2003 Chateau Leoville Barton 2eme Cru Classe, Saint-Julien

Chateau Leoville Barton 2eme Cru Classe, Saint-Julien

Colour: Red

Vintage: 2003

Region: Bordeaux, Saint-Julien

Leoville Barton is a perennial favourite of the British wine drinker - hardly surprising when one gets to know the quality of this St. Julien. However the old ‘dependable workhorse’ label is sorely misplaced nowadays, with the precision and freshness making it a far more sophisticated wine than its outdated reputation might suggest. The blend is predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon (70%), with Merlot (20%) and Cabernet Franc (10%) making up the rest. Whilst the wine remains traditional in style, tending to be backward in its youth and with the potential to be very long lived, it is certainly stylish and since 2014 has found a new level of elegance.

Tasting Notes and Scores

98 WS

Intense blackberry and cherry, with hints of currant. Toasted oak and sweet tobacco too. Roses and other flowers, such as lilacs. Full-bodied, with masses of tannins yet incredibly long and seductive. Best after 2012. 18,330 cases made.

– James Suckling (WineSpectator.com, March 2006)

Wine Spectator

96 RP

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.

Robert Parker (Wine Advocate #214, Aug 2014)

Wine Advocate

96 JL

This just keeps getting better as it ages. Still young and vibrant, the wine manages to avoid the trappings of the growing season and instead provides an earthy, cedar, tobacco, dark red fruit and licorice filled perfume. Rich and lively on the palate, with layers of sweet, ripe, round, dark red berries, the wine tastes as good as it feels. With 1 hour of air, this is good to go.

Jeff Leve

94 NM

Tasted at Bordeaux Index's "10-Year On" tasting in London. The Leoville Barton 2003 has a lifted bouquet of blackberry, raspberry coulis, liquorice and flecks of dark chocolate - all very defined and focused. The palate is medium-bodied with a sumptuous entry - seamless tannins, quite plush in the mouth but perhaps missing some complexity and vigour towards the finish. It is drinking beautifully now, though the question nagging my mind is...for how long? Tasted March 2013.

– eRobertParker.com, May 2013

Neal Martin

909 WL

Quality 838 | Brand 988 | Economics 930 | buzz brand
Quality: Predicted life of 14 years, one of the longest drinking windows in its peer group, which averages 9 years Brand: Strong restaurant presence, featuring on 33 of the world's top wine lists, including Amber - Mandarin Oriental Economics: Production: Higher production than its peer group average of 186,000 bottles

- www.wine-lister.com June 2017

Wine Lister

Chateau Leoville Barton 2eme Cru Classe, Saint-Julien