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.

Good bright ruby-red. Pungent, musky aromas of raspberry, menthol, minerals and exotic Indian spices. Vibrant and powerful on the palate, with a strong minerality and a tight core of fruit. Light on its feet, thanks to vibrant acidity. Very tightly wound today but very long on the back end, with horizontal tannins saturating the palate. This is developing impressively and should be long-lived.

Bright ruby-red. Sexy aromas of black raspberry, smoked meat and warm stones. Dry, classic and deep, but quite closed today, even a bit youthfully austere. Finishes very long, with substantial dusty tannins and brisk acids. Much more backward today than the Haut-Brion, despite possessing a lower indice de polyphenols totaux (65, compared to 70). But both of these wines really call for at least six or seven years of cellaring.

Bright aromas of blackberries, cherries, currants and toasted oak follow through to a full-bodied palate, with chewy tannins. Long and silky. Racy. James Suckling

This angularly-styled La Mission possesses hard tannin that may or may not dissipate over time. It exhibits a dark ruby color in addition to a sweet perfume of dusty, loamy soil notes interwoven with notions of white flowers, blueberries, black currants, and hints of toasty oak in the background. Medium-bodied and austere, it requires 2-4 years of bottle age, and should keep for 12-15

Robert Parker (Wine Advocate #158, Apr 2005)

This has a reserved tertiary nose, lots of autumnal scents: bonfires, brown leaves, sous-bois. The palate is medium-bodied, tannic and forthright on the entry, notes of blackberry, raspberry, sandalwood and a touch of spice, leading to a vibrant but foursquare finish that would benefit from a little more length and conviction. Tasted October 2009.

– eRobertParker.com, Jan 2010

Quite developed rim. Well balanced but tough. No compromises, jagged. Hard work! Should last but will it ever charm? (JR)