Chateau Leoville Barton Saint-Julien is a popular red Bordeaux that has consistently offered excellent quality for its price over the years. Accordingly, many of us here in British Columbia have collected and admired it. Different vintages of this wine have been referenced many times on this Blog including a recent vertical tasting by our Group of Eight on September 23, 2025, which was posted here on October 7. A second vertical of Chateau Leoville Barton was held by the Vancouver Commanderie de Bordeaux at Blue Water Cafe on February 10, 2026, featuring different vintages, but including three identical ones: 2003, 1995, and 1982. All the wines for the first tasting came from the same local source acquired on initial release and kept unmoved in cool storage. In contrast, the wines for the second tasting were recently sourced from warmer locations, assembled, and then moved to Vancouver. The difference was clearly noticeable to your scribe: the first tasting trio was darker, deeper, and slower aging than the second trio, which was more open approachable and mature – actually a good thing. Interestingly, the 1982 vintage showed better this time. Unfortunately one of my favs the classic 2000 was not present at either vertical. The first tasting had only one bottle of each vintage, and the second had three. All bottles were sound, though they varied. This just shows the inevitable bottle variation that always exists when consuming older wines. Be open-minded about how your old bottle is actually showing at this specific point.
Some excellent hors d’oeuvre of sweet Dungeness crab, swordfish gyoza and fresh briny Kusshi oysters paired well with the aperitif: 2012 CHARLES HEIDSIECK VINTAGE BRUT, composed of 60% Pinot Noir & 40% Chardonnay disgorged in 2021 after 8+ years on the lees. Admired the fresh crisply balanced yet creamy and toasty concentration of these bubbles. It has rich flavours and is drinking beautifully now, but it should easily remain on this beautiful plateau of enjoyment for at least another 10+ years. We finished with two Sauternes from the exceptional 2001 vintage showing distinctively different stylings. CHATEAU RIEUSSEC 2001 has deep gold rich full noble rot botrytis with intense complex concentration compared to the lighter, clean, elegant, forward CHATEAU DE MALLE 2001 bonus treat. Both matched the dessert’s notes of orange, almond, citrus, and pineapple.
Nine red wines across three flights, each with three vintages, with brief impressions:
2017 CHATEAU LEOVILLE BARTON SAINT-JULIEN: This 51 hectare Estate grows 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, and 3% Cabernet Franc. However, the 2017 blend used a very high 93% Cabernet Sauvignon & 7% Merlot (September rains affected the Merlot & Cabernet Franc), resulting in a deep, young Cabernet Sauvignon statement. However, it is less powerful than expected showing the finesse of the 2017 vintage well. Blair Curtis commented on this first flight that it has “a good open nose with a mix of red and black fruits but not the stamina for long aging.” Nick Wright really liked this vintage,” noting the nice definition provided by the high Cabernet Sauvignon.” Best younger vintage with the tasty tuna starter.
2015 CHATEAU LEOVILLE BARTON SAINT-JULIEN: 86% CS & 14% Merlot; Again, no Cab Franc in the blend with 60% new oak at only 13 ABV. Darker, deeper, riper, bigger cassis dense fruit with prominent tannins, characteristic of 2015. Patience is needed. Blair found “minerals and metallic notes, but not unpleasant with raspberries and dry, firm, finishing tannins.”
2009 CHATEAU LEOVILLE BARTON SAINT-JULIEN: 77CS/22M/1CF with 60% new oak at 13 ABV. A stand-out from the start as Wine Enthusiast #3 in Top 100 of 2012. Like the St. Julien’s definition, but it shows more Merlot than the last two wines. Starting to show some tertiary bouquet development of juicy plums & black currants with cedar notes. Blair said, “Less Cab Sauv, but the biggest and ripest tannins are integrating.” Fred Withers liked this vintage. Group favourite.
2003 CHATEAU LEOVILLE BARTON SAINT-JULIEN: Hot year of 74CS/23M/3CF harvested September 11-22 using 70% new oak. Lovely drinking now but much lighter than the October 2025 bottle. It doesn’t seem as big, ripe, or youthful here. Nick Wright found “a sweet spot drinking well.” Great with the unique 80% dark chocolate sauce on the Elk course.
1995 CHATEAU LEOVILLE BARTON SAINT-JULIEN: 78CS/19M/3CF harvested September 19-28 at 12.5 ABV. It is aging way slower than the 2003 vintage, but it is more open and forward than the bottle showing in October 2025. Textbook older Leoville Barton. This tasting seems less conducive to slow potential, as it shows lighter in development and matures faster due to storage, though flight commentator Bill Sirett smartly stated, “It needs time.”
