Château LEOVILLE BARTON 2023

Description

Yves Beck 96-97 points www.yvesbeck.wine
Léoville Barton peut se targuer d’incarner St-Julien et ses terroirs de manière aussi pertinente ; prenons pour exemple les notes de graphite, de cèdre et de boîtes à cigares complétées par des effluves de baies noires, de réglisse puis de pivoines. En bouche, le vin est imposant, tant par sa sérénité qu’il affiche d’entrée, que par son charme et ses tannins précis et subtils. Il sait créer le lien entre élégance et puissance, entre tempérament et dextérité, entre profondeur et haute-définition. En résumé, c’est un véritable gentleman, d’une régularité exemplaire de surcroît. Quelle belle réussite !  2029-2058

William Kelley 94-96 points www.robertparker.com
The 2023 Léoville Barton is a lovely classic in the making, unfurling in the glass with aromas of cassis and blackberries mingled with notions of pencil shavings, licorice and violets. Medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy, it’s layered, concentrated and suave, with beautifully refined tannins, vibrant acids and a long, penetrating finish. Benefiting from the Barton family’s new highly functional winery, as well as experimentation with more discreet cooperage choices, it’s somewhat reminiscent of the estate’s terrific 2016. The 2023 blend is 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc.

This great Médoc second growth has been on a qualitative roll in recent vintages, and the estate’s brand-new winery and chai, equipped with smaller fermentation vats to permit more precise parcel-by-parcel selection, is seeing Léoville and Langoa Barton hit even greater heights in terms of precision and finesse. In the vineyards, a steadily increasing percentage is farmed organically, and the old manual methods are perpetuated (tying the vines to their supporting stakes using osier instead of string, removing lateral shoots by hand, etc.). As proprietors of much of the appellation’s woodland, the Barton family has always been at the forefront of newly fashionable « agroforestry. » And periodic replanting increasingly aims to adapt grape variety to soil type, the heart of Léoville-Barton being, of course, Cabernet Sauvignon growing on the superbly situated quaternary gravel soils of Saint-Julien. In the cellar, barrels are largely supplied by Nadalié, Maury and Taransaud, though trials are underway to reduce the percentage of the rather impactful Maury, and racking remains traditional. A comparatively large percentage of press wine lends backbone and classic grip to the assemblage.

Neal Martin 92-94 points www.vinous.com
The 2023 Léoville Barton was picked from September 12 to October 2 and aged in 60% new oak. This takes a long time to settle in the glass, unfolding with black fruit, wild mint and a subtle seaweed scent. This Saint-Julien gains cohesion with aeration—a bit of pep. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins. A touch of dark chocolate infuses the black fruit, harmonious with a patina of new oak that will integrate with time. This is classic Léoville Barton from tip to toe, and whilst it does not match the imperious 2022, it is a very impressive follow-up due to its interwoven elegance.

Antonio Galloni 93-95 points www.vinous.com
The 2023 Léoville-Barton marries the classicism the château is so well-known for with an extra kick of textural intensity from the heat of the year. It’s powerful, dark and serious, with compelling notes of black cherry, lavender, spice and blackberry. This is an especially dense, somber Léoville-Barton endowed with tremendous presence. The blend is 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc, the first time Franc has appeared in the blend. This will need time to soften, as the tannins are imposing. Tasted two times.

Jean-Marc Quarin 95 points www.quarin.com
Couleur intense et pourpre. Nez très aromatique, fin, pur, fruité et subtil. Fond de fleurs et de fruits noirs. Délicat en entrée de bouche, suave au milieu, avec un beau toucher, le vin fond au palais, juteux et raffiné. Finale à la saveur profonde et légèrement réglissée. Tannicité très bien enveloppée. L’élevage pourrait le révéler. Assemblage : 87 % cabernet sauvignon, 10 % merlot, 3 % cabernet franc. Degré d’alcool : 13°.