Ron Siegel

9.3

Dark red cherry, berry fruit with notes of meat, savory spices, licorice, violets & tobacco — 13 days ago

Peter van den Besselaar

9.2

vintage 2020 | Totally in balance, a cedarwood charmer, laurel. Roundness. Had the swallow factor when I tasted it. — 3 days ago

Mary Beth Mulholland

9.2

I loved the flavor and finish of this. Great smell and one of the few deeper reds I can drink without food—but also thoroughly enjoyed it with our surf and turf dinner. Would buy again for a dinner party wine. — 13 days ago

Austin Hohnke

9.0

100% Syrah showing opaque purple in the glass. Inky and aromatic with pepper and pomegranate. Killer pairing for ribeye au poivre in Torrey, Utah. 14.5% abv. but not hot. — 4 days ago

Conrad Green

9.3

Soft and pretty. Plum and cherry and lighter notes. Medium bodied and bright on the palate — a month ago

with Paul and Ara

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.3

2019 vintage. Smooth and still somewhat plushy. Delicious. 6.16.26. — 18 days ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.2

2024 vintage ( just before bottling). — 3 months ago

Peter van den Besselaar

9.0

vintage 1986 | Brushwood in smell, soft taste, a point — a month ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.2

2022 vintage. From a 375ml bottle. The St. Estèphe exception that proves the rule. Super-delicate cocoa powder with sumptuous richness throughout. Light-medium body. Cos is an outlier on the right. This is on the left. Nearly everything else is in between, hammer and nail 3D BDX...dry, dirty and distinctive. Excellent quality BDX to woo initiates with. 6.26.26. — 8 days ago

Ron Siegel

9.4

This was showing beautifully with good richness, balance, red & black fruits, earth, spice box, cedar, leather & tobacco notes — 14 days ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of several hours. The 1998 pours a deep garnet/purple with an opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and some sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with positively charming notes of plum, brambles, grilled Poblano pepper, pipe tobacco, dried mixed flowers, a mix of organic and inorganic earth, fine wood and baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and savory. This is about as traditional as it gets and was simply brilliant tonight. Squarely in the zone. Drink now through 2038+. — a month ago

Conrad Green

9.6

A big brooding breast. Intense and slightly feral. Powerful deep fruit, ferrous notes, pepper and a hint of band aid. Really present and powerful but still refined. A great wine — a month ago

with Paul and Ara

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

A 1/4 century in bottle…mmmm. I have had every 90’s vintage of Phelps Napa, except a 90 I think. Many of those multiple times at 15 yrs plus. This 99 is as good as any of the ones I’ve had. 98, not a great vintage but the 98 consistent with the rest and 99 better than many would expect.

Siting it, it has a dark core with little or no brickish edges. The fruit still very lively.

The nose shows; slightly candied to ripe & some slightly plummy fruits; blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, both plums, baked strawberries, pomegranate & raspberries. Cinnamon stick, nutmeg, clove, vanilla, anise to black licorice, sweet tarriness, dry tobacco, used leather, dry stems, dry crushed rocks with dry top soil, graphite, cocoa powder, dark cola, steeped berry tea, moist clay, dark & red bright florals framed I liquid violets with a touch of lavender.

This is still around its peak. M-M+ velvety, round tannins. It’s round w/ elegance defined. Nothing that bits back. Palate confirms the nose. Slightly candied to ripe fruits; blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, both plums, baked strawberries, pomegranate & raspberries. Cinnamon stick, nutmeg, clove, vanilla, anise to black licorice, sweet tarriness, dry tobacco, used leather, dry stems, dry crushed rocks with dry top soil, limestone, dark Asian spices with some palate heat, dry herbs w/ a sage lead, graphite, used charcoal ash, cocoa powder, caramel, dark cola, steeped berry tea, moist clay, dark & red bright florals framed in liquid violets with a touch of lavender, very round, beautiful acidity, well; made, knitted, structured, tensioned w/ excellent length and elegance-balanced finish that lasts minutes & lands on moist clays and ripe, evolved fruit.

Perfect w/ the Prime Ribcap. — a month ago

Alvaro Bustillos

9.9

Cata lalo o great american carlos fdz — a month ago

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. — 17 hours ago

Peter van den Besselaar

9.3

vintage 2019 | Cigar box. Great intensity. Rondeur, beautiful balance. Very reliable for pleasure 🫶 — 3 days ago

Scott E. Becker

9.2

[Tasted on July 2, 2026 at Home]
— 2 days ago

Ron Siegel

9.3

This was showing well with its red & black fruits, spice, orange peel, earth, mineral & floral notes — 15 days ago

Jeroen Koenen

9.4

Very mature and atypical for this producer. — a month ago

Ericsson

9.4

This Bordeaux is drinking very well. Cheers. — 3 months ago