This is a carousel with zoom. Use the thumbnails to navigate, or jump to a slide. Use the zoom button to zoom into a image.

Château Léoville-Barton, Saint-Julien 2010

Red Wine from France - Bordeaux
5.000000000 star rating 1 Reviews
A classic Léoville-Barton displaying the traditional virtues of top quality Claret, delivering deep, ripe, fine, long-lasting flavour, freshness and structure without excess. A long and splendid future is assured.
Price: £111.00 Bottle
Price: £666.00 Case of 6
In Stock
Code: CM15391

Wine characteristics

  • Red Wine
  • Medium-bodied
  • Cabernet Merlot
  • 75cl
  • Now to 2050
  • 13.5% Alcohol
  • oak used but not v. noticeable
  • Cork, natural

Cru Classe Medoc, Graves

The original and most famous wine classification came about when the organisers of the 1855 Universal Exposition of Paris wanted, naturally enough, to show the finest wines of the Bordeaux region. Brokers dealing in the wines got together and produced two classifications of the best red and sweet wines respectively, based on the selling price of the wines at that time. The list was produced very soon after a request for it from the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce was made, strongly suggesting that there was an ‘unofficial’ hierarchy already well known to the brokers.

These Grand Cru Classé wines were ranked in five tiers and, apart from the famous promotion of Château Mouton Rothschild in 1973 and the addition of Château Cantemerle to the fourth growths soon after the classification was established, they have remained unchanged ever since. Effectively, they represent what should be the best wines of the Médoc with the one interloper, Château Haut-Brion from Pessac-Léognan in the...
The original and most famous wine classification came about when the organisers of the 1855 Universal Exposition of Paris wanted, naturally enough, to show the finest wines of the Bordeaux region. Brokers dealing in the wines got together and produced two classifications of the best red and sweet wines respectively, based on the selling price of the wines at that time. The list was produced very soon after a request for it from the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce was made, strongly suggesting that there was an ‘unofficial’ hierarchy already well known to the brokers.

These Grand Cru Classé wines were ranked in five tiers and, apart from the famous promotion of Château Mouton Rothschild in 1973 and the addition of Château Cantemerle to the fourth growths soon after the classification was established, they have remained unchanged ever since. Effectively, they represent what should be the best wines of the Médoc with the one interloper, Château Haut-Brion from Pessac-Léognan in the Graves region.

The wines of the right bank, such as Saint-Emilion and Pomerol were not included because their selling price was not as high at that time. Five first growths sit at the head of 62 properties, all of them from the Médoc except for Château Haut-Brion in Pessac-Léognan.

Naturally enough, there have been many unofficial revisions made over the years, with expert opinions brought to bear on what promotions and demotions might have been over the years, but none of these musings, no matter how reflective of changing standards and prices they might be, will change the stratification as it stands.

The classification is as follows:
First Growths (Premiers Crus)
Château Lafite Rothschild, Pauillac; Château Latour, Pauillac; Château Margaux, Margaux; Château Haut-Brion, Pessac-Léognan ; Château Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac.

Second Growths (Deuxièmes Crus)
Château Rauzan-Ségla, Margaux; Château Rauzan-Gassies, Margaux; Château Léoville-Las Cases, Saint-Julien; Château Léoville-Poyferré, Saint-Julien; Château Léoville-Barton, Saint-Julien; Château Durfort-Vivens, Margaux; Château Gruaud-Larose, Saint-Julien; Château Lascombes, Margaux; Château Brane-Cantenac, Margaux; Château Pichon Longueville Baron, Pauillac; Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, Pauillac; Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, Saint-Julien; Château Cos d'Estournel, Saint-Estèphe; Château Montrose, Saint-Estèphe.

Third Growths (Troisièmes Crus)
Château Kirwan, Margaux; Château d'Issan (Margaux); Château Lagrange, Saint-Julien; Château Langoa-Barton, Saint-Julien; Château Giscours, Margaux; Château Malescot Saint Exupéry, Margaux; Château Cantenac-Brown, Margaux; Château Boyd-Cantenac, Margaux; Palmer, now Château Palmer, Margaux; Château La Lagune, Ludon (Haut-Médoc); Château Desmirail, Margaux; Château Dubignon, Margaux; Château Calon-Ségur, Saint-Estèphe; Château Ferrière, Margaux; Château Marquis d'Alesme Becker, Margaux.

