1999 Barton and 1995 Baron already past prime?

[Chateau Vin]

Found 1995 Baron for $90 and 1999 Barton for $62 on sale...Are these already past their prime?

[Bacchus]

I haven't had either wine so can't really say. However, I can't imagine either wine being past their prime yet. Do you know anything about the way they've been stored over the years?

[chris kissack]

What 1995s I have had have been starting to drink well in the last year or two. A wine like Pichon-Baron, provided storage is good, should be in this phase and certainly not 'past its prime'.

I haven't really touched the handful of 1999s I own. It wasn't a vintage I bought into. But again I wouldn't think ofthem as wines that would be falling off their perch anytime soon.

Hope this helps.

[DavidG]

Agree with Chris - '95s starting to drink well, '99s could use a few more years, depending on when you like to drink them. Storage is key - if these have been at room temp the entire time they may much more advanced but still probably not over the hill unless exposed to temps in the upper 70s or above.

[Michael Malinoski]

I think the 99 Barton is getting there now, but in no way over the hill.

October 2011:

1999 Chateau Leoville Barton St. Julien. This wine has a big, bold and powerful nose to it—hitting the nostrils with large-scaled aromas of cedar, eucalyptus and toasty barrel spices wrapped around an absolutely intense core of sweet cherry paste. In the mouth, it delivers a lot of velvety-textured purple fruit that packs a lot of flavor. There are also fudgy tannins to contend with at first, though those tend to abate over time. The main thing here is the impressive energy and drive that the wine exhibits, all the while delivering that big core of velvety-textured flavor. When it was revealed, I was definitely surprised—as the last time I drank this a few years back, it was all structure, tannin and promise. The promise is certainly still there, but the fruit is much more forward now and I’m rather curious now to see where this goes in another 3-5 years.

November 2009:

1999 Château Leoville Barton St. Julien. The nose here is on the cool and savory side—featuring aromas of leather, dirt mound, tobacco leaf and dark cherry. It starts out dark and reticent, but the longer one sniffs it, the more fruit-forward it becomes--with some sweetening of the fruit happening and an unusual but exotic sort of lychee accent starting to pop up from time to time. In the end, I sort of fell for the bouquet, even though I didn’t start out that way. In the mouth, however, this wine is very dry in texture and tone most of the time, with tough tannins and some chewy edges getting in the way of the dark fruit and black rock qualities the wine has to offer. It flows well enough but needs some time to give the tannins and texture a chance to soften.

-Michael

[stefan]

My take on the '99 is similar to Michael's. It is pleasant now but still quite stiff and will benefit a lot from 3-5 more years in the bottle.

[JimHow]

The few 1999s I've had have been boring as a 1993 Batailley.

[Bacchus]

Jim, that '93 Batailley has really impressed you, in a negative sort of way. You've mentioned it in a number of different places. Who knew the quality of bordom could establish such a firm memory -- something paradoxical about that, n'est-ce pas?

[JimHow]

Kind of an inside joke, Bacchus. Years ago, early in the life of BWE, Nicklass once described a wine being "boring as a 1993 Batailley." I always got a kick out of that description.

[Blanquito]

The '99 d'Armailhac has always been an enjoyable bottle!

[stefan]

You must not have drunk a 1999 from Margaux, Jim.

[JimHow]

The Margaux appellation, oddly, is great in 1999.

[chris kissack]

It is Margaux in 2007, rather than 1999, that is my most recent personal definition of boredom.

[Comte Flaneur]

I could name quite a few 1999s that are nowhere near ready - or nowhere near optimum drinking - and there are very many 1995s in this category. Neither of the two wines you mention are over the hill, and both could probably do with more time...esp the Leoville Barton - I assume you mean Leoville and not Langoa? The 1995 baron was pretty underwhelming when I tried it but may be in a dumb phase.

[Chateau Vin]

Thank you Chris and the rest for your valuable suggestions...Yes Comte, I was referring to Leoville Barton...

[pomilion]

The Margaux appellation, oddly, is great in 1999.

Wish I'd bought a few cases of 99 Palmer at a reasonable price when I had the opportunity... What a great wine!

[JimHow]

Yeah, same here, 1999 Palmer is a great wine. What a nose! Mine are all gone, I had 4 or 5 bottles. I uncorked a bottle of 1999 Margaux when Houndsong came over to my house, that was absolutely sublime.

[JonoB]

Those wines are definitely not over the hill... I would guess poor provenance or wanting something for a Christmas clearance is the reason for those prices!!