Leoville Barton 2019

The 2019 Léoville Barton is a different kettle of fish compared to its sibling Langoa. It has a complex bouquet of blackberry, sous-bois, tobacco and minerals, much more introverted yet exceedingly complex. The palate is exquisite in terms of balance, laden with intense black fruit laced with orange zest, that citrus element counterbalancing the tannic grip and structure. There is a sense of completeness to this Léoville-Barton, certainly on par with the best vintages in recent years. A formidable yet charming Saint-Julien in the making. Drink: 2026-2065; Tasted: June 2020; Rating: 94-96 Points; Neal Martin; Vinous.com

A pure, focused red with blackberries and blackcurrants. Very floral, too. Medium-to full-bodied, tight and fine-tannined. Pretty clarity and balance to this. Less muscular than the 2018, but very attractive all the same. Tasted: June 2020; Rating: 95-96 Points; James Suckling

Medium to full intensity in colour, this is glass-staining ruby and yet another hit from an estate that is making seriously great wine right now. Mint and eucalyptus are clear, tension and grip held through the palate. This has shoulders and swagger to the tannins, pure cassis hit of fruit and some lovely black chocolate and slate overtones along the way. Strays almost to Pauillac in terms of the weight of the tannins, but it's brilliant. Drink: 2029-2045; Tasted: June 2020; Rating: 96 Points; Jane Anson; Decanter.com

The 2019 Leoville Barton is a blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon and 16% Merlot. Deep garnet-purple in color, it features a wonderfully fragrant nose of blackberry preserves, warm plums, and blackcurrant jelly, followed by suggestions of rose oil, cardamom, and dusty soil. The medium to full-bodied palate is fantastically opulent, with layer upon layer of perfumed fruit and wonderfully ripe, densely pixilated tannins, finishing long and minerally. Rating: 98 Points; Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW

Like its stablemate Langoa Barton, the 2019 Léoville 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 château in recent times. Could it be a more concentrated modern-day version of Anthony Barton's brilliant 1985? Drink: 2029 - 2069; Rating: 97 Points; Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate

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