Château Léoville Barton - Saint-Julien 2002

Wine Advocate

91 / 100

byNeal Martinthe11/13/2009

Tasted blind at Farr’s 2002 Bordeaux tasting. A rather taciturn nose but there is obviously good fruit intensity coiled up inside, blackberry, graphite and a touch of iodine. The palate is full-bodied with a lot of dry extract, tannic, austere and rather stoic. Very “classic” in style, but certainly good breeding that will blossom in the future. Tasted October 2009.

Jancis Robinson

16.50 / 20

byJancis Robinsonthe10/13/2009

Sweet and juicy. Not sublime. Purple and easy and succulent. Bit chewy on the end. A bit simple. Very dry finish. Compare and contrast with its stablemate Ch Langoa Barton. Perhaps this big wine is just going through a particularly dumb phase while the Langoa sings so much more audibly? Drink 2011-18 16,5+

Wine Advocate

92 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe4/29/2005

Even better from bottle than from cask, and one of the finest wines of the vintage, this dense purple-colored 2002 reveals wonderfully sweet notes of charcoal, fresh mushrooms, smoke, earth, leather, cassis, and cedar. Full-bodied, highly extracted, broodingly backward, dense, and deep, this impressively endowed offering is built for the long term. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2028.

Wine Spectator

89 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe3/31/2005

Very attractive blackberry and vanilla aromas follow through to a full-bodied palate, with chewy tannins and a medium finish. Slightly hollow midpalate but flavorful. Best after 2007. 18,900 cases made.

Wine Advocate

90-92 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe10/21/2003

A deep ruby/purple color is accompanied by reticent aromas that require coaxing from the glass. There is a surprising amount of new oak, an unusual component given this estate’s wood regime. This is an excruciatingly tannic, backward offering with medium to full body, big, tough tannin (making palate penetration difficult), abundant depth, glorious extract buried underneath the structure, and a pure, rich finish. This appears to be another classic Leoville-Barton that should only be purchased by patient connoisseurs. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2025

La Revue du Vin de France

5 / 5

the6/30/2003

Grande couleur grenat profond, superbe nez complexe associant un boisé bien intégré à des notes de fruits rouges et de cèdre, grande allonge racée, tanins parfaitement dessinés, grande fraicheur suave en finale : ce millésime constitue un modèle d'harmonie et de race.