Annual birthday WWC hosting. As normal, 1 sparkler, 3 whites, 4 reds, 1 dessert, all presented blind.
Fun to open birth year wines around your birthday, especially when you can do a Bordeaux and Napa side by side. While not a great vintage, this held up well after a few hours and presented as expected. Clean and zero Brett. Great color! Deep ruby with hardly any bricking. Leather, cassis, vanilla pipe tobacco on the nose. Sporting a good bit of dusty red and black fruits (mostly tart raspberries and blackberries), there was a little savory truffle note mixed with an herbal and mocha finish. Still quite grippy. Pretty.
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The warm vintage was reflected by ripe and spicy cassis fruit supported with notes of cedar and spices. The grippy tannins quickly subsided to create a pleasing mocha finish. Very pleasing but never repeated the firmness of structure or elegance of the Barton 85 with which it was compared. In fact it was a little soft and open if not a little hot. That said still a beautiful wine and drinking well. CHP 91 pts
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Super good bottle- I had trouble removing the cork with the Durand, not because it was so soft, but because the top 2/3 was so tight! My first impression popping the cork was the exact same as VINUMMING & AHHIN- very floral and perfumed, but that dissipates rather quickly.
Clear, garnet, remarkably little bricking. Wonderful balance of red fruits and tertiary character: red cherry, blackberry, damp leather, turned earth, cedar wood, menthol, shade (does that have a smell?). Acidity is medium, the body is definitely lightening up. What lovely classic Bordeaux flavors of red and black fruits (same as nose), leather, graphite, cedar box. The finish is long, complex, relaxing, pleasant.
This is my first time having this wine, but I imagine that even in its youth, this wine was on the lighter, red fruited, and classic end of the Bordeaux spectrum. That is certainly how it drinks now. The tannins are smooth and soft, indicating that this bottle is towards the end of its drinking window, though it is by no means over the hill. What an enjoyable end to a long day.
UPDATE- Half the bottle went into a 375mL and into the fridge for two more days. The wine the emerged was even better than before. The fruit has tightened up, there is more presence to the body, the tannins even seem a bit more prominent in this better-aerated version of the wine. Really nice. I gotta remember to give these old school Bordeaux air!
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The moment I saw this bottle I could tell it was going to be good. Stored pristinely, this was drinking considerably younger than its age would give away. With lots of fruit still intact, I was drawn in my the vibrant redcurrants on the nose. Shifting into the palette, there was a lot of complexity still left in this bottle with notes of redcurrants, herbs, licorice, cassis, mushroom and meatiness all working together over a shorter finish. This surprisingly edged the 1990 Château Léoville Barton I've had in the past.
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Aromas of blackcurrant bush, dry mushrooms, cellar, leather and graphite. On the palate; fruity, dry and elegant, with plenty of tannins and fruit for the future. A perfect bottle.
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This wine opened beautifully with plenty of red at the edges around a crimson core. The nose was immediately forthcoming with blackcurrants, blackberry leaf, olive, cedar and tobacco with a touch of coffee bean and dark chocolate. The palate is mid weight and finely textured with lovely length and poise. The fruit elements remain clearly present but merge gently into savoury notes and a fine acid tannin finish that provides gentle grip and persistence. Classic, lovely old school Bordeaux with only 12% alcohol !
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En nese å dø for med tobakk, lær, pipetobakk, solbær (skulle trodde en så gammel vin skulle gi mere fiken og dadler). Mere klassisik i munnen med rødbær, skinn, blyantspiss. Raffert klassisk vin, fresh og svært lang. 93-94
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Bordeaux WIMPS #166 30th June 2023 (La Trompette, Chiswick): A wine I've had the pleasure to drink on several occasions. On pouring there is delightful if short lived florality to the nose - some elderflower highlights around the core of brooding dark fruits. Palate is, as ever, beautifully savoury with a slight pepperiness and just the right amount of acidity, the tannins aren't quite as resolved as the stellar 1985 from this producer but, this is an utter joy. My wine of the lunch.
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An embarrassment of riches (Noizé and 67PM): Blind. Bright mid ruby. Classic Bordeaux left bank nose. Playing the man it’s Leoville but the glass says 90 or 89, so 88 is quite the revelation. By far the best bottle of this I’ve had — sexy for Barton and off the charts for the vintage. The richest and sexiest 88 I can remember. Just gorgeous. *****
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First bottle from well stored case. Two hour decant. Overall it seemed a lot younger than it was. Cassis on the nose. On the palate the primary flavours were of cedar and pencil with beautiful blackcurrants. Quite dark in the glass. Lots of finesse here and lovely balance. Quite a long finish. Very good vintage of Barton on this showing! RIP Anthony.
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Pausing for the Cause 2022 (Part 2) (Chicago, IL): An incredible bottle of this, which far surpassed my expectations. Graphite and black fruit, this has lots and lots of life left. On the palate, if anything this feels at least a decade younger, with a touch of sweetness from the fruit still there, and a complex, layered flavour profile that touches on all the classic Bordeaux notes.
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Very great color. Not a lot of sediment, but some. Great cork. Started drinking after 20 mins in the decanter. Great nose of cedar, black fruits and a bit of claret leather. Very soft but great structure and still impressive acidity resulting in an excellently long finish. Agreed w/ previous note. Superb.
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Dark garnet. Very clear after bottle stood up for two days. A little sediment. Strong cork. After an hour of decanting aroma settled to cedar, leather and blackberry. Soft texture, lovely old wine flavour of oak, fruitcake and blackcurrant cordial. Quaffable, bone dry. Slightly spicy. Superb.
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Perfect cork. No issue extracting with a good cork screw. Decanted. Not a large amount of sediment. Good color with only a hint of tile. Been in a cool cellar since release. Firm and moderate tannins. Earth and black fruit with great complexity. Not yet fully mature. Still room to move up.
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Clear grenade with brown hue. Classic B with tones of humid cellar, wet earth, coffee, and a fine underlying tone of dark blackcurrant and blueberries. Wonderful and expressive. Medium to full bodied attack, fine fruit, blackcurrant, dark cherries, some coffee, minerals and stone, very complex. High acidity and tough tannins, but here the fruit balances the structure in a fine way. Very good length, but a bit tart on the finish. Classic and a very good wine. 93-94
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7th of 9, opened an hour then decanted an hour, perfect cork and level, best bottle yet with an attractive and nuanced flavour profile consistent on nose and palate (details in my June 15 note), cool fruit with just enough acidity to freshen flavours, maybe not the most concentrated or large scaled but fine and unforced, sense of more to come particularly on nose. F+ (18).
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Still a good deep colour, but with marked browning at the edges. Very mature nose, a little dusty, but attractive. On the palate it is quite rounded, with some fruit still evident. The tannins are fully resolved, as one would expect. Fairly long aftertaste. Overall, it's holding up quite well, but has probably faded a bit from its peak.
One of a few bottles I bought shortly after it was first released in bottle. I don't quite know why I kept it this long, but I think I had it mentally classified as a 'wine to keep', which it was, but maybe not this long. I think it would have been better eight or nine years ago.
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88 was a Cinderella vintage unfairly overlooked because it was followed by two highly rated vintages. My last of four bottles in as many years, in excellent condition, still with high fill. Cedar, blackcurrant and leather. Sweet and so smooth on the palate, beautifully balanced and a very long finish. Although clearly on its downhill run its an absolute joy. A wine to savour.
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Similar impressions to those noted in 2017 and more recently by Comte Flaneur.
The depth of colour, a slightly dull garnet, is amazing for a 30 year old wine. Another bottle a few months ago, although from the same case, was not as good, having a slight touch of funkiness, but at this age, bottle variation is inevitable. This one was superb, classic cigar box on the nose, fruit now beginning to dry out, with savoury notes on the finish.
It has held up very well indeed, but I see no benefit in keeping.
Update - June 2021. Still magnificent, but confirms my view that this is now gently on the downward slope, with a very slight touch of astringency creeping in. My last bottle, a wonderful decade or so of drinking on special occasions, all for £10 a bottle at auction around 1992.
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Ripe, classic claret at its peak. Still retains juicy blackcurrant fruit but cigar box notes are dominant now, along with some mushroom and that musty library quality. Archetypal Leoville Barton and beautiful drinking for a few more years.
Note: I had another bottle of this a few months back and it was not as expressive, so it's all about bottle condition at this point. Poorly stored bottles may be drying out.
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Joli nez évolué sur le cassis, le tabac, le bois précieux, les fleurs. Belle bouche avec une matière bien vivante et présente. Le vin est droit un rien austère et tannique en degustation pure. À table, ces petits défauts disparaissent. Finale de bonne longueur.
Sur le papier le meilleur millesime des trois derniers bordeaux bus (Eglise Clinet 92 et Las Cases 97) et pourtant au final celui qui m'a le moins conquis. Étonnant d'ailleurs comme l'aromatique présente la même gamme que Las Cases mais est un bon cran en-dessous pour l'éclat et la sensation de complexité. Ça reste néanmoins un bon compagnon de table.
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Lovely mellow cedar deep blackcurrant with great length of taste and finish. I popped and poured which was a mistake. This needs at least a couple of hours in a decanter.
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Orange rim, cork dry and crumbly. Surprisingly dark centre. Past it's best, slightly musty. Good weight, beginning to dry out. Surprisingly attractive mid range and finish, not farmyard but savoury. Finished the bottle.
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Last bottle in my cellar. Earthy nose, soft and silky texture. Even some acid left. Lovely wine. So nice to have the lower alcohol wines as were prevalent in the past. So much more taste.
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My experience with 1988 bordeaux has generally been hit or miss, and fortunately the Leoville Barton tended toward the former. Double decanted two hours prior, as expected it threw off a huge amount of sediment. When it was finally time to pour the wine that emerged was silky textured and delicious, with a "come hither" perfume that I wouldn't normally associate with this property. It was somewhat one dimensional, but a nice dimension indeed. I tend to think of LB as a marathoner, so I was a bit surprised at the development in this one. Clearly bdx, and if I didn't know the appellation and vintage I might have guessed Margaux and 78 (though this was not quite in the same ballpark as a Palmer 78 I enjoyed recently). With my wife not drinking, this left several pours for the staff, which the somm (a friend) told me they enjoyed on the porch after hours.
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Beautiful transparent, purple. Bright, jewel like, clear. Aromatic, black fruits. Bright and focused nose. Some chalky minerality. Florals, violet. Cedar, graphite. Mouthwatering acidity. Clean and pure. A brilliant wine on this showing with plenty left in the tank. We’re still talking about fruit. Unlike the last good bottle but more than it’s match. More structured, cleaner, mor youthful in profile. Scored so as to show this had the edge.
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Still in a great place. This wine delivers for me every time. Plums, cigs box, leather, cedar, earthiness. Marvellous stuff. No sign of decline and one more bottle to enjoy. 1988 gets overlooked in favour of its more illustrious successors, but value for money wise, and as a vintage that has stood the test of time it is not to be sniffed at.
