The wine of the vintage? There are only 10,000 cases of this extraordinarily rich, dense 2002 that is as powerful as the 2003 (even the alcohol levels are nearly the same, 12.85%) . It is dark ruby/purple to the rim, with notes of English walnuts, crushed rocks, black currants, and forest floor, dense, full-bodied, and opulent, yet classic with spectacular aromatics, marvelous purity, and a full-bodied finish that lasts just over 50+ seconds. Huge richness and the sweetness of the tannin are somewhat deceptive as this wine seems set for a long life. Administrator Frederic Engerer seems to be more pleased with what Latour achieved in 2002 than in any other recent vintage. Hats off to him for an extraordinary accomplishment in a vintage that wouldn’t have been expected to produce the raw materials to achieve something at this level of quality. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2045.

Robert Parker (Wine Advocate #158, Apr 2005)

Loads of ripe currants, licorice and toasted oak on the nose. Subtle yet impressive. Full-bodied, with a solid core of ripe fruit and chewy tannins. Big and juicy. Deep midpalate for a 2002. This is the wine of the vintage. A solid, classic Latour that needs bottle age.

The 2002 Latour is more backward on the nose, quite floral with rose petal scents infusing the red and black fruit, a marine element that emerges with time in the glass. I could not find any of the Christmas cake aromas that I observed on previous bottles. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins, grippy in the mouth with a dense and sapid finish. Given the vintage, this is a magnificent wine, probably the finest on the Left Bank, though clearly from large formats such as this it requires more time. Tasted blind from double magnum at 20-year retrospective at the château.

With a nose filled with walnut, cassis, tobacco, blackberry and forest floor aromas. The wine is medium/full bodied with a refined character. The finish is all about the sweet, lush rich, balanced textures and classy, stylish cassis. Tasted Aug 2013