Château Lafite Rothschild - Pauillac 2002

Wine Advocate

93 / 100

byNeal Martinthe11/13/2009

Tasted blind at Farr’s 2002 Bordeaux tasting. Very deep colour. The nose is complex and intense with aromas of blackberry, pencil-lead, black olive, sous-bois and cedar. Very Pauillac and it just builds and builds in the glass. The palate displays a seductive entry, supple texture, very smooth and silky with blackberry, boysenberry and something quite sweet, dates or fig. Then towards the finish, it draws back and becomes more tannic and masculine, as if it say: “that’s enough”. An intriguing wine, quite mercurial in the glass. Tasted October 2009.

Jancis Robinson

17.50 / 20

byJancis Robinsonthe10/13/2009

Lively and racy and readable and Lafite-like? Racy with green-apples character and admirably long. This still seems to have been the most successful Pauillac first growth in this uncharming vintage. Perhaps because it is not too tough or dense? Drink 2011-21

Wine Advocate

95 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe4/29/2005

Je l'ai dit à maintes reprises : Lafite Rothschild a produit sous la houlette de Charles Chevalier toute une série de vins exceptionnels, de véritables monuments en perspective. Le 2002 perpétue cette brillante lignée et enrichit le palmarès du talentueux administrateur. Composé à 87% de cabernet sauvignon, à 9,5 % de merlot et pour le reste de Cabernet Franc, il est le fruit d'une sélection de 47% de la récolte totale. Arborant un pourpre opaque soutenu, il évoque, tant au nez qu'en bouche, une liqueur de graphite nuancée de confiture de cerise et de cassis. Malgrè sa concentration et son intensité hors du commun, il est relativement aérien et rappelle, en plus léger, le 1996 qui obtint la note parfaite. C'est une merveille de séduction et de concentration.

Wine Spectator

95 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe3/31/2005

Bubbling over with crushed berries, currants and spices, with tobacco notes. Beautiful. Full-bodied, with gorgeously velvety tannins and a long finish of pretty fruit. This is a racy yet elegant Lafite. Classy. Best after 2010. 16,000 cases made.

Wine Advocate

94-96 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe10/1/2003

As I have indicated in the past, under the administration of Charles Chevalier, Lafite-Rothschild has produced a tremendous succession of historic, possibly monumental wines since 1995. The 2002 will only add to Chevalier’s illustrious resume. Forty-seven percent of the crop made it into the grand vin, a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9.5% Merlot, and 3.5% Cabernet Franc. It smells and tastes like liqueur of lead pencil intermixed with cassis and cherry jam. Opaque purple to the rim, relatively light on its feet, but super-concentrated and intense, it is reminiscent of a lighter-weight 1996, a wine that merited a perfect score. More forward than the 1996, the 2002 is extraordinarily concentrated, riveting juice that has impeccable harmony. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2038

Wine Advocate

95 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe9/30/2003

La Revue du Vin de France

14-16 / 20

the6/30/2003

Très dense, corsé, avec une texture serrée, et des tanins très fermes, moins veloutés que dans les deux millésimes précédents, mais une race évidente et une grande longueur.