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A really good bottle, colour shows lots of evolution but remains thick and dense. The nose really blossomed and gave dark earthy fruit alongside super freshness. The palate was generous and broad with tannins that are rounded and integrated, but not completely focused. In great condition and a crowd pleaser - more popular than 89 Cos on the night.
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Good maturing red color with a moderate amount of bricking at the rim, genteel and refined nose of cassis and herbs with hints of oak, on the palate a very comforting wine- fireside on a cold evening with a hearty meal, good fruit on the red side of the spectrum, solid finish and the elegant restraint of the vintage that I like so very much if not with the persistence on the tail end of the likes of Lafite and Petrus, but with a friendly side that is not present in the more regal wines of this vintage, ****, ready to go but will hold for many years
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At peak for my palate Nose is leathery, tobacco, like my fathers humidor when I was a kid. Palate is smooth, a little austere in a good way, nice richness and length. My cup of tea
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Spotless top of cork, half soaked. Extremely soft and spongey. Comes out clean. The nose is very promising. Heavy with streaky bacon, purple fruits, blackberry. The palette, initially, with generous and concentrated purple fruits. This fools us enough for us to keep checking for nearly half of the bottle but this is not right.
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A little slow out of the blocks but this went from strength to strength. Cedar, cigar box tobacco, this has more power and mid-palate density than the Talbot. It really comes into its own with these dishes. A class act. Similar in quality to the 1985.
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88 Bordeaux @ La T (La Trompette, London): Darker fruited. Quite bright. Dry, fairly austere and uncompromising. A touch lactic. Not showy but very harmonious. ****
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88 was a Cinderella vintage followed by two highly rated vintages. Unfairly underrated. Mushroom, cedar, blackcurrant. So smooth, beautifully balanced and very long. Although clearly on its downhill run its an absolute joy. A wine to savour.
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750ml; PnP but decanted for cork and sediment; Followed over 2 hours; Decent amount of bricking but still full bodied black cherry (a bit licorice), plum, saddle leather, lead pencil, and some were forest floor. Very good acidity which went well with dinner.
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1988 CHATEAU LEOVILLE-BARTON ST. JULIEN- this had a still youthful vibrant dark purple colour; in the nose I got spicy red and black cherry which continued on; some bracing tannins lurked in the background early on and kind of took over past mid palate.
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in 2011 I suggested that this would not improve, but it certainly has not gone down hill; this was full of life, with a deep colour and super smooth. A remarkable, classic claret, still with plenty of life in it yet, but I wouldn't risk decanting or giving it a long aeration. After 30 years of slowly absorbing oxygen through the cork, it really does not need any more air.
Clean and firm cork. Cigar, youthful, fresh, fruit, strong scent of roses and a more decaying floral element. Concentrated. A little sour on the finish.
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How wrong can I be? When predicting the early decline of a Leoville Barton - very wrong. Tasted in '98 at Christie's I concluded browning, drink now, and scored it 90. '88 has always been the Cinderella of a great trio of vintages. This bottle bought a few months ago from auction of a recently opened case, for £60. Understated nose of leather, mushrooms, raspberry and cedar. Well balanced, plenty of sweet fruit, still has backbone of medium tannins and clean acidity. Lovely, and very similar to 20 years ago, especially in balance and sweetness of fruit. It's just put on weight and gained the leathery, meaty and sous bois character. Drink now as it will be in slow decline for a decade and more.
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Deep garnet, developed nose of menthol, blackcurrant leaf, leather, cigar box spice, cedar, sous boie - undergrowth, damp leaf, truffle, or more woody mushroom like a cep. On the palate, it has high tannins that coat the mouth but are not unpleasant - real backbone. The flavours are darker than the nose, coffee grounds, leather, meat. Woodiness, but not too unripe. Menthol, robust cigar leaf. Acid is still pretty high, which helps to refresh you from the tannin. It has only been open an hour, but I think 4-6 hours would have been much better. 92 now, may raise a bit.
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Served alongside 1983 Lascases, the Barton was the crowd pleaser, fuller richer, weightier, still holding a deep colour. However palate does not have the finesse of it's neighbour. This bottle was particularly good with none of the musty notes that sometimes come through with this vintage.
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Delicate nose showed it's age and palate had just hints of some fruit but this had matured into a beautiful silky subtle wine. Faded a little (as the '95 came round) but a wonderful wine with some time still ahead of it.
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Birthday dinner with family at Pennyhill Park. Savoury, truffly, earthy brûlée dark hedge fruits aromas. Blackberry, integrated charred oak flavours nicely concentrated in a racy medium bodied frame with a long dry balancing finish. Excellent if towards the end of its plateau, nonetheless should be good for perhaps another 5 years at this level based on this bottle.
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Deep but clear garnet in the glass. Good bouquet of ripe blackberry, blueberry, currant, and ripe red and black cherries. Also floral. Some vanilla and stoney minerality. Red cedar, dark teas, and some damp earth tones. Smells classic and drinks well - in a good place for right now. Tannins have mostly melted away. Not overly energetic but certainly still alive. Very pleasant.
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PNP during dinner, very approachable with black currant, cherry nose and palate, with some pencil shave, mineral and earth behind. Tannin is very smooth. A very enjoyable wine.
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Fresh nose of graphite and lead pencil coupled with berry and cassis fruit. Nice proportion and balance in the mouth. Some earth and cedar notes. Elegant with a fresh acidity on the finish.
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The level was at medium neck. The cork was a little spongy but came out fine. The wine has virtually no sediment. It had been in a very cool cellar. The color was deep red with virtually no warm tones at all. The bouquet was toast and old wood. The taste was some berries, light cedar and not as complex as I would have thought. Still fruity but less interesting. I believe this wine is still young and has easily half a dozen years to improve Still a charmer.
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6th of 9, pnp, perfect level and cork, previous notes fine or better - deepish garnet, lightening rim; nice bouquet of black fruit with secondaries of tobacco, chocolate and some cedar; fuller and more intense mid palate than Las Cases 88 on same night, but less nuance, finesse and persistence, a tad burly by comparison. Fine plus (18/20).
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Colour still young , nose classic slightly austere, firm fruit developing over time into firm structured backbone. Blackcurrant fruits, lots of depth. Very good and plenty of time
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good level and cork, colour still relatively youthful, certainly not a lot of brown, lovely nose, very fine and classy, on the austere rather than the sweet fruit side, palate an excellent balance between fruit and structure, again relatively austere, good wine still holding at its peak and will do so for a considerable time
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Garnet rim, matured bordeaux nose of tea leave, tobacco, cassis. Med body, very fine tannins, black fruits, and it is little bit backwards, med length, i think it has just passed the peak.
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e nez est sur les fruits noirs le piment d’Espelette et la vanille. En bouche les tanins sont très souples et le fruit noir s’exprime bien. La finale est longue sur les épices.
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Terroir-istes International - France, Bordeaux, Léoville Barton (Rodwell House): Mid mahogany, the wine again shows that bipolar (ripe/unripe) smoke, red fruits and green notes, this time with wet chalk, crayon and grass. The palate then veers to the more riper side with a lovely liquorice, generous feel showing spice, sandalwood and black fruits. Fresh lemon acid with chalky mineral notes the wine starts to morph back to this smoky, charcoal, burnt element leading to a coarser tannin profile. Certainly traditional claret as the wine sits upright, is dry and lacks flesh yet at the same time rather hard work, I wanted to like the wine more. Perhaps with food would help.
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Excellent color, big acidity on opening. Plenty of red fruit with expected Bordeaux secondary flavors. Very well structured. Drunk with 1999 Heitz Martha's. Both very nice with years ahead of them.
This does not need a decant. 15 minutes in glass is enough. It didn't hold up after 90 minutes. Overall- medium/light bodied. Perfect balance and very smooth. Zero heat. Average plus finish. This isn't getting better but will likely hold up a few more years. Good wine. Average value.
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1988 Red Bordeaux, with Richard Brazier (Handford Wines, London): Dark red in colour true to its 88 heritage as we have come to conclude. Shy on the nose, restrained, light spice, some liquorice, light floral but generally u have to dry to find it. Well round on the palate, good tannin but not harsh (on the finish it has some harsh edges from the tannin) and with an enjoyable side. Unfortunately the magic/energy has checked out here and the wine feels charmless at this stage. Looks like it can last another 10yrs and hopefully it will get better. 89 for now at best
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Musty, green pepper, onion, white pepper, and earth / leather / mushroom on the nose. Spicy, with a bit of must / dust, LOTS of green pepper, blood, iron, caramelized onion, leather, cedar, old books, cigar box, and a hint of minty freshness, mixed with a white pepper finish. Really singing right now. Just a fantastic, well-aged bordeaux!! I want to wrap myself in this on a cold winter night and relax and drink myself to sleep!!
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Medium red color. Medium intensity nose of cherry, leather-y and tobacco notes, with olives. Light tannin and medium light acidity. Develops a nice bit of cherry fruit and huge olive taste in a hours' time. Just an easy drinking cabernet blend, which is a little disappointing for the origin. Barton has great reputation for crop thinning, sorting table selection into second and third wins, barrel selection program, and cellar management. Bottle #6 of six.
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Bordal chez Criduc (Bordeaux '88) (Geneva): Couleur grenat homogène, encore brillant, la plus belle de la dégustation. Nez tout en finesse, sur des arômes grillés, quelques effluves de fruits noirs. Bouche en accord, plutôt sur la finesse que sur la constitution. Belle longueur. Cette bouteille avait encore de la réserve.
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S&E Wine Club - French Bordeaux Night (Our House): Initially only decanted for 20 minutes to ensure it was not overdone. It matured nicely and improved over the next hour. Beautiful clean chalky nose. Brown and a hint of copper around the edges. Smooth on the palate. Tannins 6/10.
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Nose - Initially quite funky, meaty. The funk blew off fairly quickly. Palette - As above, with abit of acidity. Decent fruit. Acidity and tannins resolved quite quickly in the glass. Wine is at the end of its drinking window, or slightly beyond. 92 or 93 at best.
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had this to add some aged perspective to the 2003 flight of Bordeaux. Initially this had some serious barnyard funk that did blow off with a bit of airtime, yet very standard in an older Bdx. Once this was gone the nose was of red and black fruit that was mellowed with time, some tobacco and a touch of integrated wood, and earth. The palate really matched the nose quite well, with the earthy subtle fruit taking most of the show. It had a nice finish, with the fruit staying in mind. Tannins were almost all gone, but enough acid to get things done. I had a 1994 LB too compare this against and this clearly showed its aged character much more than its 1994.
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Just had to try this again. Garnet color. Nose of currant and earth with tobacco and cedar elements. A bit more dilute on the palate than last time a month ago but still notable for great balance. Integrated red currant notes, lower acidity, filed-off tannins, and a lovely grippy finish. Best consumed earlier than later, but a lovely drink.
