Chateau Leoville Barton 2eme Cru Classe, Saint-Julien 2009

Still young and brooding, this is pure St Julien, pure Barton loveliness. Great quality, juicy, balanced, crayon and cassis, we are right in the heart of the appellation here, but with the intensity and concentration turned up to full. 60% new oak for ageing.

Very floral, with fresh mushrooms and currants on the nose. Full body, with powerful tannins, yet polished and refined. Lovely length. Vibrant acidity. Well structured. Try after 2018.

The 2009 Léoville-Barton is one of the few Saint-Julien '09s to suggest just a smidgen of brettanomyces on the nose, although frankly it does not detract from its allure, with lovely meat juice and brown spice aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, juicy and slightly chewier than its peers, well judged acidity with ample density and rondeur towards the finish. It might benefit from another year in bottle but otherwise, this is just a wonderful, life-affirming and disarmingly charming Léoville-Barton. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting.

Medium to deep garnet colored, the 2009 Leoville Barton gives up expressive cherry cordial, warm cassis and blackberry tart scents with nuances of menthol, cigar box and fallen leaves. Medium-bodied and elegantly played with loads of freshness and soft tannins, it has a long, perfumed finish.

This behemoth possesses massive extraction, an opaque purple color, huge density, extreme tannins, and a nearly endless finish. Everything is there, but the highly extracted style and off the chart tannins ensures that no one over the age of forty will ever see this wine hit full maturity. Nevertheless, there is a lot to admire, and it's good to taste a wine that will not be ready to drink for 30+ years. No compromise!

Bright ruby-red. Red- and blackcurrant, licorice, chocolate mint and sexy oak tones on the nose. Dense, solidly built and youthfully backward, with strong acidity and a medicinal quality leavening the sweetness of this plush, seamless wine. Most impressive today on the very long finish, which features a firm spine of dusty tannins, hints of cedary oak and dark chocolate, and lovely lift. Should evolve positively over the next two decades.

(a blend of 77% cabernet sauvignon, 22.5% merlot and 0.5% cabernet franc; 13% alcohol) Deep ruby. Sexy, exotic aromas of spicy blackcurrant, cedar, sweet tobacco and coconut hint at great depth and complexity. Then floral on the palate, with chewy, dense, rich flavors of black fruits, tobacco and chocolate nicely lifted by a distinct flintiness. Initially sweet and voluptuous, this turns slightly dry and chalky on the long, pure, sassafras-and spice-accented finish. A delicious if very young Leoville-Barton-and at a rare-for-the-vintage 13% alcohol.