Robert Parker's recent notes:

2002 CHABIS VAUDON

($65.00)

89

2002 CHABLIS VAILLONS

($65.00)

89

2002 CHABLIS VAUDESIR

($65.00)

90

2002 CHASSAGNE-MONTRACHET

($58.00)

(87-89)

2002 CHASSAGNE-MONTR. MARQUIS DE LAGUICHE

($60.00)

90

2002 MEURSAULT PERRIERES

($65.00)

(90-91)

2002 PULIGNY-MONTRACHET LES FOLATIERES

($62.00)

(89-91)

2002 PULIGNY-MONTRACHET LES PUCELLES

($62.00)

(89-91)

2002 BEAUNE CLOS DES MOUCHES

($73.00)

(89-90)

2002 BATARD-MONTRACHET

($205.00)

(92-93)

2002 MONTRACHET MARQUIS DE LAGUICHE

($325.00-350.00)

(92-93)

Burghound.com’s 2002 Vintage Selections
Top Value Wines from the 2002 vintage in this Issue

2002 Chambolle-Musigny Joseph Drouhin 88

"Don’t Miss” Wines from the 2002 vintage in this Issue

2002 Bonnes Mares Grand Cru Joseph Drouhin 94

2002 Chambolle-Musigny “Les Amoureuses” 1er Joseph Drouhin 93

2002 Griotte-Chambertin Grand Cru Joseph Drouhin 94

2002 Musigny Grand Cru Joseph Drouhin 94

Philippe Drouhin and resident enologist Laurence Jobard described the 2002 vintage as “one of those vintages where almost everything was easy, except perhaps for a bit of anxiety at the appearance of some rot at the end of August. Thankfully, the north wind appeared, dried up the rot and concentrated the fruit. However, there was just enough rot tinge where we thought it best to sort out those bunches. We had excellent ripeness and high sugars and thus, there was very little chaptalization. The malos were extended and we elected to rack when they finished. The wines are also on the tender side and thus we decided to bottle a bit earlier than usual as we felt there was no further benefit to be had and there was the risk of some wines drying out if left in cask and almost everything was in bottle by December”. Overall, as the scores suggest, this is an outstanding vintage for Drouhin and perhaps even a bit better across the board than 2001; given the present price differences though, do not pass up the chance to acquire the Drouhin 2001s; to this end, I also asked to taste the 3 wines that I had missed in 2001 because they were being racked on the day of my visit and the notes are included below. (Dreyfus-Ashby & Co., New York, NY

2002 Chorey-lès-Beaune: Exuberant red cherry and raspberry fruit notes lead to supple, delicious and lively flavors that display only a touch of finishing structure and an attractive shot of intensity. Give this a year in bottle and drink with light fare, summer meals and the like. Lovely for what it is. 86/2005+

2002 Beaune “Clos des Mouches”: Classic ruby. This is a much more serious wine with deeper, richer and earthier fruit aromas followed by sappy, precise, nicely complex and racy flavors that are long, intense and offer excellent flavor authority. This is so primary that it suggests that it will require ample time in bottle to be at its best. 90/2009-17

2002 Corton-Bressandes: A completely different aromatic profile from the Clos des Mouches. Briar notes, underbrush and game complement red and black fruit aromas all merging into supple, moderately dense and beautifully textured flavors underpinned by dusty, ripe and relatively fine tannins and a long, powerful and intense finish suffused with minerality. For all of this wine’s strengths however, it is the exquisite balance that will make for old bones. In a word, terrific. 91/2009-20

2002 Nuits St. Georges “Les Procès”: Earth, a hint of coffee and abundant red and black pinot fruit aromas give way to remarkably fine and precise flavors that offer excellent finishing intensity and simply stunning length. This may have been the single biggest positive surprise in the entire line-up as it delivers stunning quality for what is normally a middle fiddle Nuits 1er. This also has the legs to improve and last for at least 15 years. 91/2009-17

2002 Chambolle-Musigny: Red raspberry and bright cherry aromas cut with a touch of earth merge seamlessly into supple, precise, very clean and elegant flavors that possess lovely finishing intensity and persistence. This is a classic Chambolle with an airy purity of expression that is most attractive. 88/2007-12

2002 Chambolle-Musigny “1er”: (from Noirots, Les Plantes, Combottes and Les Hauts Doix). This is not any more elegant than the villages but it is decidedly earthier and a good deal more complex with supple, very refined, sweet, sappy and delicious flavors blessed with terrific persistence and a certain breed. In short, this is really pretty juice. 90/2008-14

