L-B 2001
Pristine bottle and cork, with a good level. The colour is still quite dark with just hints of bricking on the edges. The nose is sweet, with gentle notes of blackberry and fading tobacco, plus a touch of cedar. The attack is full of soft red berries, a blend of red cherry and redcurrant, before a middle section of blackberry and a rush of wild strawberry on the finish. Not as spicy as LB can be, not as stern either. Beautifully mellow and mature, perfectly balanced, just the right amount of grip to give it a good structure. It doesn’t quite have the zip and depth of a top vintage, but perfect for drinking now.
L-B 2004
The colour is slightly darker, the nose slightly fresher and more insistent, with similar aromas and a touch of brett and leather. In the mouth, however, an entirely different beast to the 01. The fruit sensations are much the same, but still quite primary and what really changes is the middle section, which is silky and much more lifting. If the 2001 is a traditional LB, the 04 is more modern, not in a spoofy sense, but because of the silky, creamy middle section, almost Margalais. The finish is less profound than the 01 but more persistent. If I had been told blind that this was a Léoville, because of the style I would have guessed LLC. It reminded me of LLC in 93 or 94. I’ve certainly never tasted a Barton like this one. It takes a bit of getting used to, but it’s very impressive indeed.
Tasting together, the 04 impressed more, but the 01 was the wine we finished first - the earthy depth of the finish draws one back for more. With the 96, the 02 and the 03, that makes five vintages over the last few months. The winner is the 96, with 02 just ahead of 01. Judgement on the 03 is deferred until we have tried another bottle.
The 01 and the 04 sell here for about the same price - for now, the 01 makes better sense, but the 04 is the better midterm buy.
I am a big fan of the 2004, picking up a solid case of 375s on futures back in 2006. $23.99 for each half bottle - would love to find prices like that anymore.
I opened a 2003 back in 2015 that was gorgeous. I only bought a couple of 2003s, and wish I had bought more based on that bottle.
Haven’t had the 2001 or 2002 in a while (I have several of both), so will need to check in.
I had the 2002 couple of days ago. What a great wine considering the vintage! We had a tasting of the 2003 vintage some time ago and Barton was my favorite. I wish I had bought more than just one case on release.
Cheers guys - well the good news for all of you is that if you want some more - you can get it very easily (over here) at a fair price. The 04 can be found for around 60 dollars, which is a small premium for 12 years in a cellar! It’s one of the great things about LB - the very opposite of a speculator’s wine. The prices have gone up over the years, true, but what hasn’t?
Preaching to the choir here, but Leoville Barton, IMHO, is one of those Chateaux that handles vintage variations better than most, producing strong wines in so-called off vintages (think, 1994), and wines that are not OTT in ripe vintages like 2009 and 2003. I’m not a big fan of these two latter vintages, in general, but LB performed admirably despite the warmth. I would rather have 2004 and 2001, but that’s just my palate. I think 2000 and 2005 splits the baby, both killer years for LB. I bought, but have not yet tried, quite a bit of the 2014, a vintage I totally, love.
Quite right - I’ve yet to dislike any vintage of LB - even 84 was quite good! Interesting you mention 09 - I think it was the first vintage with a really big price increase (like all the others). I’m not sure it worked, though - I found some today for 15% less than EP.
Just as an update, I had a bottle of 04 last night:
Still drinking well, but not as well as before. The creamy blackcurrant and wave of wild strawberry are very appealing still, but the intensity is dropping off. Last year’s bottle was already less intense and this one showed a further decrease, leaving a very elegant and subtle wine, but one which is in danger of becoming rather bland. I was expecting a longer plateau.
I’ve enjoyed nearly two cases of the 2004 over the years, but I will finish my final bottle in the next year and won’t be looking for more. At the current price, it’s a bit expensive.
1st post on the 2001 which states “mature” is 5y old, but I had it 2 weeks ago - and I would say “at the beginning of full maturity” - certainly no hurry, very nice showing and very typical LB.
2004 not tasted for about 12y, but the 1996 was great in September.
I had the 90 recently, which was excellent but cool-fruited and reserved for the vintage. I picked up some 95 recently quite cheap ($55), I need to try one soon.
But overall, I think the 2000 might be my fav to date, with the standard caveat that more recent vintages (2005-present), impressive as they are, are too young to really tell.
Knowledgeable palates say the 85 is superb, but I’ve never had it — the 82, 86, and 89 though, while good, are off the pace of subsequent vintages at Che Barton IMHO.
I opened a 1985 in the fall of 2020 and it was fantastic. A 2000 maybe a year earlier was also great but far less evolved from what I remember. I have one of each and am in no rush to drink either of them. Where did you get the 1995 for $55? That’s a screaming deal.
Echoing what many have said that in my LB experience, they really seem to excel in the less heralded vintages compared to their peers. The '01 and '04, as well as the '02, have all been fantastic IMO. I just bought a few bottles of the 2014 as well that I’m very excited about, although basically everything I’ve had from Bordeaux in that vintage has been exceptional.
It’s always an incredibly reliable address and I’ve bought some every year since 82, apart from the 2013, which I just couldn’t at the price! Unlike so many others, it has never succumbed to any fad or consultant, just producing quality wines which faithfully follow the house style. I don’t know yet if the slight change of style with the 04 heralded any lasting change yet, but the 06 I tasted last year was very much along the same lines, so creamier and more elegant than in the past, albeit with more depth than the 04. Prices have risen but it still offers great value for money.
LB’s are so nicely-priced, at least when I was still buying releases up until 2004 vintage.
Of the ones I’ve had, the mid-90s stuff stand out and I’d even chime in with the1998 Leoville Barton, not à blockbuster, but as classic as a good claret can be for my taste. So consistent in style.