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Pristine bottle, popped and poured. Darker garnet hue. Nose of musky black currant, camphor, cassis, tobacco, earth. Integrated and complete on the palate with surprisingly fresh notes of red currant, plum, leather, and raspberry grounded in an earthy, aristocratic foundation. Lower acidity, completely filed off tannins, tons of sweet grip. Long, ringing finish of sweet red fruit and tobacco. Wonderful showing with lots of vivacious kick at age 25.
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Not an exemplary bottle. While the last bottle was youthful and long, this one showed more development and was quite clipped. Cherry, graphite, cassis, light tannin, good acidity. Austere, very short finish. No improvement with air. Hopefully an off bottle, though it showed no faults, only advanced age.
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A classic old Bordeaux fragrance of cedar, tobacco, earth and graphite, but it comes across just a touch hard and austere on the palate initially. With air this fills out as the fruit flavours start to pick up and gain in depth, but while it remains a very well balanced, classical Bordeaux, it doesn't ever show the charm and sheer finesse of the Beychevelle.
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La Commanderie de Bordeaux à Vancouver - 1988 Horizontal (Boneta): Quite a nice and forward nose of dark cherries, cedar and graphite. Smells youthful still though which matches its youthful appearance. Firm and astringent on the palate with well-balanced fruit. Drink or hold. Excellent. 90+
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La Commanderie de Bordeaux: 1988 Horizontal (Boneta Restaurant - Vancouver, BC): Great expressive nose showing some underlying cassis sweetness along with the usual Leoville Barton traits of cedar, graphite, and rich black cherry. More cassis, cedar, and graphite on the palate, along with some black pepper, although the fruit leans more towards the red end of the spectrum on the palate in the form of rich red cherry and raspberry. Medium length finish ending on notes of red cherry and black pepper. There's more red fruit here than the Cos or Pichon Baron. Quite dry and dusty, with plenty of structure still evident and this would benefit from a few more years in the cellar, although there's nothing wrong with enjoying this now. Very good+
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good level and cork, brambly, blackcurrent nose, very fine and intense, palate quite dry, rather tight in style, almost weedy, not at all voluptuous, previous bottle 4 years ago was better, not sure if this is the additional age or just expected bottle variation, still good though
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S FL WS Group tastes 1988 Bordeaux (and others) (Jupiter, FL): Some leather on the entry and then some classic LB notes of graphite, cedar, and tobacco with dark currant fruit. Medium to full body and medium acidity. Very balanced wine and one of the best of the evening.
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Popped and poured. Beautiful aromatics....forest floor, mushrooms, dark fruit. Drank with 3 others over the course of an hour....nose just kept improving. One of the best wines I drank all year!
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Fr 750ml. Stood bottle for a few hrs, then opened and dumped into decanter. Served immediately and this showed wonderfully. Soft, round, supple, sweet. Medium-plus finish. #2 WOTN (albeit a distant #2) behind '85 Ch Margaux - this almost drank like a minature "poor man's (!) version of Ch Margaux. Highly enjoyable. 93+ pts
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Avoids the drying character of the vintage, quite a lot of vegetal evolution on the nose, no separation of acidity on the palate, richness of fruit comparable to a 1990, excellent Saint-Julien typicity, lovely hint of austerity, good length.
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Another great bottle. Very close to mature, still showing some grainy tannin on the back end but drinking beautifully with some air and layering mature cedar, graphite, tobacco and other savoury elements with fresh dark fruited flavours. It's medium weight and very elegant, not an intense wine but lovely to sit down with over a few hours and only getting better with air as the flavour and structural elements harmonize.
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This wine continues to deliver. A phenomenal vintage that is completely at its peak. Light tannins, perfect balance with complex aromas of liquorice, leather and truffles. 2012 is the ultimate peak of this fine wine - although could possibly last longer with the right cellaring
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Anthony Barton said that they picked too early that year and for the first part of its life it was a bit green but now in maturity it has shed this to reveal a classic claret.
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Opened to replace an oxidized '88 Conseillante. It's slightly hard and austere at first, but comes around with an hour in the decanter, showing mature cedar, earth and tobacco flavours combining seamlessly with pure dark fruited flavours. There's still a dusting of tannin on the back end, and the depth, structure and fruit here suggest there's no rush to drink this.
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Still young colour. Classic cool vintage nose clean cedar and green tinge. Structured red fruits and some depth very elegant cool finish. A real food wine.
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Still amazingly tight on the nose. Showing tight tobacco over light fruit and oak. The palate is still quite fresh driven by clean acidity but balanced by just enough fruit to maintain interest. Though this wine will likely survive a further 10 years cellaring I doubt there is enough fruit for it to continue to develop positively. Drink soon.
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Very good mature claret. Medium weight and restrained nose, with smooth tannins, tar cedar and berry flavors. Fruit was well-integrated but still present. Perhaps on a silight downward trajectory, but drinking well and should have 5-8 years if well-stored.
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Colour surprisingly deep for such an old wine; the promise that it was still holding up well was fulfilled on the nose and palete. This is a delicious claret of the old school, not an over-extracted blockbuster, but a very harmonious, complex wine. I don't think it will improve but there is no great hurry to drink up; it should hold for a couple of years yet.
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[Commanderie holiday gala] Wonderfully soft and sweet nose, lots of chocolate and melted black fruits, soft and silky nose with hints of herbs and spices to balance the rich fruit aromas; sweet and very ripe on first taste, although to me there is a slightly dilute quality to the flavors; still pretty good though and picks up some depth in the mid-mouth with earthen and spicy fruit flavors; there is a dried fruit character to the flavors, but not drying out; clean, earthen and peppery at the finish. (17)
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Bonne bouteille mais ce n'était pas le vin "monumental" auquel je m'attendais. Probablement que son vieillissement n'a pas été optimum. Pour autant, belle texture en bouche; longueur plus que correcte. Les arômes se partageaient entre le fruit (cassis) et le bois/tabac dans une complexité moyenne (par rapport aux attentes).
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Les Deux Bartons (Les Deux Salons): Quite austere nose but showing top notes of sweet silage. Quite dry. Austere even. But there's depth and length here. Not a charmer but there's a twinkle in the eye. Very satisfying. ****
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From 375ml. Mature robe, brick disc. Very classical nose of currant, cranberry, cedar and cigar; good intensity. Actually reminds me of a younger version of the '66. With air, a bit of barnyard. The palate shows more leather, mineral/beef blood and is perhaps a bit angular - but this too improved with time and evolved into more cigar, chocolate, and lavender notes. Brook writes "herbaceous and peppery" - I suppose I see where he's coming from. Tannic, but I like that. Certainly (like most Barton) more for the classicist's palate. Lovely! Enjoyed this with Rosette de Lyon and a nice cheese after a long week at the hospital. If I had more, I'd drink them soon. This picked up with air and was at its best roughly an hour into the decant. Don't pop and pour.
4-4.5/5
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This opened up beautifully, but started fading quickly after a couple of hours. However, with dinner, it was classic, really well balanced, terrific with the lamb chops, and a great old twenty year wine. The fruit was there, along with subtle earth notes, and the tannins were quite soft. However, when tried after dinner this started bringing on the dead leaf effect, as I call it. The nose turned to actually being unpleasant, but the palate was still interesting. I'd drink this up if you've got it.
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Medium red. Somewhat an austere nose of herbs, pencil lead, cranberry, old leather coat. We nursed this through a long dinner watching the Lakers win their title, but the wine provoked little comment and little interest but at night's end it was gone with no complaint. A very decent Bordeaux for it's $16.95 asking price on release. Bottle #5 of six.
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For this wine, from our cellar, at this stage, the sweet spot seems to be two hours of air. The wine was mature and delicious, with maybe a little loss of intensity. Going downhill after three hours.
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Notes not taken at time but was part of a meal that included the 1990, 1989 and 1988 Barton. This wine had a wonderfully evocative traditional nose of cedar, blackcurrant and leather. On this showing it is fully mature but should still be drinking well for another 10 years or so. Came a close second to the 1990, but would choose this for drinking now as consuming the '90 is a bit like infanticide.
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Little disappointing. We opened and decanted four hours before dinner. There was a slight vegetal hint on the nose, but the palate was better. The fruit was more in the background, and while there was good balance, there wasn't the complexity and structure I was hoping for. We left the last glass for another two hours, by which time it had gone. Next time, we'll give it only an hour of air and see how that works. The 1989's and 1990's (Pichon-Baron, Pavie, Ducru-Beaucaillou) have benefited from 4-6 hours of air, but not this wine.
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De siste årgangene koster koster over $600 på polet og 88 er vel ikke noe dårligere enn 04 og 06. Flasken hadde holdt seg bra og leverte et fint "gjensyn" med den gangen man drakk bordeaux.
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Mint-looking bottle acquired from an LA retail shop. Decanted for about half an hour. Smells like the perfect embodiment of 1988 St. Julien. All tasters agreed this seems exactly a point. Fresh, vibrant fruit just easing into early middle age with smoke, herbs, minerals, and that lovely marine quality that left-bank Bordeaux can produce when it hasn't been overextracted or soaked in oak. Finishes in four-part harmony. I'm a walking cliche, but I paired this with RN74's rib-eye with lardons, leeks, carrots, and bone-marrow bordelaise.
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Lovely carmine/bricky colour, medium deep, and a classic nose of pencil shavings, cassis, tobacco leaf - smooth, superbly balanced palate with cedar, blackcurrant and cherry, very food-friendly with excellent supporting acidity and great length - 12.0% alcohol - great, vinous wine, a pleasure to drink.
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Leoville Barton delights once again with a classic claret that has it all. Lovely nose of spice, smoke and cassis leads on to a palate that is full but with wonderful balance. This wine really makes you think with its elegance but suprising presence. As claret should be, drinking well now, but good for 5-10 years.
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Darker than '89 & '90; initial whiff of capsicum (which never really goes away), fragrant, lead pencils, classic claret; clean, vibrant, racy, but also fleshy. Some tannin on a firm, understated, fine finish. 18 & a pleasant surprise. Today on a par with 1989/90
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Quite fresh and energetic, stacked with cassis and fresh cedar notes. A little compact and linear but a very refreshing and enjoyable mid-weight Bordeaux.
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Jeroboam Club: Ch. Leoville Barton Vertical (Averys, Bristol): Medium plum red, hints of maturity. Forward chunky and a bit green; strong whiff of tobacco leaf; but also some elegant, if restrained cassis and blueberry fruit. Round attractive and assertive on the palate; a nicely balanced and flavoursome wine; redcurrant fruit (but more sweetness than that suggests); chunky tannins but finishes well. Nice now, but will go on, though perhaps has less class than the very top vintages of this wine.
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Decanted for about an hour and a half before dinner. Initially a bit tannic and lean, it rounded out nicely to be a very nice dinner wine. No big wow factor but excellent with dinner and seemed to have plenty of life lift.
