TwoMoreGlasses.com® Chateau Leoville Barton 2012 (1x75cl) – 7856197763270

Very floral with blueberry and blackberry on the nose. Mineral undertones. Full body, with chewy tannins and long intense finish. Serious structure and balance for the vintage.

Leoville Barton-s 2011 is head and shoulders above its sister offering, Langoa Barton. Although not as backward as I expected given the general style that emerges from Anthony Barton-s beloved St.-Julien estate, this wine will need time in the bottle once it is released in several years. An opaque purple color is followed by aromas of damp earth, underbrush, black currants, cedar and hints of vanillin and incense. Medium to full-bodied and moderately tannic with good acidity as well as excellent delineation and purity, it should be forgotten for 4-5 years, and drunk over the following two decades.

Opaque purple-ruby. Spicy coffee and cocoa notes complicate plum and blackberry aromas. Fresh and pure on the palate, with enticing blackberry and mineral flavors that could use a bit more flesh and sweetness. Finishes pure and long, with mouthwatering acidity, chewy tannins and a light herbal quality. This very serious Léoville-Barton will make an austere drink if it doesn’t develop more fruit and flesh.

This has some slightly rugged grip, with a prominent charcoal frame. Delivers ample flesh at the core, offering plum cake, currant preserves and smoldering tobacco leaf notes, offset by a tangy hint of anise. Should settle in well enough after modest cellaring. Best from 2016 through 2026. 12,500 cases made. -JM