1982 CHATEAU LEOVILLE BARTON SAINT-JULIEN: 72CS/20M/8CF with no new oak used. Often “rustic” but sweet soft ready very mature bottles were here, varying somewhat. Not as successful as many 1982 St. Julien’s properties, including recent tastings of Leoville Las Cases, Gruaud-Larose, Talbot, Beychevelle, and Branaire Ducru, all shone much brighter. I wish we had the 1986 tonight because it showed brilliantly in October 2025 and this underrated, concentrated, intense beauty is starting to reveal attractive charm as well.
2008 CHATEAU LEOVILLE BARTON SAINT-JULIEN: The typical blend surprises better than expected, featuring stylish yet chateau trademark medicinal notes. Flight commentator Dr. Bob Rothwell found “graphite with the peppercorn cassis.” Like those flavours together with the Flat Iron & Shortrib main course.
2005 CHATEAU LEOVILLE BARTON SAINT-JULIEN: Outstanding vintage, aged 50% in new oak, shows superb, balanced structure. Also admired for its intense richness, the elegant, delicate styling—which becomes more evident at 20 years of age—is still somewhat hidden. Really special and will age so well. My fav of the evening.
2003 CHATEAU LANGOA BARTON SAINT-JULIEN: Served double blind as a MYSTERY wine. There were many guesses, ranging from 2010 vintage to Chateau Leoville Poyferre but it seemed lighter, softer, older and mature. Not surprising really as this blend is ripe and forward, with the least 57CS/most 34M/most 9CF. Fun experience.
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Dominus red wine is a cherished distinctive Napa Valley Cabernet treasure respected around the world. It wasn’t always so. Your scribe remembers spending 1977 vintage harvest days in Pomerol with Christian Moueix and Jean-Claude Berrouet. Learned so much from tasting the ripe grapes on the older vines at Trotanoy, tasting maturing Petrus, and our insightful conversations. They both were a fountain of wine knowledge and Christian reminisced about his studies at UC Davis and showed a keen interest in Napa Valley. This was the time of the 1976 Judgment of Paris for winning 1973 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon and other exciting wines from Napa including among others Heitz, Mayacamas, and Robert Mondavi Reserve 1974. So it was not surprising to me when in the early eighties they ventured into this emerging top quality wine region with the old Napanook Vineyard (back to the 1880s on the western hills near Yountville) which had proven itself by providing premium grapes from Bordeaux vine cuttings for Inglenook including their legendary 1941. However, Inglenook was Cabernet Sauvignon and Moueix merchants were Right Bank Merlot experts. In fact the first harvest 1982 was not released though backward tannic vintage 1983 (20% Merlot) was at around $40+ but after the more forwardly 1984 (25% Merlot) followed by the more successful elegant 1985. Somewhat controversial in the early days where The New Connoisseurs Handbook of California Wines (2nd Edition) reviewed the first 5 vintages of 1983-1987 stating: “Immense wines that are bold in curranty fruit, high in rich and creamy oak, and very tannic, they are among the leaders for intensity and drama. But in the early vintages, they also have been bothered by background earthy notes that raise troubling questions about how well they will hold up in the long run.” Such fond memories visiting with Christian at Dominus during this period where they were cutting the outside layer of the vine stems to reveal diseased budwood. Asked what they were doing and he replied “stopping GLD (Grapevine Leafroll Disease) that was limiting nutrients & water to the grapevine – and adding $5 labour costs to each bottle.” Showed the dedicated pursuit of high standards demonstrated here again and resulted in unqualified success for Dominus during the early nineties – especially 1991 and 1994.
We have been studying Dominus since the beginning here in Vancouver thanks mainly to the wine collecting skills and generous sharing by Ian Mottershead. He organized at his home on February 3, 2010 an 8 vintage double blind vertical of Dominus from 1992 to 2002 with 1997 & 1999 shining brightest but all seeming more like a St Estephe Cos d’ Estournel. Exactly sixteen years later on February 3, 2026 Ian organized another 8 vintages vertical (not blind) of Dominus for the Group of Eight #139 at Blue Water Cafe from 2017 back to 2001. Interestingly the two youngest wines last time of 2001 & 2002 were the oldest pair this time. The evening started off beautifully with an exquisite Langostino Lobster course paired with 2008 DOM PÉRIGNON CHAMPAGNE Chef de Cave Legacy Edition Brut “celebrating the continuum from Richard Geoffrey, DP Chef de Cave for 28 years to his successor Vincent Chaperon. A shared vision of an exceptional vintage – long been restrained, but now finally appears, and is completely coherent. Its slender, minimalist, and athletic character now also expresses itself with warmth. The fruit is pronounced and clear. Its aromatic persistence is remarkably intense.” We found it had explosive tiny bubbles, fresh & vibrant though still young with lots of balancing acidity admired now but with a very bright aging future. We finished with 1968 KROHN PORTO COLHEITA Bottled in 2006 combining 36 years in wood as a tawny style plus 20 years in bottle like a vintage. Much fresher than expected with stylish dried fruits and charming hazelnut cardamom toffee.