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colour still quite red/black , not much sign of maturity, nose reluctant at first but developed over time, understated and elegant, cool, good mouthfeel still some unresolved tannins but enough fruit underneath, very clean , decent legth. Lovely claret from a cool vintage yet to hit its peak. Will improve for 5 years and last another 10.
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Roast Beef dinner with my son and his wife. Decanted for 2 hours, Soft, warm, rich nose, Black fruits - Cherry's, Blackberry, Plums, hedge rows. Soft silky entry, flavours explode in the mouth, whole well integrated, yet multy-layered, hint of tannin in the middle that is more pronounced in the finish. Just about approaching it's peak, will continue to improve over the next couple of years
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Very ordinary on opening. It developed a bit after a couple of hours in the decanter. Approaching maturity, brick red rim, nose was rather subdued, a little green/minty and with no St Julien fruity charm or cedar. Dry, tannic wine, some fruit lurking in the background but it didn't really want to show itself. Needs plenty of air and then only shows as a modest food wine.
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This had a great texture. A signature bordeaux nose. A great pairing with the wonderful food prepared by great friends. Showing some signs of age, but still some room to age. The bordeaux nose and the great texture are the defining features. Thanks Mike & Trina.
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An easy afternoon with close friends. 2007-02: Bordeaux: St. Julien & Pessac. (@ BV): Carmine. First old cheese, later red fruits in the bouquet. The taste is juicy with some strawberry, red cherries and later artificial raspberry sweetness. Butter and a fair amount of acidity. Drying tannin in the finish. Strange wine. In the beginning it gives a “too old” impression, but later it presents itself better.
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Vintage Pairs Offline (Caldesi, London): Fresh flowers on the nose with some meatiness, a hint of volatility and a hint of cassis. Really nice on the palate. This is almost ready, almost à point. Really rather good. Classic claret. Very Good Indeed/Excellent. 92/100
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OK: nothing nasty about it but it is a pretty simple wine as far as L-Bs go. Drink up. In all the 1988 has been disappointing. Anthony Barton confirmed to me as much (not quite in those terms!) when I spoke to him at a tasting three days after polishing off my last bottle.
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The Wine Society: 1855 - Celebrating the Bordeaux Classifications (Lancaster): Good colour: mature with no hint of bricking. Perfumed blackcurrant nose with a hint of sour cherries and plums. Very pure on the attack. Very light, perfumed flavours. Very elegant. The tannins build as the wine stays in the mouth, but it remains a very very soft and the fruit returns on the finish with quite a flourish. Very Good Indeed +.
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Rich and stylish nose, new oak, fabulous red fruit, cedar and pencil lead; elegant, medium weight, lovely balance; long. Stylish classic claret. Now - 2015.
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1988 Bordeaux Tasting (Lafayette, Ca.): Nose of black berry, nice fruit, started veggie on nose and palate, long finish with small amount of harsh tannins and bark. My #4 and Group #4.
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4/11/2024 - Shay.Aldriedge Likes this wine: 92 Points
Annual birthday WWC hosting. As normal, 1 sparkler, 3 whites, 4 reds, 1 dessert, all presented blind.
Fun to open birth year wines around your birthday, especially when you can do a Bordeaux and Napa side by side. While not a great vintage, this held up well after a few hours and presented as expected. Clean and zero Brett. Great color! Deep ruby with hardly any bricking. Leather, cassis, vanilla pipe tobacco on the nose. Sporting a good bit of dusty red and black fruits (mostly tart raspberries and blackberries), there was a little savory truffle note mixed with an herbal and mocha finish. Still quite grippy. Pretty.
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2/13/2024 - platpeeps Likes this wine: 91 Points
The warm vintage was reflected by ripe and spicy cassis fruit supported with notes of cedar and spices. The grippy tannins quickly subsided to create a pleasing mocha finish. Very pleasing but never repeated the firmness of structure or elegance of the Barton 85 with which it was compared. In fact it was a little soft and open if not a little hot. That said still a beautiful wine and drinking well. CHP 91 pts
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1/19/2024 - NoahCap wrote:
Super good bottle- I had trouble removing the cork with the Durand, not because it was so soft, but because the top 2/3 was so tight! My first impression popping the cork was the exact same as VINUMMING & AHHIN- very floral and perfumed, but that dissipates rather quickly.
Clear, garnet, remarkably little bricking. Wonderful balance of red fruits and tertiary character: red cherry, blackberry, damp leather, turned earth, cedar wood, menthol, shade (does that have a smell?). Acidity is medium, the body is definitely lightening up. What lovely classic Bordeaux flavors of red and black fruits (same as nose), leather, graphite, cedar box. The finish is long, complex, relaxing, pleasant.
This is my first time having this wine, but I imagine that even in its youth, this wine was on the lighter, red fruited, and classic end of the Bordeaux spectrum. That is certainly how it drinks now. The tannins are smooth and soft, indicating that this bottle is towards the end of its drinking window, though it is by no means over the hill. What an enjoyable end to a long day.
UPDATE- Half the bottle went into a 375mL and into the fridge for two more days. The wine the emerged was even better than before. The fruit has tightened up, there is more presence to the body, the tannins even seem a bit more prominent in this better-aerated version of the wine. Really nice. I gotta remember to give these old school Bordeaux air!
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10/9/2023 - ankitmehra Likes this wine: 95 Points
The moment I saw this bottle I could tell it was going to be good. Stored pristinely, this was drinking considerably younger than its age would give away. With lots of fruit still intact, I was drawn in my the vibrant redcurrants on the nose. Shifting into the palette, there was a lot of complexity still left in this bottle with notes of redcurrants, herbs, licorice, cassis, mushroom and meatiness all working together over a shorter finish. This surprisingly edged the 1990 Château Léoville Barton I've had in the past.
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8/18/2023 - AudunG wrote: 93 Points
Aromas of blackcurrant bush, dry mushrooms, cellar, leather and graphite. On the palate; fruity, dry and elegant, with plenty of tannins and fruit for the future. A perfect bottle.
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7/30/2023 - drjb Likes this wine: 93 Points
This wine opened beautifully with plenty of red at the edges around a crimson core. The nose was immediately forthcoming with blackcurrants, blackberry leaf, olive, cedar and tobacco with a touch of coffee bean and dark chocolate. The palate is mid weight and finely textured with lovely length and poise. The fruit elements remain clearly present but merge gently into savoury notes and a fine acid tannin finish that provides gentle grip and persistence. Classic, lovely old school Bordeaux with only 12% alcohol !
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7/20/2023 - "Rhône Rider" Likes this wine: 93 Points
En nese å dø for med tobakk, lær, pipetobakk, solbær (skulle trodde en så gammel vin skulle gi mere fiken og dadler). Mere klassisik i munnen med rødbær, skinn, blyantspiss. Raffert klassisk vin, fresh og svært lang. 93-94
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6/30/2023 - Vinumming & Ahhing Likes this wine: 93 Points
Bordeaux WIMPS #166 30th June 2023 (La Trompette, Chiswick): A wine I've had the pleasure to drink on several occasions. On pouring there is delightful if short lived florality to the nose - some elderflower highlights around the core of brooding dark fruits. Palate is, as ever, beautifully savoury with a slight pepperiness and just the right amount of acidity, the tannins aren't quite as resolved as the stellar 1985 from this producer but, this is an utter joy. My wine of the lunch.
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4/14/2023 - SimonG wrote: 95 Points
An embarrassment of riches (Noizé and 67PM): Blind. Bright mid ruby. Classic Bordeaux left bank nose. Playing the man it’s Leoville but the glass says 90 or 89, so 88 is quite the revelation. By far the best bottle of this I’ve had — sexy for Barton and off the charts for the vintage. The richest and sexiest 88 I can remember. Just gorgeous. *****
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2/22/2023 - parkline_wine Likes this wine: 95 Points
Same notes as last time, a little more pruney but otherwise great.
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12/25/2022 - Corporateslaves Likes this wine: 95 Points
First bottle from well stored case. Two hour decant. Overall it seemed a lot younger than it was. Cassis on the nose. On the palate the primary flavours were of cedar and pencil with beautiful blackcurrants. Quite dark in the glass. Lots of finesse here and lovely balance. Quite a long finish. Very good vintage of Barton on this showing! RIP Anthony.
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12/2/2022 - jdlee1232 wrote: 93 Points
Beaitifuk but faded fast
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9/18/2022 - acyso wrote: 95 Points
Pausing for the Cause 2022 (Part 2) (Chicago, IL): An incredible bottle of this, which far surpassed my expectations. Graphite and black fruit, this has lots and lots of life left. On the palate, if anything this feels at least a decade younger, with a touch of sweetness from the fruit still there, and a complex, layered flavour profile that touches on all the classic Bordeaux notes.
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8/25/2022 - parkline_wine Likes this wine: 96 Points
Very great color. Not a lot of sediment, but some. Great cork. Started drinking after 20 mins in the decanter. Great nose of cedar, black fruits and a bit of claret leather. Very soft but great structure and still impressive acidity resulting in an excellently long finish. Agreed w/ previous note. Superb.
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1/21/2022 - SixHedgehogs Likes this wine: 95 Points
Dark garnet. Very clear after bottle stood up for two days. A little sediment. Strong cork. After an hour of decanting aroma settled to cedar, leather and blackberry. Soft texture, lovely old wine flavour of oak, fruitcake and blackcurrant cordial. Quaffable, bone dry. Slightly spicy. Superb.
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12/24/2021 - Wineteacher Likes this wine: 90 Points
Perfect cork. No issue extracting with a good cork screw. Decanted. Not a large amount of sediment. Good color with only a hint of tile. Been in a cool cellar since release. Firm and moderate tannins. Earth and black fruit with great complexity. Not yet fully mature. Still room to move up.
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11/5/2021 - dagij Likes this wine: 93 Points
Clear grenade with brown hue. Classic B with tones of humid cellar, wet earth, coffee, and a fine underlying tone of dark blackcurrant and blueberries. Wonderful and expressive. Medium to full bodied attack, fine fruit, blackcurrant, dark cherries, some coffee, minerals and stone, very complex. High acidity and tough tannins, but here the fruit balances the structure in a fine way. Very good length, but a bit tart on the finish. Classic and a very good wine. 93-94
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8/27/2021 - Wrighty wrote:
Didn’t show so well against the ‘85, ‘89 and a ‘82 Langoa. Light and acidic - nobody voted for it
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8/2/2021 - Pj28 wrote: flawed
Poor bottle, past it’s best, disappointing
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5/27/2021 - liber Likes this wine: 94 Points
7th of 9, opened an hour then decanted an hour, perfect cork and level, best bottle yet with an attractive and nuanced flavour profile consistent on nose and palate (details in my June 15 note), cool fruit with just enough acidity to freshen flavours, maybe not the most concentrated or large scaled but fine and unforced, sense of more to come particularly on nose. F+ (18).
