Chateau Leoville Barton 2003

WINE SPECTATOR: "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."

WEINWISSER: "Tiefes Granat, lila Rand. Delikates Bouquet, sehr nobel, dezente, dunkle Karamellnoten, Tahiti-Vanille, Rauch, Zedern, Lakritze. Satter, dichter Gaumen, sehr fleischig, aber auch fein, ausgeglichene Adstringenz, im Finale schwarze Kirschen, sehr nachhaltig, eine Sonderklasse von der Eleganz her trotz des enormen Alterungspotenzials."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "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."

JEB DUNNUCK: "The 2003 Léoville-Barton was sensational on release, closed down slightly for 4-5 yeas, and is just now starting to emerge from its adolescence and is on the early side of its drink window. Possessing a saturated purple/ruby color as well as a sensational bouquet of crème de cassis, charcoal, lead pencil shavings and damp earth, it’s full-bodied, gorgeously concentrated, balanced and long. While from a freakishly hot vintage, it has terrific purity, as well as complexity. In short, it’s a blockbuster, yet classic wine from Anthony Barton that’s going to provide incredible amounts of pleasure over the coming 2-3 decades."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "I really like how this is showing. In many top vintages for Leoville Barton, 15 years of age makes it a baby. Not with the 2003. The wine is concentrated with layers, of deep, fleshy, red fruits, soft, supple tannins and the finish delivers the goods. Drink it now, or wait 5 years, either way, it is a winner!"

FALSTAFF: "Kräftiges Karmingranat, violette Reflexe, breiterer Wasserrand. Zart rauchig unterlegtes einladendes Kirschkonfit, tabakige Nuancen, angenehme Kräuterwürze. Saftig, reife dunkle Beerenfrucht, feine, tragende Tannine, hochelegant und sehr saftig, angenehme Extraktsüße im Nachhall, sicheres Reifepotenzial."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Mid garnet. Lovely cedary black fruit aromas. Almost the first time I have written fragrant in this tasting. Some oak sweetness on the palate but it's fresh too and the tannins are fine and resolved, still with some density."