Castle Léoville Barton - Saint-Julien 1998

Wine Advocate

91 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe4/30/2001

This opaque purple-colored, muscular, full-bodied, classically made St.-Julien displays impressive concentration, chewy, highly-extracted flavors of black fruits, iron, earth, and spicy wood, and a powerful mouth-feel. A pure, uncompromising, traditionally-styled wine, it is to be admired for its authenticity, class, and quality. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2035. Readers seeking classic, muscular, extremely long-lived Bordeaux should always keep this outstanding classified growth in mind. It continues to sell for a price well below its intrinsic value.

Wine Spectator

90 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe1/31/2001

Very fine indeed. Violet, mineral and hints of currant on the nose. Medium- to full-bodied, with fine, integrated tannins and a long, silky finish. Very good for the vintage in the Médoc. Best after 2005. 22,000 cases made.

Wine Advocate

89-90 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe4/30/2000

Dense opaque purple-colored with obvious toasty new oak, this masculine, tannic 1998 smells and tastes ripe, yet the tannin is elevated. However, it displays thick, juicy cassis and blackberry fruit with overtones of creosote and pain grille. It is a brawny, muscular effort that should evolve impressively for two or more decades. If the tannin becomes sweeter and better integrated, this will be an outstanding effort. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2025.

Wine Advocate

90-92 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe4/30/1999

The 1998 is impressive. It exhibits an opaque ruby/purple color, and a sweet nose of blackberry and cassis fruit intermixed with licorice, earth, and wood. Extremely high in tannin, but with the concentration and muscle to support its brawny structure, this is a big, dense, old fashioned wine that will require 7-10 years to round into shape. Full-bodied and impressively-endowed, as well as harmonious, Leoville-Barton has turned in an exemplary performance. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2025.