January 27, 2024 - Liquorice and cigar box on the nose; some green pepper and tomato leaf to follow. Palate is long and cool fruited. With air some leatheriness develops, possibly something a little lactic too. A little shorter than other bottles which were from a different case.
January 2, 2024 - I know that the year 2001 wasn't so good vintage in St. Julian, but on the other hand because of that I could afford to buy this 3rd Growth Classé wine. Let's make it simple and straight. With each sip the wine is fruitier, fuller, more ripe. The texture is thicker, the balance is much better. But let's start from incredible smell. Foreground - tobacco and leather. Background - black cherry and blackcurrant. That's it? Well, basically, from my limited wine experience - yes. But symmetry, balance and clarity are amazing. The smell is addictive, mesmerizing, and narcotics.
How about the taste?
Black berry, blackcurrant, red currant. Long finish with spice, red currant, red cherry, milk chocolate (!). Nice acidity and tannins.
The third glass and the wine has the same aromas and flavors, but much, much stronger!
And the finish is longer.
CS - 70%
M- 20%
CF - 10%
12.5% ABV!
2001 in St. Julien was a classical vintage, more tannic than 2000 and with a long cellaring capacity.
88 points according to the WA Vintage Guide.
Vinous - 93
WA - 93
WS - 92
WE - 92
JS - 92
Jeff Leve - 91
W&S - 90
August 23, 2023 - Classic pencil box and cassis - a lovely wine but the funk over the top really pulls it back. Pretty sure this is brett - this wine was in a pretty warm flat for the past 9 months, starting me wondering about the finishing temperature for these older wines...
June 19, 2023 - A really good showing today. Big classic nose, blackcurrant, pastille, touch of cassis, graphite. Quite full bodied in the mouth, still elegant with the graphite keeping all in check. Long Cabernet finish with still some grip on show. Classic, lovely with Lamb. I think still a couple more years to come here (having rested in my cold cellar 15 years) then along plateau ahead.
December 24, 2022 - Texbook mature claret, all pencil shavings, cassis, red fruits. Soft tannins, very long. Drinking perfectly now.
December 20, 2022 - Excellent. Dark smoky blackcurrant, cedar, marmite, in a very fragrant but deep register. Similarly deep and satisfying on the palate, good freshness, and a fair amount of tannin remaining. This is still pretty youthful but drinking extremely well.
October 30, 2022 - Fully mature, cedar notes, plenty of tertiary flavours, subdued fruit. Perfect now and drink soon.
February 9, 2022 - Agree with the previous notes. Nice mature Bordeaux in a good place tonite. Popped and poured tableside,cork did crumble at the business and so had it sieved into a decanter. A bit tight on its initial offering. Eventually opened up with dark black fruits and earthy tones. Tobacco, cedar very nice palate, front to back. Nice mouthfeel. Tannins present but just enough to give it good structure. Good with food. Looking forward to my 2000 and my ‘99 versions. Drink now with a short decant or hold.
December 15, 2021 - Inspired by other notes and a rather good Leoville-Barton 01 recently I thought this should be in a good place, and it really delivered. Classic claret from the off, cedar, cigar box, decent fruit still as well, makes me want to drink more Bordeaux
November 15, 2021 - Neil’s Langoa Barton @ Hawksmoor (Hawksmoor, Guildhall): Classic claret. Similar to the 2000, trading a little density of fruit for immediate resolution and smoothness. Finer tannins too. Splendid now but with time the 2000 should pull ahead. ****1/2