2003 Chateau Langoa Barton St Julien

Wine Spectactor (WS)

Blackberry, licorice and lightly toasted oak. Full-bodied, with refined and chewy tannins and a subtle, rich berry and mineral aftertaste. Lovely wine. Best after 2011.

Wine Advocate (WA)

This is often looked at as the second wine of Leoville Barton, but it is actually a separate estate, producing wines that are slightly softer than the more formidably endowed and broodingly backward Leoville Bartons. The outstanding 2003, a softer version of the Leoville Barton, exhibits a deep ruby/purple color, sweet black cherries intermixed with subtle herbal notes, roasted meats, juices, and black currants. In the mouth, it is expansive, savory, round, and seemingly on a much faster evolutionary track than Leoville Barton. Give it 2-3 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 15-18 years.