Region | |
---|---|
Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > St Julien |
Colour | Red |
Type | Still |
Léoville Barton's smaller sister Chateau. Grape varieties, viticulture and vinification are similar to those of Léoville. Quality is often very similar too. Classic claret is produced here with real Cabernet Sauvignon "grip" and class. There are currently 20 hectares in production, with an average vine age of 35 years.
A timely classic for patient readers with cold cellars, the 2019 Langoa Barton is performing beautifully in bottle, unwinding in the glass with a rich bouquet of cassis, plums, cigar wrapper, pencil shavings and loamy soil. Medium to full-bodied, deep and elegantly muscular, its concentrated core of fruit is framed by lively acids and ripe, powdery tannins that assert themselves on the youthfully firm finish. Forget it for a decade and reap the rewards for the following four. Drink Date 2029 - 2065.
The 2019 Langoa-Barton has a much more classically-hewn bouquet with blackberry, gravel, freshly rolled tobacco and smoke billowing from the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with sweet ripe tannins. It doesn't quite have the depth of its peers, though it is very well balanced, but it closes up shop on the finish. Cellar this for another 8-10 years. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting. Drink 2025-2048
The 2019 is a blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot and 7% Cabernet Franc. Saturate purple colour in the glass. The nose is expansive and enticing, layering ripe cassis and bramble fruits with savoury restraint. Cedar, baking spices, liquorice and nutmeg all come through. The palate is just as impressive, with great density at the core. Bursting with black fruits, it is highly seductive and powerful, but matched by mouthcoating, ripe tannins. The balance of fruit and tannin makes it more approachable than the Léoville Barton at this stage, but the structure and power are still there to make for a long, open drinking window. Complex and expansive with a very moreish flavour profile, with waves of spice, smoke and wood coming through, this is a hugely impressive wine for the money. Very long through to the finish, this is without doubt one of the finest Langoa Bartons ever made.
Plenty of blackberry, currant and floral aromas. Some mint as well, following through to a full-bodied palate with layers of ultra-fine tannins and wonderful length. This is sophisticated and beautifully crafted with style and personality, displaying its terroir. Extremely well done. Drink after 2025
Muscular tannins here, a little less succulent than the 2018 vintage but with greater structure and control, along with St Julien finesse. This is flush with cassis and blueberry fruits, alongside liquorice root, black chocolate, dark pepper spice, a ton of bristling tannins and a fresh core. Another brilliant vintage for a resurgent Langoa.
A blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, and 7% Cabernet Franc, the 2019 Langoa Barton is deep garnet-purple in color. It storms out with powerful blackcurrant and baked plums scents, followed by suggestions of cedar, allspice, and fragrant soil. The medium-bodied palate delivers mouth-filling black fruit with soft tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing with a spicy lift.
Tasted blind. Purplish crimson. Not much nose initially, but it came out in the glass. Low-key and austere. Where’s the fruit? Underripe. Bone dry. 14%
Drink 2029
– 2043
The 2019 is a blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot and 7% Cabernet Franc, with ageing to take place in 60% new French oak as normal. A deep, rich ruby colour in the glass, matched by an evocatively rich nose of brambly fruit and subtle spices from the oak. The palate has superb density and richness, with chalky, mouthcoating tannins and intense, layered black fruits. There are accents of dried flowers and red fruits, lifting the palate and adding a little more approachability than the Léoville Barton, but this is still deep, powerful and ageworthy. The finish is long, harmonious and precise, and continues the excellent form of Langoa Barton in recent years.
A soft, seamless, beautifully textured Saint-Julien, especially in the vintage, the 2019 Château Langoa Barton gives up lots of red and black currant fruits as well as textbook damp earth, leafy herbs, chocolate, and spring flowers. It's complex, medium to full-bodied, has beautiful tannins, and no hard edges. Drink this beauty any time over the coming 20-25 years. The blend is 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc.
67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc. Barrel sample.
Attractive nose of dark fruit with a savoury edge. Palate joyous and juicy with plenty of lift, the tannins ripe and smooth. Clean, long and harmonious. Everything in its place. (JL)
Drink 2026 – 2038
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2019 Langoa Barton is a very pleasant surprise, singing of Black Forest cake, raspberry preserves and warm blackcurrants notions with suggestions of chocolate mint, forest floor and pencil shavings plus a hint of cinnamon toast. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has jaw-dropping tension and intensity, featuring ripe, grainy tannins and bags of evocative red and black fruits, finishing with a lively lift. The style of this 2019 is worlds away from the also very impressive 2018, showcasing an even brighter, immediately impactful and downright flamboyant side to the estate. Color me impressed! 2024 - 2050
The 2019 Langoa Barton has closed down a little on the nose since I tasted it from barrel, offering blackberry, black olive and sandalwood, quite pastille-like in style. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and beautiful definition but less structure than I remember out of barrel. Quite saline toward the finish, with a dash of white pepper. A delicious, classically-styled Langoa-Barton. Very fine. 13.92% alcohol 2026 - 2055
The 2019 Langoa Barton has a very typical Langoa nose, which is a good thing, sporting vivacious black cherries, blackberry, crushed iris, cedar and light blood orange scents lurking offstage. Lovely oak integration here. The palate is beautifully defined on the entry, a structured almost big-boned Langoa with enormous grip on the spicy finish. I love the generosity of this Saint-Julien, one that I suspect will be seductive on release but don't be deceived - it deserves cellaring lest you get a smacked wrist for being impatient. 2026 - 2055.
Very finely textured with pure blue fruit and lavender and violet undertones. It’s full-bodied with pure, focused fruit. Extremely long and refined. Clearly better than the 2018.
Silky blackberry and bilberry fruits, this is a brilliant Langoa, with concentration and lift that pull you both forwards and upwards through the palate. For me this is more successful than the 2018 because it delivers an absolute punch of fruits but gently so, with elegance and control that is very St Julien. Grilled cedar finish, great stuff. Drinking Window 2027 - 2042
67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc.
Dark glowing purplish crimson. Perfumed, high-toned, intriguing nose. Very youthful indeed but all the elements are there for a pretty glorious long life. Bone-dry finish but true to the estate. 14%
Drink 2028 – 2046