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Léoville Barton 2017

RegionBordeaux
Subregion France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > St Julien
ColourRed
TypeStill
Grape VarietyCabernet Sauvignon/Merlot

Anthony Barton's second growth is always a top quality Bordeaux of classic proportions. Structured, Cabernet Sauvignon dominated wines are produced here that are serious, controlled and pure. The 50 hectare vineyard is planted 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc. Always the epitome of Saint Julien and the ultimate "Englishman's Claret".

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Tasting Notes

Léoville-Barton is one of the very few wines, from any appellation, that combines power and finesse with such grace in 2017. Rich, deep and wonderfully expressive, the 2017 has so much offer. The high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon comes through loud and clear. Inky dark, fruit, game, spice, mint, licorice and lavender all build in a wine of regal elegance and head spinning beauty. For its combination of quality and price, Léoville-Barton remains one the most consumer-friendly wines of the Left Bank. The blend is 93% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Merlot. The September rains were especially challenging for the Merlot and Cabernet Franc. As a result, Cabernet is pushed up in the blend, while there is no Franc at all. 2025 - 2047.

96
Antonio Galloni, vinous.com, March 2020

The 2017 Leoville Barton is deep garnet in color. It waltzes out with a stunning perfume of redcurrant jelly, warm cassis, and Morello cherries, followed by an undercurrent of peonies, dark chocolate, licorice, and wet slate. The medium-bodied palate delivers a firm backbone of beautifully ripe, grainy tannins and bold freshness to support the layer upon layer of fruit and floral notes, finishing with great length and poise. Stunning!

96
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent, December 2023

The 2017 Léoville-Barton, which is aged in 60% new oak, is endowed with far more concentration on the nose compared to the Langoa with layers of blackberry, dark plum, violet and orange pith scents that are beautifully defined. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, so fresh and vibrant, silky smooth in texture with a vivid, refined finish. There is a sense of panache about this Léoville-Barton, a fabulous wine for the vintage. Drink 2022-2045.

94
Neal Martin, vinous.com (March 2020), February 2020

Tasted blind. Deep ruby. Dark-fruited and brooding on the nose – this has clear potential. The palate is very muscular, with a solid framework on which to build the fruit. Notes of cassis and spice are in harmony, showing the precision of the winemaking here. Rich and spicy but well managed. This is chiselled and very fine. Long and driven on the finish.
Drink 2025 – 2040

17.5+
Thomas Parker MW, JancisRobinson.com, October 2021

The purity of cabernet sauvignon really comes through here with currants, blackberries and stones. Perfumed, too. Medium to full body. Very fine, polished tannins and a fresh, fruity finish. This shows a compact palate with a polished, creamy finish. Much higher percentage of cabernet than is usual. Drink after 2023.

95
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, January 2020

This has a stronger, tighter and more concentrated expression in this vintage than its sister property, although it's not as concentrated as its last few vintages. It's back to a more old school expression for the appellation, suiting the vintage, and it's one of the better-framed wines on display here. Good quality, with ground coffee, dark chocolate and tight cassis notes, all subtly and harmoniously put together. Drinking Window 2024 - 2038

95
Jane Anson, Decanter.com, April 2018

Deepest crimson. Dark, savoury and spicy black fruit with a lovely balsamic note but also a light vanilla sweetness and a more subdued graphite layer. Complex already. On the palate, this is succulent, firm but polished. Tannins are very fine, definite. A harmonious whole and a juicy finish.
Drink 2025-2037

17
Julia Harding MW, JancisRobinson.com, April 2018

With 93% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Merlot in the mix, this is the most strongly Cabernet wine ever produced here. Picked 15-29 September with maturation in 60% new oak. A deep and brooding nose of cassis with a hint of dried violets and smoky liquorice. The palate is richly tannic but ripe. This mouthcoating structure provides an ample frame for pure cassis and cedar. This wine has great delineation of fruit and supreme elegance, but still the power and ripeness to linger with lightly exotic spices of nutmeg and clove on the finish.

93+
Farr Vintners, April 2018

Concentrated black fruits the nose is firm the palate has a rich mix of black cherry and cassis. Power in a velvet glove there is mid structure the fruit wrapped around with generous rich flavours the back palate and finish lighter streamlined and elegant. 2026-40

90/94
Derek Smedley MW, DerekSmedleyMW.co.uk, April 2018

Rather more structured than Langoa, as usual, but also a little more feisty, dense and rather more tannic and active on the palate, too. There is the traditional cassis theme and the tannins and oak are not dominant, allowing the fruit to expand and develop during the experience. There is some tension with the tannins but they do not shut the wine down as I have seen in other properties. I expect it to age slowly and incrementally, waiting some time before it softens - perhaps a decade or more.

18+
Matthew Jukes, Matthew Jukes' Blog, April 2018
Read more tasting notes...

The 2017 Léoville Barton has a high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon this year at 93%, the remainder is Merlot. It was picked between 15 and 18 September for the Merlot and 22 to 29 September for the Cabernet Sauvignon, then aged in 60% new oak. It has a perfumed and pure bouquet that demonstrates a little more cohesion and refinement than some of its Saint-Julien peers. Blackberry and touches of bilberry fruit, cedar and crushed stone – this is a knockout nose with bags of potential. The palate is medium-bodied with filigree tannin, perfectly pitched acidity and beautifully integrated oak. Seriously, this is nudging (not equaling, nudging!) the 2016 in terms of quality and there are just a handful of properties where I can state that this year. 2022 - 2045

93/95
Neal Martin, vinous.com, May 2018

This is a really excellent Leoville-Barton with wonderful cabernet sauvignon character of blackberries, blackcurrants and flowers. Full body, firm and lightly chewy tannins and a long and beautiful finish. This has tension and brightness.

94/95
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, April 2018

The 2017 Leoville Barton has a medium to deep garnet-purple color. It is a little closed and broody to start, offering cedar and dried herb notes before giving way to a core of cassis and raspberry preserves, plus touches of crushed rocks and truffles. The medium-bodied palate has a serious structure of firm, grainy tannins and great freshness, finishing long and spicy.

95
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent, December 2022

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Léoville Barton charges out of the gate with bold notions of baked plums, crème de cassis and blueberry preserves plus wafts of pencil shavings, fragrant earth and cedar chest. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers mouth-coating black fruit preserves with compelling herbal sparks and a firm, grainy texture, finishing long and lively.Drink:2023-2048

95
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate (March 2020), March 2020

The 2017 Leoville Barton is deep garnet-purple in color with a nose of warm cassis, fresh blackberries and blueberries with hints of violets, dark chocolate and licorice. Medium-bodied with a rock-solid frame of grainy tannins and wonderful freshness, it gives a fantastic core of fruit and wonderful length

91/93+
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate (236), April 2018
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.