Château Léoville Barton (2021)

About this wine

Château Léoville Barton 2021 is a Saint Julien Second Classified Growth from the 1855 classification, made by the Barton family, whose history in Bordeaux dates back to the early 1700s. () The blend is Cabernet Sauvignon 84 percent, Merlot 11 percent, and Cabernet Franc 5 percent, giving a Cabernet driven profile with tight structure and clear Médoc freshness. () Aromas lean toward blackcurrant, wild berries, cherry, and plum, with classic notes of cedar, graphite, pencil shavings, cigar tobacco, and a touch of earthy loam. () On the palate it is medium to full in feel, restrained and precise, with lively acidity and refined tannins that build through the finish rather than spreading wide. () The fruit sits in the darker spectrum, cassis and blackberry with hints of black tea and gentle spice, and the oak reads as supportive rather than sweet. () The grapes were harvested by hand from September 27 to October 7, and the wine aged about 16 to 18 months in French oak barrels, 60 percent new, finishing around 13 percent alcohol. () It was also the first vintage vinified in the estate’s new winery, a detail often noted for the especially fine texture of the tannins in this year. ()

About the grape

Cabernet Sauvignon is the dominant grape in this bottling, a varietal that came to Bordeaux from southwestern France and is planted extensively on the estate s Garonne gravels where deep stones force roots down and concentrate tannins, here making up about 84 percent of the blend and coming largely from vines averaging around 38 years old. Merlot has a longer history in Bordeaux as a softer, earlier ripening variety, it is planted on the slightly cooler or more clay rich parcels at Léoville Barton and contributes about 11 percent of the cuvée, with all grapes harvested by hand and vineyards worked by traditional plowing without herbicide. Cabernet Franc is used sparingly at roughly 5 percent, a variety with ancient Loire and Bordeaux roots that the estate reserves for select plots to add structure and aromatic lift, and it is vinified plot by plot in thermo regulated wooden vats before aging in largely French oak. The Bartons practice careful plot selection and gentle extraction in their new cellar, which emphasizes the distinct role each varietal plays in the final blend and reflects the estate s classic Saint Julien clay gravel soils and long family vineyard history.

Quick facts

• 🇮🇪 The Barton family behind Léoville Barton are Irish merchants who bought the estate in 1826, giving the wine an unusual Irish-Bordeaux origin story.
• 🏰 Unlike many grands crus, Léoville Barton actually has no standalone château building for the label image—the picture is of sister estate Langoa-Barton instead.
• 🔧 The 2021 was the first Léoville Barton vintage vinified in the Barton family’s brand‑new winery, which critics link to its especially refined tannins.
• 🍇 The 2021 blend is heavily Cabernet‑driven—about 84% Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot and Cabernet Franc making up the rest—giving it a markedly St‑Julien Cabernet profile.
• 🛠️ The estate still uses old‑fashioned cellar rituals like topping barrels three times a week and the traditional 'à l'esquive' racking method, practices that shape its classic texture.

Palate profile