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2/22/2021 - Gannet2013 wrote:
At it's best about an hour into the decant then the fruit faded
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11/7/2020 - Justinneal654 Likes this wine: 92 Points
High acidity nose with strawberry and bay leaves.
Bright wine with too much energy to pair with the ribeye but so nice.
Touch of red cranberry late. Still some late acidity, I think it will last a while longer.
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8/15/2020 - Richard Nabavi Likes this wine: 91 Points
Still a good deep colour, but with marked browning at the edges. Very mature nose, a little dusty, but attractive. On the palate it is quite rounded, with some fruit still evident. The tannins are fully resolved, as one would expect. Fairly long aftertaste. Overall, it's holding up quite well, but has probably faded a bit from its peak.
One of a few bottles I bought shortly after it was first released in bottle. I don't quite know why I kept it this long, but I think I had it mentally classified as a 'wine to keep', which it was, but maybe not this long. I think it would have been better eight or nine years ago.
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4/26/2020 - wineforth Likes this wine: 94 Points
88 was a Cinderella vintage unfairly overlooked because it was followed by two highly rated vintages. My last of four bottles in as many years, in excellent condition, still with high fill. Cedar, blackcurrant and leather. Sweet and so smooth on the palate, beautifully balanced and a very long finish. Although clearly on its downhill run its an absolute joy. A wine to savour.
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2/29/2020 - Brussels 1049 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Similar impressions to those noted in 2017 and more recently by Comte Flaneur.
The depth of colour, a slightly dull garnet, is amazing for a 30 year old wine. Another bottle a few months ago, although from the same case, was not as good, having a slight touch of funkiness, but at this age, bottle variation is inevitable. This one was superb, classic cigar box on the nose, fruit now beginning to dry out, with savoury notes on the finish.
It has held up very well indeed, but I see no benefit in keeping.
Update - June 2021. Still magnificent, but confirms my view that this is now gently on the downward slope, with a very slight touch of astringency creeping in. My last bottle, a wonderful decade or so of drinking on special occasions, all for £10 a bottle at auction around 1992.
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2/2/2020 - MaxSiegel Likes this wine: 92 Points
Ripe, classic claret at its peak. Still retains juicy blackcurrant fruit but cigar box notes are dominant now, along with some mushroom and that musty library quality. Archetypal Leoville Barton and beautiful drinking for a few more years.
Note: I had another bottle of this a few months back and it was not as expressive, so it's all about bottle condition at this point. Poorly stored bottles may be drying out.
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2/2/2020 - Marc C Likes this wine: 90 Points
Joli nez évolué sur le cassis, le tabac, le bois précieux, les fleurs.
Belle bouche avec une matière bien vivante et présente. Le vin est droit un rien austère et tannique en degustation pure. À table, ces petits défauts disparaissent.
Finale de bonne longueur.
Sur le papier le meilleur millesime des trois derniers bordeaux bus (Eglise Clinet 92 et Las Cases 97) et pourtant au final celui qui m'a le moins conquis. Étonnant d'ailleurs comme l'aromatique présente la même gamme que Las Cases mais est un bon cran en-dessous pour l'éclat et la sensation de complexité. Ça reste néanmoins un bon compagnon de table.
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11/8/2019 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Charleston V - the wooden anniversary; 11/6/2019-11/10/2019 (Charleston, SC (various locations)): Late night bonus bottle that ended up getting paired with pizza. This was great. Just perfectly aged Bordeaux. Prob more cigar box and leather than any fruit, but very open with those flavors. Drinking nicely.
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11/1/2019 - wineforth Likes this wine: 94 Points
Lovely mellow cedar deep blackcurrant with great length of taste and finish. I popped and poured which was a mistake. This needs at least a couple of hours in a decanter.
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8/8/2019 - rupertg Likes this wine: 88 Points
Orange rim, cork dry and crumbly. Surprisingly dark centre. Past it's best, slightly musty. Good weight, beginning to dry out. Surprisingly attractive mid range and finish, not farmyard but savoury. Finished the bottle.
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7/14/2019 - A L P Likes this wine: 92 Points
Last bottle in my cellar. Earthy nose, soft and silky texture. Even some acid left. Lovely wine. So nice to have the lower alcohol wines as were prevalent in the past. So much more taste.
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6/5/2019 - straight outta iowa Likes this wine: 92 Points
My experience with 1988 bordeaux has generally been hit or miss, and fortunately the Leoville Barton tended toward the former. Double decanted two hours prior, as expected it threw off a huge amount of sediment. When it was finally time to pour the wine that emerged was silky textured and delicious, with a "come hither" perfume that I wouldn't normally associate with this property. It was somewhat one dimensional, but a nice dimension indeed. I tend to think of LB as a marathoner, so I was a bit surprised at the development in this one. Clearly bdx, and if I didn't know the appellation and vintage I might have guessed Margaux and 78 (though this was not quite in the same ballpark as a Palmer 78 I enjoyed recently). With my wife not drinking, this left several pours for the staff, which the somm (a friend) told me they enjoyed on the porch after hours.
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5/4/2019 - Cofxc Likes this wine: 96 Points
Beautiful transparent, purple. Bright, jewel like, clear. Aromatic, black fruits. Bright and focused nose. Some chalky minerality. Florals, violet. Cedar, graphite. Mouthwatering acidity. Clean and pure. A brilliant wine on this showing with plenty left in the tank. We’re still talking about fruit. Unlike the last good bottle but more than it’s match. More structured, cleaner, mor youthful in profile. Scored so as to show this had the edge.
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4/27/2019 - Ianthemac Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still in a great place. This wine delivers for me every time. Plums, cigs box, leather, cedar, earthiness. Marvellous stuff. No sign of decline and one more bottle to enjoy. 1988 gets overlooked in favour of its more illustrious successors, but value for money wise, and as a vintage that has stood the test of time it is not to be sniffed at.
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4/16/2019 - kstoddard wrote: flawed
Corked
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1/22/2019 - SkyCellar wrote: 85 Points
OK but well past its prime.
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1/17/2019 - Burgundy Al wrote: 88 Points
Flickinger Customer Appreciation Tasting (Casino Club - Chicago IL): Tasting from magnum, brief note. Black plum, cigarbox, dried herbs. Lots of tannins still asserting themselves, clearly in front of the fruit. Good size, good now.
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1/12/2019 - Chimer Likes this wine: 92 Points
A really good bottle, colour shows lots of evolution but remains thick and dense. The nose really blossomed and gave dark earthy fruit alongside super freshness. The palate was generous and broad with tannins that are rounded and integrated, but not completely focused. In great condition and a crowd pleaser - more popular than 89 Cos on the night.
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11/4/2018 - Bakerbd Likes this wine: 92 Points
30th bday wine for a friend... in great shape, very autumnal profile with leather and cassis
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10/12/2018 - Elpaninaro Likes this wine:
Very small pour at the end of a very long evening
Good maturing red color with a moderate amount of bricking at the rim, genteel and refined nose of cassis and herbs with hints of oak, on the palate a very comforting wine- fireside on a cold evening with a hearty meal, good fruit on the red side of the spectrum, solid finish and the elegant restraint of the vintage that I like so very much if not with the persistence on the tail end of the likes of Lafite and Petrus, but with a friendly side that is not present in the more regal wines of this vintage, ****, ready to go but will hold for many years
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10/5/2018 - Torchy wrote: 91 Points
Team Vitis Fall Tasting 88/76; 10/5/2018-10/7/2018 (Tord): Complex nose with light dark fruit, iron and blood, perfume and forest tones. On the palate there are cherries and leather. Feels gentle, kind and harmonious.
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8/27/2018 - hiker_guy Likes this wine:
At peak for my palate
Nose is leathery, tobacco, like my fathers humidor when I was a kid.
Palate is smooth, a little austere in a good way, nice richness and length.
My cup of tea
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8/27/2018 - Cofxc wrote: flawed
Spotless top of cork, half soaked. Extremely soft and spongey. Comes out clean. The nose is very promising. Heavy with streaky bacon, purple fruits, blackberry. The palette, initially, with generous and concentrated purple fruits. This fools us enough for us to keep checking for nearly half of the bottle but this is not right.
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6/7/2018 - Comte Flaneur wrote: 93 Points
A little slow out of the blocks but this went from strength to strength. Cedar, cigar box tobacco, this has more power and mid-palate density than the Talbot. It really comes into its own with these dishes. A class act. Similar in quality to the 1985.
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6/7/2018 - SimonG wrote: 91 Points
88 Bordeaux @ La T (La Trompette, London): Darker fruited. Quite bright. Dry, fairly austere and uncompromising. A touch lactic. Not showy but very harmonious. ****
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5/7/2018 - SimonPh Likes this wine: 94 Points
Great old Bordeaux, cedar and cigar box and lovely elegance.
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5/6/2018 - wineforth Likes this wine: 94 Points
88 was a Cinderella vintage followed by two highly rated vintages. Unfairly underrated. Mushroom, cedar, blackcurrant. So smooth, beautifully balanced and very long. Although clearly on its downhill run its an absolute joy. A wine to savour.
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2/24/2018 - drwine2001 wrote:
Birthday Dinner with Wines from 1988 and 1958 for a Person of Unknown Age (Nopa, San Francisco): Medium ruby without fading. Classic cedar and graphite. Medium weight, lovely weight and texture, strong black fruit, some remnant tannin. Superior to the Ducru tasted simultaneously, and capable of holding for another decade. Classic wine, understated, immensely satisfying.
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2/9/2018 - BornToRhone Likes this wine: 92 Points
750ml; PnP but decanted for cork and sediment; Followed over 2 hours; Decent amount of bricking but still full bodied black cherry (a bit licorice), plum, saddle leather, lead pencil, and some were forest floor. Very good acidity which went well with dinner.
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1/12/2018 - AudunG wrote: 95 Points
Classic, perfumed, floral and feminin aromas with graphite and some greenness. Tender, elegant and classy. A perfect bottle in perfect balance.
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12/3/2017 - Blake Brown Likes this wine:
1988 CHATEAU LEOVILLE-BARTON ST. JULIEN- this had a still youthful vibrant dark purple colour; in the nose I got spicy red and black cherry which continued on; some bracing tannins lurked in the background early on and kind of took over past mid palate.
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8/30/2017 - barolo300 Likes this wine: 97 Points
In perfect shape. Wonderful mix of primary and tertiary characters. Likely to age for many more years. We were oooing and ahhhhing
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8/26/2017 - tcarter Likes this wine: 96 Points
Drinking beautifully. Many years left on this. This is a perfectly preserved bottle.
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7/24/2017 - petitblanc wrote: flawed
Dried out and acidic. Dried seepage under the capsule, I wasn't expecting much.
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5/10/2017 - Brussels 1049 Likes this wine: 92 Points
in 2011 I suggested that this would not improve, but it certainly has not gone down hill; this was full of life, with a deep colour and super smooth. A remarkable, classic claret, still with plenty of life in it yet, but I wouldn't risk decanting or giving it a long aeration. After 30 years of slowly absorbing oxygen through the cork, it really does not need any more air.
