2004 Leoville Barton
By Chateau Leoville Barton
2004 Leoville Barton from Chateau Leoville Barton, St-Julien, Bordeaux, France
The 2004 Leoville Barton, a sterling offering from the illustrious Chateau Leoville Barton, is a study in poise and intricacy. My enduring affinity with St-Julien's heralded estates has brought about countless tastings, yet the 2004 vintage remains an emblem of Bordeaux’s ability to triumph even under less lauded conditions.
The Vintage's Valour amidst Adversity
Marked by variable weather, 2004 was a year that demanded resilience and skill from Bordeaux vintners. The growing season was a tapestry of challenges, yet the astute team at Chateau Leoville Barton sculpted a vintage both reflective of St-Julien's noble terroir and remarkable for its structure and longevity.
Tasting the 2004 Leoville Barton today, one is greeted by an opulent bouquet; ripe blackcurrant and cherry cosmopolitans mingle with earthy truffles and cedar. On the palate, the wine lavishes the senses with well-integrated tannins that lend shape to the vibrant yet mature dark fruit core. Undercurrents of graphite and tobacco complete a symphony of complexity worthy of scholarly reflection.
Investment Merits and Sumptuous Drinking
A wine such as the 2004 Leoville Barton from Chateau Leoville Barton encompasses much more than sensory enjoyment. Adept investors note its consistent ascension in maturity and market stature, a testament to its crafted precision. Its allure lies not solely in its current drinking window but in its potential for further development and sustained desire among fine wine aficionados.
Now at the summit of maturity, this vintage is a connoisseur’s bastion of classic Bordeaux finesse without ostentation. Discerning palates will appreciate its balance as it represents an investable piece from an estate that consistently signifies St-Julien's proud tradition of winemaking excellence.
Market price (CAD)
$1,050.00
12x75cl
Highest score
92
POP score
52.5
Scores and tasting notes
This is an impressively endowed vin de garde that should age effortlessly for 20-30 years. How Anthony Barton continues to fashion uncompromisingly primordial Bordeaux that are always among the biggest and densest of all the St.-Juliens is beyond me, but he does it year in and year out. Moreover, when it’s time to set the price, he appears to have the consumer foremost in his mind. The 2004 is a classic Leoville-Barton meant for long aging. Concentrated, with loads of smoke, creme de cassis, forest floor, and earthy notes emerge from this impressive, but oh, so backward wine. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2030+.
Robert Parker Jr - The Wine Advocate, 28 June 2007
Tasted at the French Embassy in London. At six years of age, the Leoville Barton is developing quite a refined bouquet with brambly red-berried fruits laced with cedar and a touch of sage. The palate is medium-bodied with rounded, ripe red fruits, a generous dose of cedar and firm, dry tannins that segue into a dry, aristocratic finish. Conservative, but charming. Drink now-2025. Tasted November 2010.
Neal Martin - Wine Journal Jan 2011