spice. Aromatically ripe with a balanced finish.
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12/26/2009 - chateaujochen wrote: 92 Points
For the moment this is one of my favourite wines to drink...this is a wine you can impress winelovers who love smooth wines and as well some wine lovers who love big wines...2002 BDX is so good,so good QPR...this isn't a light wine vintage,its a vintage with wines with a lot of tannin...but the fruit is there as well...so a lot of drinking pleasure...www.everyoneweb.com/chateaujochen
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12/1/2009 - noppakit s. wrote: 92 Points
I was very surprised last night. This 2002 is too good to be true. The nose is wonderful deep, tempting with earth, animal, tabacco, fruits, very seductive of layers and dimensions.
First sip is a bitter taste and when I get used to it, it shows up very nice complexity, delicious, charming inpact.
Aftertaste is smooth, long and intensively finished.
Drink 2010 - 2020...................I should rate it 95-96/100......................
ps. If compare with Ornellaia 2006 last week, Gruaud Larose 2002 is much better in everything....indeed....
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3/7/2009 - gsquireh wrote: 89 Points
Medium-bodied the deep purple with a muted nose of spice.Tannins still not yet in balance leaving one with a hint of vegetal and a puckering finish. Shows best in the mouth swirl -chewy and cherry sweet. Okay for the $27.00 I paid for 4 bottles at futures in 2003. But compare this to the 2000 Cantemerle which I had last night and paid $18.00 at futures prices in 2001 and it is day and night.
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2/28/2009 - Zweder wrote: 88 Points
An easy afternoon with close friends. 2009 (@ My place): Like my previous note. This is a beautiful wine, but not living up to the expectations. Gruaud should do better. Even in an off vintage. Possibly it needs more ageing, but at the moment I am not sure about the wine’s potential.
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12/25/2008 - the drops of god wrote: 91 Points
Good Stuff!!! drinking well now. lush fruity wine. I like it alot
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8/16/2008 - chateaujochen wrote: 92 Points
Third or fourth bottle of this and for the last two years it was in a closed phase...was anxious to now if its became already enjoyable or not...it did...very smooth fruitlayerd,nice acidty and complexety.This wine will nicely evolve within 10 years.2002 will be a classic vintage a notch below 2004-witch is extremely underrated...www.everyoneweb.com/chateaujochen
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3/19/2008 - Zweder wrote: 89 Points
Ruby. Beautiful and deep and complex bouquet. Toasty oak. A somewhat sweet start. Very juicy. Cassis. A bit cherries as well. Earthy. Although I tasted quite many Cordier wines over the years, I did not recognize their style in the first instant. The wine is still too powerful and young. It does not have the “raw” power of Talbot, but on the other hand the finesse Gruaud can have is not showing yet. For the moment 89, but there is potential here. Especially on the finesse side, so a few points more are certainly possible. Wait at least 4 – 5 years.
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3/15/2008 - mrex wrote: 93 Points
Decanted quickly via funnel, but only allowed 15 minutes to breathe before first tasting in a Bordeaux glass.
Colored a deep red to black with blues apparent; translucent, unclouded, and leggy in the glass. Bouquet of big spiced apple and tart berry notes with accents of soft almond, wood, carraway seed, and jam. Splashed onto the tongue with a complex burst of earthy butter, citrus, chocolate, licorice, tobacco, wood, and tomato. The body is rich yet ethereal and makes a watery transition to bloom into something reminiscent of minty, tea-soaked ripe fruit. Tart finish fading to haunting complexity. Assertive and engaging but not overpowering, with a chewy mouth feel. Extremely sippable, engaging, and pleasant. Delicious.
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10/23/2007 - Ombibulous wrote: 88 Points
Half bottle cost $25. Decanted but no time to breathe. The closure is cork but in good condition (soft and supple on the bottom). The colour is medium-dark. The nose is dry but aromatic and enticing. The flavour is rich and dry but subtle and nuanced. The tannins are still present and chewy, but somewhat softened from a little age. I think I like it! Very good to excellent (88.5). This wine would pair better with food, than as an evening drink at the computer. I shall have to drink it with my homemade stew tomorrow then.
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3/18/2007 - balassis wrote: 89 Points
Decanted 3 hours before drinking. Deep purple color. Very concetrated nose, with hints of smoke wet wood and blackberries. On the palate is medium-bodied with high acidity and good notes of exotic spices. The problem is the dry tannins. Aftertaste about 17 sec.
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10/23/2006 - Keith Levenberg wrote: 91 Points
Immensely satisfying "comfort claret" as subdued on the palate as Bordeaux should be, but still very fresh with a ripe berry nose and enough fruit to hide the tannin and sustain the greenish menthol finish.
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8/5/2006 - kris.h wrote: 89 Points
The color is a dark garnet red with even concentration and good clarity. The nose is a little reticent with notes of light smoke, blackberry, and cedar. Blackberry and other fruit carries over from the nose to the palate. Tannins are soft. Good level of acidity. Nicely balanced structure. Medium weight body. The finish is medium length and is moderately complex. On the second day in the decanter, I pick up a touch of oxidation and a light oak / vanilla component on the nose. Better the first day but still drinkable on the second. 50 + 4 + 11 + 15 + 8. Add a plus after the 89
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11/18/2005 - peternelson wrote: 92 Points
LILA Bordeaux Tasting: Great fruit forward notes, fresh forest berries, not too dark; great “lead pencil” bright cassis; Grt nose; silky bod, not a monster, but even and nice.
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11/11/2005 - peternelson wrote: 91 Points
Wine Country Tasting: Dark ruby; nice int. cassis, berry, lead pencil; soft approachable med. t’s & a’s; well-bal; lively a’s;long fin. Good now.
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10/12/2005 - PhDP wrote: 86 Points
Bordeaux rive gauche 2002 (chez PhDP, Bruxelles, Belgium): Nez fruité, fumé, épicé, zeste d'agrumes
Bouche souple, sensuelle, tannins un peu séchants, pas très classique, presque sudiste.
15 (€26)
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9/28/2005 - hausii wrote: 92 Points
spitzen wein - geruch 1a, geschmack spitze
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2/12/2005 - Jozefs wrote: 93 Points
Brooding nose with leather, tobacco, jammy fruit, and violets. Very nice! On the palate surprisingly accessible, with lots of jammy fruit, leather, black chocolate, sweetish, chewy tannins and a nice but noticeable acidity. I gather this will close down, but it is delicious right now, albeit in a rather international style (however, there is enough St. Julien character to keep this interesting). Parker mentions an astringent note that I didn't find in this bottling.
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1/25/2005 - Burgundy Al wrote: 90 Points
UGC tasting in Chicago. Moderately perfumed start with concentrated plum and blackberry aromas. Similar fruit on the palate with very good balance and length. This might fly under the radar given critics' scores.
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1/1/2005 - winefool wrote: 89 Points
Full red/p8urple. Odd aroma of red fruit and tuna fish. Haunting black fruits but hollow in the middle. Not great. 1/05
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10/20/2004 - claudio_bxl wrote:
2002 Guraud Laors exhibits some red fruit and some tobacco as well as violet aromas. It is round with a lot of finesse and a long, mineral finish and good tannin integration
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