Leoville Barton dinner at Noize

[Comte Flaneur]

Last night we had a Leoville Barton dinner at Noize Restaurant in central London

Flight one with a chicken gnocchi dish

1982 - gentle leather, cedar, red fruited entry, the tannins have have completely resolved on the palate with some pleasing cranberry and cherry fruit, and salinity and a superb finish. A beautiful, charming, fully resolved old school claret and an excellent bottle, with none of the mustiness or tartness that I have encountered in other bottles. In fact having tried this wine half a dozen times over the years I cannot recall a better bottle of the 1982 than this. ****1/2, 94 points

1985 - unfortunately this was not a good bottle with a lot of brett on the nose, but once you got past that it was a elegant wine, fully resolved, gentle and cool fruited, just about hanging on. The bottom half of the bottle was notably better than the top half. Clearly not a tip top bottle, and I have tried much better examples. ***, 86

Flight two with rabbit and girolle fettuccine

Wonderful as the 1982 was this flight was at a different level

1989 - similar to the one tried a couple of weeks earlier a glorious wine. Not as exuberant an entry as its flight mate but this cool fruited, laconic wine exudes effortless class, with an expansive palate, minerals, cedar, loamy notes, truffle and undergrowth. Fresh, poised, svelte, classic and a beautifully refined and elegant wine. *****, 96

1990 - the 1990 was similar to the 1989 but more extrovert. Still pitch perfect it has a compelling nose of cedar, graphite, tobacco, herbs and spices and a glorious refined palate of cassis-infused fruits, minerals and earth, fine silky tannins and bright acidity. Similar to a great bottle I tried in 2016, a brilliant 1990 I would say as good as any other super second *****, 97

Flight three with breast of mallard and Jerusalem artichoke

Back down to earth with this flight

1995 - arms tightly crossed, head resolutely bowed, this just did not want to come out to play, and it was difficult to coax much from the nose, apart from some graphite. Shame because underneath there is a fine wine that is waiting to reveal itself, you can tell by the texture of the wine. **(**), 90?

1996 - at least this has a nose of black pastille fruits, but this really hasn’t moved in a decade. Big-framed, tannic, dense core of red and black fruits, cedar, spice box minerals and herbs, it needs more time. Outside of the first growths it is one of the few 1996s which is not ready ***(*), 92

Flight four with glazed short rib

I lobbied to have these two matched together because I think they are similar and both brilliant. The 2001 came out of the blocks the fastest, but they were quite evenly matched as the 2004 began to rein in its flight mate.

2001 - you have to be a curmudgeon or have something wrong with you not to love this wine which bursts out of the blocks and weaves its brilliance. It is very accessible and precocious for a Leoville Barton, especially compared to the previous flight, and is frankly a much better bet than the 1996. There is plenty of expression of black fruits, cassis, minerals and lead pencil, it has a long future. Fabulous wine going from strength to strength ****1/2, 94

2004 - a bit wobbly at first but some strange aromas quickly blew off. It is not dissimilar to the 2001. On the nose cassis, herbs, cedar, violets, minerals, tilled soil and truffles. It has an opulent, rich, lithe, lifted, seamless, poised and elegant palate, silky tannins and the structure to last for a long time. Outstanding. ****1/2, 94

These two do not come recommended highly enough, prices have been rising but they still represent excellent value for money.

Flight five with a selection of cheeses

1999 - corked

2002 - a wine which keeps on getting better and better. Not as precocious or as exuberant as the 01 and 04, it has a great sense of lift and old school classicism. It has an exhilarating verve, raciness, grippiness and tension, with trademark minerals, cedar and cigar box notes. Different to, but just as good as, the 01 and 04 in my book, and more recognisably Leoville-Barton. ****1/2, 94

Back up for the 1999:

2002 Domaine de Chevalier, rouge - beautifully resolved graves, with plums, cherries and tobacco ****, 92


For the wine of the night it was a close run thing, however, with the 1990 piping the 1982 to the post by one point, 15 to 14, with the 1989 third with 11 votes.

Leoville Barton showed its understated class last night. The 1989 and 1990 were a class apart in my opinion, but the 01, 02, 04 triumvirate again showed their brilliance.

There is a good reason why 7% of my Bordeaux collection is in this estate, and 4% of all the wines I own are Leoville-Barton.

[Blanquito]

Great stuff, Ian. I had a bottle of the 02 in February (I still weep a little each time I see the $35 price sticker on it), and our notes are nearly identical:

2002 Leoville Barton: Expressive, lovely, utterly classic bouquet of cedar, graphite, charcoal, and purple flowers. Overall, this is cool fruited and extra juicy. Nice mid-palate weight and punch. Tangy and savory finish, still showing some primary char and tar. Fully in the zone structurally and aromatically. With more time, more nuance and an inner sweetness could develop, taking this to another level, but drinking really well as is. A classic. 93-94 pts.

[JimHow]

Sigh, yeah, that 2002 Leoville Barton, oh baby.
I’m glad you got a good 1982, as well, they’ve been variable but when they are on they are nice.

[s*d*r]

Superb notes as usual, Ian, and lots of useful information.

