Another strong showing for the 2002 Clos Vougeot Grand Cru from the late Philippe Engel. The nose is ethereal, offering raspberry and crushed strawberry scents, and the palate is extraordinary in terms of focus. The finish oddly reminds me of Engel's Grands Echézeaux. Magnificent. Tasted at Noizé restaurant in London.

As was noted in the introduction, 2002 will long be remembered as a great vintage for Clos Vougeot and Engel’s is no exception. Produced from 50-year-old vines and aged in 80% new oak, this medium to dark ruby-colored wine sports an earthy black cherry, intensely spicy nose. Concentrated, deep, and intense, it is crammed with loads of black cherries, spices, and blackberries whose flavors linger in its superbly soft and lengthy finish. Projected maturity: 2007-2015. Importer: A Peter Vezan Selection, Paris fax #011-33-1-42-55-42-93

This lovely but still reticent wine continues to evolve very slowly and I have significantly extended my suggested initial drinking window based on several recent bottles that display no trace of maturity at all though the overall sense of balance, harmony, density and depth remain impeccable in every sense. A terrific effort that only needs time, and lots of it, to reveal all that it will be capable of offering. Indeed, there is even the possibility of upside potential here as this is extremely impressive.

– Burghound.com. Tasted: Jul 2007