2014 Leoville Barton
Buying options
Tasting notes
More lift and direction to this than the Langoa, though as always a little harder to penetrate. Some fruit, and some depth. A core of northern St Julien fruit. This follows in the mouth, where the breeding is clear. Plenty of weight. Broad, and very Leoville-Barton. Very good. Proper wine. Joss Fowler, FINE+RARE, April 2015.
Critic scores
Average Score
FINE+RARE
Wine Spectator
More reviews and scores
Incredibly classic in style, the still-youthful, ruby-hued 2014 Château Léoville Barton reveals textbook cassis, tobacco, sappy herbs, and mineral notes. Medium-bodied, focused, and pure, this elegant Saint-Julien has fine tannins, nicely integrated structure, and beautiful overall balance. It has plenty of depth and will continue to drink nicely for another 15-20 years. Drink 2025-2044.
The 2014 Léoville Barton has a seductive and beautifully composed bouquet with ample brambly red fruit, sous-bois and light pencil shavings scents. This has real finesse. The palate is well balanced with fine tannins, a keen line of acidity and more salinity than its peers. What feels like top-quality new oak smooths the finish but does not impose itself. This is a classy Saint-Julien from the Barton family. Tasted blind at the Southwold 10-Year-On tasting.
Tasted blind. Black core, garnet rim. Intense, generous blackcurrant fruit. Just a touch meaty as it opens. Dense, too. Not easy at the moment and the tannins need a lot more time. Retasted later: dark and rich but not easy at all. I upped the score by half a point on retasting because that meatiness seemed to be part of the wine (rather than brett). Not welcoming right now. Needs a lot of time. (JH)
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.