Domaine de la Romanée Conti, La Tache Grand Cru 2002

robert_parker93

Reviewed by: Pierre Rovani

Soy sauce, candied blood oranges, and dark cherries make up the nose of the outstanding 2002 La Tache. Extremely elegant and pure, this light to medium-bodied wine displays a superb satiny texture and a broad blackberry, black cherry, spice, and mineral-flavored character. It boasts a refined, noble personality with an exceedingly long, supple finish. The qualitative and ripeness differences between this wine and the Richebourg is striking as well as confounding. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2019. Importer: Wilson Daniels, St. Helena, CA; tel. (707) 963-9661

robert_parker100

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

Wow. The colour gives nothing away (as usual with Burgundy.) The nose is less ebullient than usual with notes of cherry, black tea and violets - damp earth developing. Very complex and mercurial. The palate is just exquisite with perfect balance and utmost finesse and elegance. A regal La Tache: confident, effortless and utterly harmonious. Difficult to spit out. Better than Romanee-Conti? I think so. Brilliant. Tasted February 2005.

robert_parker97

Reviewed by: Neal Martin

Tasted at the La Tâche vertical at The Square. It was initially difficult to choose between the 1999 and 2002 La Tâche, but in the end the former just ascended to the stratosphere, while the latter simply cruised, albeit at a very high altitude. Now at 13 years of age, there is just a slight bricking on the rim. It feels a little more forward than the 1999–a stylish and personality-driven bouquet with predominantly red berry fruit interlaced with warm bricks and undergrowth (much more so of the latter compared to the 1999). The palate is beautifully balanced with exquisite tannin, perfect acidity and an effortless, you might say easygoing personality. That is deceptive because it is a complex and utterly harmonious La Tâche that is the epitome of elegance. Unlike the 1999, I would broach this now with an hour's decanting. Wonderful.

vinous95

Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni

I am surprised by how delicate the 2002 La Tâche is, especially from magnum. Bright, crystalline and nuanced, the 2002 speaks more to energy and finesse than the more powerful, resonant expression of the year that is found in so many other 2002s. I like the 2002 a lot, but I don’t love it.

vinous96

Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer

Good deep, bright red. Dee p aromas of cherry, raspberry, minerals and Asian spices, lifted by a floral quality. Fat, sweet and full but lively; offers great volume without any undue weight. This shows exciting inner-palate energy and finishes with a sexy, deep core of spice. Very pretty, and very long. A superb showing today.

vinous95

Reviewed by: Stephen Tanzer

From a barrel not yet racked: Good bright, full red. Pure cherry and berry fruit aromas verging on exotic. Sweet and dense but also impressively sappy and juicy, enlivened by floral and peppery nuances. Finishes extremely long and subtle, with a note of torrefaction. From a barrel that got microbullage three weeks prior to my visit: Pure, spicy, very expressive nose. Showing a bit more texture than the unracked barrel. Long, pure and powerful on the back. Not that different from the last sample. From a racked barrel: Pure but stunted; in a much drier phase.