Offering up aromas of blackcurrants, plums, pencil shavings and licorice, it’s full-bodied, deep and concentrated, its deep core of fruit framed by a chassis of rich, powdery tannin.
Reviews:
- Wine Advocate: Offering up aromas of blackcurrants, plums, pencil shavings and licorice, it’s full-bodied, deep and concentrated, its deep core of fruit framed by a chassis of rich, powdery tannin that makes itself felt on the youthfully firm finish.
- Wine Enthusiast: A very fine, rich and structured wine, this has all the hallmarks of one of the stars of this vintage. Packed with rounded tannins and rich black fruits, the wine is impressively concentrated in layers of blackberry flavors and lifted acidity.
Producer Information
Château Léoville Barton is a well-regarded estate in the Saint-Julien region of Bordeaux, ranked a second growth in the 1855 Classification. Quality has soared since the 1980s, and it is considered one of the most dependable wines in Bordeaux, gaining regular praise for its reasonable pricing. Léoville Barton is Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant, tannic and austere when young but develops intense blackcurrant and cassis notes, as well as classic Saint-Julien cedar characteristics. The vineyard, which has gravel soils over clay, is planted 74 percent to Cabernet Sauvignon, 23 percent to Merlot and 3 percent to Cabernet Franc. After a manual harvest, fermentation takes place in large temperature-controlled wooden vats, and then the wine is aged in 50 percent new oak barrels. There is no château building; that which features on the label belongs to Langoa-Barton, Léoville Barton’s sister estate. In 1821, Anglo-Irish wine merchant Hugh Barton bought Château Langoa Barton and a portion of the Léoville estate which became Léoville Barton (the other sections are now Léoville-Poyferré and Léoville-Las Cases). A second wine, La Réserve de Léoville Barton is produced from younger vines and lots which lack the quality and depth of the grand vin.
