118
Drink it now or cellar for up to 30 years. It is recommended to decant it for an hour. Classified as Second Growth in 1855, Château Léoville-Barton is a prestigious estate on the Left Bank of Bordeaux, founded by Hugh Barton in 1826. The estate, today led by Lilian Barton Sartorius with the help of her two sons, extends on 50 hectares of vineyards planted mainly with Cabernet Sauvignon, a part of Merlot, and small quantities of Cabernet Franc. Thanks to the gravelly soils with clay subsoil and the use of traditional winemaking methods the winery makes wines of great elegance typical of Saint-Julien. The wine is a blend of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with additions of Merlot. The finished wine is aged in French oak barriques, 50% of which are new. Chateau Leoville Barton is an extremely elegant wine with a clear color with intense red tones and violet reflections. On the nose, it reveals a fresh and broad aromatic profile with notes of dark fruit such as cassis, currant, and blackberry, hints of toast and vanilla, and finally nuances of tobacco and licorice. On the palate, it is full and complex, fresh and linear. Its tannins are firm and well-integrated and the finish is long and well-balanced with fruity hints and some spicy notes. Excellent with feathered game such as pheasant and guinea fowl.