2001 Château Léoville-Barton

The 2001 Léoville-Barton is drinking extremely well at 17 years of age. Mellow on the nose with blackberry, sage, tobacco and light graphite notes, there is an uncommon extravagant edge to this wine. That comes through on the palate that feels as if it has slightly lower acidity than other vintages, rounded in texture with a toasty, cedar-infused finish. It does not quite have the breeding that I discerned a decade ago but it still has plenty to offer, not least a sense of approachability.

- Neal Martin (2018)

The 2001 Léoville Barton is still a few years from full maturity. Unwinding in the decanter and glass with aromas of blackcurrant, licorice, loamy soil, cigar wrapper and vanilla pod, it's medium to full-bodied, rich and muscular, with a deep, concentrated core of fruit, lively acids and ripe but firm tannins that still assert themselves on the finish. If Léoville Poyferré is in its prime today, this Léoville Barton still ideally deserves a few more years' patience.

- William Kelley (2022)