Very dark red color. PNP, drank a glass plus form 375ml over 2.5 hours. Sweet dark fruit nose, pretty cassis notes, menthol, dried spice, dried violets, smoke and a touch of vanilla as this slowly reveals a lovely damp forest floor note. The palate is full and concentrated, cassis, black cherry, dried roses, damp earth, layered and showing round tannins. I still feel there's more to come.
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Coravin fun - Bordeaux (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. A little yeast extract, touch of fruit tea, very slight herbal note, pretty, jubey black fruits, sweet spice. That jubey fruit translates to the palate joined by fine textured tannic grip which persist, a little white pepper and sweet spice join on the long finish. Nice.
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Full and classic left bank nose. Black currant, cedar and ink. Powerful, pure and clean. Developed notes of sweet tobacco. What's not to like? Medium-fullish, fullish palate. Very good balance. Some hints of sourness detracts. But very, very classic and austere. Cedar, black currant, gravel. So elegant, so polished. From now and at least 10 years.
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This is a solid young wine. Deep ruby-purple colored with nice fruit & floral notes of plum, cassis, goji berry, raspberry, hibiscus, whiffs of graphite and vanilla. Decanted 4 hours, the texture is dense, silky, full-bodied and polished tannins. Still quite closed and intense at this point, expansive spice aromas on mid-palate telling me this wine will evolve slowly and should come together in the next decade.
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Chateau Leoville Barton 2012 Drink direct from bottle,with few good buddies in HK! Leoville Barton is a classic wine, with rich nose consisting of berries, cherries , red & blue fruits. Slightly old barn, a little earthy, with some sweetnest on the palate, Entry was inviting, firm tannins with balance acidity, slight plummy, rich minerals with multi layers of character uncovered over time. Sufficient long finished, lasted 55 seconds of more. 91+ points. Great value wine? Cheers!
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Ordered at a restaurant as first choice was sold out. Was decanted about 20m prior to beginning and then continued in decanter over the next 90m with short pours occasionally. Generally not enough decant time, I think the wine was still quite closed and the tannins pretty in your face. Paired well enough with a nice steak and has some nice complexity, but I'll be holding my cellar bottles another few years before coming back to this vintage for an update.
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13% ABV. Deep ruby appearance. Coravin pour, 20 min of air in glass.
Notes of cassis, blackberry, sweet tobacco, leather, clove, graphite, and hints of dusty barnyard. Medium density on the palate. Nice, lifting acidity. Tannins still grippy but can be overcome with a healthy decant or pairing with food. Pesistent length of finish.
Leoville Barton is as classic and consistent of a Left Bank Bordeaux producer that you can get in my opinion. I'm not usually blown away, but I'm also almost never disappointed - LBs are generally layered, balanced, and express a sense of place that I always look for. Probably best to let this cellar a few more years for those that like their tannins more rounded and tertiaries to further emerge, but personally, I wouldn't hesitate to pop this open now.
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Tasted alongside 2009 Langoa and preferred this wine style more than the Leoville which was more cab dominant and still so much structure and heavy tannins so needs much longer to soften. Good wine still
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In a great drinking window at the moment. Decanted for about 2 hours, drank over 2 hours. Got better and better with every sip. I have one bottle left and will probably revisit in another 5 years.
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Elegant nose, minty chocolate, cassis and hints of toasted spices. Palate is rich and smooth on a medium-bodied structure. Polished and clean from entry to finish. Finish just a touch lighter given the nose. Ready to drink immediately.
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2012 Bordeaux After One Decade (Los Olivos, CA): Somewhat of a crowd-pleaser, very much open and flashing plenty of ripe fruit, but i felt it lacked typicity and came off as somewhat generic, no sense of place. The wine shut down after thirty minutes, so perhaps more bottle age will help.
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Decanter Fine Wine Encounter (The Landmark, London): Oh hello classic Claret! Wild blackcurrant, cedar, slight Autumn leaves, fresh earth, saddle leather…Equally wonderfully yummy on the palate - fresh acidity, tooled but drying tannins with a leathery note, wild dark fruits, a sense of coolness and balance, tertiary characteristics lend complexity. Glorious.
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Was a little hesitant to pop the cork on this one but so glad I did. This ‘12 is in a great early stage of development and absolutely ready to drink. Very intense and concentrated nose full of classic cassis and blackberry aromas with tons of graphite pencil, cedar box, roasting herbs, gravel, old leather and woodsmoke. Medium to full bodied on the palate with a great line of acidity and softened, but present tannins. The finish is easily into the 45 second range. Decanted for about 4 hours prior to drinking, but probably wasn’t necessary (half that would have been fine). A really enjoyable Barton and should be in a good spot for another 7-10 with room to grow. .
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No decant. Violet nose. Black and blue diminished fruits, plum. Medium bodied and balanced. Initially seemed to lack stuffing mid-palate but filled out in subsequent glasses. Smooth and mild with integrated tannins and a medium length finish. Better second day. Recommend a couple hours of air time before consumption.
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Fruit is down to just a strong Boysenberry aroma with leather and cigar box. Tannins are almost fine but at least they are smooth enough. Acid is medium minus with a nice length on the finish. Drink this now if you like having some primary fruit left. Don’t wait any longer
After an hour or more fruit was completely gone
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Sweet spice and blueberry on the nose, ripe but fresh cedar and blackfruits on the palate with silky tannins, medium finish.
Wine of the Weekend 🏆 Complex, refined.. just wonderful! Much more approachable then the 2014 we popped at Cilantro some months ago.. Guess the slow drinking, and perhaps the cool 22C weather helped!
Bottle 18 of 23, at our Genting Sempah early birthday staycation. Thanks @Joe Yee Wong bro for thoughtfully bringing a Saint-Julien along, my namesake.. my 48th birthday!
Malaysia - 10 Jul 2022
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Intoxicating nose dominates by blueberry and funnily rubber/petrol in a positive way. Succulent aristocracy and unmistakably St-Julien Grand Cru with layers of fine tannins and scorched earth profile - the balance between sweet / vanilla / oak flavors and the acidity is spectacular. Palate starts to develop creaminess after 2 hours of aeration. I am sure this will even improve with time but will have a hard time getting my hands off our remaining bottles.
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Coravin fun - Leoville Barton; 3/8/2022-3/15/2022 (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. blackcurrant and brambles, plums, sweet spice, a little meaty note, a sense of roundness, a touch of mint and minerality. With agitation the fruit get's a jubey/lozenge note which lends prettiness to the nose, smidge of star anise here as well. In the mouth there is a slight sourness to the black fruits which lends some tarty piquancy, tannins are floury textured and feel dialled down to match to the weight of the fruit. Medium plus length. Hmm.
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Bordeaux 2012 - 10 Years On - 33 Reds: All wines tasted blind. Not decanted. A few observations: 1) 2012 is a good quality vintage without the depth/length of great vintages. Still, one of the better “off-vintages”. 2) Many but not all wines are drinking well today. They are generally open, round and fleshed out. 3) Further cellaring is advised as there are hardly any tertiary aromas yet and that extra complexity will render the wines more interesting. The wines generally have the structure and fruit to age gracefully. 4) The level of ripeness/alcohol are not a concern (09, 10, 15, 18 have more problems in that area). 5) Left bank (avg. 92.2 pts) beats right bank (91.0) (group has right bank a notch ahead). The overall group avg. score is at a good 92.1, but unsurprisingly below past retrospectives of better vintages (00, 09, 10). 6) There are highlights on both sides: my best wines today were Ausone (96 pts), Mouton (96), Cheval (95) and Margaux (95).
TN: This is medium expressive on the nose and palate with some coffee, toast, dark and blue fruit. Fine structure with round tannins, good freshness. Overall quite good. Probably slightly drying towards the finish. Usually I like Leoville Barton a bit more than this. Probably not their most successful vintage or a bad bottle. 91/92 pts.
Decanting: I would give this two hours of air.
Group rank: Shared 16th out of 33 reds Group average score: 91.8
More information, vintage comparisons, top and worst 10 list, appellation rankings from the group in the story link.
