One of the better successes of this overlooked and misunderstood vintage is the 2002 La Mission Haut-Brion, a wine that's really beginning to drink well. Offering up a deep bouquet of cassis, burning embers and cigar ash, it's medium to full-bodied, with a sweet core of fruit and a rich chassis of tannin. Served blind, after a decant of a couple of hours to flesh out, it tends to pass for a more reputed vintage; it's only held back by a slight lack of mid-palate density to balance its structure and the fact that it tastes about a decade older than a top vintage for this address such as 1998. - WK

Medium bodied, tannic and a little austere, the nose is a pleasure, with its tobacco, smoke, burnt earth, forest leaf, cassis and blackberry scented perfume. Solid and conventional in style, also known as classic in some circles, perhaps another 3-5 years will help the wine soften and develop additional nuances. Read more at:https://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/wine-tasting-note/?vintage=2002&wine=Chateau%20La%20Mission%20Haut-Brion