2001 Ch. Leoville-Barton

[hotwine]

This little St Julien gem showed up at Costco today. Snagged a couple at $35.79 per; WS92, reportedly.

[wondersofwine]

Good snag from all I've heard.

[winoweenie]

A very reliable, solid producer of superior juice. WW

[Thomas]

Nice price, as prices for that one goes.

[Bucko]

Tanzer liked it. He is the only major critic that I pay attention to anymore:

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, May/Jun 04 $42-$49) Good medium ruby-red. Sweet, pure nose dominated by black cherry and spices. Juicy and fine-grained, with a lovely restrained sweetness and nicely integrated acidity. A hint of pepper lifts the wine's fruit without introducing intrusive greenness. Stylish, firm claret with good extract and a firm, lingering finish. 90 points

[hotwine]

Had to try one last night; grilled some beast (a NY strip and a ribeye, both from Costco), served with russets, yellow squash and baby peas. Tried my hand at a bernaise sauce for the beef, and it came out pretty good. Decanted the wine for two hours before dinner while burning down the oak coals, preparing the sauce and sides, etc.

Would agree with Tanzer except for the sweetness that he mentions twice.... thinks that's simply fruitiness, perhaps more than your average bear of a St Julien. Defintely feel it needs time in the cellar, but couldn't keep my hands off of it, and anyway, need to know if it's worth buying more while Costco still has a supply. It is, so I will. Two hours probably wasn't near long enough air time.....

[hotwine]

Sold out!

[Thomas]

He who hesitates hotwine--you're old enough to know...

Bucko, don't you salivate at Parker's scores like so many other people loaded with money???

[hotwine]

There were only 3 bottle on hand when I visited yesterday; bought 2 and left 1. Apparently that was all that remained of their stock.

Still concerned about heat damage at the warehouse stores, given the time of year. Prefer to sample before buying a case.

[Bucko]

A Parker lemming I'm not... I don't care for gobs of hedonistic fruit (read - had the $hit extracted out of it), sweetness (read - 15% alcohol), and new French oak (read - a beaver would gag on this).

I went to a Harlan vertical put on by a cult-chasing friend. The wines generated super high scores by Parker, including a couple of 100 pointers. The tactful answer is that I would be VERY pi$$ed if I had paid big bucks for these wines.

Parker's palate and mine are about 180 degrees out -- that's okay -- there is a wine out there sure to please someone at some point in time.

[Thomas]

I knew that Bucko--was just chiding you.

KC signs onto the Robert Parker Web site, as do Roberto and I. KC mostly lurks, Roberto mostly trolls for customers and I mostly steam at some of the crap a lot of the defenders of fruit bombs throw out. One fellow recently blanketly called all red wines from the Loire "swill" because he does not like them. It is amazing how such people appoint themselves arbiters of taste.

My belief is that if you drink too much of those extracted alcohol delivery systems your tastes become incapable of recognizing subtlety and finesse. But I no longer try to point that out on the RP site; it's like throwing daggers at an enemy who is shielded by 12-inch stainless steel armor.

[This message has been edited by foodie (edited 10-02-2004).]

[winoweenie]

Went to the site once about 2 years ago and was appalled at the denseness and lack of civility displayed there. I occassionally lurk but have quit posing on the WCWN because of a difference in what is used as descripitive adjectives but did read your posting Herr Buck-Snort on the Harlan. If you can remember that long ago I got off the mailing list of EVERY Calif winery who put their pricing above the century mark after the 97 vintage.(even tho I knew I could double my money by turning them on release.) Agree that the level of winemakeing has been tuned to suit reviewers rather than what the fruit from the vineyard will provide. Still some great juice being made out there and in the meantime take advantage of the pricing that'll be showing up in the next 4-6 months as the inventories are dumped. WW



[This message has been edited by winoweenie (edited 10-03-2004).]