Medium ruby and just starting to turn. Expressive nose of dark cherries, earth, meat and minerals. Medium bodied with good concentration and a pronounced taste of macerated cherries that line the palate. Acidity tingles the mouth. Some menthol emerges on a medium finish. This is often of premier cru quality in good vintages, but lacks the complexity to be of top premier cru quality. Since 1999, this has been a good buy in most years.
I agree and thanks for the note, as I skipped the 2001.
Yes,
One of my favorites, so to speak. '99 was recently drinking quite nicely.
Had an 02 a couple of weeks ago that was truly foul, not corked, but some sort of science project. 
I poured it out. I’ve another on deck and am hoping for a better showing.
I’ve drunk three bottles of the '02, the last one in September 2014. All were sound. It was still primary, but if you give it a lot of air, it’s approachable. I sure hope the bad bottle you had was just that.