Château Léoville Barton, 2ème Cru Classé, St Julien, 2003

Name: Château Léoville Barton, 2ème Cru Classé, St Julien
Brand: Château Léoville Barton
Price: 1181.47 GBP

Available Vintages

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justerini & brooks tasting note

We are concerned that the 2004 Barton may exhibit a vague goût de camionette, as we found one upside-down on it’s roof among the vines on our previous visit in January this year, after trying to escape from the Pauillac gendarmes. Luckily, we had no concerns whatever for the 2003. We had heard ahead of our tasting that the 2003 Léoville-Barton was head and shoulders above the local competition, and were glad to find this to be true. Never flashy, never over-made, always honest and seriously good, Barton is occasionally a stunner – as it is this time round. Very good concentration on the nose, with slightly less of the usually strong dark-fruit character (Barton sometimes shows hints of tar and rubber from barrel), the fruit on the palate is tightly packed, a mix of blackberry, loganberry and cassis, with excellent clarity and a hint of bitter chocolate. It has a beautifully seductive, soft exterior. The overall impression is one of polish, balance and great length. Similarly, a blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot and 10 Cabernet Franc, cropped at 40hl/ha.

critic reviews

94/100Jane Anson,Inside Bordeaux

More proof that if you want a great 2003 right now, you should head to St Julien or Pauillac, where the exoticism of the vintage is held in check by savoury Cabernet notes and plenty of tannic grip. You'll find traces of black truffle, charcoal and crème de cassis exuberance, along with soft blackberry and damson fruits, incense, liqourice root and plenty of cigar box smoky notes. Hard to resist, in its drinking window but no rush to drink. In the Barton family since 1826. 70% new oak.

DRINKING WINDOW 2023 - 2038

date of review 06/2023

96/100Robert Parker,Robert Parker Wine Advocate

A spectacular success, the opaque plum-colored 2003 Leoville Barton is still on the young side of its plateau of maturity. It exhibits a striking bouquet of forest floor and black currants as well as a full-bodied, exuberant, youthful style, an opaque plum/ruby color, a lot of complexity, and striking depth and richness. This is a profound, stunning effort from Anthony Barton and his team. Bravo! It should continue to provide immense pleasure for 20-30 years.

DRINKING WINDOW 2014 - 2044

date of review 08/2014

93/100Stephen Tanzer,Vinous

Good medium ruby. Explosive nose of black raspberry, coffee and leather. Hugely rich, dense and sweet, with deep flavors of currant, plum and chocolate complicated by underlying minerality. Wonderfully dense and full on the back end, with broad tannins and palate-staining length. Today, the 2005 comes off as dry by comparison. A standout of the vintage, and likely to be long-lived in the context of the year.

date of review 05/2006