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4/23/2017 - Ianthemac Likes this wine: 93 Points
Two hour decant. Gorgeous. Powerful cassis nose straight off. V dark, tobacco, leather and black fruit. Loved it.
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4/10/2017 - Cofxc Likes this wine: 95 Points
Clean and firm cork. Cigar, youthful, fresh, fruit, strong scent of roses and a more decaying floral element. Concentrated. A little sour on the finish.
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3/18/2017 - wineforth Likes this wine: 94 Points
How wrong can I be? When predicting the early decline of a Leoville Barton - very wrong. Tasted in '98 at Christie's I concluded browning, drink now, and scored it 90. '88 has always been the Cinderella of a great trio of vintages. This bottle bought a few months ago from auction of a recently opened case, for £60. Understated nose of leather, mushrooms, raspberry and cedar. Well balanced, plenty of sweet fruit, still has backbone of medium tannins and clean acidity. Lovely, and very similar to 20 years ago, especially in balance and sweetness of fruit. It's just put on weight and gained the leathery, meaty and sous bois character. Drink now as it will be in slow decline for a decade and more.
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1/20/2017 - barolo300 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep garnet, developed nose of menthol, blackcurrant leaf, leather, cigar box spice, cedar, sous boie - undergrowth, damp leaf, truffle, or more woody mushroom like a cep.
On the palate, it has high tannins that coat the mouth but are not unpleasant - real backbone. The flavours are darker than the nose, coffee grounds, leather, meat. Woodiness, but not too unripe. Menthol, robust cigar leaf. Acid is still pretty high, which helps to refresh you from the tannin. It has only been open an hour, but I think 4-6 hours would have been much better. 92 now, may raise a bit.
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12/25/2016 - Chimer Likes this wine: 90 Points
Served alongside 1983 Lascases, the Barton was the crowd pleaser, fuller richer, weightier, still holding a deep colour. However palate does not have the finesse of it's neighbour. This bottle was particularly good with none of the musty notes that sometimes come through with this vintage.
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4/23/2016 - Wrighty Likes this wine: 92 Points
Delicate nose showed it's age and palate had just hints of some fruit but this had matured into a beautiful silky subtle wine. Faded a little (as the '95 came round) but a wonderful wine with some time still ahead of it.
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4/13/2016 - NickBurwood Likes this wine: 92 Points
Birthday dinner with family at Pennyhill Park.
Savoury, truffly, earthy brûlée dark hedge fruits aromas. Blackberry, integrated charred oak flavours nicely concentrated in a racy medium bodied frame with a long dry balancing finish.
Excellent if towards the end of its plateau, nonetheless should be good for perhaps another 5 years at this level based on this bottle.
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2/21/2016 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 90 Points
Deep but clear garnet in the glass. Good bouquet of ripe blackberry, blueberry, currant, and ripe red and black cherries. Also floral. Some vanilla and stoney minerality. Red cedar, dark teas, and some damp earth tones. Smells classic and drinks well - in a good place for right now. Tannins have mostly melted away. Not overly energetic but certainly still alive. Very pleasant.
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1/10/2016 - Raycheng77 Likes this wine: 90 Points
PNP during dinner, very approachable with black currant, cherry nose and palate, with some pencil shave, mineral and earth behind. Tannin is very smooth. A very enjoyable wine.
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8/18/2015 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
Fresh nose of graphite and lead pencil coupled with berry and cassis fruit. Nice proportion and balance in the mouth. Some earth and cedar notes. Elegant with a fresh acidity on the finish.
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7/17/2015 - Wineteacher Likes this wine: 89 Points
The level was at medium neck. The cork was a little spongy but came out fine. The wine has virtually no sediment. It had been in a very cool cellar. The color was deep red with virtually no warm tones at all. The bouquet was toast and old wood. The taste was some berries, light cedar and not as complex as I would have thought. Still fruity but less interesting. I believe this wine is still young and has easily half a dozen years to improve Still a charmer.
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7/12/2015 - moany rhoney Likes this wine: 92 Points
Yes a little hard still. But great fruit still. Probably at peak now.
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6/12/2015 - liber Likes this wine: 92 Points
6th of 9, pnp, perfect level and cork, previous notes fine or better - deepish garnet, lightening rim; nice bouquet of black fruit with secondaries of tobacco, chocolate and some cedar; fuller and more intense mid palate than Las Cases 88 on same night, but less nuance, finesse and persistence, a tad burly by comparison. Fine plus (18/20).
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4/10/2015 - europat55 wrote: 92 Points
Outstanding nose (B++/A-). Outstanding palate (A-).
My #5, Group's #8 (95 pts). Tasted blind.
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4/5/2015 - redders Likes this wine: 91 Points
Colour still young , nose classic slightly austere, firm fruit developing over time into firm structured backbone. Blackcurrant fruits, lots of depth. Very good and plenty of time
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2/28/2015 - red_man wrote: 90 Points
good level and cork, colour still relatively youthful, certainly not a lot of brown, lovely nose, very fine and classy, on the austere rather than the sweet fruit side, palate an excellent balance between fruit and structure, again relatively austere, good wine still holding at its peak and will do so for a considerable time
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1/4/2015 - yiuwing_hk Likes this wine: 90 Points
Garnet rim, matured bordeaux nose of tea leave, tobacco, cassis. Med body, very fine tannins, black fruits, and it is little bit backwards, med length, i think it has just passed the peak.
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12/19/2014 - Le Gaulois Likes this wine: 93 Points
e nez est sur les fruits noirs le piment d’Espelette et la vanille. En bouche les tanins sont très souples et le fruit noir s’exprime bien. La finale est longue sur les épices.
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12/1/2014 - rikipedia wrote: 87 Points
Terroir-istes International - France, Bordeaux, Léoville Barton (Rodwell House): Mid mahogany, the wine again shows that bipolar (ripe/unripe) smoke, red fruits and green notes, this time with wet chalk, crayon and grass.
The palate then veers to the more riper side with a lovely liquorice, generous feel showing spice, sandalwood and black fruits. Fresh lemon acid with chalky mineral notes the wine starts to morph back to this smoky, charcoal, burnt element leading to a coarser tannin profile. Certainly traditional claret as the wine sits upright, is dry and lacks flesh yet at the same time rather hard work, I wanted to like the wine more. Perhaps with food would help.
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11/23/2014 - john@draneaslaw.com Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great wine. Great nose, lots of flavor, long finish.
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9/18/2014 - Colima74 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent color, big acidity on opening. Plenty of red fruit with expected Bordeaux secondary flavors. Very well structured. Drunk with 1999 Heitz Martha's. Both very nice with years ahead of them.
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7/24/2014 - rjweitzman wrote: 94 Points
Excellent. Seemed to be right in its prime.
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7/9/2014 - RayOB wrote: 93 Points
Drank at Bob Bob Richards
Classic claret in full maturity. Lovely complexity and depth.
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4/23/2014 - N.Bonaparte wrote: 93 Points
This does not need a decant. 15 minutes in glass is enough. It didn't hold up after 90 minutes. Overall- medium/light bodied. Perfect balance and very smooth. Zero heat. Average plus finish. This isn't getting better but will likely hold up a few more years. Good wine. Average value.
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2/23/2014 - Connaître Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still young and fresh with nice fruit coming around. Opened up 1 hour before.
Drink up.
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11/25/2013 - tendring Likes this wine: 89 Points
Wine Education Service - Fine Old Bordeaux (LSE): Opaque, substantial age.
A very animal nose, fruity.
Fruity attack, smooth mid palate, good length.
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11/19/2013 - Papies wrote: 89 Points
1988 Red Bordeaux, with Richard Brazier (Handford Wines, London): Dark red in colour true to its 88 heritage as we have come to conclude. Shy on the nose, restrained, light spice, some liquorice, light floral but generally u have to dry to find it. Well round on the palate, good tannin but not harsh (on the finish it has some harsh edges from the tannin) and with an enjoyable side. Unfortunately the magic/energy has checked out here and the wine feels charmless at this stage. Looks like it can last another 10yrs and hopefully it will get better. 89 for now at best
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11/19/2013 - rossi.wine wrote: 89 Points
Earthy nose, spices, herbs, some red fruit too. Good aromatics, fresh, quite round but also pretty austere, tannic, and not very long.
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11/2/2013 - ckinv368 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Musty, green pepper, onion, white pepper, and earth / leather / mushroom on the nose. Spicy, with a bit of must / dust, LOTS of green pepper, blood, iron, caramelized onion, leather, cedar, old books, cigar box, and a hint of minty freshness, mixed with a white pepper finish. Really singing right now. Just a fantastic, well-aged bordeaux!! I want to wrap myself in this on a cold winter night and relax and drink myself to sleep!!
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10/9/2013 - Hodby wrote: 86 Points
Medium red color. Medium intensity nose of cherry, leather-y and tobacco notes, with olives. Light tannin and medium light acidity. Develops a nice bit of cherry fruit and huge olive taste in a hours' time. Just an easy drinking cabernet blend, which is a little disappointing for the origin. Barton has great reputation for crop thinning, sorting table selection into second and third wins, barrel selection program, and cellar management. Bottle #6 of six.
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8/24/2013 - stephanm Likes this wine: 89 Points
Rock solid as always
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8/22/2013 - Ericsson wrote: 90 Points
Bordal chez Criduc (Bordeaux '88) (Geneva): Couleur grenat homogène, encore brillant, la plus belle de la dégustation. Nez tout en finesse, sur des arômes grillés, quelques effluves de fruits noirs. Bouche en accord, plutôt sur la finesse que sur la constitution. Belle longueur. Cette bouteille avait encore de la réserve.
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8/9/2013 - cab blends wrote: 90 Points
S&E Wine Club - French Bordeaux Night (Our House): Initially only decanted for 20 minutes to ensure it was not overdone. It matured nicely and improved over the next hour. Beautiful clean chalky nose. Brown and a hint of copper around the edges. Smooth on the palate. Tannins 6/10.
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7/18/2013 - perpro wrote:
This was a very nice mature, classic bdx...
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6/26/2013 - Jhcwine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nose - Initially quite funky, meaty. The funk blew off fairly quickly.
Palette - As above, with abit of acidity. Decent fruit. Acidity and tannins resolved quite quickly in the glass. Wine is at the end of its drinking window, or slightly beyond. 92 or 93 at best.
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6/25/2013 - Champagneinhand Likes this wine: 91 Points
had this to add some aged perspective to the 2003 flight of Bordeaux. Initially this had some serious barnyard funk that did blow off with a bit of airtime, yet very standard in an older Bdx. Once this was gone the nose was of red and black fruit that was mellowed with time, some tobacco and a touch of integrated wood, and earth. The palate really matched the nose quite well, with the earthy subtle fruit taking most of the show. It had a nice finish, with the fruit staying in mind. Tannins were almost all gone, but enough acid to get things done. I had a 1994 LB too compare this against and this clearly showed its aged character much more than its 1994.
