2012 Leoville Barton
Buying options
Tasting notes
83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc, 15% Merlot. 60% new oak. Deep coloured with inky dark fruits and a bit of graphite minerality on the nose. This is much more forward than usual – quite approachable, even – and is less impenetrably tannic than recent vintages. A lighter style of Leoville Barton though competent as always. FINE+RARE
Critic scores
Average Score
FINE+RARE
Robert Parker
More reviews and scores
A more mid-weight, elegant expression from this château, the 2012 Château Léoville Barton is nevertheless an outstanding wine with plenty to love. Revealing a vivid ruby hue as well as beautiful cassis and darker currant fruits, it has lots of graphite, cedar pencil, and spicy notes, medium body, a light, elegant mouthfeel, and soft, ultra-fine tannins. This complex, elegant Barton shines with just an hour of air and will continue drinking nicely over the coming 10-15 years.
The 2012 Léoville-Barton has a touch more precision and drive compared to 2012 Langoa-Barton, blackberry and raspberry, cedar and mint, almost Pauillac in style. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit, quite feisty and vibrant with good concentration on the finish. This is quite a serious Saint-Julien, and it has the substance to age well in bottle. Excellent. Tasted twice at Bordeaux Index's Ten Year-On tasting and blind at the Southwold Ten-Year On tasting.
Garnet. More guts and less charm than the Langoa 2012. Very dry, uncompromising finish for the moment. Wait! (JR)
About the producer
Ch. Léoville Barton is a Second Growth Saint-Julien estate, one of the three famous Léoville estates (along with Léoville Poyferré and Léoville Las Cases). Owned by the Barton family (along with Ch. Langoa Barton), it produces classically structured Claret that ages beautifully.