Chateau Leoville Barton 2018
The Wine
97 Pts Jeb Dunnuck 'This estate has been on fire in recent vintages, and the 2018 Château Léoville Barton is up there with the best of them. Based on 82% Cabernet Sauvignon and 18% Merlot that was brought up in 60% new French oak, this classic, flawlessly balanced, straight-up awesome Saint-Julien has loads of cassis and mulberry fruits as well as notes of freshly sharpened pencils, leafy tobacco, chocolate, and earth. Rich, medium to full-bodied, and concentrated on the palate, it has building tannins and healthy acidity, yet the fruit is pure, perfectly ripe, and wonderfully integrated with all the wine's components. As is normal with this cuvée, it closes down with extended air and is going to take a solid 8-10 years of bottle age to reach the early stages of maturity. It's going to evolve for 30-40 years in cold cellar'
96-99 Pts James Molesworth, Wine Spectator 'A stunner, showing a great degree of purity, with long flavors of cassis, plum and blackberry preserves, seamlessly integrated with the graphite structure. A very vivid, defined, precise wine.'
94-96 Pts Lisa Perrotti-Brown; Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate 'Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Léoville Barton simply sings of crushed black cherries, blackcurrant cordial and wild blueberries with touches of violets, dark chocolate, allspice and cardamom with a waft of stewed tea. Full-bodied, rich and decadently fruited in the mouth, the generous fruit has a solid structure of firm, ripe, grainy tannins and oodles of freshness, finishing long and layered.'
93-96 Pts Antonio Galloni, Vinous 'The 2018 Léoville-Barton is fabulous. Graphite, gravel, crème de cassis, mint, violet, spice and exotic spices are some of the many notes that infuse this stunningly beautiful unctuous Saint-Julien. In 2018 Léoville-Barton has an extra dimension of volume and resonance, yet it never loses its super-classic mid-weight structure and regal bearing. The blend is 82% Cabernet Sauvignon and 18% Merlot.'
The Details
Variety - Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
Country - France
Region - Bordeaux
Sub Region - Saint Julien
Extra - Cork
Year - 2018
Volume - 750ml
About the Wine Maker 
Originating from the Saint Julien appellation in Bordeaux, Château Léoville Barton has been a family-run estate since 1826. The renowned Anthony Barton elevated the estate to new heights in the latter half of the 20th century, with his daughter Lilian taking over in recent years
As a high-quality Second Growth, Château Léoville Barton is celebrated for producing traditionally-styled wines that are intensely structured and often require extended cellaring to reach their optimal drinking window. The estate also produces an excellent second wine, La Réserve de Léoville Barton, a red wine made from younger vines. The vineyard spans 51 hectares, planted with 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, and 3% Cabernet Franc.