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6/25/2013 - DougLee wrote: 91 Points
Just had to try this again. Garnet color. Nose of currant and earth with tobacco and cedar elements. A bit more dilute on the palate than last time a month ago but still notable for great balance. Integrated red currant notes, lower acidity, filed-off tannins, and a lovely grippy finish. Best consumed earlier than later, but a lovely drink.
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5/17/2013 - DougLee wrote: 92 Points
Pristine bottle, popped and poured. Darker garnet hue. Nose of musky black currant, camphor, cassis, tobacco, earth. Integrated and complete on the palate with surprisingly fresh notes of red currant, plum, leather, and raspberry grounded in an earthy, aristocratic foundation. Lower acidity, completely filed off tannins, tons of sweet grip. Long, ringing finish of sweet red fruit and tobacco. Wonderful showing with lots of vivacious kick at age 25.
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4/22/2013 - indiscriminate palate wrote: 85 Points
Not an exemplary bottle. While the last bottle was youthful and long, this one showed more development and was quite clipped. Cherry, graphite, cassis, light tannin, good acidity. Austere, very short finish. No improvement with air. Hopefully an off bottle, though it showed no faults, only advanced age.
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4/22/2013 - salil wrote: 89 Points
A classic old Bordeaux fragrance of cedar, tobacco, earth and graphite, but it comes across just a touch hard and austere on the palate initially. With air this fills out as the fruit flavours start to pick up and gain in depth, but while it remains a very well balanced, classical Bordeaux, it doesn't ever show the charm and sheer finesse of the Beychevelle.
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4/8/2013 - godx wrote: 90 Points
La Commanderie de Bordeaux à Vancouver - 1988 Horizontal (Boneta): Quite a nice and forward nose of dark cherries, cedar and graphite. Smells youthful still though which matches its youthful appearance. Firm and astringent on the palate with well-balanced fruit. Drink or hold. Excellent. 90+
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4/8/2013 - MattTM wrote:
La Commanderie de Bordeaux: 1988 Horizontal (Boneta Restaurant - Vancouver, BC): Great expressive nose showing some underlying cassis sweetness along with the usual Leoville Barton traits of cedar, graphite, and rich black cherry. More cassis, cedar, and graphite on the palate, along with some black pepper, although the fruit leans more towards the red end of the spectrum on the palate in the form of rich red cherry and raspberry. Medium length finish ending on notes of red cherry and black pepper. There's more red fruit here than the Cos or Pichon Baron. Quite dry and dusty, with plenty of structure still evident and this would benefit from a few more years in the cellar, although there's nothing wrong with enjoying this now. Very good+
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3/23/2013 - red_man wrote: 91 Points
good level and cork, brambly, blackcurrent nose, very fine and intense, palate quite dry, rather tight in style, almost weedy, not at all voluptuous, previous bottle 4 years ago was better, not sure if this is the additional age or just expected bottle variation, still good though
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2/23/2013 - vinole wrote: 93 Points
S FL WS Group tastes 1988 Bordeaux (and others) (Jupiter, FL): Some leather on the entry and then some classic LB notes of graphite, cedar, and tobacco with dark currant fruit. Medium to full body and medium acidity. Very balanced wine and one of the best of the evening.
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12/25/2012 - Duderino wrote: 94 Points
Popped and poured. Beautiful aromatics....forest floor, mushrooms, dark fruit. Drank with 3 others over the course of an hour....nose just kept improving. One of the best wines I drank all year!
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12/10/2012 - nortonnose Likes this wine: 93 Points
Fr 750ml. Stood bottle for a few hrs, then opened and dumped into decanter. Served immediately and this showed wonderfully. Soft, round, supple, sweet. Medium-plus finish. #2 WOTN (albeit a distant #2) behind '85 Ch Margaux - this almost drank like a minature "poor man's (!) version of Ch Margaux. Highly enjoyable. 93+ pts
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11/17/2012 - europat55 wrote: 92 Points
K&L Grand Bordeaux Tasting (Redwood City, California): Brown edges. Gorgeous nose. Very well integrated palate. Perfect balance. Very enjoyable. Maybe at peak.
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11/8/2012 - N.Bonaparte wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 60 minutes- light bodied- just smooooth... Not that impressive but extremely enjoyable. Went well with a vegetarian meal.
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9/14/2012 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 92 Points
Avoids the drying character of the vintage, quite a lot of vegetal evolution on the nose, no separation of acidity on the palate, richness of fruit comparable to a 1990, excellent Saint-Julien typicity, lovely hint of austerity, good length.
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9/2/2012 - indiscriminate palate wrote: 91 Points
Very youthful black fruit and acidity, but well-integrated tannin and apparent (but background) notes of leather, cedar, etc. At peak.
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9/2/2012 - salil wrote: 91 Points
Another great bottle. Very close to mature, still showing some grainy tannin on the back end but drinking beautifully with some air and layering mature cedar, graphite, tobacco and other savoury elements with fresh dark fruited flavours. It's medium weight and very elegant, not an intense wine but lovely to sit down with over a few hours and only getting better with air as the flavour and structural elements harmonize.
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8/16/2012 - carlkallen wrote: 93 Points
This wine continues to deliver. A phenomenal vintage that is completely at its peak. Light tannins, perfect balance with complex aromas of liquorice, leather and truffles. 2012 is the ultimate peak of this fine wine - although could possibly last longer with the right cellaring
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6/19/2012 - moany rhoney wrote: 91 Points
mature aqnd lovely, rather astire style
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6/12/2012 - RayOB wrote: 93 Points
Anthony Barton Dinner (Texture London): Classic Claret. Refined nose and medium palate. This wine is so good with a cheese board. Great stuff.
Anthony Barton said that they picked too early that year and for the first part of its life it was a bit green but now in maturity it has shed this to reveal a classic claret.
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4/27/2012 - salil wrote: 91 Points
Opened to replace an oxidized '88 Conseillante. It's slightly hard and austere at first, but comes around with an hour in the decanter, showing mature cedar, earth and tobacco flavours combining seamlessly with pure dark fruited flavours. There's still a dusting of tannin on the back end, and the depth, structure and fruit here suggest there's no rush to drink this.
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4/8/2012 - redders wrote: 90 Points
Still young colour. Classic cool vintage nose clean cedar and green tinge. Structured red fruits and some depth very elegant cool finish. A real food wine.
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3/3/2012 - BenSwetnam wrote: 92 Points
Still amazingly tight on the nose. Showing tight tobacco over light fruit and oak. The palate is still quite fresh driven by clean acidity but balanced by just enough fruit to maintain interest. Though this wine will likely survive a further 10 years cellaring I doubt there is enough fruit for it to continue to develop positively. Drink soon.
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2/18/2012 - spillwine wrote: 86 Points
Probablement une mauvaise bouteille.
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2/5/2012 - SteelerFan wrote: 90 Points
Very good mature claret. Medium weight and restrained nose, with smooth tannins, tar cedar and berry flavors. Fruit was well-integrated but still present. Perhaps on a silight downward trajectory, but drinking well and should have 5-8 years if well-stored.
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12/28/2011 - Brussels 1049 wrote: 91 Points
Colour surprisingly deep for such an old wine; the promise that it was still holding up well was fulfilled on the nose and palete. This is a delicious claret of the old school, not an over-extracted blockbuster, but a very harmonious, complex wine. I don't think it will improve but there is no great hurry to drink up; it should hold for a couple of years yet.
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12/18/2011 - paulst wrote: 94 Points
Light and mature; soft and textured; sweet rich mature tannins; good length. Light soft smooth blackberry.
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10/11/2011 - JLG wrote:
[Commanderie holiday gala] Wonderfully soft and sweet nose, lots of chocolate and melted black fruits, soft and silky nose with hints of herbs and spices to balance the rich fruit aromas; sweet and very ripe on first taste, although to me there is a slightly dilute quality to the flavors; still pretty good though and picks up some depth in the mid-mouth with earthen and spicy fruit flavors; there is a dried fruit character to the flavors, but not drying out; clean, earthen and peppery at the finish. (17)
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9/12/2011 - Breedlove wrote: 90 Points
Bonne bouteille mais ce n'était pas le vin "monumental" auquel je m'attendais.
Probablement que son vieillissement n'a pas été optimum.
Pour autant, belle texture en bouche; longueur plus que correcte.
Les arômes se partageaient entre le fruit (cassis) et le bois/tabac dans une complexité moyenne (par rapport aux attentes).
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9/8/2011 - Rupert wrote: 91 Points
Langoa v Leoville (Les Deux Salons, London): Lean, stalky, a bit dusty and tannic, but some minty rich fruit in the mid-palate, and this drew me in, intriguing and deep
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9/8/2011 - SimonG wrote:
Les Deux Bartons (Les Deux Salons): Quite austere nose but showing top notes of sweet silage. Quite dry. Austere even. But there's depth and length here. Not a charmer but there's a twinkle in the eye. Very satisfying. ****
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7/30/2011 - wabi47 wrote: 90 Points
red currant, licorice, brown olive, smoked cigar; not big, but with plenty to think about; excellent
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7/23/2011 - aagrawal wrote: 92 Points
K&L Bordeaux Tasting with Bill Blatch (K&L, Redwood City): Minerally, iron, a hint gamey; red fruits, good acidic balance; nice long finish with good acidity. 92-93
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7/23/2011 - anonymoose12345 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Rich and powerful, still has a lot of life left but is drinking perfectly right now.
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6/30/2011 - Papies wrote: 88 Points
Bordeaux Vertizontal (88,89,90 - Palmer/Leoville Barton/Cos/Mouton) (Roberson Wine, South Ken, London): Short, muted ,ligh, dry and on the way down. Disappointing (Andreas 86+ / Nicol 88)
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4/1/2011 - englishman's claret wrote:
From 375ml. Mature robe, brick disc. Very classical nose of currant, cranberry, cedar and cigar; good intensity. Actually reminds me of a younger version of the '66. With air, a bit of barnyard. The palate shows more leather, mineral/beef blood and is perhaps a bit angular - but this too improved with time and evolved into more cigar, chocolate, and lavender notes. Brook writes "herbaceous and peppery" - I suppose I see where he's coming from. Tannic, but I like that. Certainly (like most Barton) more for the classicist's palate. Lovely! Enjoyed this with Rosette de Lyon and a nice cheese after a long week at the hospital. If I had more, I'd drink them soon. This picked up with air and was at its best roughly an hour into the decant. Don't pop and pour.
4-4.5/5
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2/21/2011 - Robert T wrote:
Decanted 1 1/2 hours before drinking absolutely superb taste smell was weak , sorry that these were my last bottles of this.
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1/20/2011 - blanquito wrote:
Impressions on some 2008 Bordeaux (and some '98s and '88s): Pleasant and correct, with some nice mature notes here and there, but overall just good.