Fourth Growths (Quatrièmes Crus)
Château Saint-Pierre, Saint-Julien; Château Talbot, Saint-Julien; Château Branaire-Ducru, Saint-Julien; Château Duhart-Milon, Pauillac; Château Pouget, Margaux; Château La Tour Carnet, Saint-Laurent (Haut-Médoc); Château Lafon-Rochet, Saint-Estèphe; Château Beychevelle, Saint-Julien; Château Prieuré-Lichine, Margaux; Château Marquis de Terme, Margaux.

Fifth Growths (Cinquièmes Crus)
Château Pontet-Canet, Pauillac; Château Batailley, Pauillac; Château Haut-Batailley, Pauillac; Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste, Pauillac; Château Grand-Puy-Ducasse, Pauillac; Château Lynch-Bages, Pauillac; Château Lynch-Moussas, Pauillac; Château Dauzac, Margaux; Château d'Armailhac, Pauillac; Château du Tertre, Margaux; Château Haut-Bages-Libéral, Pauillac; Château Pédesclaux, Pauillac; Château Belgrave, Saint-Laurent (Haut-Médoc); Château de Camensac, Saint-Laurent (Haut-Médoc); Château Cos Labory, Saint-Estèphe; Château Clerc-Milon, Pauillac; Château Croizet Bages, Pauillac; Château Cantemerle, Macau (Haut-Médoc).

Alongside the reds resides the classification for Sauternes and Barsac from further up river on the Garonne. There, 27 estates make up a smaller pyramid of their own, topped by the legendary Château d’Yquem, which had been classified out on its own above all the other sweet wines of the region.

Since the 1885 classification there have been other such systems established. Those of Graves and Saint-Emilion, both established much later than the 1855 and both subject to change, changes which cause no end of trouble for the authorities as estates are promoted or, more contentiously demoted and seek legal redress for the perceived injustice.

Cru Bourgeois is a further classification in the Médoc, representing some 30% of the production of the area. It was established in 1932 to represent properties outside of the Grand Cru Classé estates, though it was not officially recognised by the French government until 2003. At that time the selection of properties entitled to use the designation was revised and, unsurprisingly, fiercely contested by those who were left outside the classification, leading to a legal decision annulling the original classification while their status is re-examined by the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce. The list has previously been revised every 12 years, but from the 2018 vintage will be accredited every five years, and is based on the history terroir, winemaking and quality control of the properties, overseen by the Alliance des Crus Bourgeios de Médoc created in the same year as the revision. It is divided into three categories: Cru Bourgeios, Cru Bourgeios Supérieur and Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel. In theory the fact that qualification for the designation is based on quality should see improvements in the quality of wines made under its nomenclature.
Read more

Châteaux Léoville and Langoa Barton

The Bartons have been in the wine business since the 1730s, when Irish-born Thomas Barton set up a wine company, but it wasn’t until almost 100 years later that the family owned its first vineyard.

This was when Thomas’ grandson, Hugh Barton, bought the estate now known as Langoa Barton in the south of the Saint-Julien appellation in 1821. He acquired his portion of the famous Léoville estate, in the centre of Saint-Julien, in 1826. Three generations of the Barton family followed, during which time Léoville Barton was awarded second growth status and Langoa Barton a third growth in the 1855 Classification, before Ronald Barton took over the family business in the 1924.

It was Ronald who restored the vineyards after the ravages of the Second World War, and who was responsible for some of the estates’ most memorable vintages, before his nephew Anthony took over in 1983. His arrival marked a new renaissance for the properties, which have gone from strength to strength under his leadership.

Anthony still assists with the running of the estates, alongside his daughter Lilian and her children, Mélanie and Damien, who are the eighth generation of Bartons to be involved. This means these two estates have been in the hands of the same family for longer than any other classed-growth château.

