Château Léoville Barton 2014

Absolute class, both in measurable terms such as an absolutely unique tannin quality, distinctive freshness, density and length, and in transcendent ones like sheer sensuality.

This has a solid core of cassis, blueberry confiture and plum sauce flavors, wrapped with warm ganache and licorice snap notes, kept honest by graphite rivets along the finish. This has lots of muscle, but stays lean and long. Best from 2020 through 2035. 11,667 cases made.

A little tart and high-toned with a slightly green, powdery edge. Not the best in the line-up: lots of ripe fruit and high acidity, but it doesn’t all harmonise in the best way. It feels disjointed, and the initial mix of sweet and sour then fades quite quickly.

Very aromatic with cherries and blackberries. Hints of flowers. Full-bodied, lightly chewy yet ultra-fine tannins and a fresh finish. Tangy and delicious. Racy. Better in 2021.

The 2014 Léoville-Barton shows remarkable freshness and overall vivacity. Succulent black cherry, plum, violet and blood orange create a distinctive combination of dark fruit and brisk, pulsating acidity. Today, the 2014 comes across as very tight and closed, which is probably a good thing for the future. Readers should plan on cellaring the 2014 for at least a few years. Tasted two times.

Closing down at the moment, the wine shows concentration, ripe red fruits with sweetness and quite a bit of freshness. Give this at least 7–10 more years and it should soften, gain complexity and flesh out nicely.

While a solid step back from the sensational 2015, the 2014 Léoville Barton is still a beauty. Possessing medium-bodied notes of cassis, sweet oak, spice and flowers, this impeccably balanced Saint-Julien is incredibly classy, layered and pure on the palate. While this cuvee can be backward and difficult to taste young, the 2014 has a supple, beautifully textured, fresh style that’s already approachable. Nevertheless, a few years in the cellar will do it well, and it should keep for two to three decades.

83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc. 60% new oak. With 38 hectolitres per hectare, once again a rather small yield. Tasting at the Château: deep purple-garnet, dense at the core, with violet highlights at the rim. Dark-berried nose: blueberry, blackcurrant and blackberry. On the second nose, dark noble woods and a beautifully defined Cabernet aromatic profile. On the palate, tannins already almost silky; accordingly, the astringency is regal and very harmonious, and the aroma lingers long into the focused finish. A great charmer from Barton! I compared it again directly with many other Saint-Julien wines at the large tasting of the Vins de Crus at Gaffelière. It certainly deserves its high score!

83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc. 60% new oak. At 38 hectoliters per hectare, again a rather small yield. Tasting at the Château: deep purple-garnet, dense at the core, with a violet rim. Dark-berry nose: blueberries, blackcurrant and blackberries. On the second pass, dark noble woods and a beautiful, well-defined Cabernet aromatic profile. On the palate, the tannins are almost silky; accordingly, the astringency is regal and very harmonious, with the aroma lingering long in the focused finish. Great charm from Barton! I compared it again at the large Vin de Crus tasting at Gaffelière, directly against many other Saint-Julien wines. It definitely deserves its high score! (19/20). 16: Just before bottling. Exactly as I expected it. A perfect landing.

Dense, complex, sweet, powerful bouquet of cassis, bread crust, black tea, cedar. Balanced, tightly knit, elegant palate with dense, fine fruit, plenty of fine tannins, powerful, multifaceted aromatics, very long, dense finish. 19/20 2022 - 2050

Inky plum in colour, firm tannins, Cabernet dominant at 10 years old, savoury and balanced and one to look out for; a totally brilliant, delicious Léoville Barton that I cannot recommend highly enough for lovers of classical, finessed, savoury St-Julien. One of my wines of the lineup. Black chocolate, cassis, pomegranate, tobacco, cigar box, gliding through the palate, concentrated and intense but delicate and finessed. It’s good, so drinkable, with ageing potential. 60% new oak.

The 2014 Leoville Barton has a medium to deep garnet-brick color. It is a tad broody to start, with notions of tar, damp soil, and smoked meats giving way to a core of blackcurrant cordial and fruitcake, plus a hint of unsmoked cigars. The medium-bodied palate has a firm structure of grainy tannins and bold freshness supporting the muscular black fruits, finishing long with a spicy kick.

The archetype of a beautiful Saint-Julien, driven by fine balance, with a vibrant, tangy character. Red-fruit notes flood the finish.

A balanced, elegant nose that whispers a promise of juiciness rising like a murmur from the bottom of a well. Airy and lifted, it glides across the upper palate like an eagle, with light, controlled power. The caressing finish has the softness of a little eaglet nestled in its nest.

The bouquet is youthful and charming, with roasted notes and dark chocolate aromas. Compact and appealing on the palate, the wine shows fine balance and, above all, exceptional density. Its succulent character makes it approachable, yet the tannins ensure power and longevity. It’s the first time I’ve felt, I’ve perceived this much power in the 2014! This is a great Barton and certainly one of the standout successes of St-Julien.

The nose is fruity, relatively dense and offers lovely finesse as well as controlled power. It reveals notes of blackberry, blackcurrant and subtle hints of raspberry and redcurrant, combined with a touch of grey pepper, delicate nuances of toasted oak and a hint of chocolate. The palate is fruity, mineral, racy, elegant and offers attractive minerality, lovely freshness, fine tension, straightness and an underlying acidic backbone. On the palate, this wine shows notes of blackberry and blackcurrant with subtle hints of raspberry and redcurrant, joined by touches of toasted oak and a discreet hint of hazelnut. The tannins are fine and well-handled. A touch of suavity on the finish. A very discreet hint of caramelization lingers on the persistence.

Logo on the cork: JL (Lafitte Liège) Dark color, medium intensity and slightly evolved. Moderately aromatic nose with ripe fruit. Notes of plum, vanilla and smoke. Delicate on the attack, especially aromatic on the mid-palate, with a classy mouthfeel; the wine melts on the palate—delicate, delicious and ultimately impossible to spit out. Good persistence, just a touch firm. A great success already foreshadowed in the estate’s track record.

This wine, with its massive tannins and rich fruit, is obviously set for a long life. It does have the contrast of fresh black-currant acidity to give it a lift. But with the power behind it, the wine will develop slowly. Drink from 2025.

The 2014 Léoville Barton is one of the must-buys of the vintage. Now in bottle, it has a very pure bouquet that gains intensity in the glass, laden with blackberry and raspberry coulis scents, cold wet stone, a wonderful minerality that becomes more conspicuous with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with tensile tannin, a fine line of acidity that lends precision and nervosity. There is class and sophistication in situ, not a powerful Léoville Barton, but beautifully poised. This is a brilliant forerunner to the 2015 and it should represent great value.