Information & scores : 2002

• Indifferent 13/20
• Indifferent 14/20
• Red 13/20
• Still white 15/20
• Blanc liquoreux 15/20
• White 17/20
• Red 17/20
• Indifférent 17/20
• Indifférent 17/20
• Indifférent 12/20
• Indifférent 12/20

Vintage description 2002

After a fantastic series of vintages in the Rhône Valley, 2002 was marked by record rainfall, with water levels recorded from July to October largely exceeding the norm and with some regions suffering severe flooding. In early September, the southern Rhône Valley was subjected to two catastrophic days that could not be made up for throughout the rest of the month. The only estates that managed to produced acceptable wines were those that embarked on a drastic selection process to remove all rotting or under-ripe grapes.
The result is wines with a pleasant fruitiness but lacking in power, with limited ageing potential. No cuvées spéciales were produced in this low quality vintage.
The vintage's best wines, notably whites, are mainly found in Hermitage. The Côte-Rôtie vineyard was the hardest hit by early September rains, which forced wine-makers to harvest earlier than planned, despite maturity not always having been achieved. Results are therefore mixed. Saint-Joseph also paid a heavy price, with abnormally low yields due to the weather conditions. The same goes for Crozes-Hermitage. In Condrieu, grapes reached a good level of maturity overall, and a healthy harvest resulted in some very good cuvées.