This is a glorious ’85 and certainly more approachable than the ’86. The bouquet is ravishing with roasted herbs, fennel, sous-bois and a touch of black olive…a nod to the Graves here. Wonderfl definition. The palate is very smooth and sensuous, bright red-berried fruits, more savoury than I recall with white pepper and a touch of tar towards the rounded, chestnut-tinged finish. Superb length here. I cannot see this getting any better. Drink now-2018. Tasted September 2009.

Red-ruby. Ripe aromas of plum, currant, lead pencil and milk chocolate. Sweet but penetrating and gripping, with lovely clarity of flavor and terrific thrust. Classic claret, with lovely fruit and a very long, ripely tannic finish. A compelling example from this very elegantly styled vintage. Drink now through 2015.

My favorite vintage from this château to drink today is the superb 1985 Léoville Barton, a sumptuous, demonstrative wine that bursts with aromas of cedary currant fruit, plums, loamy soil and cigar wrapper. Medium to full-bodied, velvety and charming, with an enveloping core of fruit, melting tannins, ripe acids and a long, expansive finish, it's at its peak today but in no danger of imminent decline. 95 points WK

The 1985 is a gorgeous example that may well represent a more modern-day clone of the splendid 1953. Dark ruby/garnet with an open-knit, complex, ripe nose of sweet red as well as black currants, vanilla, fruitcake, tobacco, cedar, and earth, the wine is medium-bodied with exceptional sweetness, soft tannin, and a supple, very nicely layered finish. A classic midweight Bordeaux, it will drink now and over the next decade. Anticipated maturity: Now-2010. Last tasted, 1/02.

Anthony Barton's 1985 may turn out to be a remake of the chateau's splendid 1953. Deep ruby/garnet with a complex, complete, and intense bouquet of sweet, superripe, curranty fruit, minerals, cedar, spice, and baked herbs, this medium-bodied wine has exceptional balance, fine length, gobs of fruit, and soft tannin in the velvety finish. This classic claret is a joy to drink (92)

Magnum. I think this is a particular favourite of Anthony Barton's as it was the first wine he made without any intervention from Uncle Ronald. It was certainly looking gorgeous. Silky tannins and cedary fruit. Special, mellow and unusually smooth for this wine. Bone-dry finish. A treat to drink Léoville Barton with so much age on it even if the fruit may be slightly fading.
JR - Dec 2021