2002 wines at 20 years of age…

Ch. Batailley '02 - this was just ok, perhaps I was hoping for a little more. Muted nose, swirling reveals a classic profile with plenty of cedar but the intensity just isn't really there. Currants, touch of creamy softness, quite wide and sweet, but not at all deep and just feels a touch dilute. The mid palate brings some gruff tannins and the finish just falls away. It's perfectly decent and enjoyable but I will patronise it with the oft used term luncheon claret.

Thanks Alex for the note, Batailley did not do well in 2001 either

Agreed, it's quite a clunky foursquare wine in my 4-6 bottle experience.

Massive change from '05/'06 onwards I think with some relative notable successes like '96.
Didn't Chateau Batailley, as compared to say Haut-Batailley, have a reputation for being a tannic, gruff wine? I think Hugh Johnson once described it as being more like a Saint-Estephe than a Pauillac.
 
Didn't Chateau Batailley, as compared to say Haut-Batailley, have a reputation for being a tannic, gruff wine? I think Hugh Johnson once described it as being more like a Saint-Estephe than a Pauillac.
TNs for most recent bottle of various year. No 2002. :oops:
The property is a perennial favourite, partly for its reliability but just importantly VFM. To me it's classic Pauillac.
Not purchased any in a long while as there were rumours they had jacked up their release prices. This thread prompted me to take a look & secured some '16, this morning - not cheap but sensibly priced.
  • 2004 Château Batailley - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac (15/06/2019)
    Well coloured; classical Claret nose; pleasing palate, measured; drinking very well. (90 pts.)
  • 2005 Château Batailley - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac (23/12/2018)
    Dark; classical, old school, restrained; solid, sound, not yet singing. Gives this more time, but it is unlikely to ever shout from the roof tops. Proper claret. (89 pts.)
  • 2000 Château Batailley - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac (06/12/2012)
    Classic cedar & blackcurrant, smoky: low keyed fruit, refreshing acidity, stylish; moving into its prime. (91 pts.)
  • 1996 Château Batailley - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac (27/08/2012)
    Showing signs of age, distinct bretty element. Good+ , previous bottle better. (89 pts.)
  • 1999 Château Batailley - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac (24/10/2010)
    Pale colour reflects vintage/age. Fluffy nose, classical Pauillac cedar& cassis, fishy; soft, easy fruit pastilles, with a core blackcurrants providing bolster, refreshing acidity; expansive, supple finish - mid length only. This started to fade after 2 hour decant & drinking for for further 2 hours. Fully ready but not for the long haul. (88 pts.)
  • 1995 Château Batailley - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac (15/06/2005)
    Still deep; lead pencils, firm, nice grip. score 16 (90 pts.)
Posted from CellarTracker
 
TNs for most recent bottle of various year. No 2002. :oops:
The property is a perennial favourite, partly for its reliability but just importantly VFM. To me it's classic Pauillac.
Not purchased any in a long while as there were rumours they had jacked up their release prices. This thread prompted me to take a look & secured some '16, this morning - not cheap but sensibly priced.
  • 2004 Château Batailley - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac (15/06/2019)
    Well coloured; classical Claret nose; pleasing palate, measured; drinking very well. (90 pts.)
  • 2005 Château Batailley - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac (23/12/2018)
    Dark; classical, old school, restrained; solid, sound, not yet singing. Gives this more time, but it is unlikely to ever shout from the roof tops. Proper claret. (89 pts.)
  • 2000 Château Batailley - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac (06/12/2012)
    Classic cedar & blackcurrant, smoky: low keyed fruit, refreshing acidity, stylish; moving into its prime. (91 pts.)
  • 1996 Château Batailley - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac (27/08/2012)
    Showing signs of age, distinct bretty element. Good+ , previous bottle better. (89 pts.)
  • 1999 Château Batailley - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac (24/10/2010)
    Pale colour reflects vintage/age. Fluffy nose, classical Pauillac cedar& cassis, fishy; soft, easy fruit pastilles, with a core blackcurrants providing bolster, refreshing acidity; expansive, supple finish - mid length only. This started to fade after 2 hour decant & drinking for for further 2 hours. Fully ready but not for the long haul. (88 pts.)
  • 1995 Château Batailley - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac (15/06/2005)
    Still deep; lead pencils, firm, nice grip. score 16 (90 pts.)
Posted from CellarTracker
My first EP purchase was Batailley 2000 at the princely sum £100IB. It started going north of £200 in 2005 then £300+ in 2010.

I've a few bottles of the 2005 left so might open one with shoulder of lamb ordered in for this Sunday.
 
One of the notable successes of Jason’s 2005 dinner at Noize late last year I thought was the Batailley, which in my opinion knocked the more hifalutin GPL into a cocked hat.

 
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2002 Roederer Cristal last night was truly excellent. It’s a wine that I’ve tried on four or five occasions now during its development and this was my last bottle remaining in the cellar.

