| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > St Julien |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
The Barton family's second growth is always a top quality Bordeaux of classic proportions. Structured, Cabernet Sauvignon dominated wines are produced here that are serious, controlled and pure. The 50 hectare vineyard is planted 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc. Always the epitome of Saint Julien and the ultimate "Englishman's Claret". The Barton family traditions continue with Anthony's daughter Lilian and her son Damien in charge of the estate. A real Farr Vintners favourite and a true Bordeaux classic.
30 hl/ha in 2022. This is 14.1% alcohol and made from 83% Cabernet Sauvignon. 11.5% Merlot and 5.5% Cabernet Franc. Picked from the 8th to the 23rd of September. Elevage in 60% new oak.
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One of the stars of the Médoc and a wine likely to equal or surpass its 2019 and 2016 counterparts, the 2022 Léoville Barton unwinds in the glass with deep aromas of cassis, pencil shavings, spices and tobacco leaf, followed by a medium to full-bodied, deep and layered palate that's vibrant, pure and seamless, with beautifully classy tannins and a long, penetrating finish. The 2022 is a blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11.5% Merlot and 5.5% Cabernet Franc; and it's the first vintage produced in the estate's new winery, which more than doubled the number of vats, permitting sub-plot by sub-plot harvesting and vinification, along with a number of other technical improvements which translate into enhanced purity and precision.
The 2022 Léoville Barton was picked between 8 and 23 September at 30hL/ha and matured in 60% new oak. This represents the first vintage that has been vinified using gravity and cuvons (basically vats on wheels!) in their newly-built winery. The nose makes an instant impact with intense black cherry, bilberry and violet aromas. A nuanced estuarine/oyster shell scent emerges with time in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with finely-chiseled tannins, fabulous precision, a killer line of acidity and more mineralité on the finish, that it knows what to do with. This is a precision-tooled Léoville Barton with the sharpness of a samurai sword. The 2022 marks the start of a new and glorious chapter for the Saint-Julien estate, which passes in the slipstream of the 22019 and 2022. It constitutes the finest Léoville Barton that I have tasted out of barrel. Tasted three times. 2030-2070
Glass-staining purple colour in the glass. Deep, penetrating black fruit dominates the nose, together with a hint of spice and smoke. This is a true Vin de Garde, with grippy, chewy tannins providing ample structure that is balanced by intense black fruit. Dense, smoky, and muscular, this is impressive and focused. There is a hint of incense and wood smoke but it is swallowed by the structure and fruit. Very long, with great precision to the finish.
Very polished and poised with blackberry and blueberry character. Medium body with tight and focused tannin tension. Lively finish. Harmonious for the vintage.
The 2022 Leoville Barton is deep garnet-purple in color. It jumps from the glass with notes of crème de cassis, plum preserves, and blueberry compote, followed by hints of Indian spices, mossy tree bark, and crushed rocks. The medium to full-bodied palate is rich and decadent, with firm, yet velvety, tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and spicy.
Balanced, elegant, built to last, with campfire smoke, turmeric, cloves, blackberry, cassis, cherry pit, graphite and mint leaf. As with the Langoa, this has more exuberance and spice than usual, but the tannins kick in pretty quickly, providing intensity, and balance. The concentration of the vintage almost seems to take it from St Julien into Pauillac, and this has the frame and density to age for decades. Highly impressive from Lilian, Melanie and Damien Barton. 60% new.
83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11.5% Merlot, 5.5% Cabernet Franc. Cask sample.
Dark-fruit and spice notes. Layered fruit on the palate. Big tannic frame but tannins ripe and refined. Again (see Langoa Barton), the oak present in this sample resulting in a chewy, drying finish. Seems to have the potential but needs retasting. (JL) 14.1%
Drink 2032– 2050
The 2022 Leoville Barton is composed of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11.5% Merlot, and 5.5% Cabernet Franc, ageing in 60% new oak. Deep garnet-purple in color, the glass needs quite a lot of swirling to bring out evocative notes of black currant jelly, boysenberry preserves, and juicy plums, plus suggestions of pencil shavings, lilacs, crushed rocks, and cinnamon toast. The elegantly styled, medium to full-bodied palate is very tightly wound with layer upon layer of black fruits and earthy nuances, framed by super-ripe, fine-grained tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and minerally. It will likely require some patience, but it promises to be a knock-out. Yields this year were 30 hectoliters per hectare, which isn’t too bad considering how tiny the berries were this year.
The 2022 Leoville Barton is composed of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11.5% Merlot, and 5.5% Cabernet Franc, ageing in 60% new oak. Deep garnet-purple in color, the glass needs quite a lot of swirling to bring out evocative notes of black currant jelly, boysenberry preserves, and juicy plums, plus suggestions of pencil shavings, lilacs, crushed rocks, and cinnamon toast. The elegantly styled, medium to full-bodied palate is very tightly wound with layer upon layer of black fruits and earthy nuances, framed by super-ripe, fine-grained tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and minerally. It will likely require some patience, but it promises to be a knock-out. Yields this year were 30 hectoliters per hectare, which isn’t too bad considering how tiny the berries were this year.
