Crushed apple and yeast in the bouquet. Good minerals. Good freshness. Really nice Champagne.

Consistent with previous notes. I can add some impressions of butter and beautiful freshness. A great and complex Champagne.

Drank Pagodes de Cos beside the Cos d'Estournel 2002. The second wine has a beautiful bouquet and is in a really nice drinking stage now. Supple and round tannin and all in good harmony. On the other hand, on the palate the wine doesn't deliver what the bouquet promises. A bit thin on the mid-palate. The Cos itself had a deeper bouquet with even more beautiful oak, smoke, cedar and cassis. On the palate also more concentrated with the same impressions as in the nose and some licorice and bell pepper as well. The other (experienced) tasters who got these two wines blind, only knowing it was 2002 Bdx, were not sure (except for one). They agreed the Cos was more luxurious in the nose and more concentrated on the palate, but the Pagodes was so much more friendly now. They wondered if the second bottle, the Cos itself, would improve with more ageing. Personally I think it will. Three more years of cellaring will probably be wise I suppose; So around 2017. My personal scores for today; Pagodes 89 and Cos 91+

Drank Pagodes de Cos beside the Cos d'Estournel 2002. The second wine has a beautiful bouquet and is in a really nice drinking stage now. Supple and round tannin and all in good harmony. On the other hand, on the palate the wine doesn't deliver what the bouquet promises. A bit thin on the mid-palate. The Cos itself had a deeper bouquet with even more beautiful oak, smoke, cedar and cassis. On the palate also more concentrated with the same impressions as in the nose and some licorice and bell pepper as well. The other (experienced) tasters who got these two wines blind, only knowing it was 2002 Bdx, were not sure (except for one). They agreed the Cos was more luxurious in the nose and more concentrated on the palate, but the Pagodes was so much more friendly now. They wondered if the second bottle, the Cos itself, would improve with more ageing. Personally I think it will. Three more years of cellaring will probably be wise I suppose; So around 2017. My personal scores for today; Pagodes 89 and Cos 91+

Beautiful deep bouquet with good oak and cassis, later also some salty licorice. On the palate the first day red as well as black forest fruits, sticky but relatively round tannin, minerals and bell peppers. Overall a bit green. Later, with much more airtime (48 hours in the bottle at a little below cellar temperature) the wine was more friendly but still reserved. In fact overall like you expect this wine to be. Will improve with another 4 - 5 years of cellaring; so around 2018 and it will probably stay nice until well after 2020 because of the firm acidity and tannin. 90+ for today.

Not really many formal notes, but this is a true Margaux; beautiful and almost feminine perfumed flavors in the bouquet with luxurious oak and sweetness. On the palate a good concentration with cassis and other dark berry fruits. Round tannin. Not as great as in the better vintages, but certainly a very ok wine. Early maturity now and will drink nicely over the next 4-6 years. 90+ for now.

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.

Beautiful and still a bit reticent bouquet with cassis, graphite and luxurious oak. On the palate concentrated cassis juice, truffle and beautiful oak. Good balance between acidity and sweetness and round tannin with still a firm bite. Concentrated wine and more body than the Gruaud Larose of the same vintage. Will probably improve a bit over the next 2 or 3 years and offer nice drinking until 2020 or even a bit later. 92+

Beautiful and smoky bouquet with dark forest fruits and luxurious oak. On the palate cassis, firm acidity and still sticky tannin. Also some green impressions like bell pepper. Lacks a bit in length. Overall a good wine, but not as good as I hoped for. The wine probably will soften a bit more over the next 3 years and become more harmonious, but I doubt it will gain much in score. I own two more bottles, so there will be a follow up. 90+? for today.

Beautiful and really Pauillac bouquet with dark fruits like cassis, beautiful oak, graphite and licorice. On the palate concentrated, cassis, ink, some good chocolate etc. Good fresh acidity and youthful, still powerful tannin. A wine with a good body, concentration and a lot of promise for the future. Great effort for the vintage and great wine. 92 - 93.

