Château Langoa Barton 2010

Tightly focused, with a beam of cassis and blackberry fruit framed by integrated espresso and charcoal notes. The ample structure drives the polished finish, allowing extra notes of plum sauce, pastis and blueberry coulis to stride through. Shows serious grip at the very end. Best from 2016 through 2035.

A dark nose: tobacco, liquorice, potpourri and blackcurrants. Grippy and intense yet juicy, bright and weighty. Tannins fill the mouth with a half-chewy, half-mineral texture. Fruit is pristine. A lovely sense of clarity and precision, structured but not weighty. Full of fresh red berry elements and minty cola touches on the finish. A refined style, with lots of interest and drinkability. Cool and classic.

Blueberry and blackberry aromas with hints of mint. Full-bodied, with fine tannins and a chocolate, vanilla and berry aftertaste. This builds on the palate with fruit and tannins. Extremely polished. Better in 2017.

From a blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, the wine is packed with lively, spicy red and black fruits, earth, coffee and tobacco. This bright, tannic wine needs time to develop and soften. At least a decade or more is required.

Dense ruby/purple core. Fresh nose of red and dark berries, discreet oak and some roasted notes. Nicely built palate, quite dense but not heavy with a good dose of freshness, juicy red and dark berries, some herbal spiciness. Fine quality of tannin, medium extraction and a long, fresh finish.

73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc. Deep purple-garnet. Brilliant bouquet, red plums, cassis, dark woods and fine dark-chocolate notes. Velvety palate with surprisingly much charm in the remarkably rich tannins, a focused, demanding finish with warm, ripe Cabernet spice. Another brilliant Langoa, perhaps the best ever produced. A good chance of 19/20 in about 15 years. For the first time above Barton!

73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc. Deep purplish garnet, dense at the core, with a violet rim. Brilliant bouquet: red plums, cassis, dark woods and fine dark-chocolate notes. A velvety palate with remarkable charm in the likewise remarkably rich tannins, a focused, demanding finish with warm, ripe Cabernet spice. Yet another truly brilliant Langoa. Perhaps the best ever produced. With a solid chance of reaching 19/20 at maturity. This will only set in after about 15 years. For the first time since I first tasted from barrel at the Domaine 25 years ago, I’m placing it ahead of Barton! (18/20). 12: Bright garnet with a ruby edge. A dream bouquet, perhaps at the moment even slightly superior to Barton, because it already appears more compact and deeper on the nose: black cherries, dark woods and a touch of tobacco. Firm palate with flesh, muscle, present tannins and plenty of character. Impressive and certainly a top purchase recommendation. The wine is not very well known, as there aren’t many bottles (for the Médoc). So it’s still a real insider tip.

(73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 40 hl/ha) Fruity, fresh, sweet, finely opulent bouquet, black cherries, plums, dried fruits, currants, tea. Balanced, velvety, fresh palate with full fruit, fine tannins, powerful, sweet aromatics, dense structure, very long, elegant, sweet finish. Can improve further. 18/20 2017 - 2035

This is muscular and pretty concentrated on both the aromatics and the palate, lacking the generosity of the 2009 for the moment. I set it aside for a full 24 hours, and was then able to reach through to the spiced plum fruits underneath, layered with charcoal, smoked earth and liquorice root. An excellent wine, but there is a gap between Langoa and Léoville in the vintage. 60% new oak for ageing.

Supple attack, complex mid-palate, spicy, fairly tannic yet beguiling, mocha finish.

Dark, intense, and beautiful color. Nose of ripe, creamy fruit. Rich on the attack and immediately full-bodied, the wine develops, rich in flavor, toward a powerful finish with well-contained tannins. Very good length. Suitable for aging.

The nose is elegant, offering delicacy, a certain concentration, and a certain power. It reveals notes of ripe wild blackberry, dried strawberry, and, more subtly, violet, together with touches of fairly ripe blueberry, sweet spices, a subtle hint of clove, green cardamom, fine nuances of undergrowth, and an imperceptible hint of hazelnut. The palate is fruity and balanced, with lovely definition, gourmandise, tension, a very attractive fleshiness and roundness, a refined creaminess, delicacy (perfectly judged), and a tangy backbone. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of juicy/pulpy blackberry, fairly ripe wild strawberry, and, more slightly, juicy/ripe Morello cherry, joined by a touch of blueberry as well as hints of dried cornflower, camphor, toasted almond, sweet spices, a subtle hint of undergrowth, and an imperceptible hint of dried vanilla and dried tobacco. The tannins are elegant, racy, and structuring. A touch of suavity and a hint of green cardamom linger on the finish.

Fruity and juicy, this showcases the accessibility of this estate, while also highlighting some of the tannic structure of its big brother, Léoville-Barton. There is a classic black-currant note that's balanced by the firm tannins of the vintage.