Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

There are a number of things I can say about Leoville Barton. For me, it is a storied property and experience.

To this point, I have had quite a few 2000 Bordeaux’s, none of them ready as this one. Given what I know about Anthony & his legacy, most of his good vintages were made for your children. So, color me surprised.

While this 2000 is drinking well, it is far from its precipice. There is another 20 yrs plus of road here.

Sofia and I have had the pleasure of dining at the same table with Anthony Barton and his wife in the early teens of 2000. He was a salt of the earth gentleman. His wife, lovely. At dinner that night, he told us a story I will not forget. A story prompted by a question from my wife. He and his wife drove from France to Switzerland. They were stopped at the border and asked to get out of the car as they had a case of wine with them. At that time and maybe still now, you can’t take wine over the border into Switzerland. The border guard called the powers to be and recanted the story of them trying to bring wine into Switzerland. He told them their name. The person on the other end of the phone said, who? They said, Anthony Barton. The reply, was let him through. That’s respect!!!

His daughter Lilian has taken the helm. She is also salt of the earth and a great Bordeaux Ambassador. May Anthony RIP.

This 2000 is classic Bordeaux in every way.

The nose shows steeped & candied fruits that are; blackberries, black raspberries, both plums, poached strawberries, black cherries, purple & blue fruit hues (classic Barton). Graphite, dry tobacco, dry leather, dry limestone bits, dark Asian spices, dry herbs, dry river stone, dark, rich, forest floor, anise to black licorice, mid colas, fresh, candied to withering florals that are; dark, red, blue and violets.

The palate shows, M+ rounded, fine grain tannins. The nose mirrors the palate in many ways. Steeped, candied, ripe, juicy fruits that are; brambly blackberries, black raspberries, both plums, poached strawberries, black cherries, raspberries, purple & blue fruit hues. Leoville Barton shows purple & blue fruits more than most other left bank producers. Graphite, dry tobacco, cedar, dry leather, dry limestone bits, dry top soils, saline, caramel, mocha powder, German chocolate cake, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanillin, dark Asian spices w/ some heat, dry herbs, touch of black pepper, grilled meats, dry river stone, dark, rich, forest floor, anise to black licorice, black tarriness, mid colas, fresh, candied to withering florals that are; dark, red, blue and framed in liquid violets, acidity is grand, well balanced/structured, highly toned, elegant & smartly polished finish that lasts minutes and settles on earth & dark spice.

Decanted 90 minutes and enjoyed over nearly three hours.

Appreciated the 12.5% ABV. Many would say that is not possible in the modern wine era. Anthony says otherwise w/ his 2000.

95-96. — 19 days ago

Brandon Boesch

9.2

Good Oregon Pinot. Bright fruit, earth, and herbal tea. — 4 months ago

Stephanie Becker

9.3

Recommended by wine lady at Wegmans for our AppyHour cheese box — 6 months ago

Joe Fischer

9.5

A superb Chardonnay! Aromas of Anise and Honeysuckle. Apple and Honey on the bud. Crisp and smooth with a long finish. Great with our Salmon tonight. Need to order more from Evening Springs as we were extremely impressed with their wines when we visited earlier this year. — 7 months ago

Jody Scharf

9.2

smooth pinot, enjoyable. — 9 months ago

Julia Indik

9.2

Opens up with juicy plums, cherries and apples. The acidity carries through but is tempered by an undercurrent of wood and smoke. Easy to drink and elegant. — 5 days ago

with Robert

Peter van den Besselaar

9.1

vintage 1986 | 40 y old, beautiful wine with great intensity — 2 months ago

Bruce Dunbar

9.0

Beautiful golden color. Toast, lemon pith, slate, bright acidity. Chablis meets champagne in California? A great food sparkler. — 3 months ago

Austin Blackwell

9.2

Expressive nose with black fruits and leathery notes. Needs a decant but certainly approachable now. Nice firm tannins. — 3 months ago

with Angelina

Jason Keefer

9.3

Beautifully pink! Strawberry pastries with vanilla! Bubbles so tiny! — 5 months ago

with Natasha

Austin Blackwell

9.3

Lots of forest floor and earth compared to most P&H. Complimented by black cherry and stewed strawberry on the palate and medium bodied. 13.5% ABV. — 7 months ago

with Angelina

Eric Urbani

9.0

Still reliable. $32 at Costco ! — 9 months ago

Mo

9.2

A superb Zinfandel blend that tastes great now and possesses the requisite structure to age. Ridge sets the standard in American winemaking. Their corpus of high quality wines is unmatched in America and challenges the entire industry worldwide. — 12 days ago

Doug Powers

8.9

This 1998 7 Springs Pinot seems mature, supple, candied red fruits, nice balance, good length, but not quite a typically-excellent bottle of this wine. — a month ago

with Jim

Elizabeth Blanchard

9.0

Nice, smooth, but also interesting — 3 months ago

Caleb Krell

9.3

Epic. Balanced. Pear/apple/floral- but not too much acid… just enough to keep things fresh. — 4 months ago

Penny Wild-perkowski

9.0

Reserve is more complex but this is very good — 4 months ago

Tegan Marriott

9.2

Lithe & supple, with agility and resonance. This is the Leonard Cohen of Gamay! Hallelujah!🙏 — 6 months ago

Ken Southall

9.0

A bit of oak with a long finish. $30 — 8 months ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.1

2016 vintage. Floral nose. An elegant, fresh medium-bodied Moulis with soft tannin and good length. Fine value. — 10 months ago