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Bordeaux 2012 10 years on tasting: A 2012 Bordeaux vintage horizontal hosted by a private collector. Main observations were: 1/ Left bank beats right bank thanks to Paulliac, St Estèphe and Margaux, 2/ (over-)extraction was a frequent issue, making this a vintage where winemaking decisions and skill mattered, 3/ as such, unsurprisingly, first growths and right bank equivalents clearly outperformed the pack, 4/ highlights were Ausone (97) followed by Cheval Blanc, Mouton, Pichon Lalande (all 96), 5/ the lowlight was an over-extracted Pape Clement (88). Complete ranking and additional observations included in the tasting story.
Tasting note: A bit of barnyard, leather, cherry and plum, maybe also some iodine. An intense vegetal layer pierces through the bouquet - reminding me more of Poyferré actually. Fruit-forward palate, well-integrated tannin, fresh but lacking layers and complexity - although I have to admit I did enjoy the purity. Not among the best of what Barton has to offer.
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No shortage of richness here, offering ripe red cherry, cedar, smoke, and a horsey touch. Cherry, beef blood, cedar, and horse follow on the palate. This finishes long for a difficult vintage. Perhaps a little chunky, but satisfying and classic. 89-91
Commanderie de Bordeaux - Leoville Barton/Satorious Zoom Tasting: Small pour for a winemaker tasting - PnP but waited about 30 mins for wine to aerate in the glass. This wine was a little disappointing given its pedigree. Not sure if it needs more time or is a reflection of the vintage. Nose was slightly muted (compared to the 17, and certainly other vintages of LB). Palate showed a nice amount of fruit, but as another taster noted, it was slightly overshadowed by the oak. The wine also showed a nice earthiness that reflects St Julien. I suspect this wine needs more time to come together. 91 today, but lots of upside potential.
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I agree with the comment that in a not so good a year as 2012, the amount of oak is too much and overshadows the fruit. I would give this 5 years to resolve the oak and drink 2026-31.
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Deep ruby, very young. Some milky tones, a bit towards caramel, but an underlying fruit towards blackberries. Round fruit on the first attack, fine tannins, fine acidity, sweet fruit through the whole curve. Fine tannins dominate the finish that is a bit dry, and there are also green tones at the final combined with a mint-jelly tone that is more reminiscent of a Chilean cabernet. A somewhat uninteresting version of the chateau. There is a slight hint of alcohol at the end. 86-87
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Tasted over two days. This understated vintage, in no way the equal of 2008 or 2014, continues to impress.
This wine reminds me of what I most love about Léoville Barton, its terroir, and what most drives me nuts about the house style, the oak regimen does not change from vintage to vintage.
So much oak on the first day, on the nose and palate, including the sensation of needing to dig splinters out of my tongue, that the experience proved at least as frustrating as satisfying. The wine showed better on the second day, as the oak had receded somewhat, allowing the terroir to impart its captivating effect. And still...Damn that heavy-handed oak treatment!!!
Léoville Barton juice can handle the oak in robust years, which many pros regard as off vintages, the previously noted '08 and '14, for example, and in great vintages, notably '05 and '10, but in all other vintages, including the elegant ones, such as '15, the oak overpowers all else.
This wine will likely wrap up its evolution over the next three to five years and hold for three to five years thereafter. Drink by 2027-2030.
Second time with this vintage and this time a lot more concentation, yet open in a way one would never expect a wine from this producer to be.
This keeps improving and it also seems to have a lot in store. Finalized the bottle after 4 days and also decanted 2-3 hours. A good wine, but will it ever be great?
Previosly 2003, 2005 and 2012 from this chateau.
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Virtual tasting hosted by proprietors Lilian and Damien Barton Sartorius. Two different vintages each of Mauvesin Barton (2014, 2016), Langoa Barton (2009, 2015) and Léoville Barton (2012, 2017) were presented. Needless to say the Léovilles outshone the others, although the Mauvesin 2016 showed a really respectable performance.
Tasting note Already showing nicely aged flavours of leather and earth, a lovely blue fruit profile and dried herbs and elements of spice. Drinking wonderfully right now, round and juicy. Even though it feels younger than it is, soft tannins provide for a balanced palate.
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Beautifully fresh cassis nose and palate. Ash and smoke from top half of the glass. Some Bret in first half hour, dissipated nearly completely in 2hrs. Tannins seemed fruit driven and rather fine on gums. ~ Body med+, acid balanced, alc seemed lowish, and as expected def dry. ~ 83% CS 15% M 2% CF ~
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Coravin fun - Leoville Barton and new arrivals (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. Pretty, jubey, black and red berry fruit, blackcurrant, raspberry, sweet plums, very pretty fruit nose. With time a touch of fresh sweat, cedar. In the mouth it's much of a muchness with the nose, black and red fruits, sweet spice, the subdued oak does lend a little astringency on the finish. Tannins are chalky and drying but very much playing a supporting role. Long. Elegant. Lovely.
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Coravin fun - Red Burgundy new arrivals (My place, Kent Street): Blackcurrant, brambles, black cherry, plums - plenty of friendly fruit, cream, cedar, touches of pyrazine. Juicy, pretty though savoury fruit matches the nose, grainy, drying tannins, woody notes on teh palate as well. Very Bordeaux, very claret in fact. Lovely, young but approachable, balanced.
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WOTN... Lovely nose pnp (from a 375ml btl). Slightly funky nose with casis. So rich and smooth. A young wine yet so balanced now. Tasted over 11/2 + hours. 2012 may be an interesting vintage to pursue. Parker rated 2012 as 92 points and early maturing; right on.
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Spring Fishing (The Ranch, WI): Very dark red/purple color. PNP, from 375ml; drank 2 glasses over 2 hours. This was the surprise of the night and also my WOTN. The nose was open and filled with a perfume of wild violets, cassis and mulberry, and pencil. The palate is full bodied, poised, with silky tannins and a gorgeous core of cassis and dark berry fruit. The wood is already softening and everything comes together with balance and purity in this young LB. Frankly I'm pretty surprised how well this drank at this stage. No reason to hide these if you've got a few. This has got long term upside for sure. 93(+)pts.
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This was showing great so far. Decanted about an hour and it really needs it to soften the still dominant tannins. But you have some green notes (at first I thought from cab franc or PV) that may just be 2012. Quite a bit of pyrazines on the nose actually, so bear that in mind. Pasty dark fruit, not too much plumminess, with still firm tannins. This will be long lived and somewhat classic. I’ll bet you can find a good deal in 15 years when it peaks
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Decanted ~4 hours before pouring. This wine presented very well with just classic Bordeaux characteristics. Firm acidity, medium tannin, and an array of black fruits. Oak is very well integrated, and pyrazines are prominent. Not quite showing signs of development, so I expect this will gain complexity with additional time - but is providing pleasure today as well.
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Deep red and clear - no different rim color. Leather, coffee, toasted wood, red and dark forest berries and flower - roses. Balanced mouth feel and leaves a long dry delicious aftertase. Needs time to open up. This is drinking well already. Half body - missing volume and body.
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From Coravin. Much of muchness with the 2011 though more sweetly spiced and the fruit more to the fore with a ripe rhubarb underpin. Juicy, generously fruity, underpinned by warming, sweet spice, tannins are slightly floury and drying. Nice.
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2018 Bordeaux tasting event (Stockholm): Graphite and cassis. Soft and a bit inky. Light vintage that leaves a cool impression. Tannins still unresolved but still I felt this is in a good place for drinking now.
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Absolutely beautiful aroma, almost wanted to just keep smelling than actually drink. Tannins are still pretty astringent and more time is needed, but a long decant can still bring out a beautiful wine.
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MNB: Left Bank Bdx Communes (Home (Noe st)): (blind) Medium plus ruby, ruby rim. Bretty nose (manure, dog, clove), with medium bell pepper - pyrazines. Some slightly aged black and plum fruit - soft. Dry, 13.5% alcohol, elevated acid, high tannins - chewy. Medium plus finish - low intensity blackcurrant, brett and medium pyrazines. Given the rusticity, and slight diluteness/plumminess of fruit. 60 cab, 40% merlot:
From 375. 45 min decant. Deep ruby. A low key, straight forward nose of black currant, wet gravel, licorice and earth. Medium body with an understated approach. Chewy tannins with a little bitterness on the back end.
