Community Tasting Note

• JayP Likes this wine: 90 points

  February 5, 2021 - I am confused - can you help. I really enjoyed this bottle and especially after i had given it an hour or so in glass (I didn't decant). Its colour and taste profile (tannins) suggest it has plenty of drinking window left although v pleasant right now. Indeed many comments on CT say just that and collectively we have 69% of our purchases still un-consumed. BUT many observers/critics - incl Jancis - are saying drink up your 2001's. What do people think?

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9 Comments

• Goldstone commented:

  2/5/21, 4:18 AM - I drank around 50 2001s en primeur at a big release tasting in Hong Kong and concluded that the more 'traditional' Bordeaux makers, such as Leoville Barton, will have a long life even if they will always be more 'lean' in comparison to 2000. But in my book 'lean' Bordeaux is 'classic' Bordeaux and a lot have years ahead of them to sustain a plateau or even improve somewhat, especially in St Julien (Gruaud Larose needs another 5+ years) and St. Estephe (the Cos D'Estournel 2001 is still a baby but absolutely gorgeous). Even the relatively modest Moulin St. Georges 2001 from St. Emilion needs another 3-5 years, I think.

• Harley1199 commented:

  2/5/21, 7:43 AM - Dear Jayp, basically I agree with Goldstone's opinions. In my modest view very often "en premieur tasting" is a waste of time and wine. In second place a different taster shows a different taste even for some world's famous. Finally, some French friends talked me long ago that it is a fact that a year after a "big harvest", like this one, usually vines conserve some of the strength and good qualities of previous vintage. In my experience that's right. At the same time everybody can consider to pay less for very high quality. So hold your bottle until your taste call for it. Cheers,

• Goldstone commented:

  2/5/21, 8:05 AM - At a minimum, the cost of 2001 Bordeaux is low enough to to be able to afford to drink them through their future maturity journey. As an aside, I would also point out that 2001 was a stellar year for Sauternes and even 2nd or 3rd tier producers made great wines that have long lives ahead of them.

• Roughl commented:

  2/5/21, 9:09 AM - Trust your tastebuds. I am in no hurry to drink 2001s but I do think they are in a nice spot and upside is limited at best (there may be exceptions). given that many have a lot of ‘stronger’ vintages in their cellar it makes sense to drink up at the nice age of 20yrs. Don’t underestimate cellar temp on aging either 10c vs 14c makes quite a difference.

• Purple Tooth commented:

  2/5/21, 9:58 AM - You have received some good advice already, but I just want to add that with a few exceptions such as 1984,1987,1992,2002, and 2013, there is no such thing as a bad vintage with great producers like any of 3 Leovilles...As a matter of fact, out of the 3, I would say that the LB is probably the gnarliest and the most age worthy. The 2001 was snubbed, but turned out the be very good. I can say that many made the same broad mis-judgement for 1997,2001,2004 and 2012. And lastly, god bless the critics as to how they forecast drinking widows at release...If I had that vision, I would detect disease pre-arrival.
  
  I have case quantities of CLB that I will not touch for many years. Currently drinking up to 1998...

• Stefan75 commented:

  2/5/21, 10:08 AM - I totally agree with the other comments, no stress! I am also currently mostly drinking the rather good (but not stellar) mid-90ies bdx vintages and even 94 still offers some great drinking pleasure if you like it a bit more mature. From the 2000's imho the most advanced vintages are 03 & 07 (and probaly 02 which I rarely encounter).

• JayP commented:

  2/5/21, 10:50 AM - Thanks to all those who have commented. Appreciate your thoughts and opinions.

• wineforth commented:

  3/9/21, 4:36 AM - I would advise decanting to remove the sediment and to give the wine some air. Anthony Barton told me about 5 years ago that he was drinking his 1989s, which would have been over 25 years old and last year I had a lovely 1955 from Leoville Poyferré. I'm still buying 2001s because it turned out to be an excellent vintage and was a little overlooked at the time. They're drinking well now and will last decades properly kept. How old you like your wine is a question of personal taste and as I get older I find myself liking older wines.

• Goldstone commented:

  3/9/21, 5:45 AM - Totally agree.....

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