Leoville Barton '00

[John Treder]

I forked over for a couple of bottles of this in my quest to see if all the hype about Bordeaux can have meaning for me.

A little barnyard on opening. It had faded a couple of hours later and was gone by dinnertime, 4 hours after opening. Firm tannin, leather in the aroma, lark fruit in the middle. Very fulfilling of its entry promise, but not astonishing length. Drank it with a dinner of standing rib roast and pears baked in wine for dessert. I cooked the roast and the dessert and my brother Steve and his wife Pam brought over broccoli, carrots, and scalloped potatoes. The meal and the wine each supported the other.

Back in April, I opened a bottle of Leoville Poyferre '99 and drank it with a dinner of beef Stroganoff. My note says:
Vibrant, lean, long. An aroma that even my nose could appreciate. I'm very happy I have another bottle for another occasion. Helps me understand why Bordeaux is famous.

Maybe I need to find an older bottle. The challenge will be to find one that will be representative of what aged Bordeaux has to offer, yet doesn't cost more than I want to pay. I can't buy a recent bottle and wait 20 years - in 20 years I'll be 90 and quite frankly, my nose and palate aren't what they were a decade ago.

John

[Ian Sutton]

John
Ta for the note and continued thoughts along your quest - it will be interesting to read how things go for you.

Bordeaux is perhaps the easiest of wine regions to get hold of aged examples - with it being both a recognised stayer in the cellar, plus that it's been the favourite for investors for years. The downside of this, is sometimes the prices outstrip what I'd consider the value of the wine - investors want their return!

I'm lucky in knowing someone who trades (B2B) in wine, which is a help. However there should be plenty of wines come up at auction (better perhaps to seek out a local or provincial auction, than the high profile big bucks ones). Pricing is easy via wine-searcher and plenty of info available in print or on the web around how older vintages are doing (Broadbent is a great read for such stuff, but there are loads of other worthwhile critical opinions). Some retail shops will have a decent selection, but it's a matter of finding which ones. Expect to pay ~ 30-40% more than auctions normally (though with auction prices as they have been here recently, the gap is a lot closer, but clearly that can't last).

Finally, there's a fair chance you know folk who have got plenty of mature claret in their cellars. Whether it's offering a few low key wine trades, or just persuading them to bring some along to an informal tasting, that might be the best way of getting access to them.

regards

Ian

[David M. Bueker]

Echoing the thanks for the note. I have several of the '00 Barton in the cellar (somehwere...), but wasn't thinking of touching them for probably another 8-10 years.

[James Dietz]

The 2000 is the most unforgiving vintage of LB that I have ever had, and it has been that way young and more recently. I don't know when it will be ready to really enjoy. On the other hand, recent vintages (and I have opened both 2006 and 2007 recently) are better young, with the 2007 one of those vintages that I think will be tasty throughout its lifetime.

Older Bdx vintages at relatively reasonable prices can be found, for example, on WineBid.com, where I've had very good luck with older vintages of Leoville Barton and Leoville Las Cases

[John Treder]

Thanks for the comment! I'll be poking around one of these fine days. I still have the second bottle, and it isn't clamoring to be tasted. I still have some 10 year old Zins looking at me with sad puppy eyes.

John

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