Gotcha! Makes me more bullish on the wine/vintage. Thanks bud!
Jesus, both of us on the principal’s office on that one lol.
I’ve been trying to buy 02 here and there when a good opportunity presents; sadly the Mouton value ship sailed longed ago. I’ve enjoyed the vintage more than I anticipated and re-enforced a valuable lesson… Numbers on a vintage are just that, numbers. Anyone can stick a number on something. The wine is what matters and good wine is good wine. You note just helps me remember that.
Just have a couple of these (one left). In keeping with Robert A’s note from almost 3 years ago I have to agree this is in a really good place. Now I will disagree that this has optimal ripeness of fruit - I prefer a bit more ripeness than this wine offers, yet what is so beautiful about this wine is the balance. It is not a big wine, but it is elegant and the tannins are very resolved with a lingering “Barton” finish but no harshness at all suggesting that this was picked at relative phenolic ripeness.
A much maligned vintage for Bordeaux, I remember drinking a handful of 02 Bord wines in infancy and found them relatively undrinkable. But for those who remember old school Bordeaux ,02 is a bit of a throwback to the way things used to be. Different strokes for different folks but worth a taste from anyone who is fond of Bordeaux.
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This is awesome news! Sources say I have 4. Sources are unreliable though
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I’m drinking a 96 right now…
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I tried one back in December, as well as a 2004. Both were excellent.
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The 02s were so cheap — I bought 6 bottles off the shelf of the 02 LBarton for $36 at T&V — and I think most of them are showing very well at present.
I’ve opened a few of my 02 LBs in recent years, including one in 2024. FWIW, here’s my note:
Crunchy bouquet with plenty of lift and a whiff of greenery, like white and green peppercorns. Bright cranberry fruit with a touch of smoke and mint. Somehow this has plenty of density, layering, and texture on the midpalate while showing bright and light on the finish. Overall, terrific intensity and engaging sappy energy. In a great place. I seriously dig this. 92-93 pts.
Thank you for the note. I last had this in 2021 and at the time I was not only very happy with it but put 2025 as an ideal time to start pulling corks- at that point it was almost there but needed a bit of time for the details to shine through.
I well remember when 2002 came out. Insanely good prices and for the classic Cabernet-intense wines like Barton and Lafite, the vintage showed immense promise but also a good deal of austerity. I think that austerity is what made a lot of people nervous at the time.
It has been great fun to see them come out so well with time- like 1998, another woefully underrated vintage on the Left Bank, but with a bit riper and more endearing fruit core in the best examples.
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2004, which is horribly bretty.
(Written as a fan of the château with, according to Cellar Tracker, 98 bottles of it back to the excellent 1985 in my cellar).
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Rough showing up 3 years later calling him out. The internet never forgets.
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I only notice it was a zombie thread after posting…
I think the statute of limitations on dancing has passed, however.
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Agreed. I had a good 2004 and then got some more and had multiple misfires. 1999 was also bad.
This is blasphemy around here but I find Léoville Barton overrated - the good ones are solid but not great and I’ve had some really bad ones.
That was also the peak Parker era, so less ripe vintages got short shrift. I think there’s a little less tendency among critics today to write off vintages like '02.
My original (futures) of 1999 and 2004 Barton have been quite good. Never reloaded, as I have a number of other vintages as well.
Your point is well taken - I usually like to say nice things about LB cause I know the feedback is usually pretty good! Having said that - it tends to be a bit old school, a bit backwards on release and requires some decent aging to come around. But considering the price it tends to be a pretty good QPR. Honestly, with a little time in the bottle I have had good experience - not so sure it isn’t just as good as it’s more expensive sibling LLC.