1999 Château Léoville Barton
So no, not Joe Barton (Texas politician), but rather the Barton I had been promising to open since a while back. A little digging in the cellar revealed the bottle I had pulled nearly a year ago from the back corner (the coldest part of the cellar) and mis-located in a mixed case of Chateauneuf. I uncorked the bottle & poured just a couple of ounces, letting the rest of the bottle sit and open rather than decanting. Initially it was very evocative of pencil shavings and dark cherry, with an austere palate presence. Thirty minutes later I went back to the last couple of sips in the glass, and the wine had transformed, with greater richness on the palate, and significant earthy/leathery aromas to compliment the initial aromatic elements. Pouring some to go with my food (lamb), the bottle was still a bit behind what I previously poured in the glass, but was clearly evolving to the same point. Tannins are still present but not harsh, and overall the wine is medium-bodied, rather than being a rich, modern style of Bordeaux. It was a very nice match with the lamb. Overall I think the wine is about as good as it is going to get, but is not going to drop off a cliff any time soon. It's a solid wine that doesn't have any "great vintage" distinction, but drinks well as a compliment to a meal.