How does your group do these tastings in the Covid era?

My groups are reluctant to start back up, even outdoors.

Stu

[Comte Flaneur]

Hi Stu

Our prime minister, Boris Johnson, has introduced a ‘rule of six’ where people are not allowed to gather in groups of more than six.

We were eight, so we had two tables of four opposite each other, slightly over two metres apart.

He also introduced a rule whereby restaurants and pubs need to close by 10pm, so we started at 6pm rather than at 7pm.

With virus cases rising steeply I fear we may go back into stricter lockdowns in coming weeks but more events are in the calendar.

I fancy doing a Ducru vertical because I have vintages from 1962 to 2014 but will probably leave it til next year when hopefully some BWErs might be able to join!

[jckba]

Great notes on what sounds like a splendid tasting.

I too did my first restaurant wine dinner in 6 months last week in the upstairs private dining room at La Panetiere and while it was indoors, the double glass doors and windows were all open allowing for ample fresh air. I limited the group size to 8 people and they seated us normally which did not fly with me so I ended up sticking 2 additional smaller sized tables on each end so that we were spaced out by a minimum of 5 feet between people. And regular restaurant rules applied; unless you were sitting a mask was required.

And funny you should mention doing a Ducru vertical as I spoke to their North American market development person back in January and was sort of feeling out whether this was something that she would entertain for a small group ... and then COVID happened.

[marcs]

Those 2001-04 Leoville Bartons are still widely available at under $100/bottle if you look. I picked up a case of the 2004 for $75/bottle all in at auction last month, and then passed on a case of the 2002 at $90/bottle more recently. WIth the case of 2004 I now have almost 20 bottles of 2004 LB so I will be drinking it for the rest of my life! Down to four bottles of the 2002 but not really going to reload on that given the amount I have of the 04. Have never had the 01, sitting on 8 bottles of the 99 and 6 of the 09.

These are great drinkers wines.

[Nicklasss]

Great tasting summary on a great wine.

In the last year, i also had the 1989 (contribution of dstgolf and Larry in January 2020) and the 1990 and while both are great at the moment, i preferred the 1989.

Yes the 1996 is excellent, but is still in needs of 5 years.

I guess the 2008 is also an excellent wine, not that far from 2001 and 2004.

Nic

[robert goulet]

Re:the 2004 ...man that would be tough to keep my hands off...it's a gem...I need to find more

[Jay Winton]

Great notes. I really enjoyed the dinner we had at Noize BC (before Covid). I've had the 2006 a couple of times which I enjoyed. I have a few 04s.

[DavidG]

Just had the 2000 Barton - drinking really well now though not yet heavily tertiary.

[Nicklasss]

Just had the 2000 Barton - drinking really well now though not yet heavily tertiary.

Yes, the 2000 Léoville Barton is something. A great performance for that vintage.

Nic

[Comte Flaneur]

Good to learn that it is starting to drink.

We didn’t really consider it for the line up on the assumption that it is at least one Blanquito away from its drinking window.

[Blanquito]

I am of the general opinion that many wines from 2000 are showing at least a little better than their 1995 or 1996 counterparts at present.

[marcs]

Perhaps its my prejudice or preconceptions, having entered wine collecting just when 2000 was beginning to be hyped, but I think of 2000 as a clearly superior vintage to 1995 and 1996. For wines I know, I would much rather own a case of 2000 Pichon Baron or Lynch Bages than 1995 or 1996. The 2000 Canon La Gaffeliere was far better than the 1995. I haven't drunk a ton of 95-96s, but the Grand Puy Lacoste is the only wine I personally have had where I think the 1995 and 1996 are possibly superior to 2000.

I think the 2000 is a great vintage that is going to be appreciated more as people wake up to the ways that vintages like 2005 and 2010 were somewhat overdone or over-extracted. 2000 strikes me as a good combination of classical structure and modern power.

[DavidG]

I'm sure a Blanquito will serve the 2000 well, it's not yet at peak. But not closed either.

Marcs' "combination of classical structure and modern power" is a good description.

[Comte Flaneur]

I am increasingly sympathetic to those views re the 2000s.

When Lilian showed her Leovilles in London that time she said she did not bring her 2000 because it was shut down and needed a lot of time. But that was nearly six years ago now.

[marcs]

I had the 2000 LB I think 18 months ago at Eric's house here in DC and it was very good, drinkable already and with a ton of depth and structure, but you could tell it had a lot of opening up left to do.

I didn't think it was as good as the 2000 Pichon Baron but I love love love that wine

[Comte Flaneur]

Marc - I think the 1990 Leoville Barton is a match for the 1990 Pichon Baron

[marcs]

Pichon Baron took a step up in quality starting around 2000 I think. I am not as familiar with pre-2000 wines, but I have pretty consistently seen a quality gap between LB and Pichon Baron in 2000 and after. This includes e.g. the 2004. Leoville Barton tends to have more of a rustic edge while Pichon Baron is more elegant and polished, without sacrificing typicity or authenticity at all. This may just be me, but the pricing and reviews tend to support it (not that those are infallible).