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12/31/2010 - IAMVLAD wrote: 93 Points
delicious once a slight metallic nose and taste blew off [5 minutes]. so typical of the vintage. restrained but delicious.
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11/3/2010 - IAMVLAD wrote: 92 Points
wonderful bouquet and taste. plenty of life left. well balanced.
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8/22/2010 - hutch wrote: 91 Points
This opened up beautifully, but started fading quickly after a couple of hours. However, with dinner, it was classic, really well balanced, terrific with the lamb chops, and a great old twenty year wine. The fruit was there, along with subtle earth notes, and the tannins were quite soft. However, when tried after dinner this started bringing on the dead leaf effect, as I call it. The nose turned to actually being unpleasant, but the palate was still interesting. I'd drink this up if you've got it.
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6/21/2010 - Hodby wrote: 87 Points
Medium red. Somewhat an austere nose of herbs, pencil lead, cranberry, old leather coat. We nursed this through a long dinner watching the Lakers win their title, but the wine provoked little comment and little interest but at night's end it was gone with no complaint. A very decent Bordeaux for it's $16.95 asking price on release. Bottle #5 of six.
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4/3/2010 - phornby wrote: 89 Points
For this wine, from our cellar, at this stage, the sweet spot seems to be two hours of air. The wine was mature and delicious, with maybe a little loss of intensity. Going downhill after three hours.
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9/29/2009 - nskelsey wrote: 91 Points
Notes not taken at time but was part of a meal that included the 1990, 1989 and 1988 Barton. This wine had a wonderfully evocative traditional nose of cedar, blackcurrant and leather. On this showing it is fully mature but should still be drinking well for another 10 years or so. Came a close second to the 1990, but would choose this for drinking now as consuming the '90 is a bit like infanticide.
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9/20/2009 - phornby wrote: 87 Points
Little disappointing. We opened and decanted four hours before dinner. There was a slight vegetal hint on the nose, but the palate was better. The fruit was more in the background, and while there was good balance, there wasn't the complexity and structure I was hoping for. We left the last glass for another two hours, by which time it had gone. Next time, we'll give it only an hour of air and see how that works. The 1989's and 1990's (Pichon-Baron, Pavie, Ducru-Beaucaillou) have benefited from 4-6 hours of air, but not this wine.
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9/9/2009 - stromlaw wrote: 92 Points
Wonderful ripe fruit, mature. Decanted for about 30 minutes. So good we opened another.
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8/21/2009 - ingar wrote: 90 Points
De siste årgangene koster koster over $600 på polet og 88 er vel ikke noe dårligere enn 04 og 06. Flasken hadde holdt seg bra og leverte et fint "gjensyn" med den gangen man drakk bordeaux.
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8/7/2009 - darvid wrote:
Mint-looking bottle acquired from an LA retail shop. Decanted for about half an hour. Smells like the perfect embodiment of 1988 St. Julien. All tasters agreed this seems exactly a point. Fresh, vibrant fruit just easing into early middle age with smoke, herbs, minerals, and that lovely marine quality that left-bank Bordeaux can produce when it hasn't been overextracted or soaked in oak. Finishes in four-part harmony. I'm a walking cliche, but I paired this with RN74's rib-eye with lardons, leeks, carrots, and bone-marrow bordelaise.
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5/30/2009 - winot wrote: 94 Points
Lovely carmine/bricky colour, medium deep, and a classic nose of pencil shavings, cassis, tobacco leaf - smooth, superbly balanced palate with cedar, blackcurrant and cherry, very food-friendly with excellent supporting acidity and great length - 12.0% alcohol - great, vinous wine, a pleasure to drink.
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3/4/2009 - SMills wrote: 93 Points
Leoville Barton delights once again with a classic claret that has it all. Lovely nose of spice, smoke and cassis leads on to a palate that is full but with wonderful balance. This wine really makes you think with its elegance but suprising presence. As claret should be, drinking well now, but good for 5-10 years.
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11/22/2008 - Zweder wrote: 90 Points
Regular dinner group (@ JvT Mature Bordeaux.): Creamy, round and friendly bouquet with cherries. Some pepper. Still youthful. Good balance. Not extremely complex.
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7/24/2008 - chbeaumont wrote: 95 Points
Darker than '89 & '90; initial whiff of capsicum (which never really goes away), fragrant, lead pencils, classic claret; clean, vibrant, racy, but also fleshy. Some tannin on a firm, understated, fine finish. 18 & a pleasant surprise. Today on a par with 1989/90
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7/23/2008 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
Quite fresh and energetic, stacked with cassis and fresh cedar notes. A little compact and linear but a very refreshing and enjoyable mid-weight Bordeaux.
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3/12/2008 - wineamateur wrote: 90 Points
Jeroboam Club: Ch. Leoville Barton Vertical (Averys, Bristol): Medium plum red, hints of maturity. Forward chunky and a bit green; strong whiff of tobacco leaf; but also some elegant, if restrained cassis and blueberry fruit. Round attractive and assertive on the palate; a nicely balanced and flavoursome wine; redcurrant fruit (but more sweetness than that suggests); chunky tannins but finishes well. Nice now, but will go on, though perhaps has less class than the very top vintages of this wine.
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1/12/2008 - zovizule wrote:
Decanted for about an hour and a half before dinner. Initially a bit tannic and lean, it rounded out nicely to be a very nice dinner wine. No big wow factor but excellent with dinner and seemed to have plenty of life lift.
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10/22/2007 - redders wrote: 89 Points
colour still quite red/black , not much sign of maturity, nose reluctant at first but developed over time, understated and elegant, cool, good mouthfeel still some unresolved tannins but enough fruit underneath, very clean , decent legth. Lovely claret from a cool vintage yet to hit its peak. Will improve for 5 years and last another 10.
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9/23/2007 - tomred wrote: 92 Points
Roast Beef dinner with my son and his wife. Decanted for 2 hours, Soft, warm, rich nose, Black fruits - Cherry's, Blackberry, Plums, hedge rows. Soft silky entry, flavours explode in the mouth, whole well integrated, yet multy-layered, hint of tannin in the middle that is more pronounced in the finish. Just about approaching it's peak, will continue to improve over the next couple of years
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9/16/2007 - kevin h wrote: 87 Points
Very ordinary on opening. It developed a bit after a couple of hours in the decanter. Approaching maturity, brick red rim, nose was rather subdued, a little green/minty and with no St Julien fruity charm or cedar. Dry, tannic wine, some fruit lurking in the background but it didn't really want to show itself. Needs plenty of air and then only shows as a modest food wine.
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6/3/2007 - A&C wrote: 91 Points
This had a great texture. A signature bordeaux nose. A great pairing with the wonderful food prepared by great friends. Showing some signs of age, but still some room to age. The bordeaux nose and the great texture are the defining features. Thanks Mike & Trina.
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4/14/2007 - Zweder wrote: 88 Points
An easy afternoon with close friends. 2007-02: Bordeaux: St. Julien & Pessac. (@ BV): Carmine. First old cheese, later red fruits in the bouquet. The taste is juicy with some strawberry, red cherries and later artificial raspberry sweetness. Butter and a fair amount of acidity. Drying tannin in the finish. Strange wine. In the beginning it gives a “too old” impression, but later it presents itself better.
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4/3/2007 - NittanyLion wrote:
Great nose out of the gate. Showed very well, nicely balanced.
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1/9/2007 - Wine Bill wrote: 90 Points
Soft, elegant, nice bitterness. Still young and having a future of at least 2 – 4 years.
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1/8/2007 - Claret wrote: 89 Points
Nice, soft claret. Complex, with some barnyard on the nose. Summer fruits with subtle oak. Long finish.
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1/6/2007 - jkoenen wrote: 88 Points
Bordeaux 1989 (and the rest...) @ Peter V. (Netherlands): Reticent. Licquor-like too. Cooked veggies, opens a little moldy but, after aeration, young and somewhat candy-like fruit merges out of the glass. 16.5/20
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12/4/2006 - Spencer wrote: 90 Points
More youthful than the last bottle I had, with surprising grip and depth. Very nice.
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12/4/2006 - ERoss wrote: 93 Points
Leoville Barton Vertical; 12/4/2006-12/5/2006 (Spencer's): Very enticing notes of dark flowers, pencil lead, and tobacco. Tart red fruits dominate the flavor profile, with a crisp, well-defined finish.
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7/15/2006 - andrewstevenson.com wrote: 92 Points
Vintage Pairs Offline (Caldesi, London): Fresh flowers on the nose with some meatiness, a hint of volatility and a hint of cassis. Really nice on the palate. This is almost ready, almost à point. Really rather good. Classic claret. Very Good Indeed/Excellent. 92/100
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3/11/2006 - TheGreenFrog wrote: 86 Points
OK: nothing nasty about it but it is a pretty simple wine as far as L-Bs go. Drink up. In all the 1988 has been disappointing. Anthony Barton confirmed to me as much (not quite in those terms!) when I spoke to him at a tasting three days after polishing off my last bottle.
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11/4/2005 - Spencer wrote: 89 Points
Surprisingly mature, but balanced and complex. Drink up.
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5/23/2005 - andrewstevenson.com wrote: 91 Points
The Wine Society: 1855 - Celebrating the Bordeaux Classifications (Lancaster): Good colour: mature with no hint of bricking. Perfumed blackcurrant nose with a hint of sour cherries and plums. Very pure on the attack. Very light, perfumed flavours. Very elegant. The tannins build as the wine stays in the mouth, but it remains a very very soft and the fruit returns on the finish with quite a flourish. Very Good Indeed +.
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2/9/2005 - Jeff W wrote:
Linden vertical.
Mid ruby. Medium bodied, with soft fruit. Long with soft tannins. Quite approachable.
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3/7/2004 - Zweder wrote: 90 Points
Special Bordeaux tasting for a group that wanted to taste mature wines (@ Klap by AS and me): Beautiful bouquet with vanilla, cherries and ripe red berries. Same impressions on the palate. Very harmonious wine with good acidity and tannin.
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11/29/2003 - Zweder wrote: 88 Points
Creamy, fresh red! fruits as well as dark. A lot of vanilla. Well integrated wood. (info; this bottle was stored too warm for many years.)
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7/11/2003 - tendring wrote:
1988 Claret (29 Cloister Road): Wonderful complexity on the nose.
Fruit and tannins, youthful, needs more age.
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2/9/2003 - Henman wrote:
N: restrained,a little oak.
P: berries,cassis,acidic,lively,oaky.
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6/2/1999 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 92 Points
Rich and stylish nose, new oak, fabulous red fruit, cedar and pencil lead; elegant, medium weight, lovely balance; long. Stylish classic claret. Now - 2015.
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6/5/1991 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 84 Points
1988 Bordeaux Tasting (Lafayette, Ca.): Nose of black berry, nice fruit, started veggie on nose and palate, long finish with small amount of harsh tannins and bark. My #4 and Group #4.
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