Chateau Leoville Barton 2eme Cru Classe, Saint-Julien 2017

Léoville-Barton is one of the very few wines, from any appellation, that combines power and finesse with such grace in 2017. Rich, deep and wonderfully expressive, the 2017 has so much offer. The high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon comes through loud and clear. Inky dark, fruit, game, spice, mint, licorice and lavender all build in a wine of regal elegance and head spinning beauty. For its combination of quality and price, Léoville-Barton remains one the most consumer-friendly wines of the Left Bank. The blend is 93% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Merlot. The September rains were especially challenging for the Merlot and Cabernet Franc. As a result, Cabernet is pushed up in the blend, while there is no Franc at all.

Great depth through the mid palate, and as with Poyferré there is both delicacy and finesse to the expression that suggests the style of the vintage emphasizes the classical side of St-Julien. As things open in the glass sweet black cherry with liquorice root and crushed earth comes through in the mid palate. This has poise, concentration and confidence, easily one of the best in the appellation.

The 2017 Leoville Barton has a medium to deep garnet-purple color. It is a little closed and broody to start, offering cedar and dried herb notes before giving way to a core of cassis and raspberry preserves, plus touches of crushed rocks and truffles. The medium-bodied palate has a serious structure of firm, grainy tannins and great freshness, finishing long and spicy.

The deep, inky-colored 2017 Léoville-Barton is a classic, powerhouse wine from this estate that’s going to need bottle age. Loads of black and blue fruits, violets, classy oak, and ample minerality all soar from the glass. It’s medium to full-bodied, concentrated, and backward on the palate. With fabulous purity and integrated acidity, forget bottles for 5-6 years and enjoy over the following two decades. The blend in 2017 is 93% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Merlot, harvested from the 15th to the 29th of September, and aging in 60% new French oak.

The 2017 Léoville-Barton, which is aged in 60% new oak, is endowed with far more concentration on the nose compared to the Langoa with layers of blackberry, dark plum, violet and orange pith scents that are beautifully defined. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, so fresh and vibrant, silky smooth in texture with a vivid, refined finish. There is a sense of panache about this Léoville-Barton, a fabulous wine for the vintage.