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Coravin fun - Old new and new old arrivals: From Coravin. Initially cherry then pyrazine and plan chocolate the clay, savoury and slightly dusty Indian spice - almost a little turmeric and star anise - with some plummyness. On the palate that cherry and plum but with a growing blackcurrant joining in on the chorus. The other aromas on the nose provide support. Tannins are drying and flour textured and the plain chocolate note is more prevalent on the finish. Still very young but shows promise.
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Very much in a 'classic' style, this isn't rich or even powerful, but it is dense and pure. Lovely creamy fruit, statuesque almost. Hints of roasted meats and camphorous herbs, there is something quite linear here. It shows its youth, but does open up. A really lovely claret that delivers a lot of pleasure even if it doesn't reach the heady heights better vintages can.
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Already open for business. Easy going classic nose with blackcurrant, menthol, licorice and wood. Similar on palate, classic Leoville Barton but in an easy going style. Nicely dry finish. Mid to light weight but easy drinking right now. It did put on some weight and flavour intensity over the course of a day in the decanter. Still easy drinking and medium-lightweight but lovely flavour and a bit more structure and moved my score up to 90 from 88.
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Tasted next to the gorgeous 2015 this is more restrained and grippy, the structure more present. Good fruit, fresh and lively. A little drying towards the vibrant, mineral finish. 91-92+
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A beautiful showing for a great estate in a tough year. Certainly no blockbuster, though it does not lack for appeal. In particular, there is an elegance to the wine's relative leanness, which commands attention and provides deep satisfaction. Well structured and deftly balanced, with medium plus acid and dusty tannins. Already showing well, and it will continue to integrate. It should last for fifteen plus years. Among the best 93 point wines I have had. Many thanks OD.
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Drank over 3 days. Classic Bordeaux bouquet.Prettiness and elegance continues on day 1 and 2. Much broader and masculine on day 3. Black current, cassis, mint, cedar, graphite. Good tannin structure..some oak imparted. Mint and cedar most prevalent on 3rd day. Tasted w Motz on day 2. He brought up the point that Leoville does not change oak treatment regardless of vintage. Oak is more prevalent on this vintage. With that said..my score says 93 but my enjoyment factor and wine nerve penetration scores much higher.
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A Leoville Barton which is young and yet open? Fruit forward and a bit sweet as there is a fair amount of cabernet franc in this wine. Light to medium bodied and lacking the concentration found both in the 2003 and the 2005. 2012 is a wine to drink today, while waiting for better vintages to mature.
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Pitch black color with a dark garnet edge. Dark fruits with mild graphite and some lactic notes from the new oak. Fleshy palate with thick but pasty tannins, classic mouthwatering acidity with spicy black fruits with some oak char. Long finish with austere fruit and oak. Reminds one of why this estate makes such time worthy wines.
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We find this just delicious. Had steak tonight, but this is too good to drink with food, so had it before they were done, and saved the rioja for the meal. A bit expensive at $85, compared to $30 for the 2009 montecilla rioja, but one of the few wines I will pay that for, if only occasionally. does not have the depth or interest of a good pauillac or the refinement of a lagrange, but those are either more expensive or not available in my restricted market. For someone who gets by on penner ash pinot noir, montecilla rioja reserva, and argiano brunello, this is the peak of enjoyment. recommended, if you like the taste of richness.
well the second one we tried a few months later was less impressive.
edit: the one tonight, 2 years later, in sept 2019, is still quite young but delicious and potent. recommended, but it is now $100, so still quite overpriced. This makes me want to look again at wines I previously thought overpriced, like Andrew Will Sorella at $83.
added in Nov. 2019: Price just went up locally to $130, so completely out of reasonable range for this wine for me, even though good.
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deep dark burgundy red, medium clarity, burgundy hue Nose: cassis, plum, wet earth, cola, tobacco, cigar, stem, green pepper, white pepper, cedar, oak Pal: cassis, plum, wet earth, tobacco, cigar, silver, cola, green pepper, white pepper, cedar, oak Feel: medium, full, savory, acidic Finish: medium, long T8
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Vertical tasting at home - 1989, 1996, 2005, 2012. The group rated this as the third out of four for the night. Color of dark medium red. Scents of pronounced red fruits. Tastes were consistent with scents, with medium acidity and comparatively heavy tannins making it have a drier and more gripping mouthfeel. Not bad, just early.
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Hmm, I really wanted to love this wine as I have been a long term fan of the winery. Yet, this bottle shows all the elements of the 1995 vintage....
The wine opens with good cedar aroma and flavor with a nose of red currant. However, the mid palate is shallow. I just don't see the depth to age this over decades and feel the wine is too frail for long term collaring. Drink now or thru 2025.
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MW Institute 2012 Bordeaux Tasting: Blackberry, pencil shavings, slate and spice. The palate has plenty of freshness and decent length, it's good but it is far from convincing in terms of depth and interest.
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A lazy saturday afternoon (Eric&Megan's, Chicago IL): Nose: The nose is well balanced and regal with dark red cherries, cassis, cedar notes, pencil lead, leather, tobacco, and some cranberries. There is excellent depth with the nose just holding back a slight bit right now.
Taste: Medium/full bodied with medium acidity and medium+ tannins. The tannins are youthful, but silky with the feel showing a refined sense backed up with dark red cherries, cassis, cedar tones, tobacco, and cranberries.
Overall: This is a lovely, young Leoville-Barton. It needs a good 5+ years to start to fully show itself. But, it's excellent now with some air.
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Dinner at Eric's (Chicago, IL): How interesting to revisit this after UGC a few years ago. I must say, having reread my note, that the oak certainly has integrated well; this doesn't strike me as particularly oaky any more (though it's certainly still there). The nose, though, shows a little bit of volatility and there's a touch of balsamic here. Not much pyrazine or green to give this lift. Mostly a dark-fruited, but well-restrained bottle of Bordeaux. Easily much more interesting (and better) with more time: check back later.
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Classic, slightly smoky nose, obviously dryer than the Poyferre, but with a bit for a green capsicum edge. Still, a bit more interesting than the Poyferre, even if it is not as immediately charming. Good sweet fruit on the palate but the oak is a touch out of place now and needs time to integrate. I prefer this to the Poyferre.
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Nuanced, classic and quite elegant nose. Dark currant, balanced cedary oak, slightly herbaceous and hint of ink. Fine-tuned and just a hint of toast. Medium-fullish, balanced palate with lifted acidity. A bit subdued. Integrated oak, inky and black currant fruit. Classic and bit herbaceous. A bit course tannins. Lacks a bit intensity and concentration. Better wait for this one. Will be better in 2022+.
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Dark and brooding in the glass. Cedar, cassis, blackcurrant leaf, pepper on the nose. Similar palate, mouth coating ripe tannin, good refreshing acidity. Wonderful! Got a good life ahead
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Quelle bonne bouteille ! Explosif au nez (4h en carafe), idem en bouche ! Complexe, longue finale, pourrait passer pour un LB qui a 10 ans dans le corps. Belle couleur foncée, colle au palais, tannins déjà en train de s'intégrer... Un must à 105$ !
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Gouter en comparaison à Poyferre, ce dernier est bcp superieur à mon gout personnel. Un cabernet à son meilleur cèdre, graphite, fruits rouges, le vin est doté d'un bel équilibre et d'une belle longueur. Un rachat assuré
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MW 2012 Annual Bordeaux Tasting San Francisco, nose of lovely, dark fruit, plum and cherry, touch of saddle leather, same on the palate, atypical Barton that is fairly fruit forward with a small amount of soft tannins, makes this enjoyable to taste today, medium/big body, long finish, needs 3 years in the cellar, medium/long finish hurts the score.
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Encore une belle surprise ce soir. Supérieur à Poyferre. On a le majoritairement Cabernet clairement au nez et en bouche. Un peu de cèdre, betteraves, petits fruits. Bonne longueur et englobe la bouche.