Still only moderately developed, both in colour and flavour and with plenty more possible. It has reached a point of early to mid-maturity I’d guess. Still with a reasonably vigorous mousse which lasted well. It has fattened out from a slightly gawky youngster into a medium to-full bodied (by champagne standards), but still retains a comfortable level of control of its corpulence. The dominant feature is the creamy, butterscotch laden mid-palate, but with the langoustine of the first course last night it also showed hints of light citrus and chalkiness. With the second of tagliolini with lemon, rocket and creme fraiche it showed hints of cafe au lait and soft leather (is there a preponderance of Ay pinot in this vintage?). There’s definitely plenty of creamy pastries and the overall effect (for the synesthetics out there) is one of various shades of beiges, pale whites and creamy yellows rather than the darker elements found in a more pinot dominated wine and certainly one with more Verzenay forming the backbone.

Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed this one and although it was my last, it is no longer. Such is my faith that I’ve just gone out and bought another three, even at the now elevated pricing and hope to follow this one for another ten years or so.
 
Posted this in the weekly update but this was so good I felt the need to expand…

Served with beef bourgignon which probably helped….(look how it shines)

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On opening it’s just brett and not much else. Quick oral check suggests that will blow off. What transpires is a bretty, herbal, dark, brooding beast. An absolute triumph and probably the best red burgundy I’ve ever drunk. Perfect with the hairy bikers’ beef bourguignon. It’s one of those wines that works so well with the food that you think it was made to co-exist at this point in time. But when the meal is done it closes somewhat and the acidity is more evident. Not in a bad way, just in a way that suggests it has years in reserve. No rush but lots of joy to be had now.
 
The price seems to have drifted back down after the ill advised repositioning.

In theory this makes it a good buy again as the price hikes were justified through increased selection to raise quality and a larger production/introduction of Lions de Batailley from 2014.

I’ve never got on with Batailley, something clunky with with fruit and I do not enjoy the savoury aspect of it.
 
Posted this in the weekly update but this was so good I felt the need to expand…

Served with beef bourgignon which probably helped….(look how it shines)

View attachment 23801

On opening it’s just brett and not much else. Quick oral check suggests that will blow off. What transpires is a bretty, herbal, dark, brooding beast. An absolute triumph and probably the best red burgundy I’ve ever drunk. Perfect with the hairy bikers’ beef bourguignon. It’s one of those wines that works so well with the food that you think it was made to co-exist at this point in time. But when the meal is done it closes somewhat and the acidity is more evident. Not in a bad way, just in a way that suggests it has years in reserve. No rush but lots of joy to be had now.

Isn’t the aroma more likely from reduction rather than Brett? Brett should get worse with air, not better, Reduction almost always improves with air.
 
Not a tasting note , but it’s interesting that my top performing investment wine of the last ten years, is Salon Le Mesnil 2002, which has increased in price more than by a factor of 5 since purchase . Of course, I will never get round to drinking it :)
 
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Posted this in the weekly update but this was so good I felt the need to expand…

Served with beef bourgignon which probably helped….(look how it shines)

View attachment 23801

On opening it’s just brett and not much else. Quick oral check suggests that will blow off. What transpires is a bretty, herbal, dark, brooding beast. An absolute triumph and probably the best red burgundy I’ve ever drunk. Perfect with the hairy bikers’ beef bourguignon. It’s one of those wines that works so well with the food that you think it was made to co-exist at this point in time. But when the meal is done it closes somewhat and the acidity is more evident. Not in a bad way, just in a way that suggests it has years in reserve. No rush but lots of joy to be had now.

I drank a series of Sylvie's Gevrey VV '02 over six years, from halves. They were purchased from M3 Depot for next to nothing. Finished out last in 2019 - the wine was still not fully ready, though impressive.
Her style of wine is at the farthest end of the spectrum away from Cecile Tremblay. Both are VGI.
 
I drank a series of Sylvie's Gevrey VV '02 over six years, from halves. They were purchased from M3 Depot for next to nothing. Finished out last in 2019 - the wine was still not fully ready, though impressive.
Her style of wine is at the farthest end of the spectrum away from Cecile Tremblay. Both are VGI.
Me too - I actually have the penultimate of mine in the suitcase back to BKK. The sticker said £18. The first one was one of the most dense wines I can ever recall!
 
Not a tasting note , but it’s interesting that my top performing investment wine of the last ten years, is Salon Le Mesnil 2002, which has increased in price more than by a factor of 5 since purchase . Of course, I will never get round to drinking it :)
The Market for Salon relies on the fact that no one drinks it, but that suits you fine KP.
 
