out of a half bottle.... pretty flat, I would imagine a 750ml or large format would be in a better place right now. On the nose it's pretty classic but the mid palate and finish and underwhelming.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
At Boston Wine & Poker, Needham, Mass.: Tasted blind. Smells a bit like birthday cake. Quite tannic, with a slight metallic edge. Cherry fruit. It's not a young wine, but it needs more time.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is my third encounter with the 2005 Léoville Barton over the past 5 years and I'd say it's been interesting to watch it evolve, but perhaps it's more true to say that I've watched it remain amazingly static! Though the 2005 only saw 60% new oak, it's always seemed very oaky to me. For the first two hours in the decanter, it's positively shrouded in it. Yet after that, the oak seems to fade into the background, revealing a low-keyed nose of blueberry, blackberry, and lavender, augmented by pencil and ash on the palate. This continues to show relatively well over the course of the day but flags a bit the following day, retaining its taciturn personality all the while (this is a particularly reserved rendition of Léoville Barton and one of the more reticent St. Juliens of the vintage). With the appointment of François Brehant as technical director in 2008, the estate has been on a role. Perhaps the 2005 will end up in the pantheon of recent greats from this estate, but it's not obviously the case at the moment.
73.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 0.5% Cabernet Franc brought in between September 20-30. 13% ABV.
Deep red color. Still a little tough on the entry. Slightly closed dark fruit, cedar bouquet. A little backward, but shows nice cassis flavor. Surprisingly soft for the vintage. It nevertheless possesses moderate tannins in the aftertaste. As is typical with quality Haut Medocs from the 2005 vintage, it’s still developing and will improve with additional aging. 5 hour decant.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Professional reviews have copyrights and you can view them here for your personal use only as private content. To view pro reviews you must either subscribe to a pre-integrated publication or manually enter reviews below. Learn more.
(Château Léoville Barton) Dark black red violet color; cassis and sandalwood nose; rich, velvety, with tart red fruit and plum, structured; medium-plus finish
(Château Léoville Barton) Super dark black violet color; sandalwood, oak nose; rich, velvety, tart red fruit and plum palate, structured; medium-plus finish 91+ pts.
NOTE: Some content is property of Decanter and Vinous and JancisRobinson.com and The WINEFRONT and Winedoctor and RJonWine.com.
3/15/2024 - ajrez Does not like this wine: 86 Points
out of a half bottle.... pretty flat, I would imagine a 750ml or large format would be in a better place right now. On the nose it's pretty classic but the mid palate and finish and underwhelming.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/14/2024 - ayalao3 wrote: 94 Points
93-94. In its drinking window showing fruit and some tertiary elements seem to creep in. Read Englishman Claret’s note.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
2/13/2024 - talbot61 wrote:
At Boston Wine & Poker, Needham, Mass.: Tasted blind. Smells a bit like birthday cake. Quite tannic, with a slight metallic edge. Cherry fruit. It's not a young wine, but it needs more time.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/4/2024 - englishman's claret wrote: 93 Points
This is my third encounter with the 2005 Léoville Barton over the past 5 years and I'd say it's been interesting to watch it evolve, but perhaps it's more true to say that I've watched it remain amazingly static! Though the 2005 only saw 60% new oak, it's always seemed very oaky to me. For the first two hours in the decanter, it's positively shrouded in it. Yet after that, the oak seems to fade into the background, revealing a low-keyed nose of blueberry, blackberry, and lavender, augmented by pencil and ash on the palate. This continues to show relatively well over the course of the day but flags a bit the following day, retaining its taciturn personality all the while (this is a particularly reserved rendition of Léoville Barton and one of the more reticent St. Juliens of the vintage). With the appointment of François Brehant as technical director in 2008, the estate has been on a role. Perhaps the 2005 will end up in the pantheon of recent greats from this estate, but it's not obviously the case at the moment.
73.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 0.5% Cabernet Franc brought in between September 20-30. 13% ABV.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (4)
1/23/2024 - VinhoVerde Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep red color. Still a little tough on the entry. Slightly closed dark fruit, cedar bouquet. A little backward, but shows nice cassis flavor. Surprisingly soft for the vintage. It nevertheless possesses moderate tannins in the aftertaste. As is typical with quality Haut Medocs from the 2005 vintage, it’s still developing and will improve with additional aging.
5 hour decant.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment