($38-$44) Pale yellow. Superripe nose began a bit subdued but hinted at citrus fruits, nut meats and honey with aeration. Very rich, fat and honeyed, but remains light on its feet. Finishes with very good but not outstanding length. Shows honey, vanilla and salty traces on the end, along with a touch of dryness.

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Very ripe and full and flirtatious. Deep-flavoured base of ripe, well-balanced fruit. I had a bit of trouble tasting this en primeur when three different samples tasted very markedly different so I ended up giving it a mark of 16.5. Now it?s looking very promising.

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I suspect most readers will find it hard to get excited about the 2002 vintage for the sweet wines of Barsac and Sauternes after what appears to be a prodigious 2001. However, 2002 is a very fine year for this region, possibly superior to any of the vintages between 2000 and 1991. The wines possess plenty of botrytis, but neither the impressive definition nor supreme elegance of the 2001s. This is a sweet, full-bodied, fat, concentrated, intense effort that was showing well in September, 2003.

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Ultraclean, with apple, vanilla and honey aromas that follow through to a full-bodied palate, medium sweetness and a long, caressing finish. Delicate and balanced.

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From memory. This was well structured, with plenty of plump, not too raisiny botricized fruit, a clean, pure mouthfeel, orange marmalade and a touch of acidity on the finish, which was quite long. Drinks like the Premier Cru Classe Sauternes that it is. Drink now through 2025.