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.

Quality 915 | Brand 988 | Economics 939 | buzz brand
Quality: Predicted life of 14 years, one of the longest drinking windows in its peer group, which averages 9 years Brand: Strong restaurant presence, featuring on 33 of the world's top wine lists, including Amber - Mandarin Oriental Economics: Production: Higher production than its peer group average of 186,000 bottles

- www.wine-lister.com June 2017

The 2014 Léoville Barton has a crisp, poised bouquet with graphite tinged black fruit, hints of crushed flower and clove, nicely define and gaining definition with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, beautifully judged acidity, sophisticated and poised, fanning out with confidence towards the fresh, energetic finish. This is a succinct and beautifully crafted Saint Julien with many years of drinking enjoyment to give. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting. - vinous.com, March 2018

Incredibly classic in style, the still-youthful, ruby-hued 2014 Château Léoville Barton reveals textbook cassis, tobacco, sappy herbs, and mineral notes. Medium-bodied, focused, and pure, this elegant Saint-Julien has fine tannins, nicely integrated structure, and beautiful overall balance. It has plenty of depth and will continue to drink nicely for another 15-20 years. Drink 2025-2044.

A fabulous wine from this venerable estate, the 2014 Léoville-Barton is super-impressive today. Dark red stone fruits, wild flowers, mint, spices and raspberry all show the inflections of invigorating freshness that are such a signature of the vintage. Hints of crème de cassis, blackberry jam, graphite, brioche, grilled herbs and spice add nuance on an inky finish that gains weight over time. Today, the 2014 is embryonic, but I won't be surprised if it grows considerably over the coming years. The blend is 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc. Tasted two times.

A little tart and high toned and a little green and powdery. Not the best in the line up, lots of ripe fruit and high acidity but it's not all harmonising in the best way. Feels disjointed and the initial mixture of sweet and sour then fades quite quickly.

Deep cherry red. Smells a little riper than the Langoa and with a fine peppery spice. A hint of oak's sweetness but the fruit sings. Tannins are firm and dense but fully ripe and rounded. Beautifully balanced. (JH)

Tasted blind. Black core, garnet rim. Intense, generous blackcurrant fruit. Just a touch meaty as it opens. Dense, too. Not easy at the moment and the tannins need a lot more time. Retasted later: dark and rich but not easy at all. I upped the score by half a point on retasting because that meatiness seemed to be part of the wine (rather than brett). Not welcoming right now. Needs a lot of time. (JH)