2002 Chambolle-Musigny “Les Baudes”: This reminds me a bit of the Bressandes with its intense briar, underbrush and bright black raspberry fruit aromas and round, rich, intense and mouth coating flavors underpinned by moderate tannins and equally good persistence. There is a bit more concentration and first rate balance. Most impressive. 91/2009-17

2002 Chambolle-Musigny “Les Amoureuses”: A sensational nose of subtly spiced red and black fruit aromas of seemingly every description combine with dazzlingly elegant and pure, sappy and seductively sweet middle weight flavors and a beautifully textured and amazingly long back end. There is gorgeous inner mouth perfume that stems from the ample pinot extract and this simply exudes class. A terrific wine with more minerality than usual and it should age for years. 93/2009-20

2002 Vosne-Romanée “Les Petits Monts”: (this vineyard is worked by horse and plow rather than tractor because there is no path for the tractor). This is extremely ripe with distinct notes of plum, kirsch and hints of chocolate and coffee that introduce sweet, round, juicy and intense and spicy flavors that are remarkably tight and backward for such a ripe wine. The finish is incredibly long and almost overshadowed the next wine with its sheer persistence. 92/2009-17

2002 Echézeaux: (from En Orveaux). Expressive and very ripe, rich and spicy black raspberry fruit aromas lead to earthy, round and surprisingly supple flavors supported by ample tannins that are rendered almost invisible by the abundant sappy extract. In particular, I admire the lovely finishing complexity and intensity. A first rate example of the appellation. 92/2010-20

2002 Grands Echézeaux: Knockout aromas of kirsch, raspberries and red pinot fruit perfectly complement highly complex and seriously elegant, supple and precise yet quite powerful flavors that are intensely focused and very long with plenty of finishing structure. This is presently linear and quite firm with superb underlying material and this will last for 25 years with no trouble, perhaps longer. A most impressive effort of real class and breed. 93/2012-27

2002 Clos de Vougeot: Expressive, spicy and earthy with powerful, rich, intense and sweet flavors that are quite supple on the mid-palate but very firm on the slightly austere finish. While not quite as ripe as the Petits Monts, this leans in that direction and there is real size and weight here with relatively refined tannins. In short, this is as good a young Drouhin Clos de Vougeot as I can remember. 93/2010-22

2002 Bonnes Mares: Expressive and explosive aromas of blue and black berries with interesting floral and leather nuances. The big, powerful and muscular flavors are tight, focused and beautifully detailed and blessed with an incredibly long and complex finish. This possesses that “wow” factor and it will require time to fully reveal its considerable potential. 94/2010-22+

2002 Griotte-Chambertin: The nose here is completely different after the fireworks delivered by the Grands Ech with its reserved, backward, discreet red fruit aromas framed by a subtle touch of oak spice. Intriguing notes of game, leather and earth nuances can be found on the sappy, long, precise and focused flavors of indescribable complexity and what is perhaps the best acid/fruit balance of these ‘02s. Understated and supremely classy juice that is indisputably of reference standard quality. A simply gorgeous Drouhin Griotte and worth a special search to find. 94/2009-20

2002 Chambertin-Clos de Bèze: Wonderfully complex red fruit and earth aromas of real depth and detail lead to supple, strikingly textured and intense full-bodied flavors and a powerful, tremendously long finish. This is extremely classy juice with buried and unusually fine tannins and this should have the ability to age for several decades, perhaps longer. 93/2012-27

2002 Musigny: Stunningly pure, spicy and refined black fruit aromas lead to silky, velvety, concentrated and magnificently rich flavors that ooze class and breed. The intensity does a slow build from the richly textured mid-palate to an explosively long finish. In short, this is a classic example of the old adage of an iron fist in a velvet glove as the buried structure and perfect balance will permit this to age for a very long time indeed and if it adds additional complexity over time, my score will
seem quite conservative. 94/2014-27

Philippe Drouhin and winemaker Laurence Jobard jointly agreed that the 2001 vintage “is a bit of a pleasant surprise” because of the hail that hit “a bit of everywhere though less in Chassagne than in Puligny or Meursault”. They went on to comment that “yields were generous and it was an absolute necessity to control yields; if they weren’t, ripening was extremely heterogeneous and it’s extremely difficult to make very good to excellent wine with highly diverse stages of ripeness. By contrast, we had very good maturity levels, with potential alcohol varying between 13.2 and 13.5%. Malic acid levels were also high and consequently, the malos were extended, which helped to keep the maturing wines fresh because of the higher levels of CO2. We also did a bit more bâtonnage than usual as well, enabling the wines to feed off of their fine lees.” They went on to note that 2001 should be an average vintage for longevity. As my scores indicate, 2001 is not as good as the 2000 vintage was chez Drouhin though the difference is small. (Dreyfus Ashby, New York, NY).

