| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > St Julien |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
A splendid showing, much stronger from bottle than it was from barrel, the Leoville Barton is one of the spectacular wines of the vintage. Inky purple to the rim, its huge tannin gives this wine real potential for 30-50 years of longevity. It is a classic, powerful Bordeaux made with no compromise. A superstar of the vintage, the wine has notes of pen ink and creme de cassis, good acidity, sweet, subtle oak, and massive extraction and concentration. I thought it was one of the most backward wines of the vintage two years ago, and nothing has changed in the ensuing upbringing of the wine in cask except that the wine now seems even richer, denser and fuller than I previously thought. The beautiful purity, symmetry, and huge finish of nearly a minute make this one of the all-time great classics from Leoville Barton. Anticipated maturity: 2028-2065+.
The 2010 Léoville Barton is cut from a very different cloth to the Langoa this year with more amplitude on the nose and more red fruit. It is very well delineated, very intense with almost honey-like aromas emerging with time. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent, ripe tannins. This is a multi-dimensional Léoville-Barton with tobacco-infused black fruit gripping the finish and not letting go. Afford this wine another few years in bottle. Drink 2025-2055.
Aromas of pure blackberries and violets follow through to a full body, with super velvety tannins and a delicious balance of sweet fruit, light vanilla and nuts. Really savory and beautiful. Superb wine. I like this better than 2009. Try in 2018.
Very dark crimson. More playful on the nose than the Langoa – more layers. And not too dry for once. Very firm and confident and classical. 13.5%
Drink 2022 – 2050
Consistently brilliant quality in recent years and a reasonable pricing policy makes this one of our best selling wines. There is little need for us to recommend Léoville Barton as it has a dedicated following of loyal, regular customers who buy it faithfully every year en primeur. Our only problem is being able to source enough of it to satisfy demand. 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc. 60% new oak. Pure cassis on the nose with a classy overlay of oak. On the palate this is classically structured with a black cherry and blackcurrant core, ripe, rounded cedary tannins, freshness and impeccable balance. Intense sweet fruit yet dry and firm. Controlled and refined. This is what great Bordeaux is all about.
The nose is packed out with black fruits all very cassis driven. Hints of cedar wood, liquorice and coffee beans add complexity to the palate the richness sweetness of the fruit balanced by bilberry freshness. It is complex with layers of flavour on the back palate.
The nose is packed out with black fruits all very cassis driven. Hints of cedar wood, liquorice and coffee beans add complexity to the palate the richness sweetness of the fruit balanced by bilberry freshness. It is complex with layers of flavour on the back palate.
Fine concentration, quite understated at the start, then the purity and depth of fruit, classical Leoville firm texture and length becomes plain, a wine that repays keeping. Drink 2020-40.
Tasted at the Union de Grand Cru in London. Anthony Barton appeared to have made a scintillating wine in 2010 and I hoped it would live up to expectations. It does. And judging by the mutterings I heard from others, I was not alone in that opinion. The Leoville Barton is more bashful on the nose than the Langoa Barton, although there are clearly abundant, pure blackberry and blueberry fruit encased within and they will burst forth with bottle age. The palate offers exquisite balance with luscious, intense black tarry fruit on the entry that exert a gentle but insistent grip. There is a wonderful symmetry to this wine and a life-affirming sense of harmony and precision on the finish. This is unequivocally a fabulous Leoville Barton enveloped in an effortless aura - a wine that easily surpassed even my own lofty expectations. Tasted November 2012.
The 2010 Leoville Barton was almost impossible to evaluate because of its highly extracted, masculine, muscular style. However, it exhibits a dense purple color along with surprising amounts of oak, excruciatingly painful tannin levels, good acidity and a massive mouthfeel. One of the biggest, most backward wines of the vintage, forget it for a decade and drink it over the following 30+ years. Unfortunately, I have passed the age where it makes sense to buy a wine such as this.
Tasted at the chateau and twice at the UGC , the Leoville-Barton is a touch more timid than the Langoa at this stage, but it opens up to reveal blackberry, cassis, violets and a touch of cedar, quite Margaux-like in profile. The palate is full-bodied with exquisite purity, insistent grippy tannins, a seamless texture like the Langoa and harmonious towards the long, refined, velvety finish. Gorgeous from head to toe. Drink 2020- Tasted April 2011.
This is phenomenal, with dark fruits, with cassis and blackberries Full and super silky, with incredible fruit and ripe tannins. It goes on and on. So much depth of fruit here. Barton is on a roll again in this vintage.
Black with a purple edge. Less obviously aromatic than the Langoa 2010. Drier but still very ripe and voluptuous. Tea leaves and a savoury note. Real energy. This should be a very long-term player.
Tasted blind 8 Apr: Still lots of blue in the colour here. Scented and mineral. Relatively lightweight. Bone dry. A bit austere at the moment. Makes me think that these 2010s need a fair amount of weight to work..? Quite long though. (Score: 17++ 22-36)
This wine may overtake Langoa in the long term but is certainly less expressive at this stage.
