For me 2002 was the year when university began, heralding a carefree and bleary-eyed cycle of academic rigour and late nights, all facilitated by the nutritional merits of the ‘3 Bs diet’ (yes, baked beans and beer).

As such, I confess I paid little attention to what was going on beyond the confines of the institution. The vineyards of Bordeaux were, by all accounts, not quite so happy places to be. Vignerons winced as their grapes endured some fairly atrocious weather before, as would occur later in 2007, an Indian summer ensured that good wine could be made.

I feel this vintage, particularly on the Left Bank, has had a comparatively bad rap and has been lost among the noise somewhat. Considering the quality of other vintages in the 2000s, not to mention the increasing cacophony of hype surrounding them, this is understandable up to a point. However, if you like your Claret to taste traditional – and I know that many members do – there are some rich pickings.

Now free of the 3 Bs diet and immersed in wine personally as well as professionally, I seem to have hit a purple (or claret) patch of 2002s recently; a combination of tastings, bottles proffered by friends and my own modest stash. Given their comparatively muted repute, they have been, at times, a revelation.

There is little doubt that the best successes are cabernet-dominant, and some of the Classed Growths are hitting their stride earlier than in more meteorologically generous years. The ’02 Prieuré-Lichine for example is a delicious and open Margaux; and while no spring chicken anymore, Château Olivier still manages to fly the flag for Pessac commendably. Château Grand Puy-Lacoste 2002 deserves a special mention: it is a quintessential Pauillac, a down-to-earth but suave wine that counts among one of the most pleasurable bottles broached for some time.

Another pleasing facet of 2002 is that, in a region where price is such a talking point, the wines still represent rather good buys; and the cynical among you who might accuse me of trying to flog wines from a ‘duff’ vintage may be assuaged by the fact the above are, alas, not currently stocked by The Society!

For members who do want to get acquainted however, a half-bottle of Léoville-Barton (a format some readers may recall my fondness for) might be a good place to start. That said, we do recommend you wait until next year at the least before tucking into this bold and backward wine. For something showing off a little more now, the 2002 Château Batailley is approachable after a decant, and very tasty with it. Though these wines may not have the academic rigour of more ‘cerebral’ Claret vintages, baked beans they certainly are not, and I can’t recommend some of them enough. Any tips from readers would also be much appreciated…

Martin Brown
Digital Copywriter