Wines

100 Points! In 2002 very small yields produced only about 3,000 cases at 14.7% natural alcohol and a blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Cabernet Franc. This wine is going from strength to strength since I first tasted it prior to bottling. Now a perfect wine, the incredible perfume of blueberries, black raspberries and cassis, along with white flowers and camphor is extraordinarily fragrant and intense. That is easily matched by the magnificent full-bodied richness and compellingly layered mouthfeel of this wine that is rich, full-bodied and a still youthful vintage that remains capable of another 25-30 years of cellaring. This is a dramatic vintage for Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, and it is always fascinating to taste a top winery’s 2001 and 2002 next to each other because they are both such great years. However, the 2002s tend to be the more flamboyant wines, and the 2001s the more structured and broodingly backward. - Robert Parker, robertparker.com, 2016

94+ Points! Still firm, backward and atypically youthful for a 2002, Rudd’s blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot displays enormous promise, but it needs to be forgotten for another 3-5 years. Its inky/blue/purple color is followed by notes of graphite, roasted coffee, subtle barbecue smoke, blackberries, blueberries and hints of acacia flowers, ink and camphor. Rich, full-bodied and layered, it should be at its peak between 2017-2037. - Robert Parker, robertparker.com, 2012

95 Points! The 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Estate is a 2,550-case blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Malbec. It is aged 20 months in new French oak prior to bottling. This super effort comes across as a Napa version of top-flight Pauillac. Dense ruby/purple to the rim with a gorgeous nose of smoke, cedar, burning wood fires, and creme de cassis, this powerful, intensely rich, complex Cabernet reveals notions of chocolate, charcoal, and blackberry fruit. It should age effortlessly for up to 15 or more years. - Robert Parker, robertparker.com

99 Points! This 2002 was virtually perfect when I tasted it in early May. Even better than I predicted seven years ago, this 4,500-case blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc and the rest Petit Verdot and Merlot has blossomed beautifully, revealing even greater intensity and potential than I predicted. A flawless, seamless integration of tannin, wood, alcohol and acidity is found in this dense, plum/purple-colored Dominus, along with copious notes of sweet black currants interwoven with kirsch, forest floor, unsmoked cigar tobacco, new saddle leather and forest floor. Full-bodied with velvety tannins, stunning elegance and a 45-second finish, this sensational 2002 rivals two of the all-time great wines made at Dominus, 1991 and 1994. It is hard to believe that proprietor Christian Moueix’s Dominus Estate has already celebrated its 25th anniversary and is moving toward 30 years with the 2012-2013 vintages. The 2002 will drink well for another 20 years. - Robert Parker, robertparker.com, 2012

96 Points! As I recall, the first vintage of Cliff Lede wines I tasted was 2005, so this was the first time I tasted the 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Poetry, a blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot and the rest tiny quantities of Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot from the Stags Leap District. It is still a youthful wine, it has a dense purple color as well as a stunning nose of spring flowers, asphalt, graphite, black currants, blueberries, raspberries and kirsch intermixed with hints of smoke and charcoal. Full-bodied, elegant, authoritative and substantial, with a 45-second finish, this 2002 is clearly capable of lasting another 20 years. - Robert Parker, robertparker.com, 2012

94 Points! Sculpted smoky aromatics, love the carved out tannins and black fruits. This is a delicious 2012 that is full of plentiful berry fruits, blackcurrant and sloe, with an unfussy feel of hedgerow brambled freshness. The tannins have heft and give, and there is a sense of precision but also of expansion through the palate, great stuff. Ready to drink but only at the beginning of its drinking window. 60% new oak, 38hl/h yield. - Jane Anson, 2022

97 Points! A brilliant showing, the 2012 Château Belair-Monange comes from a great terroir that is being resurrected by the Moueix team, located on a south-facing hillside just outside of Saint-Emilion. Sporting a deep ruby hue, it offers a beautiful bouquet of red and black fruits, truffly earth, graphite, and subtle smoke. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it's shed most of its baby fat and is just a classy, elegant, yet concentrated Saint-Emilion that does everything right. It's now in its prime drinking window, but I'd wager it has another two decades – or more – of overall longevity. Count yourself lucky if you have these in the cellar. - Jeb Dunnuck, 2022

97 Points! The iconic 2012 Pape Clement is a candidate for near-perfection as well as one of the wines of the vintage. From proprietor Bernard Magrez, this is a blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc. This extraordinary vineyard (a few miles to the west of Haut Brion and La Mission Haut Brion) has hit all the highlights of this vintage. Interestingly, the quality of the Pomerols and Graves wines in 2012 is closer to what one would consider a great vintage than the general image of 2012. This is truly great wine and not far off their magnificent 2005 and 2010. Full-bodied, with rich cassis, subtle burning embers and spice followed by velvety, well-integrated tannins, the wine is lush, expansive, savory and profound. This is a remarkable wine that could be drunk at a reasonably young age, but should cellar brilliantly for a quarter-century. Yields were modest at 37 hectoliters per hectare from this 132-acre estate. The alcohol level came in at 13.5%. - Robert Parker, robertparker.com, 2015

96 Points! A dreamy-creamy gewurz that will delight fans of this grape with its dense mangosteen and lychee character and seductive succulence. Wonderful balance and textural complexity at the long finish that’s so lively there’s no doubt about the aging potential. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! This is a robust and unflinching red wine with a succulent core of ripe cherry fruit. The 2012 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Vigna Montosoli is more restrained and elegant compared to many of its peers from this hot vintage. Those scorching summer temperatures have been expertly absorbed, and the wine never feels jammy or heavy. The mid-weight finish is fine and graceful. Only 2,493 bottles were produced. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

99 Points! This is a fantastic and refined Blanc de Blancs. So layered and complex, with lemon curd, chalk, hazelnuts, pastries, baked apples and almond croissants. Structured and tightly wound, with almost imperceptible bubbles. Delicious salty notes at the end. Beautiful. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

Les Vignes-Dieu is a single plot of Chardonnay planted in 1962, from the terroir of Coulommes la Montagne, classified Premier cru. Sandy/clay soil, well drained and quite shallow; presence of little pebbles from the alteration of the calcareous bedrock. No filtration, minimal use of sulfites (under 35 mg/L total). Aging in bottle of 6 years as a minimum. Dosage: between 2 and 3 g/L, traditional liqueur.

94 Points! Elegant array of lemons, slate, biscuits, oyster shells, croissants and brioche. Precise and focused on the palate, with sharp acidity and tight, fine bubbles. Pure and youthful for now. 50% chardonnay and 50% pinot noir. Dosage 8g/L. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com