2002 Château Haut-Brion, France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Leognan, Wine Review

From Magnum.  This was an ok year in Bordeaux, but Haut Brion may have made the wine of the vintage.  In regular bottles, this should be at or past peak, but in Magnum it was doing just fine.  Purple in color, ruby at the  rim, mostly opaque and flat.  The nose is mature with cassis, cigar box, gravel and slight char.  Medium bodied.  Medium silky tannins.  On the palate, cassis, with some tobacco, gravel and char.  Some complexity.  Good finish.  Older bottles are always variable, but these should be drunk sooner than later.  This will work better with hearty food.  Cassoulet would work well.