Tasting Notes
JancisRobinson.com 17.5
84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot.Deep colour. Dark-fruit aromas with a fresh, leafy edge. Dense on the palate but subdued and restrained (the opposite of 2018). Lively and fresh with vibrant tension. Grip and length on the finish. Vigorous. Worth waiting.
Anticipated maturity: 2030-2050
Vinous 97
The 2019 Leoville Barton has a powerful and comparatively rich bouquet with layers of black fruit suffused with minerals – wonderful delineation. This has an effortlessness about it. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, gorgeous satin-like texture, mineral-driven with hints of truffle and white pepper towards the exceedingly harmonious finish. I thought this was outstanding before – now I think it might be a benchmark. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting.
Anticipated maturity: 2026-2058
Robert Parker 97
Like its stablemate Langoa Barton, the 2019 Leoville Barton is a timeless classic, made for patient connoisseurs. Offering up aromas of blackcurrants, plums, pencil shavings and licorice, it’s full-bodied, deep and concentrated, its deep core of fruit framed by a chassis of rich, powdery tannin that makes itself felt on the youthfully firm finish. While it’s clearly built for the long haul, its structural seamlessness and mid-palate plenitude mark it out as one of the finest wines from this chateau in recent times. Could it be a more concentrated modern-day version of Anthony Barton’s brilliant 1985?
Anticipated maturity: 2029-2069
