1986 | Château Léoville Barton | Saint-Julien

The rounded flavours feature blackberry and black currant notes, complemented by accents of allspice, tobacco, and savoury hints of grilled bread. Subtle undertones of mushroom, a touch of anise, and cedar add depth, all supported by smooth, polished tannins that lead to a lingering finish.

Reviews:

• Wine Advocate: Tasted with Anthony Barton at the Saint Julien restaurant, this behemoth of a wine is definitely starting to pump on cylinders. As before, it needs considerable decanting, but it unfurls beautifully in the glass to reveal blackberry, dark plums, a touch of sandalwood and warm gravel. Coming direct from the property, there is a touch more fruit compared to other bottles. The palate is medium-bodied with great depth and breadth: less masculine than before, mellowing nicely with layers of lifted blackberry, plum, wild strawberry and cedar that leads to an extraordinarily long finish. There is a sense of harmony and composure to this wine that makes it utterly beguiling.

• Decanter: Anthony Barton had been running Léoville Barton for three years at this point, but in 1986 - the year that his uncle Ronald died (after a tenure that had begun back in 1924) - it passed fully into his ownership. Huge tannins are still evident in this wine. It was pretty backward and unforgiving for many years but it showed incredibly well during this tasting and is definitely ready to be enjoyed. It displays tons of liquorice and blackcurrant, exotic spice notes and a swagger through the finish.

Producer Information

Château Léoville Barton is a well-regarded estate in the Saint-Julien region of Bordeaux, ranked a second growth in the 1855 Classification. Quality has soared since the 1980s, and it is considered one of the most dependable wines in Bordeaux, gaining regular praise for its reasonable pricing. Léoville Barton is Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant, tannic and austere when young but develops intense blackcurrant and cassis notes, as well as classic Saint-Julien cedar characteristics. The vineyard, which has gravel soils over clay, is planted 74 percent to Cabernet Sauvignon, 23 percent to Merlot and 3 percent to Cabernet Franc. After a manual harvest, fermentation takes place in large temperature-controlled wooden vats, and then the wine is aged in 50 percent new oak barrels. There is no château building; that which features on the label belongs to Langoa-Barton, Léoville Barton's sister estate. In 1821, Anglo-Irish wine merchant Hugh Barton bought Château Langoa Barton and a portion of the Léoville estate which became Léoville Barton (the other sections are now Léoville-Poyferré and Léoville-Las Cases). A second wine, La Réserve de Léoville Barton is produced from younger vines and lots which lack the quality and depth of the grand vin. Anthony Barton inherited the two properties from his uncle Ronald in 1983 and guided them through much of the region's growth in prosperity throughout the late 1980s, 1990s and into the 21st Century. The estate is now run by his daughter Lilian Barton Sartorius and her children Mélanie and Damien.

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