Beautiful and concentrated bouquet with soft yellow fruits and beautiful oak. On the palate concentrated and soft yellow fruits and good freshness. Also elegant. A beautiful and complex and lovely drinking wine. Just great!

Earthy bouquet with red (strawberry) and dark fruits as well as autumn impressions. On the palate also earth, juicy red fruits, firm acidity and drying tannin. Medium length. Overall not a bad wine, but not really impressive. Lacks body and complexity for a wine of this level.

Bouquet with licorice, leather, dark fruits and earth. On the palate a concentrated wine with (salty) licorice and dark fruits. Quite broad and powerful in the mouth. Soft tannin and also elegance. Still youthful. Have two more bottles and I am looking forward to them. Next try in 2015 or 2016.

Beautiful bouquet with red fruits, licorice, leather, chocolate, minerals and luxurious oak. On the palate a firm amount of acidity and some lactic impressions. Cassis. Soft and lush. Ok acidity and tannin. A bit drying in the finish. Overall; the bouquet is great, but on the palate it delivers less. Nevertheless an excellent wine. Maybe a few more years of ageing will help? 2016?

Beautiful bouquet with red fruits, licorice, leather, some chocolate, brush wood, autumn impressions and luxurious oak. On the palate a mature wine with tobacco, chocolate, coffee, powdery tannin, beautiful oak and soft tannin which is slightly and pleasantly drying in the finish. Complex and luxurious wine. Completely ready now. No reason to wait any longer, but it will probably stay on this level for a few years.

Mature bouquet with red berry fruits and at first some barnyard impressions which disappear after a while. On the palate red as well as black forest fruits, high acidity and some bell pepper. Also a touch of sweetness. For the rest the wine is completely ready now and a pleasure to drink.

Beautiful mature bouquet with exclusive oak, cassis and pleasant barnyard. On the palate also beautifully mature with still some red fruits like cherries, beautiful oak, chocolate and a touch of sweetness. Harmonious and well structured wine. At its peak now and will probably stay on this level for several years. The drinking window in CT tells 2050 now, and that is at least 2 decades longer than I expect…. (I will probably not be around to check this wine in 2050 myself ;-))

Sweet and lush bouquet with menthol and eucalyptus. On the palate the same, some herbs like sage, soft sweetness, pleasant bitterness and completely melted tannin which still has some grip. Completely ready now.

Consistent with previous notes. Exclusive dark cassis juice and oak with cigar, cedar, smoke, earth etc. Same on the palate. Great complexity and length. In this stage it is also a bit herbaceous and showing some bell pepper. 96+ for tonight and around 2020 probably a few points more.

See also previous notes. This was a perfect bottle again. Dark red with a garnet rim. Beautiful and lush bouquet with ripe fruits, rose hips and beautiful herbs and spices. On the palate very juicy fruits, garrigue andsome chocolate, a lot of pleasant sweetness balance by good acidity and soft and round tannin. Great wine and great length. Maturity stage now and it will probably stay there for another 5+ years.

The bouquet is a bit dusty, but nevertheless beautiful with ripe fruits, minerals and herbs and spices. On the palate dark forest fruits, minerals, chocolate and concentrated. Good acidity and tannin. Modern and classical at the same time. (Or semi modern if you wish…) Anyway a great wine in its young maturity stage now. Will improve over the next 2 - 3+ years. 91 - 92+ for this afternoon.

No formal notes. But this is a truly great wine with concentrated black fruits, chocolate, a lot of sweetness, but also good acidity and tannin and beautiful garrigue. Great complexity and length.Still very youthful. Probably wise to wait until 2020 at least. I Scored it 97 for this afternoon…

The bouquet was a little bit stinky, but also showed honey, apricots and caramel. On the palate apricots, pineapple and sweet licorice powder. Fresh acidity, good sweetness and a good length. Overall a tasty light weight and really pleasurable.

Maybe 2002 is not the greatest vintage for Sauternes, but this is a beautiful and concentrated Rieussec. Both the bouquet and on the palate polishing wax, apricots, orange peel, honey etc. Beautiful balance between sweetness and acidity. A great wine with a great length. Ready now and the next decade. So until 2020 - 2023+.