Press review

Parker # 205 (2/1/2013) : 96+ Maturity: 2028-2065

The 2010 Leoville Barton was almost impossible to evaluate because of its highly extracted, masculine, muscular style. However, it exhibits a dense purple color along with surprising amounts of oak, excruciatingly painful tannin levels, good acidity and a massive mouthfeel. One of the biggest, most backward wines of the vintage, forget it for a decade and drink it over the following 30+ years. Unfortunately, I have passed the age where it makes sense to buy a wine such as this.

The property in brief

In 1826, Hugh Barton, already proprietor of Château Langoa , purchased part of the big Léoville estate. His part then became known as Léoville Barton. Six generations of Bartons have since followed, and continued to preserve the quality of the wine, classified a 2nd growth in 1855. Ronald Barton inherited the property in 1927. He in turn donated it to his nephew Anthony in 1983. Today thevineyards are jointly owned by Anthony Barton, his daughter Lilian Barton-Sartorius and her children Mélanie and Damien, thus making eight generations ofBarton family at Léoville Barton. Traditional methods of wine making are maintened to producea typical Saint-Julien of elegance and distinction.