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Encore une fois, wow !! J'ai bien hâte au jour de boire un des grands millésimes de Barton. Le vin est bien équilibré, tout en finesse, on a du cèdre en bouche, du graphite, des petits fruits rouges et foncés. J'adore.
4-4,5/5
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(Decanter FWE 2016) :: A very expressive nose, abundant with floral notes on a background of leather and spice. On the palate, fine tannin work, great freshness and a long finish. Very good.
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1980s Bordeaux at Riverbend (Oregon): Quite surprising how fruit-packed and forward this was. Decanted for 90+ minutes, but didn't really need it. Very primary with the deep dark red and blue fruit effectively masking the tannins and structure. Will be worth waiting to see how this develops; could be a real sleeper if the Barton structure comes out of hiding down the road. 91 for now, but 92+? in future.
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Ce vin est parfait pour vous donnez la piqure de Bordeaux. +- 60% Cab S +- 30% Merlot. Tannins présents mais souples, peu acide. Très généreux au nez, cassis, cèdre, épices et légèrement floral, en bouche, le fruit confit remporte sur le reste, dû à son âge, mais la longueur de ce vin et la finesse de celui-ci annonce une bouteille mémorable lorsqu'elle sera bu à son apogée. Très bon rapport qualité prix.
4/5
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Lords 2015 en primeur tasting. A little lean. Not of the class of the '15 nor a good vintage for St Julien generally. Not ready to drink so may Improve.
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Very traditional nose of leather, cedar, and earth. Has nicely balanced dark fruit on the palate with a mineral stream and finish. Better on the second day. Not very exciting by Barton standards.
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Blind tasting of 2011 and 2012 red Bordeaux. Dark fruit, spices and forest notes on the nose. Grippy on the palate, firm tannins, not much obvious fruit, but a nice mineral streak. Slightly drying finish. Good potential. 91-92+
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Second Sunday Group: 2012 Bordeaux (Mike's): Deep crimson/purple color. Initially quite reticent and muted, this took some time in the glass to open up. Aromas of black raspberry, plum, violets and blackberries. Tannins are dense and chewy; this is one of the bigger wines in the lineup. Black currants, plum, violets, vanilla and dried herb flavors. Lengthy finish. 92-93 pts.
My #3, Domino's #4 Group #5, 51 pts
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2012 UGC Bordeaux Tasting (Palace Hotel, SF): Slight smoky minerality, black fruit, subtle to moderate intensity; palate is full bodied, nice structured tannins, fresh black fruit; medium finish. 91-92
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The Union Des Grand Crus Tasting of the 2012 Vintage-SF. Nose of cigar box, dark fruit, plum and cherry, touch of saddle leather, more of the same on the palate, typical Barton but more fruit forward and only a small amount of soft tannins than usual, medium/big body, long finish, needs 3 years in the cellar, should merit a higher score,
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UGC 2015 (Chicago, IL): Dark fruited and more gravitas than the Langoa. Lots of fresh acidity, this is quite pretty, though I think the oak still could have been dialed down on the finish.
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Reticent aromas of oak, forest and cassis opened to a soft, medium/full-bodied wine dominated by fresh black cherries and cassis. Produced from a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc, the wine will be aged in 60% new French oak. Tannic, but refined, this will need time to come together. 91-93 Pts
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5/8/2024 - ppearson9 wrote: 92 Points
still opening up. shoulda decanted longer.
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12/29/2023 - Ramona on the Rampage wrote: 80 Points
Dissapointing
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9/30/2023 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Such a strong note of cabernet to it. Supple smooth on the palate. So direct, focused, strong cabernet character.
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9/22/2023 - rocknroller wrote: 93 Points
Very dark red color. PNP, drank a glass plus form 375ml over 2.5 hours. Sweet dark fruit nose, pretty cassis notes, menthol, dried spice, dried violets, smoke and a touch of vanilla as this slowly reveals a lovely damp forest floor note. The palate is full and concentrated, cassis, black cherry, dried roses, damp earth, layered and showing round tannins. I still feel there's more to come.
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6/30/2023 - chatters wrote:
Coravin fun - Bordeaux (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. A little yeast extract, touch of fruit tea, very slight herbal note, pretty, jubey black fruits, sweet spice. That jubey fruit translates to the palate joined by fine textured tannic grip which persist, a little white pepper and sweet spice join on the long finish. Nice.
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5/27/2023 - Argrath wrote: 94 Points
Full and classic left bank nose. Black currant, cedar and ink. Powerful, pure and clean. Developed notes of sweet tobacco. What's not to like?
Medium-fullish, fullish palate. Very good balance. Some hints of sourness detracts. But very, very classic and austere. Cedar, black currant, gravel. So elegant, so polished.
From now and at least 10 years.
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5/27/2023 - Winsip wrote: 92 Points
This is a solid young wine. Deep ruby-purple colored with nice fruit & floral notes of plum, cassis, goji berry, raspberry, hibiscus, whiffs of graphite and vanilla. Decanted 4 hours, the texture is dense, silky, full-bodied and polished tannins. Still quite closed and intense at this point, expansive spice aromas on mid-palate telling me this wine will evolve slowly and should come together in the next decade.
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5/6/2023 - vinodc Likes this wine:
Fruit started to show up more after about 5 hours decanting. Day 2 and day 3 much better classic Bordeaux profile with some tertiary showing up day 3.
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4/7/2023 - WK88 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Chateau Leoville Barton 2012
Drink direct from bottle,with few good buddies in HK!
Leoville Barton is a classic wine, with rich nose consisting of berries, cherries , red & blue fruits. Slightly old barn, a little earthy, with some sweetnest on the palate, Entry was inviting, firm tannins with balance acidity, slight plummy, rich minerals with multi layers of character uncovered over time. Sufficient long finished, lasted 55 seconds of more. 91+ points. Great value wine? Cheers!
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4/4/2023 - SeattlePaul wrote: 91 Points
Ordered at a restaurant as first choice was sold out. Was decanted about 20m prior to beginning and then continued in decanter over the next 90m with short pours occasionally. Generally not enough decant time, I think the wine was still quite closed and the tannins pretty in your face. Paired well enough with a nice steak and has some nice complexity, but I'll be holding my cellar bottles another few years before coming back to this vintage for an update.
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3/5/2023 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 92 Points
Académie des Cinquante Tasting and Dinner with the Académie du Vin de Bordeaux (Restaurant Entrepot, Amsterdam, NL): Magnum. Bright, elegant tannins, precise, transparent, light in style but energetic and minerally.
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2/19/2023 - iBurg1229 Likes this wine: 93 Points
13% ABV. Deep ruby appearance. Coravin pour, 20 min of air in glass.
Notes of cassis, blackberry, sweet tobacco, leather, clove, graphite, and hints of dusty barnyard. Medium density on the palate. Nice, lifting acidity. Tannins still grippy but can be overcome with a healthy decant or pairing with food. Pesistent length of finish.
Leoville Barton is as classic and consistent of a Left Bank Bordeaux producer that you can get in my opinion. I'm not usually blown away, but I'm also almost never disappointed - LBs are generally layered, balanced, and express a sense of place that I always look for. Probably best to let this cellar a few more years for those that like their tannins more rounded and tertiaries to further emerge, but personally, I wouldn't hesitate to pop this open now.
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2/13/2023 - Swintonblade Likes this wine: 90 Points
Tasted alongside 2009 Langoa and preferred this wine style more than the Leoville which was more cab dominant and still so much structure and heavy tannins so needs much longer to soften. Good wine still
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12/24/2022 - catowne1 Likes this wine: 93 Points
In a great drinking window at the moment. Decanted for about 2 hours, drank over 2 hours. Got better and better with every sip. I have one bottle left and will probably revisit in another 5 years.
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12/13/2022 - wirelesswine wrote: 92 Points
Similar to prior note, this wine is well structured and still showing strong pyrazine, lots of life left but drinking well now also.
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11/26/2022 - Psdycp wrote: 91 Points
Elegant nose, minty chocolate, cassis and hints of toasted spices. Palate is rich and smooth on a medium-bodied structure. Polished and clean from entry to finish. Finish just a touch lighter given the nose. Ready to drink immediately.
