Right from the early days of tasting in spring 2001 this was going to be one of the stars of the vintage. And a star it remains. There is big ripe fruit with solid ageworthy tannins. It may not be as powerful as some of the blockbusters of the vintage but it is certainly more opulent less classical than Léoville-Barton can sometimes be. - R.V.

Hello. Take textbook St.-Julien warmed fig, blueberry compote and blackberry reduction notes along with ample graphite, bramble and tobacco flavors, then dial it up a notch. This has terrific energy to offset the admirable depth and length, and hasn't even started a second phase yet. One of the stars of the vintage.--Blind 2000 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2015). Best from 2018 through 2033. – JM

95+ I found this to be one of the more backward wines of the 2000 vintage and gave it a window of maturity of 2015-2040 when I reviewed it in 2003. In my two recent tastings of it I changed that window to 2018-2050 which probably says more than the following tasting note could say. This is a behemoth - dense highly extracted very tannic broodingly backward with a dense purple color and very little evolution since it was bottled 8 years ago. Wonderfully sweet cedar and fruitcake notes are intermixed with hints of creme de cassis licorice and earthy forest floor. It is full-bodied and tannic with everything in place but like so many wines that come from Leoville Barton it makes a mockery of many modern-day consumers wanting a wine for immediate gratification. Those who bought it should continue to exercise patience and be proud to own a wonderful classic with five decades of longevity ahead of it. - Robert M. Parker, Jr.

The 2000 Leoville Barton has a deep brick color. Wow - what a captivating nose of Morello cherries, mulberries, and warm cassis, followed by hints of tobacco leaf, tilled soil, and wood smoke, with a touch of dried lavender. The light-bodied palate delivers a quiet intensity of soft-spoken savory and mineral flavors, with a fine-grained texture and plenty of freshness, finishing long and perfumed. Very pretty! - Lisa Perrotti-Brown

On the firm, tannic, stoic side, the wine remains stubbornly youthful. Even at 20, the tannins are strict. Once the tannins subside, there is a wealth of concentrated, ripe, juicy, fresh, crisp Cabernet Sauvignon with real staying power. But this wine demands at least another decade in the cellar before it moves into its prime time drinking window. Those that prefer old-school classic Bordeaux should be all over this wine. 93 Points Read more at:https://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/wine-tasting-note/?vintage=2000&wine=Chateau%20Leoville%20Barton

Tasted blind at Bordeaux Index’s 2000 tasting in London. Ripe blackberry, raspberry, fruitcake and mulberry on the nose, more primal than others 2000s, developing touches of leather and Provencal herbs (white fennel) with time. The palate has a chewy entry, spicy and peppery, very attacking but perhaps a little ostentatious? Spiky, spicy black fruits, touches of marjoram and cardamom. Dry and tobacco dominated towards the finish, moderate length. It lacks some focus for the first ten minutes but coalesces and tidies itself up. Drink 2012-2030. Tasted March 2010.

The 2000 Léoville-Barton has a juicy, ripe bouquet of macerated black cherries, incense, potpourri and veins of blue fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins, good density, nice structure and a sappy conclusion. This has opened up in recent years and displays a touch of ash toward the finish. Drinking perfectly now, it’s a decent Léoville-Barton that never quite achieves the heights of recent stellar vintages. -- Neal Martin