Château Léoville Barton

In the glass

Aroma: blackcurrant, plum, pencil shavings, licorice, cedar

Palate: black cherry, tobacco leaf, cassis, fine powdery tannins, classic Médoc structure

Timeless Saint-Julien classic: a Cabernet-dominant blend with classic Médoc pencil shavings, licorice and cassis, built for patience with rich powdery tannins.

What it pairs with

• Roast leg of lamb
  The wine's structured tannins and cassis fruit are a textbook match for the minerality of slow-roasted lamb.
• Braised short rib with sauce bordelaise
  Long braising softens the beef to mirror the wine's velvety tannins; the bone marrow sauce echoes cedar notes.
• Wild duck breast with blackcurrant reduction
  Game bird's richness and the sauce's acidity dovetail with the wine's dark fruit and firm structure.
• Truffle-aged hard cheese board
  Aged cheese sharpens the wine's fruit and integrates its oak spice.

History

Hugh Barton purchased Léoville Barton in 1826 as part of the historic Léoville estate division. The Barton family, originally Irish négociants, have maintained unbroken ownership for nearly 200 years, vinifying at the adjacent Château Langoa Barton using traditional wooden fermentation vats dating to 1963.

1. 1826 — Hugh Barton acquires the property from the divided Léoville estate
2. 1855 — Classified as Deuxième Cru in the 1855 Bordeaux Classification
3. 1983 — Anthony Barton takes sole charge; begins long quality-improvement era
4. 2022 — Anthony Barton passes; Lilian Barton Sartorius and children continue stewardship

Facts

Producer

Château Léoville Barton

Grapes

Cabernet Sauvignon (74%), Merlot (23%), Cabernet Franc (3%)

Classification

Saint-Julien AOC, Deuxième Cru Classé (1855)

Oak

Approximately 50% new French oak barrels, 20 months

ABV

13.5%

Production

240,000 bottles

Price

€75-150 at retail

Drinking window

10-30 from vintage

First vintage

1826

Scores

• Wine Advocate 97 (2019 vintage, reviewed 2022)
• Wine Advocate 96 (2020 vintage, reviewed 2023)

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