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11/20/2022 - MasterWis Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very good surprise here. Ready to drink and much more depth and intensity with a nice finish bs what I though it would deliver.
Drink and enjoy
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11/9/2022 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 91 Points
2012 Bordeaux After One Decade (Los Olivos, CA): Somewhat of a crowd-pleaser, very much open and flashing plenty of ripe fruit, but i felt it lacked typicity and came off as somewhat generic, no sense of place. The wine shut down after thirty minutes, so perhaps more bottle age will help.
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11/5/2022 - chatters wrote:
Decanter Fine Wine Encounter (The Landmark, London): Oh hello classic Claret! Wild blackcurrant, cedar, slight Autumn leaves, fresh earth, saddle leather…Equally wonderfully yummy on the palate - fresh acidity, tooled but drying tannins with a leathery note, wild dark fruits, a sense of coolness and balance, tertiary characteristics lend complexity. Glorious.
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10/1/2022 - Ryan Whyte Wine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Was a little hesitant to pop the cork on this one but so glad I did. This ‘12 is in a great early stage of development and absolutely ready to drink. Very intense and concentrated nose full of classic cassis and blackberry aromas with tons of graphite pencil, cedar box, roasting herbs, gravel, old leather and woodsmoke. Medium to full bodied on the palate with a great line of acidity and softened, but present tannins. The finish is easily into the 45 second range. Decanted for about 4 hours prior to drinking, but probably wasn’t necessary (half that would have been fine). A really enjoyable Barton and should be in a good spot for another 7-10 with room to grow.
.
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8/12/2022 - mvande21 wrote: 92 Points
No decant. Violet nose. Black and blue diminished fruits, plum. Medium bodied and balanced. Initially seemed to lack stuffing mid-palate but filled out in subsequent glasses. Smooth and mild with integrated tannins and a medium length finish. Better second day. Recommend a couple hours of air time before consumption.
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7/24/2022 - prccap Likes this wine: 91 Points
Fruit is down to just a strong Boysenberry aroma with leather and cigar box. Tannins are almost fine but at least they are smooth enough. Acid is medium minus with a nice length on the finish. Drink this now if you like having some primary fruit left. Don’t wait any longer
After an hour or more fruit was completely gone
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7/10/2022 - Juliansi Likes this wine: 92 Points
Sweet spice and blueberry on the nose, ripe but fresh cedar and blackfruits on the palate with silky tannins, medium finish.
Wine of the Weekend 🏆 Complex, refined.. just wonderful! Much more approachable then the 2014 we popped at Cilantro some months ago.. Guess the slow drinking, and perhaps the cool 22C weather helped!
Bottle 18 of 23, at our Genting Sempah early birthday staycation. Thanks @Joe Yee Wong bro for thoughtfully bringing a Saint-Julien along, my namesake.. my 48th birthday!
Malaysia - 10 Jul 2022
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5/6/2022 - LDA ZH CH Likes this wine: 96 Points
Intoxicating nose dominates by blueberry and funnily rubber/petrol in a positive way. Succulent aristocracy and unmistakably St-Julien Grand Cru with layers of fine tannins and scorched earth profile - the balance between sweet / vanilla / oak flavors and the acidity is spectacular. Palate starts to develop creaminess after 2 hours of aeration. I am sure this will even improve with time but will have a hard time getting my hands off our remaining bottles.
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4/24/2022 - FrenchyDannyV Likes this wine: 91 Points
NEEDS 4-5 hours decant!!!
Got much better over time.
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3/15/2022 - chatters wrote:
Coravin fun - Leoville Barton; 3/8/2022-3/15/2022 (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. blackcurrant and brambles, plums, sweet spice, a little meaty note, a sense of roundness, a touch of mint and minerality. With agitation the fruit get's a jubey/lozenge note which lends prettiness to the nose, smidge of star anise here as well. In the mouth there is a slight sourness to the black fruits which lends some tarty piquancy, tannins are floury textured and feel dialled down to match to the weight of the fruit. Medium plus length. Hmm.
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3/8/2022 - Cailles wrote: 92 Points
Bordeaux 2012 - 10 Years On - 33 Reds: All wines tasted blind. Not decanted. A few observations: 1) 2012 is a good quality vintage without the depth/length of great vintages. Still, one of the better “off-vintages”. 2) Many but not all wines are drinking well today. They are generally open, round and fleshed out. 3) Further cellaring is advised as there are hardly any tertiary aromas yet and that extra complexity will render the wines more interesting. The wines generally have the structure and fruit to age gracefully. 4) The level of ripeness/alcohol are not a concern (09, 10, 15, 18 have more problems in that area). 5) Left bank (avg. 92.2 pts) beats right bank (91.0) (group has right bank a notch ahead). The overall group avg. score is at a good 92.1, but unsurprisingly below past retrospectives of better vintages (00, 09, 10). 6) There are highlights on both sides: my best wines today were Ausone (96 pts), Mouton (96), Cheval (95) and Margaux (95).
TN: This is medium expressive on the nose and palate with some coffee, toast, dark and blue fruit. Fine structure with round tannins, good freshness. Overall quite good. Probably slightly drying towards the finish. Usually I like Leoville Barton a bit more than this. Probably not their most successful vintage or a bad bottle. 91/92 pts.
Decanting: I would give this two hours of air.
Group rank: Shared 16th out of 33 reds
Group average score: 91.8
More information, vintage comparisons, top and worst 10 list, appellation rankings from the group in the story link.
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2/7/2022 - sirpat00 wrote: 92 Points
Bordeaux 2012 10 years on tasting: A 2012 Bordeaux vintage horizontal hosted by a private collector. Main observations were: 1/ Left bank beats right bank thanks to Paulliac, St Estèphe and Margaux, 2/ (over-)extraction was a frequent issue, making this a vintage where winemaking decisions and skill mattered, 3/ as such, unsurprisingly, first growths and right bank equivalents clearly outperformed the pack, 4/ highlights were Ausone (97) followed by Cheval Blanc, Mouton, Pichon Lalande (all 96), 5/ the lowlight was an over-extracted Pape Clement (88). Complete ranking and additional observations included in the tasting story.
Tasting note:
A bit of barnyard, leather, cherry and plum, maybe also some iodine. An intense vegetal layer pierces through the bouquet - reminding me more of Poyferré actually. Fruit-forward palate, well-integrated tannin, fresh but lacking layers and complexity - although I have to admit I did enjoy the purity. Not among the best of what Barton has to offer.
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2/2/2022 - englishman's claret wrote:
No shortage of richness here, offering ripe red cherry, cedar, smoke, and a horsey touch. Cherry, beef blood, cedar, and horse follow on the palate. This finishes long for a difficult vintage. Perhaps a little chunky, but satisfying and classic. 89-91
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1/20/2022 - ayalao3 wrote: 93 Points
Classic St.J nose. Dark fruits. A bit out of balance, good wine in the overall picture.
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11/14/2021 - I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine Likes this wine: 91 Points
Commanderie de Bordeaux - Leoville Barton/Satorious Zoom Tasting: Small pour for a winemaker tasting - PnP but waited about 30 mins for wine to aerate in the glass. This wine was a little disappointing given its pedigree. Not sure if it needs more time or is a reflection of the vintage. Nose was slightly muted (compared to the 17, and certainly other vintages of LB). Palate showed a nice amount of fruit, but as another taster noted, it was slightly overshadowed by the oak. The wine also showed a nice earthiness that reflects St Julien. I suspect this wine needs more time to come together. 91 today, but lots of upside potential.
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11/13/2021 - curtr wrote:
I agree with the comment that in a not so good a year as 2012, the amount of oak is too much and overshadows the fruit. I would give this 5 years to resolve the oak and drink 2026-31.
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11/5/2021 - dagij wrote: 87 Points
Deep ruby, very young. Some milky tones, a bit towards caramel, but an underlying fruit towards blackberries. Round fruit on the first attack, fine tannins, fine acidity, sweet fruit through the whole curve. Fine tannins dominate the finish that is a bit dry, and there are also green tones at the final combined with a mint-jelly tone that is more reminiscent of a Chilean cabernet. A somewhat uninteresting version of the chateau. There is a slight hint of alcohol at the end. 86-87
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10/10/2021 - paujokal Likes this wine: 93 Points
Somewhat Disappointing after 2 hr decant but everything came together after 4 hrs and was marvelous.
