2005 Château Léoville-Barton

Description

98   Jane Anson for Inside Bordeaux
“Deep ruby red, this is great stuff, broad-shouldered, laced with aniseed, liqourice, touches of bitter black chocolate, muscular tannins and a luscious fruit core. Lip smacking stuff, with 2005 energy and excitement. Gets more serious as it opens, revealing black pepper spice, sage, rosemary and white pepper. A wonderful wine, one to sink into. You can easily wait to drink this, and it will reward another three to five years in bottle, then go for decades. If you do open it, give it a long carafe. 50% new oak.”

97   Roger Voss for Wine Enthusiast
“Power and elegance merge effortlessly in this superb wine. Its pure black currant fruit is tightly coiled, supported by just the right amount of firm tannins. Great aging potential. A triumph.” *Best of Year 2008, Cellar Selection* (6/2008)

96   James Suckling
“This offers aromas of spices, dried dark fruits, meat and berries. Full and muscular on the palate, with strong tannins and a long, long finish. This is very powerful and chewy, but a little bit tight. This is a wine for the cellar.” (12/2010)

96   Antonio Galloni for Vinous
“The 2005 Léoville-Barton is clearly one of the wines of the vintage. Powerful and strapping in the glass, the 2005 is a big, big wine. Huge swaths of tannin wrap around a core of inky black fruit, new leather, spice, gravel, mocha and licorice. The wine’s sheer density is impressive, but its balance is even more compelling. I might be temped to give this another few years in the cellar. Readers lucky enough to own it will find a thrilling, potent Saint-Julien that overdelivers big time. I loved it.” (4/2021)

95   Neal Martin
The Château Léoville-Barton 2005 has a more multi-dimensional bouquet compared to the Langoa with blackberry, bilberry, a hint of ‘Liquorice All Sorts’ and crème de cassis. The palate is medium-bodied with dense ripe tannins, a gentle but insistent grip and superb delineation on the finish that reins the power back in, ensuring that this Barton is linear, classic in style. There is great persistence here – a Saint Julien from the top drawer that will give as much pleasure to you as your kids (once they reach drinking age of course).” (2/2015)