Not a tasting note , but it’s interesting that my top performing investment wine of the last ten years, is Salon Le Mesnil 2002, which has increased in price more than by a factor of 5 since purchase . Of course, I will never get round to drinking it :)
Hmmm, I don‘t have an “investment wines” category, but I had planned on opening a 2002 Rene Engel Vosne Brûlées this weekend until I made the mistake of looking it up on Winesearcher. I don’t think I have ever sold wine because the value has risen too far - I paid £45 each for these which I think of as their price, but in this case I think i have found my threshold - feel a bit sad about it, TBH, but I’ve drunk tons of Engel and what I’ll get for my remaining bottles will do some good.

(I appreciate the Winesearcher price is just what someone hopes to get, not value per se, but even so…)
 
This was as good a bottle of Lamarche as I can remember having.
IMG_20220527_171938.jpg
Lamarche, Grands Echezeaux 2002
Translucent damson red, just a touch of fading at the very edge. Nose has very fine filigree delicacy with fresh red fruit and violets alongside the beginnings of early maturity smells - just a little bit of earthy sous bois. Really a very lovely nose - complex and compelling - has a combination of depth and exuberance that keeps me coming back to it. Palate has velvet-textured fruit and tannins with some evolved earthy coffee notes. It’s really full-bodied but with plenty of acid balance. Drinking beautifully now and with the earliest signs of tertiary maturity emerging slowly - last bottle was c.2yrs ago and it hasn’t moved much since then. Drink with great pleasure now or leave for more evolution - just depends how you like them - I’ll look again in 3 years.

It looks like Lamarche 2002 is open for business, based on this and the Malconsorts upthread.
 
Two more 2002 red Burgundies that are moving into interesting phases.

Prince Florent de Merode, Corton Clos du Roi 2002.
Very good, very typical. Nose very expressive, just beginning to open up. Still lots of typical hefty black fruit but the beginnings of earthy evolution too. Palate has softened nicely and is definitely approachable now and certainly no signs of drying or tiring. Others around the table who prefer their Burgundy less mature than me were very happy with where this was and would drink this very happily now.

Hudellot-Noellat, Vosne Romanee Les Malconsorts 2002.
Silky, open, ethereal, significantly more evolved than the Corton - the colour looks quite faded and there’s plenty of earthy savoury smells and flavours. Very enjoyable now, peak maturity for many. I have one left which I’ll give a few more years to see how it goes. I’ve had more misses than hits from H-N in 2002 so it’s good to get a bottle that’s enjoyable.
IMG_20220607_225236.jpgIMG_20220607_225243.jpg
 
Two more 2002 red Burgundies that are moving into interesting phases.

Prince Florent de Merode, Corton Clos du Roi 2002.
Very good, very typical. Nose very expressive, just beginning to open up. Still lots of typical hefty black fruit but the beginnings of earthy evolution too. Palate has softened nicely and is definitely approachable now and certainly no signs of drying or tiring. Others around the table who prefer their Burgundy less mature than me were very happy with where this was and would drink this very happily now.

Hudellot-Noellat, Vosne Romanee Les Malconsorts 2002.
Silky, open, ethereal, significantly more evolved than the Corton - the colour looks quite faded and there’s plenty of earthy savoury smells and flavours. Very enjoyable now, peak maturity for many. I have one left which I’ll give a few more years to see how it goes. I’ve had more misses than hits from H-N in 2002 so it’s good to get a bottle that’s enjoyable.
View attachment 26176View attachment 26177
That's interesting to see - I'm sitting on a solitary bottle of that Corton Clos du Roi (and one of the Bressandes) and was wondering when to think about opening them.
 
Just to counter all the Burgundies on this thread...

Fred Loimer Grüner Veltliner 2002
Mid gold.
Rich and full on the nose, with sweetish peach and pear aromas.
Good, fully mature GrüV on the palate: ripe peach, a touch of peppery spice, decent balancing acidity. Very integrated and rounded.
Although I wouldn't want to leave this any longer, it's not over the hill at all.

PXL_20220717_180604412.jpg
 
Tonight we enjoyed a Leoville Barton 2002.

C076CF64-2276-4626-AB79-4D75D34DA478.jpeg

Decanted for 90 minutes and all the better for it. First of an auction lot and I’m very happy on this showing.

Exactly everything you’d want. Red fruit, pencil vibes and, having had several vintages of LB going back to the 80s, this is right on the upslope and coming into its window nicely. If I had a case I’d happily drink them, but also there’s no rush. A decade from now these would also sing just nicely. Only 12.5% too.

Proper claret.
 
Tonight we enjoyed a Leoville Barton 2002.

View attachment 26929

Decanted for 90 minutes and all the better for it. First of an auction lot and I’m very happy on this showing.

Exactly everything you’d want. Red fruit, pencil vibes and, having had several vintages of LB going back to the 80s, this is right on the upslope and coming into its window nicely. If I had a case I’d happily drink them, but also there’s no rush. A decade from now these would also sing just nicely. Only 12.5% too.

Proper claret.
Coincidentally I had a bottle of Leoville Barton 2002 yesterday too. It was exactly as you described, and I did also think to myself “proper claret”.
 
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