Château Leoville Barton 2010

Château Léoville Barton 2010 — Saint-Julien

This Château Léoville Barton 2010 embodies a masterful, classical and profoundly noble expression of Saint-Julien. An emblematic Second Growth of the Médoc, Léoville Barton is distinguished by its structure, poise, depth and great ageing capacity. In the 2010 vintage, remarkable for its precision and power, the wine unfolds an intense palette: cassis, blackberry, blueberry, black plum, black cherry, cedar, graphite, blond tobacco, liquorice, cocoa, fine spices, violet, pencil lead, noble leather, fresh earth and a long mineral finish.

Château Léoville Barton is one of the great historic references of Saint-Julien, recognised for a distinguished, structured and deeply Médocain style. The estate produces wines built for long ageing, marked by the nobility of Cabernet Sauvignon, the elegance of Merlot and the precision of classical ageing. The 2010 vintage, a great Bordeaux year of concentration, freshness and structure, gives here a powerful, balanced wine still destined for very long evolution.

Terroir: Saint-Julien, deep gravel and Cabernet Sauvignon nobility

The terroir of Saint-Julien, in the heart of the Médoc, rests on deep, perfectly draining gravel rises that are ideal for Cabernet Sauvignon. These soils produce wines that are structured, elegant, profound and consistent, capable of combining power, aromatic finesse, freshness and very great longevity.

At Léoville Barton, the expression of Saint-Julien is defined by a firm frame, great straightness and classical depth. Cabernet Sauvignon brings cassis, cedar, graphite, structure and longevity, while Merlot completes the whole with flesh, suppleness and fruit. In 2010, the concentration of the vintage is balanced by remarkable freshness, producing a wine that is imposing, precise and harmonious.

Tasting notes

Appearance: deep garnet with purple and dark ruby reflections, dense, bright and still very sustained. The colour reflects the concentration of the 2010 vintage, the depth of Cabernet Sauvignon and a slow evolution towards greater tertiary complexity.

Nose: deep, noble and highly expressive, with cassis, blackberry, blueberry, black plum, black cherry, ripe black fruits, cedar, graphite, pencil lead, blond tobacco, liquorice and cocoa. With aeration, nuances of violet, noble leather, precious woods, fresh earth, fine spices, sweet pepper, light truffle and smoky notes may appear.

Palate: broad, dense, fresh and powerfully structured, with precise black fruit carried by a firm, ripe and persistent tannic architecture. Flavours of cassis, blackberry, black plum, blueberry, cedar, graphite, tobacco, liquorice, cocoa, fine spices and pencil lead unfold with depth and restraint. The finish is very long, mineral, fresh and lightly spicy, with an impression of controlled power, classicism and great Médoc nobility.

Expression of the 2010 vintage

The 2010 vintage in Bordeaux is considered one of the great vintages for structure, freshness and longevity. The best wines combine concentration, acidity, powerful but ripe tannins and great aromatic precision. In Saint-Julien, this year produced wines of great depth, marked by straightness, balance and exceptional ageing capacity.

Today, this Château Léoville Barton 2010 remains still young in its evolution, but it can already impress through its density, balance and precision after careful aeration. With time, it will gain complexity around notes of cedar, noble leather, tobacco, graphite, truffle, melted spices, fresh earth and forest floor, while preserving the depth of black fruit and the masterful structure of the vintage.