2001 Rully: Simple, fruity and delicious with ripe, slightly fat flavors that offer good finishing intensity and enough volume and persistence to be interesting. Approachable now as this is very forward. 85/now

2001 Meursault: Hazelnut and fresh bread dough nose leads to round, full-bodied, fat, ample, rather forward flavors that offer good depth and fine finishing intensity if not necessarily fine cut or precision. Perfectly good quality at this level, just not exceptionally so. 86/2004-8

2001 Meursault “Luraule”: Quite seductive on the nose with peach and hazelnut aromas plus medium weight, rounded flavors offering solid authority, all nicely framed by ripe acidity and solid underlying minerality. There is quality length here and if this puts on weight with additional bottle age, it should merit the top end of my range. (86-88)/2006-10.

2001 Meursault “Perrières”: Exceptionally pure aromas of minerals and roasted nuts are followed by medium weight, quite backward flavors displaying fine detail and lovely fruit-acid balance. This is already really quite harmonious but with the solid backbone of ripe acidity, this will require several years to really blossom. 89/2008-12

2001 Chassagne-Montrachet: Fascinating nose of white flower fruit cut with pungent grass and herb notes plus subtle anise hints followed by round, fat, forward, sappy flavors that offer solid intensity and fine length. This is really quite good for a villages level wine. 87/2006-10

2001 Chassagne-Montrachet – Marquis de Laguiche: (100% from the 1er Morgeot). As it almost always is, this is decidedly bigger and richer and with better nuance as well with hints of exotic fruits and clean, crisp, even lively flavors that offer pronounced earth notes plus excellent length, especially for its level, even if this is technically not a villages level wine. 89/2006-10

2001 Beaune “Clos des Mouches”: Wonderfully intense, well focused and very pure fruit with elegant, nicely rounded, plump yet racy flavors offering better than average depth and a lovely note of subtle minerality on the medium length finish. Always one of my favorite Beaune whites and this delivers its usual high standard of quality. 89/2006-10

2001 Puligny-Montrachet: Pretty, clean, fresh, attractively stony citrus notes lead to finely detailed, very crisp flavors underpinned by snappy acidity. There is a lovely racy aspect here and I especially like the elegance and finesse on the finish. This could use a bit more mid-palate density but this is a very pretty Puligny villages in a forward style. 87/2005-9

2001 Puligny-Montrachet “Folatières”: Quite elegant and pure on the nose with traces of exotic fruit and while this is quite ripe, it manages to avoid being over the top. The round, plump, sweet flavors offer good depth and very nice complexity coupled with the intense minerality that Folatières is justifiably famous for. This will need a few years to really harmonize but there is solid potential for development. 89/2007-11

2001 Corton-Charlemagne: (from vines in Aloxe-Corton). The nose combines penetrating white flower fruit, green apple notes and trace of toast that give way to big, robust, masculine flavors offering excellent intensity, good fat and solid concentration plus a finish that oozes minerality. This is fat and rich yet positively vibrant. 91/2007-12

2001 Bâtard-Montrachet: Big and decidedly masculine in style with intense, very ripe and exotic fruit of peach, apricot and pineapple notes that introduce thick, generous, rich flavors of exceptionally good density for the vintage. Quite forward and supple for young Bâtard yet the finish is vibrant, intense and remarkably long. Quality juice. 91/2007-12

2001 Montrachet – Marquis de Laguiche : Highly perfumed aromas of honeysuckle and ripe peach introduce big, rich, even robust, wonderfully concentrated flavors of limestone, citrus and an attractive brown butter quality all underpinned by beautiful intensity and exquisite length. This is a big Montrachet, especially compared to the more refined and understated style that Drouhin has issued over the years. A very impressive effort for the medium term. (91-93)/2009-15

Top 100
of 2005

Joseph Drouhin 2003 Grands-Echezeaux

A wonderful, perfumed , black fruitball of a wine, with intense flavors that has a balance of dense red fruits and dark, structured tannins. The purity of the fruit is a reflection of the organic vineyard practices by the Drouhin family, and the tannins show that this is a wine that will age. Imported by Dreyfus, Ashby & Co.