2002 Chateau Lanessan Haut Medoc 750 ml

Dust-Covered Bottles Direct from the Haut-Médoc

As we make the rounds among old friends and new contacts in Bordeaux, certain winemakers we trust have told us they consider 2002 an exceptional sleeper vintage — particularly on the Left Bank on the border of Saint-Julien. Even though unruly weather gave growers headaches, as usual the best growers separated themselves from the rest by producing phenomenally concentrated, vibrant wines. In fact, the vintage’s biggest fault lies in the fact that it’s sandwiched between the legendary 2000s and the barn-burner 2003s.

In his “Annual Red Bordeaux Report,” Stephen Tanzer compared the 2002 Haut-Médocs with the classic “Northern Médoc cabernets of 1996.” Given the classic quality of the 2002s, Tanzer shouted loudly about the bargain proposition of the 2002s, opining that “there will be no shortage of very good 2002s at affordable prices.” A year after release, Master of Wine Jancis Robinson noted the undersung quality of the vintage and was also optimistic: “The 2002 vintage was the most keenly priced for many a year,” providing “an opportunity for anyone thinking of starting a bordeaux cellar.”

More than a decade later, they were both right. Here’s why.

2002 got off to a perfect early start, with one of the largest crops on record in Bordeaux. But then Mother Nature started throwing curveballs, with weather that separated the savvy growers from the rest.

The Bouteiller family, owners and stewards of Château Lanessan since 1793, has seen its share of challenging vintages, and they weren’t scratching their heads about what to do. Spitting distance from some of the greatest châteaux in the world — Château Beychevelle is just a 5-minute walk away — they went on a dropping frenzy. Throughout the entire growing season, Jacques Boissenot — the acclaimed enologist whom Jancis Robinson called “Bordeaux’s secret ingredient” — sent crews into the vineyard to ruthlessly thin bunches and drop unprecedented amounts of fruit.

Boissenot’s efforts paid off, especially as October ushered in a wave of warm weather. The remaining crop, thinned down to one bunch per shoot, maintained excellent natural acidity. Workers finished the harvest before things deteriorated again later in the month. Despite the feeling that the château’s 2002s exhibited the power and concentration of the 2000s, Boissenot chose to cellar them.

After more than a decade of slumber mere feet away from the very vines from which the grapes were plucked, the 2002 Château Lanessan Haut-Médoc is showing mature beauty and finesse. A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, and just 1% Cabernet Franc. It’s one of the best Left Bank values we’ve tasted this year. Saturated ruby. Super ripe aromas of cassis, blackberry, minerals, smoke, and black licorice. Very ripe but precise and penetrating. At once lush and powerful. Black fruit, flint, spice, and tobacco flavors offer considerable density and verve. Gorgeously drinking right now and will continue for another 5 to 7 years.

600 bottles are up for grabs today at the jaw-dropping price of $26.99/bottle. You will not find 15-year-old Bordeaux of this quality and price anywhere else. Don’t sleep on this one.