Compare Château Léoville Barton, Saint-Julien Prices

Firmly structured, dense and medium-bodied with moderate tannin, this austere and backward yet well-endowed 2011 needs 5-7 years of bottle age. Whether the fruit holds up to the tannic structure remains to be seen, but the dark ruby/purple color, purity and impressive depth as well as concentration augur well for future positive development. Forget this 2011 for 5-6 years and drink it over the following 15-20.

Even better from bottle than from cask, and one of the finest wines of the vintage, this dense purple-colored 2002 reveals wonderfully sweet notes of charcoal, fresh mushrooms, smoke, earth, leather, cassis, and cedar. Full-bodied, highly extracted, broodingly backward, dense, and deep, this impressively endowed offering is built for the long term. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2028. 92/100