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9/5/2021 - Photo_Cyclist wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for an hour. Very well balanced. A little heat on the finish.
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8/31/2021 - ppearson9 wrote: 94 Points
decanted an hour. drinking really well right now. not sure if it’s worth holding too much.
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4/18/2021 - Motz wrote: 93 Points
Tasted over two days. This understated vintage, in no way the equal of 2008 or 2014, continues to impress.
This wine reminds me of what I most love about Léoville Barton, its terroir, and what most drives me nuts about the house style, the oak regimen does not change from vintage to vintage.
So much oak on the first day, on the nose and palate, including the sensation of needing to dig splinters out of my tongue, that the experience proved at least as frustrating as satisfying. The wine showed better on the second day, as the oak had receded somewhat, allowing the terroir to impart its captivating effect. And still...Damn that heavy-handed oak treatment!!!
Léoville Barton juice can handle the oak in robust years, which many pros regard as off vintages, the previously noted '08 and '14, for example, and in great vintages, notably '05 and '10, but in all other vintages, including the elegant ones, such as '15, the oak overpowers all else.
This wine will likely wrap up its evolution over the next three to five years and hold for three to five years thereafter. Drink by 2027-2030.
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4/13/2021 - Sundbyberg wrote: 92 Points
Second time with this vintage and this time a lot more concentation, yet open in a way one would never expect a wine from this producer to be.
This keeps improving and it also seems to have a lot in store. Finalized the bottle after 4 days and also decanted 2-3 hours. A good wine, but will it ever be great?
Previosly 2003, 2005 and 2012 from this chateau.
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4/6/2021 - JazzManWine Likes this wine: 92 Points
A little subdued and will benefit from some additional aging. A nice drink though at this time. Medium light body.
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3/18/2021 - sirpat00 wrote: 93 Points
Virtual tasting hosted by proprietors Lilian and Damien Barton Sartorius. Two different vintages each of Mauvesin Barton (2014, 2016), Langoa Barton (2009, 2015) and Léoville Barton (2012, 2017) were presented. Needless to say the Léovilles outshone the others, although the Mauvesin 2016 showed a really respectable performance.
Tasting note
Already showing nicely aged flavours of leather and earth, a lovely blue fruit profile and dried herbs and elements of spice. Drinking wonderfully right now, round and juicy. Even though it feels younger than it is, soft tannins provide for a balanced palate.
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1/1/2021 - jdkrabbe wrote: 95 Points
Beautifully fresh cassis nose and palate. Ash and smoke from top half of the glass. Some Bret in first half hour, dissipated nearly completely in 2hrs. Tannins seemed fruit driven and rather fine on gums. ~ Body med+, acid balanced, alc seemed lowish, and as expected def dry. ~ 83% CS 15% M 2% CF ~
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12/21/2020 - chatters wrote:
Coravin fun - Leoville Barton and new arrivals (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. Pretty, jubey, black and red berry fruit, blackcurrant, raspberry, sweet plums, very pretty fruit nose. With time a touch of fresh sweat, cedar. In the mouth it's much of a muchness with the nose, black and red fruits, sweet spice, the subdued oak does lend a little astringency on the finish. Tannins are chalky and drying but very much playing a supporting role. Long. Elegant. Lovely.
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9/23/2020 - Runfatboyrun7 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Oaky with notes of chocolate and tobacco. Dark fruit notes as well.
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7/12/2020 - chatters wrote:
Coravin fun - Red Burgundy new arrivals (My place, Kent Street): Blackcurrant, brambles, black cherry, plums - plenty of friendly fruit, cream, cedar, touches of pyrazine. Juicy, pretty though savoury fruit matches the nose, grainy, drying tannins, woody notes on teh palate as well. Very Bordeaux, very claret in fact. Lovely, young but approachable, balanced.
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6/5/2020 - robertgf wrote: 93 Points
Dinner at the Ranch after a hard days fishing:
WOTN... Lovely nose pnp (from a 375ml btl). Slightly funky nose with casis. So rich and smooth. A young wine yet so balanced now. Tasted over 11/2 + hours. 2012 may be an interesting vintage to pursue. Parker rated 2012 as 92 points and early maturing; right on.
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6/5/2020 - rocknroller wrote: 93 Points
Spring Fishing (The Ranch, WI): Very dark red/purple color. PNP, from 375ml; drank 2 glasses over 2 hours. This was the surprise of the night and also my WOTN. The nose was open and filled with a perfume of wild violets, cassis and mulberry, and pencil. The palate is full bodied, poised, with silky tannins and a gorgeous core of cassis and dark berry fruit. The wood is already softening and everything comes together with balance and purity in this young LB. Frankly I'm pretty surprised how well this drank at this stage. No reason to hide these if you've got a few. This has got long term upside for sure. 93(+)pts.
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4/11/2020 - jviz wrote: 93 Points
This was showing great so far. Decanted about an hour and it really needs it to soften the still dominant tannins. But you have some green notes (at first I thought from cab franc or PV) that may just be 2012. Quite a bit of pyrazines on the nose actually, so bear that in mind. Pasty dark fruit, not too much plumminess, with still firm tannins. This will be long lived and somewhat classic. I’ll bet you can find a good deal in 15 years when it peaks
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2/29/2020 - wirelesswine wrote: 92 Points
Decanted ~4 hours before pouring. This wine presented very well with just classic Bordeaux characteristics. Firm acidity, medium tannin, and an array of black fruits. Oak is very well integrated, and pyrazines are prominent. Not quite showing signs of development, so I expect this will gain complexity with additional time - but is providing pleasure today as well.
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2/14/2020 - tjsmiller wrote:
Consumed on Valentine’s Day dinner with Klubeck and Brooks.
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1/5/2020 - sigge Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep red and clear - no different rim color. Leather, coffee, toasted wood, red and dark forest berries and flower - roses. Balanced mouth feel and leaves a long dry delicious aftertase. Needs time to open up. This is drinking well already. Half body - missing volume and body.
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12/11/2019 - chatters wrote:
From Coravin. Much of muchness with the 2011 though more sweetly spiced and the fruit more to the fore with a ripe rhubarb underpin. Juicy, generously fruity, underpinned by warming, sweet spice, tannins are slightly floury and drying. Nice.
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10/3/2019 - Mascarello59 Likes this wine: 91 Points
2018 Bordeaux tasting event (Stockholm): Graphite and cassis. Soft and a bit inky. Light vintage that leaves a cool impression. Tannins still unresolved but still I felt this is in a good place for drinking now.
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9/6/2019 - melodrameric Likes this wine: 94 Points
Absolutely beautiful aroma, almost wanted to just keep smelling than actually drink. Tannins are still pretty astringent and more time is needed, but a long decant can still bring out a beautiful wine.
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5/13/2019 - RajivAyyangar wrote: 87 Points
MNB: Left Bank Bdx Communes (Home (Noe st)): (blind)
Medium plus ruby, ruby rim.
Bretty nose (manure, dog, clove), with medium bell pepper - pyrazines.
Some slightly aged black and plum fruit - soft.
Dry, 13.5% alcohol, elevated acid, high tannins - chewy. Medium plus finish - low intensity blackcurrant, brett and medium pyrazines.
Given the rusticity, and slight diluteness/plumminess of fruit. 60 cab, 40% merlot:
Listrac/Moulis 2014. $40
Actual: 2012 Leoville Barton $120
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12/31/2018 - Eugenedinapoli Likes this wine:
From 375. 45 min decant. Deep ruby. A low key, straight forward nose of black currant, wet gravel, licorice and earth. Medium body with an understated approach. Chewy tannins with a little bitterness on the back end.
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12/30/2018 - AAJR Likes this wine: 92 Points
PnP'd from a magnum at at local BYOB. Dark purple colored. Dark fruit and spice flavors. Very enjoyable, medium finish.
