-
97
/ 100
Jane Anson -
96
/ 100
James Suckling -
94
/ 100
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate -
94
/ 100
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW -
93
/ 100
Jeb Dunnuck
Red
Classification
Cabernet Blend
Variety
2023
Vintage
750ml (Bottle)
Bottle Size
France
Country
Bordeaux, Saint-Julien
Region
13.5%
Alcohol %
15 Plus Years
Cellaring
Scores
97 / 100"Step into the heart of what St Julien does best here, firm and muscular but thoroughly juicy tannins, concentrated blackberry and cassis fruits that are mature but full of finesse, with just the right amount of precision and tension. This is a wine where a single glass will not be enough, and reminds you that in 2022 the wines were exceptional but atypical for many Bordeaux lovers. Here you get an understated gloriously drinkable St Julien from long-term owners the Barton family that will go the distance."
- Jane Anson
96 / 100
"The tannins here are cashmere-like. You can touch it, but at the same time it is weightless and beautiful. Medium- to full-bodied and textural. Soars at the end. This is really seamless and dialed in. Third year using the cellar. 87% cabernet sauvignon, 10% merlot and 3% cabernet franc."
- James Suckling
94 / 100
"The 2023 Léoville Barton is a lovely classic in the making, unfurling in the glass with aromas of cassis and blackberries mingled with notions of pencil shavings, licorice and violets. Medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy, it's layered, concentrated and suave, with beautifully refined tannins, vibrant acids and a long, penetrating finish. Benefiting from the Barton family's new highly functional winery, as well as experimentation with more discreet cooperage choices, it's somewhat reminiscent of the estate's terrific 2016."
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
94 / 100
"The 2023 Leoville Barton is deep garnet-purple in color. It features fragrant scents of violets, fertile loam, and rose oil leading to a core of redcurrant jelly, cassis, and licorice with a touch of cardamom. The medium-bodied palate is tense and tightly wound at this youthful stage, like a taut spring ready to pop. Firm, fine-grained tannins and a racy backbone adeptly support the vibrant fruit, finishing long and perfumed."
- Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW
93 / 100
"The 2023 Château Leoville Barton is another terrific wine from this château, and it plays in the fresh, vibrant, lively style of the vintage beautifully. Utterly classic blackcurrants, ripe tobacco, graphite, and cedar pencil notes define the aromatics, and this beauty is medium to full-bodied, has terrific concentration, the pure, focused, mineral-driven style of the vintage, building yet ripe tannins, and a great finish. It has plenty of acidity as well as tannins and is built for the cellar. 93-95+"
- Jeb Dunnuck
Tasting Notes
Anthony Barton's second growth is always a top quality Bordeaux of classic proportions. Structured, Cabernet Sauvignon dominated wines are produced here that are serious, controlled and pure.
Blend: 87% Cabernet Sauvignon; 10% Merlot; 3% Cabernet Franc.
There is real purity and freshness to this year’s Léoville Barton. Damien suggests that, stylistically, the wine retains its classical roots which make Bordeaux famous, and we certainly agree. The palate is vivacious with a marked minerality throughout. There is generous fruit here with bramble, blackberry, and a suggestion of pencil shavings that combine wonderfully. The tannins are seamless and lead an enduring finish on the palate. This is a wine of real power and elegance.
Tasting Profile
- Light
- Full
- Low Tannin
- Tannic
- Sweet
- Dry
- Low Acidity
- High Acidity