92 pts - Wine Advocate
["In contrast to the elegant, graceful, finesse-filled 1985 (which may turn out to resemble the classic 1953 in 15 years), the 1986 is a great wine, but so, so backward and tannic. This huge, dense, medium- to full-bodied wine exhibits tremendously rich, classic, weedy, black currant fruitiness with airing, and boasts the judicious use of new oak barrels. The tannins are elevated, but then this is a seriously concentrated, old-style, intense wine for long-term cellaring. The more I taste the 1986 Leoville-Barton, the more impressed I become with the wine's extraordinary power, density, and richness. However, it is not a wine for readers seeking immediate gratification. Although spectacular, it requires another 5-6 years of cellaring. It will easily last for half a century. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2030. Last tasted 3/97 RP"]
90 pts - Wine Spectator
97 pts - Vinous
["97"]