The 1999 Leoville Barton is deep brick in color. It sashays out with a gorgeous perfume of kirsch, dried roses, iron ore, and fragrant soil, followed by hints of cigar box, cinnamon stick, and graphite. The light-bodied palate is filled with an impressive amount of ripe black fruits and savory accents, supported by firm, grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and minerally. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown

Smoked earth, tobacco, drying tannins, savoury black fruits, this is classically balanced claret, understated and juicy, with effortless grip, fully in its drinking window but no need to rush, and almost certainly a vintage that will suprise with its stubborn ability to stay at exactly this drinkable, shareable point for decades to come. 50% new oak.

Tasted at the 1999 horizontal at Bordeaux Index. The Leoville-Barton ’99 has a well-defined nose, more restrained and extrovert than the Langoa, with notes of blackberry, wild hedgerow/woodland, Chinese tea and a dash of white pepper. Very good definition. The palate is medium-bodied, sturdy tannins, a little pepper again on the entry with very good structure on the mid-palate. Quite foursquare and “correct” with an edgy, off-dry, very “Saint Julien” finish. Very fine – very...English! Drink now-2020.

A powerful nose, with sweet tobacco and sultana, follows through to a full body, featuring ultrafine tannins and a long, long finish, as well as lovely texture. This needs more time. Still tight and structured.—'89/'99 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2009). Best after 2011. 19,165 cases made. –JS