The main event of Dominus with brief comments:
2017 DOMINUS: 88% Cab Sauv/7 Cab Franc/5 Petit Verdot harvest commenced September 21 for small crop of 2800 cases at 15 abv. Hot year with 112F on September 1. Rich concentration with structured power but more refined softer minty plummy Cabs than expected. Nose & flavour not as “Bordeaux” as Dominus showed in the earlier vertical that had more cassis, younger vines and less alcohol. Nick Wright commented on the “great eucalyptus nose”.
2010 DOMINUS: 95 CS & 5 PV (burnt CF not good enough to use) harvested later October 4-23 for 300 cases at 14.5 abv. First year of the optical scanner that helped use only top grape selection and starting in 2009 had more quality control converting from a vertical press to a horizontal one. Cooler wetter year though 107F at the end of August. Aromas are more open with sweet plums & cherries in a big high Cab Sauv statement with polished tannins. Jonathan Fenton felt “top Left Bank Bordeaux blends of high Cab Sauv are more elegant” but this shows quite lovely easy elegance compared to many really big powerful Napa Cabernets out there.
2008 DOMINUS: 83 CS/13CF/4PV harvested September 19 to October 3 for 4500 cases at 14.1 abv. In fact the last six vintages of this vertical are all at 14.1 so they didn’t have to pay more tax on the wine at higher alcohol. Similarly all the wines using about 40% new oak. Even ripening and high Cab Franc resulted in some lighter red fruits minerality with forward smooth softer tannins development in a rather Bordeaux styling. Fred Withers found it “more disappointing than other vintages”.
2006 DOMINUS: 91CS/6CF/3PV harvested October 2-26 with longer hang time for 6000 cases. Late vintage gave excellent phenolic ripeness with more depth than 2008. Like the supple round juicy black plums here with even a touch of the Petrus iron notes. Admire the savoury minty flavours delivered well balanced with a firm grip. Well done. Group fav with the 2010 and 2005 also with support. Matched with the new style duck pate 2006 was divine dining.
2005 DOMINUS: 92CS/5CF/3PV harvested September 29 to October 20 for higher 7000 cases. Cooler weather showed only one day over 100F on July 23 and just 23 days over 90F. Most Pauillac/St.Julien like of these especially the aromas and integrated acidity. Ian remarked “good bouquet!”. Yes lovely dried mint fullness reminiscent of a good vintage of Lynch Bages. Ian & your scribe were delighted with this vintage as a treasure.
2003 DOMINUS: 88CS/7CF/5PV harvested October 3 to November 2 (longest hang time) for 5600 cases. 7 days over 100F but a great weather October ripening month. Special note on the bottle celebrating their 20th year. Probably the most open fragrant vintage tried tonight. Beautiful raspberry black tea fruit with violets are impressive. On a delicious plateau paired with Wagyu beef accompaniment.
2002 DOMINUS: 85CS/8CF/4PV/3Merlot – last vintage that Merlot was used in the blend! Crop picked September 9 to October 16 with no excessive temperatures for 5000 cases. Spicy with cinnamon but quite delicate. Much more together and attractive than 16 years ago when it seemed young and lighter. Now more together, balanced and in harmony. Delicious.
2001 DOMINUS: 81CS/10CF/5PV/4Merlot harvested September 15 to October 13 for 7000 cases (tie with 2005). Hot year but with less rain and a cooler September influenced the style. Jon Ellison liked “the aged development of this 2001”. More development over 16 years was good thing for 2001 too. Lovely full silky textures show wonderful softer maturity with a touch of medicinal notes plus cloves. Rather exotic flavours on the palate. Dominus at 25 years is not quite developing with the complexity of say 2000 vintage in Bordeaux where top Left Bank Chateaux now have distinctive classy bouquets. Nonetheless the full balanced flavours of Dominus are outstanding indeed. Probably need to taste now legendary vintages of 1991 or 1994 to get that bouquet complexity – or admire the still evolving younger ones and wait for them to age further with 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018 and later ones all are continuing beauties. Congrats to Christian, his son Edouard and the whole talented Dominus team. Many thanks for producing such unique quality wine treasures. Appreciated.
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