Step into the heart of what St Julien does best here, firm and muscular but thoroughly juicy tannins, concentrated blackberry and cassis fruits that are mature but full of finesse, with just the right amount of precision and tension. This is a wine where a single glass will not be enough, and reminds you that in 2022 the wines were exceptional but atypical for many Bordeaux lovers. Here you get an understated gloriously drinkable St Julien from long-term owners the Barton family that will go the distance. 60% new oak for ageing.

The tannins here are cashmere-like. You can touch it, but at the same time it is weightless and beautiful. Medium- to full-bodied and textural. Soars at the end. This is really seamless and dialed in. Third year using the cellar. 87% cabernet sauvignon, 10% merlot and 3% cabernet franc.

The 2023 Léoville Barton is a lovely classic in the making, unfurling in the glass with aromas of cassis and blackberries mingled with notions of pencil shavings, licorice and violets. Medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy, it's layered, concentrated and suave, with beautifully refined tannins, vibrant acids and a long, penetrating finish. Benefiting from the Barton family's new highly functional winery, as well as experimentation with more discreet cooperage choices, it's somewhat reminiscent of the estate's terrific 2016. The 2023 blend is 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc.

With vivid - and subtle - notes of cassis, iris, violet and seashell minerality, this seamless wine impresses in 2023. Prominent tannins (it is, after all, dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon), show refinement with much palate depth and classy juiciness leading to a long finish that denotes both lightness and depth. A quintessential St-Julien. Ageing in 60% new oak will ensure a long-lasting wine that would be fine upon release but will benefit from a decade of ageing in your cellar.

Wow, super drive from the Cabernet here, a sense of coolness and freshness running through the wine. It opens with well-defined aromas of crushed violets, cassis, and a little bitter cocoa too. Graphite, pencil shavings, wet rocks are humming beneath the surface - there is a mineral streak running next to the fruit and which triumphs at the moment. Firm, sinewy, and athletic, it is a benchmark St Julien. Robert Mathias MW.

The 2023 Léoville-Barton marries the classicism the château is so well-known for with an extra kick of textural intensity from the heat of the year. It’s powerful dark and serious with compelling notes of black cherry lavender spice and blackberry. This is an especially dense somber Léoville-Barton endowed with tremendous presence. The blend is 87% Cabernet Sauvignon 10% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc the first time Franc has appeared in the blend. This will need time to soften as the tannins are imposing. Tasted two times. 2030-2063

The 2023 Léoville Barton was picked from September 12 to October 2 and aged in 60% new oak. This takes a long time to settle in the glass unfolding with black fruit wild mint and a subtle seaweed scent. This Saint-Julien gains cohesion with aeration—a bit of pep. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins. A touch of dark chocolate infuses the black fruit harmonious with a patina of new oak that will integrate with time. This is classic Léoville Barton from tip to toe and whilst it does not match the imperious 2022 it is a very impressive follow-up due to its interwoven elegance.

87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc. Cask sample. Majors on the Cabernet. Deep, dark and for the moment subdued. Layered fruit on the palate. Suave texture and tannins. Plenty of persistence. Ageing potential here. (JL)