Château Léoville Barton

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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.More wines for 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.More wines for beef and red meat →
• 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.More wines for duck breast →
• Truffle-aged hard cheese board Aged cheese sharpens the wine's fruit and integrates its oak spice.More wines for truffles →

With cheese

Ossau-Iraty Our pick These Saint-Julien reds are Cabernet Sauvignon-led, full-bodied, with firm to high tannin, high acidity and cassis. INAO describes the cheese as firm and melting, salted without excess. Its syndicate suggests structured reds, naming South-West ones such as Madiran.

How to serve Château Léoville Barton

Allow 95 minutes from open to pour.

1. Open and decant. Open 90 minutes before serving and pour into a decanter to aerate.
2. Serve at 16-18°C. Cellar temperature (16-18°C) is the band for this style. Warmer pushes alcohol forward; colder dampens aromatics.
3. Glassware. Use a large Bordeaux-style glass. The bowl shape rewards the wine's structure.
4. Pair with. Roast leg of lamb, Braised short rib with sauce bordelaise, Wild duck breast with blackcurrant reduction. Match the wine's structure to the dish's fat and salt.

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

Facts

Producer

Château Léoville Barton · visiting guide

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

Frequently asked about Château Léoville Barton

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