Château Léoville Barton Saint-Julien 2019 - 2nd Grand Cru Classé

Bettane & Desseauve

About the wine:

Great all-round wine, even better selected and vinified with a little more virtuosity than 2018 or 2015. Noble cedar aroma, intensity and freshness at near-ideal levels, great follow-through on the palate and obviously the best value of the Léovilles.

About the domain :

Under Anthony Barton's sober, honest and passionate management, this cru has joined the Médoc's supreme elite, without driving up its sales prices too much. The wine's current quality can be explained by the age and location of the vines, which allow us to combine quantity and quality, and by the desire to preserve and optimize the most classically Médoc style. The mystery of its character remains, for this cru de grande garde is born ready-made, with an almost creamy consistency that makes it immediately noticeable and loved. The new generation of the family has little to change...

Guide Hachette des vins

About the domain :

Although Irishman Thomas Barton set up his trading business in Chartrons in 1725, it wasn't until 1821 that his grandson Hugh acquired Château Langoa, and then in 1826 part of the former Léoville estate, which was created in the early 17th century and split into several parts during the French Revolution. Since then, the estate has remained in the Barton family (Lilian Barton-Sartorius since 2006), which extends its 51 ha of vines south of the village of Saint-Julien. No home or winery here, vinification and ageing take place at Langoa.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the wine:

Like its stablemate Langoa Barton, the 2019 Léoville Barton is a timeless classic, made for connoisseurs. Offering aromas of cassis, plum, pencil shavings and licorice, it's full-bodied, deep and concentrated, its deep fruit core framed by a framework of rich, powdery tannins that comes through on the firm, youthful finish. Although clearly built for the long haul, its seamless structure and mid-palate fullness make it one of the best wines from this château in recent times. Could this be a more concentrated modern version of Anthony Barton's brilliant 1985? 2029 - 2069

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the wine:

How can you resist its charm and elegance? Exquisitely refined, with a superb, silky texture. This lacy wine is also very persistent and intense, with magnificent definition of fruit. Superb!

About the domain :

Since 1985, under the guidance of Anthony Barton and his daughter Lilian, the cru has gone from strength to strength. Success has become triumph, as Léoville Barton has consistently risen to the highest level of Bordeaux's grands crus since 1998. Apart from an obvious taste for work well done, the secret of this success lies in the high age of this ancient vineyard, which allows for ripe, concentrated grapes. Fleshier and fruitier en primeur than Léoville Las Cases or Léoville Poyferré, Baron enchants with its fatness, its supreme balance, which it owes to its terroir, and a profound naturalness of expression. More open in its prime, the wine often goes through a phase of austerity, then gradually takes on its definitive form, displaying one of the Médoc's most complex and elegant bouquets as it ages. What's more, given its quality and consistency, prices are always very affordable.

Wine Enthusiast

About the wine:

The wine is rich and complete. Its impressive structure is cushioned by velvety black fruit and acidity. The wine's construction is powerful but never overpowering. It will age well, ready to drink from 2026.

James Suckling

About the wine:

Corinth grapes, sweet fruit and fresh flowers on the nose. Medium- to full-bodied, with firm, silky tannins, chewy and powerful. Long and muscular, but toned and polished. Try after 2026.

Yves Beck

About the wine:

The bouquet of Léoville Barton is still marked by its ageing, but this does not prevent it from revealing its complexity and beautiful fruity intensity. On the palate, elegance is paramount. The wine has body and fullness. The tannins are fine, powerful and perfectly in tune with the vigor of the structure. A wine that combines charm, elegance and power, from the attack to the finish. The finish is intense and persistent. 2026-2049

Vert de Vin

About the wine:

The nose is elegant, fine, racy and offers power, delicacy, finesse, fine intensity as well as depth, good structure, finesse and a lovely, discreetly tight grain. Notes of ripe/pulpe boysenberry, ripe wild strawberry and, more lightly, bright black berries are combined with hints of violet, lily, warm gravel/sense of place, as well as fine hints of caramelization, nutmeg, toastiness and an imperceptible hint of saltiness. On the palate, the wine is fruity, elegant and greedy, with good definition, fine grain/structure, power, sapidity and racy minerality. On the palate, juicy/pulpy boysenberry, bright raspberry and slightly brighter blackcurrant are combined with hints of violet, lily, toast and nutmeg, as well as fine hints of chocolate, caramelization and black tea (in the background). Good length and persistence. Elegant, fine, racy tannins.