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12/4/2018 - chatters wrote:
Coravin fun - Old new and new old arrivals: From Coravin. Initially cherry then pyrazine and plan chocolate the clay, savoury and slightly dusty Indian spice - almost a little turmeric and star anise - with some plummyness. On the palate that cherry and plum but with a growing blackcurrant joining in on the chorus. The other aromas on the nose provide support. Tannins are drying and flour textured and the plain chocolate note is more prevalent on the finish. Still very young but shows promise.
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12/3/2018 - depechemoroder Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very much in a 'classic' style, this isn't rich or even powerful, but it is dense and pure. Lovely creamy fruit, statuesque almost. Hints of roasted meats and camphorous herbs, there is something quite linear here. It shows its youth, but does open up. A really lovely claret that delivers a lot of pleasure even if it doesn't reach the heady heights better vintages can.
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8/26/2018 - MattGeneve Likes this wine: 90 Points
Already open for business. Easy going classic nose with blackcurrant, menthol, licorice and wood. Similar on palate, classic Leoville Barton but in an easy going style. Nicely dry finish. Mid to light weight but easy drinking right now. It did put on some weight and flavour intensity over the course of a day in the decanter. Still easy drinking and medium-lightweight but lovely flavour and a bit more structure and moved my score up to 90 from 88.
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7/6/2018 - phynes wrote: 92 Points
Surprisingly open for a six year old LB. Fresh, good dilineation and notes of cassis, chocolate and a sort of mineral finish. Very pleasant indeed.
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6/16/2018 - rossi.wine wrote: 92 Points
Tasted next to the gorgeous 2015 this is more restrained and grippy, the structure more present. Good fruit, fresh and lively. A little drying towards the vibrant, mineral finish. 91-92+
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5/4/2018 - Motz wrote: 93 Points
A beautiful showing for a great estate in a tough year. Certainly no blockbuster, though it does not lack for appeal. In particular, there is an elegance to the wine's relative leanness, which commands attention and provides deep satisfaction. Well structured and deftly balanced, with medium plus acid and dusty tannins. Already showing well, and it will continue to integrate. It should last for fifteen plus years. Among the best 93 point wines I have had. Many thanks OD.
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5/3/2018 - Jean-Philippe M Likes this wine:
Commence une phase moins intéressante. À attendre les prochaines; 5 ans.
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4/30/2018 - olddominion wrote: 93 Points
Drank over 3 days. Classic Bordeaux bouquet.Prettiness and elegance continues on day 1 and 2. Much broader and masculine on day 3. Black current, cassis, mint, cedar, graphite. Good tannin structure..some oak imparted. Mint and cedar most prevalent on 3rd day. Tasted w Motz on day 2. He brought up the point that Leoville does not change oak treatment regardless of vintage. Oak is more prevalent on this vintage. With that said..my score says 93 but my enjoyment factor and wine nerve penetration scores much higher.
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3/17/2018 - Sundbyberg wrote: 93 Points
A Leoville Barton which is young and yet open?
Fruit forward and a bit sweet as there is a fair amount of cabernet franc in this wine. Light to medium bodied and lacking the concentration found both in the 2003 and the 2005.
2012 is a wine to drink today, while waiting for better vintages to mature.
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2/2/2018 - Jean-Philippe M Likes this wine:
Toujours aussi bon.
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1/6/2018 - farinas Likes this wine: 93 Points
Pitch black color with a dark garnet edge. Dark fruits with mild graphite and some lactic notes from the new oak. Fleshy palate with thick but pasty tannins, classic mouthwatering acidity with spicy black fruits with some oak char. Long finish with austere fruit and oak. Reminds one of why this estate makes such time worthy wines.
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12/10/2017 - Twitch12 wrote: 92 Points
Classic Bordeaux, pencil lead, spice, bell pepper and subdued dark berries. Still young, yet showing well.
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12/2/2017 - wineappellation Likes this wine: 89 Points
Bell pepper, graphite, blackberry, coffee bean, cedar, sweet spices. Mid weight, easy drinking.
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11/28/2017 - mathwonk wrote:
We find this just delicious. Had steak tonight, but this is too good to drink with food, so had it before they were done, and saved the rioja for the meal. A bit expensive at $85, compared to $30 for the 2009 montecilla rioja, but one of the few wines I will pay that for, if only occasionally. does not have the depth or interest of a good pauillac or the refinement of a lagrange, but those are either more expensive or not available in my restricted market. For someone who gets by on penner ash pinot noir, montecilla rioja reserva, and argiano brunello, this is the peak of enjoyment. recommended, if you like the taste of richness.
well the second one we tried a few months later was less impressive.
edit: the one tonight, 2 years later, in sept 2019, is still quite young but delicious and potent. recommended, but it is now $100, so still quite overpriced. This makes me want to look again at wines I previously thought overpriced, like Andrew Will Sorella at $83.
added in Nov. 2019: Price just went up locally to $130, so completely out of reasonable range for this wine for me, even though good.
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11/14/2017 - Frijole wrote:
deep dark burgundy red, medium clarity, burgundy hue
Nose: cassis, plum, wet earth, cola, tobacco, cigar, stem, green pepper, white pepper, cedar, oak
Pal: cassis, plum, wet earth, tobacco, cigar, silver, cola, green pepper, white pepper, cedar, oak
Feel: medium, full, savory, acidic
Finish: medium, long
T8
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10/27/2017 - dase13 wrote: 90 Points
Vertical tasting at home - 1989, 1996, 2005, 2012. The group rated this as the third out of four for the night.
Color of dark medium red.
Scents of pronounced red fruits.
Tastes were consistent with scents, with medium acidity and comparatively heavy tannins making it have a drier and more gripping mouthfeel. Not bad, just early.
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9/7/2017 - Markus IWC wrote: 87 Points
From magnum bottle, blue fruit, soft and smooth, low on acidity and tannins, round, rich and warm fruit.
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8/27/2017 - BradA wrote: 88 Points
Hmm, I really wanted to love this wine as I have been a long term fan of the winery. Yet, this bottle shows all the elements of the 1995 vintage....
The wine opens with good cedar aroma and flavor with a nose of red currant. However, the mid palate is shallow. I just don't see the depth to age this over decades and feel the wine is too frail for long term collaring. Drink now or thru 2025.
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4/30/2017 - CamWheeler wrote: 89 Points
MW Institute 2012 Bordeaux Tasting: Blackberry, pencil shavings, slate and spice. The palate has plenty of freshness and decent length, it's good but it is far from convincing in terms of depth and interest.
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4/30/2017 - CamWheeler wrote: flawed
MW Institute 2012 Bordeaux Tasting: Corked.
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3/11/2017 - KeithAkers wrote: 91 Points
A lazy saturday afternoon (Eric&Megan's, Chicago IL): Nose: The nose is well balanced and regal with dark red cherries, cassis, cedar notes, pencil lead, leather, tobacco, and some cranberries. There is excellent depth with the nose just holding back a slight bit right now.
Taste: Medium/full bodied with medium acidity and medium+ tannins. The tannins are youthful, but silky with the feel showing a refined sense backed up with dark red cherries, cassis, cedar tones, tobacco, and cranberries.
Overall: This is a lovely, young Leoville-Barton. It needs a good 5+ years to start to fully show itself. But, it's excellent now with some air.
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3/11/2017 - acyso wrote: 88 Points
Dinner at Eric's (Chicago, IL): How interesting to revisit this after UGC a few years ago. I must say, having reread my note, that the oak certainly has integrated well; this doesn't strike me as particularly oaky any more (though it's certainly still there). The nose, though, shows a little bit of volatility and there's a touch of balsamic here. Not much pyrazine or green to give this lift. Mostly a dark-fruited, but well-restrained bottle of Bordeaux. Easily much more interesting (and better) with more time: check back later.
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3/10/2017 - wineordeath Likes this wine: 91 Points
Classic, slightly smoky nose, obviously dryer than the Poyferre, but with a bit for a green capsicum edge. Still, a bit more interesting than the Poyferre, even if it is not as immediately charming. Good sweet fruit on the palate but the oak is a touch out of place now and needs time to integrate. I prefer this to the Poyferre.
