From the day the very last bottle of legendary 1996 Pol disappeared from the shelves, we have long awaited the dawning of another grand vintage. 1998, 1999 and 2000 came and went, and in October the much-anticipated 2002 will land. The odd sneak preview bottle has arrived to taunt us, and – my goodness – has it been worth the wait! A magnificent vintage Pol, with all the tension of the remarkable 2002 vintage on display; a wine that captures both inherent concentration and scintillating structure. The confidence of pinot noir leads here, providing sensational dimension to the Pol Roger house style of supreme refinement. Taut citrus zest, lemon sherbet and yellow plums are set with delightful juxtaposition against the depth of almost a decade in particularly cold cellars, building wonderful tension between subtle complexity and exacting purity. Minerality is pronounced, with wonderful, driving persistence of finely poised chalk texture. If you just can’t wait, the 2000 is still lurking for $88 at LiquorLand Direct.