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."

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "Somehow Barton has overcome the heat of the 2003 vintage and has come out with a new wine that is rich and elegant. There are generous tannins, ripe black currant fruits, balancing acidity, all in an ensemble that is so much more than the sum of its parts. Imported by Diageo Chateau & Estates."

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."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Not as flamboyant as it was in its youth, there is still a lot to like here with its lusciously-textured layers of black and red fruits, tobacco, herbs, and currant profile. Full-bodied and concentrated, drink now or wait a decade for more secondary characteristics."

DECANTER: "69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc. Majoring on gourmet chargrilled black cherries, you feel the heat of the vintage, but in its exotic expression rather than a dusty one –there is clear integrity in the fruit, which is helped perhaps by the estate’s location close to the river. Luscious, with exotic spices; elegant and holding together well. Ready to drink now but will hold on."

JAMES SUCKLING: "Currants and plums with mint on the nose follow through to a full body, with soft and velvety tannins and a new wood, ripe fruit aftertaste. Tight and firm, but wait until after 2012 to pull the cork. Find the wine"

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."