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3/3/2017 - Argrath wrote: 91 Points
Nuanced, classic and quite elegant nose. Dark currant, balanced cedary oak, slightly herbaceous and hint of ink. Fine-tuned and just a hint of toast.
Medium-fullish, balanced palate with lifted acidity. A bit subdued. Integrated oak, inky and black currant fruit. Classic and bit herbaceous. A bit course tannins. Lacks a bit intensity and concentration.
Better wait for this one. Will be better in 2022+.
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2/16/2017 - barolo300 wrote: 93 Points
Dark and brooding in the glass. Cedar, cassis, blackcurrant leaf, pepper on the nose. Similar palate, mouth coating ripe tannin, good refreshing acidity. Wonderful! Got a good life ahead
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2/3/2017 - crampon1973 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Quelle bonne bouteille ! Explosif au nez (4h en carafe), idem en bouche ! Complexe, longue finale, pourrait passer pour un LB qui a 10 ans dans le corps. Belle couleur foncée, colle au palais, tannins déjà en train de s'intégrer... Un must à 105$ !
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1/29/2017 - nmichaud1 wrote:
Gouter en comparaison à Poyferre, ce dernier est bcp superieur à mon gout personnel. Un cabernet à son meilleur cèdre, graphite, fruits rouges, le vin est doté d'un bel équilibre et d'une belle longueur. Un rachat assuré
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1/25/2017 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 92 Points
MW 2012 Annual Bordeaux Tasting San Francisco, nose of lovely, dark fruit, plum and cherry, touch of saddle leather, same on the palate, atypical Barton that is fairly fruit forward with a small amount of soft tannins, makes this enjoyable to taste today, medium/big body, long finish, needs 3 years in the cellar, medium/long finish hurts the score.
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1/21/2017 - Etienne U3R Likes this wine: 93 Points
Encore une belle surprise ce soir. Supérieur à Poyferre. On a le majoritairement Cabernet clairement au nez et en bouche. Un peu de cèdre, betteraves, petits fruits. Bonne longueur et englobe la bouche.
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1/21/2017 - Jean-Philippe M Likes this wine:
Encore une fois, wow !! J'ai bien hâte au jour de boire un des grands millésimes de Barton. Le vin est bien équilibré, tout en finesse, on a du cèdre en bouche, du graphite, des petits fruits rouges et foncés. J'adore.
4-4,5/5
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11/26/2016 - Tonythefish wrote: 93 Points
Super fruit. Finish is Very nice and color is super and easy drinking. Nice finish and an overall good value for this bottle
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11/18/2016 - Phenol73 Likes this wine: 93 Points
(Decanter FWE 2016) :: A very expressive nose, abundant with floral notes on a background of leather and spice. On the palate, fine tannin work, great freshness and a long finish. Very good.
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9/25/2016 - aChave wrote: 91 Points
1980s Bordeaux at Riverbend (Oregon): Quite surprising how fruit-packed and forward this was. Decanted for 90+ minutes, but didn't really need it. Very primary with the deep dark red and blue fruit effectively masking the tannins and structure. Will be worth waiting to see how this develops; could be a real sleeper if the Barton structure comes out of hiding down the road. 91 for now, but 92+? in future.
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9/24/2016 - Jean-Philippe M Likes this wine:
Ce vin est parfait pour vous donnez la piqure de Bordeaux. +- 60% Cab S +- 30% Merlot. Tannins présents mais souples, peu acide. Très généreux au nez, cassis, cèdre, épices et légèrement floral, en bouche, le fruit confit remporte sur le reste, dû à son âge, mais la longueur de ce vin et la finesse de celui-ci annonce une bouteille mémorable lorsqu'elle sera bu à son apogée. Très bon rapport qualité prix.
4/5
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6/20/2016 - wineforth wrote: 89 Points
Lords 2015 en primeur tasting. A little lean. Not of the class of the '15 nor a good vintage for St Julien generally. Not ready to drink so may Improve.
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2/28/2016 - Nadya wrote:
Wrong year we had 96
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12/15/2015 - wineotim wrote: 91 Points
Very traditional nose of leather, cedar, and earth. Has nicely balanced dark fruit on the palate with a mineral stream and finish. Better on the second day. Not very exciting by Barton standards.
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12/3/2015 - stayhappy21 wrote: 92 Points
Tasted this wine during the Bordeaux 2012 Masterclass Tasting at the Tower Club.
A charming wine from the nose to the finish. Expressive with latent power. Good balance with finesse.
This is a very good wine!
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10/21/2015 - rossi.wine wrote: 92 Points
Blind tasting of 2011 and 2012 red Bordeaux. Dark fruit, spices and forest notes on the nose. Grippy on the palate, firm tannins, not much obvious fruit, but a nice mineral streak. Slightly drying finish. Good potential. 91-92+
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7/12/2015 - AllRed wrote: 92 Points
Second Sunday Group: 2012 Bordeaux (Mike's): Deep crimson/purple color. Initially quite reticent and muted, this took some time in the glass to open up. Aromas of black raspberry, plum, violets and blackberries. Tannins are dense and chewy; this is one of the bigger wines in the lineup. Black currants, plum, violets, vanilla and dried herb flavors. Lengthy finish. 92-93 pts.
My #3, Domino's #4
Group #5, 51 pts
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4/24/2015 - broadband013 wrote: 92 Points
Dégustation Bordeaux Primeurs 2014 Gazzar - Lausanne Palace 23.04.2014
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3/11/2015 - Jeff Leve wrote: 92 Points
Filled with juicy, ripe cassis, cedar wood, tobacco, soft tannins, length and freshness, this is a really nice wine that will improve with age.
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3/6/2015 - pavel_p wrote: 90 Points
2012 UGC; 3/5/2015-3/6/2015 (Singapore): More earthy and herbal than the Poyferre preceding. Again a slight disappointment given the second growth pedigree
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1/31/2015 - aagrawal wrote: 91 Points
2012 UGC Bordeaux Tasting (Palace Hotel, SF): Slight smoky minerality, black fruit, subtle to moderate intensity; palate is full bodied, nice structured tannins, fresh black fruit; medium finish. 91-92
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1/30/2015 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 91 Points
The Union Des Grand Crus Tasting of the 2012 Vintage-SF. Nose of cigar box, dark fruit, plum and cherry, touch of saddle leather, more of the same on the palate, typical Barton but more fruit forward and only a small amount of soft tannins than usual, medium/big body, long finish, needs 3 years in the cellar, should merit a higher score,
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1/28/2015 - acyso wrote: 88 Points
UGC 2015 (Chicago, IL): Dark fruited and more gravitas than the Langoa. Lots of fresh acidity, this is quite pretty, though I think the oak still could have been dialed down on the finish.
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10/23/2014 - vespasian wrote: 90 Points
Very closed on the nose - typical youthful Leoville Barton; a little green on the palate - this is fine for the vintage but nothing special. 89-91
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9/11/2013 - Omar Khayyam wrote: 89 Points
Bordeaux 2012 en primeur with WInefinder (Munchenbryggeriet, Stockholm): Lovely open nose full of spice box and cassis. There is some tannic grip but the fruit is somewhat soft (lacking in acidity).
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9/8/2013 - Andre Brattland wrote: 90 Points
En-primeur in Oslo. Would develop nicely. A good wine.
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9/7/2013 - hubas wrote: 90 Points
Lots and lots of black currant and strong tannins.
will need a few years to settle down
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4/23/2013 - Jeff Leve wrote: 91 Points
Reticent aromas of oak, forest and cassis opened to a soft, medium/full-bodied wine dominated by fresh black cherries and cassis. Produced from a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc, the wine will be aged in 60% new French oak. Tannic, but refined, this will need time to come together. 91-93 Pts
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4/8/2013 - dcwino wrote: 92 Points
2012 En Primeur - Kelly and Kevin’s excellent adventure; 4/4/2013-4/9/2013 (Bordeaux, France): Classic Leoville Barton, black fruits, ink and lead pencil. Good concentration, cool fruits expression and silky palate. This may shut down hard and will be needing long term cellaring.
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