The 2002 Grand Puy Lacoste from Chateau Grand Puy Lacoste offers finesse over flamboyance. Despite the challenging year for winemaking in 2002, this wine retains its cassis, earth, tobacco, and forest floor notes and ends with a driver cassis and cranberry finish. It has a classic, old Pauillac bouquet enhanced by wooded blackberry, sous-bois, and pencil box notes and is balanced with mild tannins and dark fruit decadence. This wine is recommended only for those who appreciate aged wines and their nuances.
It is worth noting that Parker awarded the 2002 Grand Puy Lacoste RP92 in one of the Farr Premier Tastings 14 years ago, which is still a testament to its remarkable initial quality. While the rating was later adjusted to RP86 in 2010, the wine still stands as a testament to its unique character and Chateau Grand Puy Lacoste's winemaking expertise.
This wine is an excellent contrast to modern flavours, and that, in our view, is a fair comment since it is a substantial and nuanced wine perfect for connoisseurs of aged claret. It is also a cornerstone of discerning collections and a testament to Chateau Grand Puy Lacoste's winemaking prowess.
We just thought if you are younger enough, try this wine to form at least some partial view of 'claret'.
The 2014 Lascombes is a powerful and modern Margaux wine with a unique blend of dark stone fruit, leather, bittersweet chocolate, smoke, liquorice, and French oak flavours that harmoniously meld together in the glass. This wine promises a bold, intense experience that is sure to intrigue and excite. 2015 is riper and rounder; 2016 is more accessible and almost ready.
James Suckling gave the 2014 Lascombes 93 points, describing it as having blueberries, wet earth, and dried flowers. It also has a whole body, solid core fruit, and a long and juicy finish, making it an excellent choice.
Wine Enthusiast awarded the 2014 Lascombes 93 points and noted that the winery has improved significantly from its past years of over-making. Instead, the wine is full of black fruits and rich tannins with good ageing potential, making it a secure and optimistic investment for wine enthusiasts.
Wine Spectator describes the 2014 Lascombes as having a core of lightly steeped plum, blackberry, and anise notes with a roasted juniper hint framing it. It delivers a fleshy drive through the finish while maintaining a supple, elegant feel overall. Lascombes, one of the largest estates in Margaux, is now performing well. With this vintage, the heavy over-making of past years has been replaced with a wine full of black fruits as much as rich tannins. There is concentration and, importantly, good ageing potential, ensuring a secure and optimistic investment for wine enthusiasts.
Finally, another Wine Spectator commentator, James Molesworth, says the 2014 Lascombes has a hint of singed juniper surrounding a core of lightly steeped plum, blackberry, and anise notes. It delivers a fleshy drive through the finish while maintaining an overall supple and elegant feel.
Updated: 12 hours ago
Château La Couspaude is a Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classe that has been part of the Aubert family's heritage since 1750. For this 2002 vintage, the fruit was suppressed, as it was using new oak and extended oak fermentation. The wine has a light and soft texture with ripe orangey, red, and black fruits and an herbal finish on the palate. While it lacks complexity, it still pleases the senses. It exhibits a well-integrated grip with a medium mineral finish. If you aim for stylistics long gone, why not this 2002 vintage?
RP did not score it, but older vintages typically score in the high 80s and low 90s, while current vintages score in the mid-90s, such as the 2018 vintage, which is an RP94. The new wine blends Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon from grapes grown on a 7-hectare vineyard with vines averaging 50 years old. Current vintages use aged oak to surface fruit. Regardless of vintages, the grapes are hand-harvested in small crates and chosen by plot. They undergo a meticulous pre-fermentation maceration at low temperatures, with the cap manually punched. The wine then goes through a malolactic fermentation journey in barrels, followed by an 18-month ageing period. This meticulous process ensures a wine of exceptional quality and character, which reflects the winery's unwavering commitment to quality.
Many thanks to OLivier SUblett of CHateau De Roque. If not for Oliver Sublett's introduction to the Auberts, I would not have been able to taste La Couspaude vintages to that extent.
