A beautiful wine, with layers of ripe fruit, berry, cedar, vanilla and light spice. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a long finish. Very, very classy stuff.--'95/'96 Bordeaux retrospective. James Suckling

Tasted wonderful in October 2000. A meaty rich ripe nose of cassis, mulberry and cherry. Full-bodied and expansive structure. Approachable with layers of strawberries and red fruits. A rich voluptuous Barton that should be ready in 2-3 yrs. Then blind in April 2005. A very attractive nose with a slight under-ripeness that lends it freshness and vitality. The palate is well-balanced with toasty new oak. But quite backward compared to others with a dense sweet, chocolate tinged finish. Quite modern in style on the surface, but you can tell that there is a robust classic structure underneath.

Somewhat closed and reticent after bottling, but still impressive, this 1995 possesses a dark ruby/purple color, as well as an oaky nose with classic scents of cassis, vanillin, cedar, and spice. Dense and medium to full-bodied, with softer tannin and more accessibility than the 1996, but not quite the packed and stacked effect on the palate, the 1995 is an outstanding textbook St.-Julien that will handsomely repay extended cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2025.

Very good ruby-red. Currant, tobacco, game and roasted nuts on the expressive nose. Full, supple and sweetly oaky. Also wears its oak more gracefully. Very long on the finish, with ripe, tongue-coating tannins.