The 51 hectares of Léoville and 17 hectares of Langoa are planted on gravel with a clay subsoil. Both vineyards contain a significant amount of old vines to ensure the best possible quality,...
The Bartons have been in the wine business since the 1730s, when Irish-born Thomas Barton set up a wine company, but it wasn’t until almost 100 years later that the family owned its first vineyard.

This was when Thomas’ grandson, Hugh Barton, bought the estate now known as Langoa Barton in the south of the Saint-Julien appellation in 1821. He acquired his portion of the famous Léoville estate, in the centre of Saint-Julien, in 1826. Three generations of the Barton family followed, during which time Léoville Barton was awarded second growth status and Langoa Barton a third growth in the 1855 Classification, before Ronald Barton took over the family business in the 1924.

It was Ronald who restored the vineyards after the ravages of the Second World War, and who was responsible for some of the estates’ most memorable vintages, before his nephew Anthony took over in 1983. His arrival marked a new renaissance for the properties, which have gone from strength to strength under his leadership.

Anthony still assists with the running of the estates, alongside his daughter Lilian and her children, Mélanie and Damien, who are the eighth generation of Bartons to be involved. This means these two estates have been in the hands of the same family for longer than any other classed-growth château.

The 51 hectares of Léoville and 17 hectares of Langoa are planted on gravel with a clay subsoil. Both vineyards contain a significant amount of old vines to ensure the best possible quality, giving the vines an average age of 35 years at Langoa, and 38 years at Léoville.

The aim of the estates is to achieve the typically Saint-Julien qualities of elegance and finesse rather than too much power or extraction, and this is achieved by picking the grapes at their maximum ripeness and fermenting them at controlled temperatures.

Notably, the Bartons avoided the trend to convert the cellars to stainless-steel tanks, opting instead to continue to ferment wines in the more traditional wooden vats. Although they knew stainless-steel provided temperature-control, they trusted in the wooden vats’ decades of positive results, and chose instead to wait for temperature control to be developed for wooden vats. They firmly believe this decision has paid off greatly in the long run.

Anthony’s wines have been extremely popular with members of The Society, not only for their quality, but also because he resisted the trend of his peers to raise prices substantially from one vintage to the next. This meant his prices remained at a level he considered fair, and so for many years his third-growth Langoa Barton was sold at more modest prices than many of its second growth neighbours.

Today, Léoville Barton is a superlatively good traditional Saint-Julien, combining power and finesse with the ability to age and improve over many years. A blend of 72% cabernet sauvignon, 20% merlot and 8% cabernet franc, it ages for 20 months in oak barrels (50% new) and will age for 12 to 40 years, in many cases longer.

Langoa Barton is a blend of 72% cabernet sauvignon, 25% merlot and 3% cabernet franc, which spends 18 months in oak barrels, 60% of them new. Although it tends to be ready sooner than Léoville Barton, it will age extremely well for between seven and 25 years.
Read more

Bordeaux Vintage 2010

This is Bordeaux at its best. 2010 clarets have superb ripeness and depth of flavour, balance and freshness. The vintage was memorable on several counts. There is no question that some ‘knock-out’ wines were made. It is exciting that this was true all over Bordeaux and at all price levels. Of course, at the top end 2010 produced some of the finest red wines you can find in the world. Though prices were high for such a great vintage there are lovely wines that punch well above their weight.

The growing cycle ticked all the boxes required for a good vintage, the only drawback being uneven flowering that reduced the volume. Summer in Bordeaux, unlike in much of northern Europe) was unusually dry, causing stress to the vines but concentrating the flavour and the fruit. This is essential in great years. There was ideal weather at vintage with plenty of light but no torrid heat during the day and cool nights over an extended period that provided good harvest conditions into late October....
This is Bordeaux at its best. 2010 clarets have superb ripeness and depth of flavour, balance and freshness. The vintage was memorable on several counts. There is no question that some ‘knock-out’ wines were made. It is exciting that this was true all over Bordeaux and at all price levels. Of course, at the top end 2010 produced some of the finest red wines you can find in the world. Though prices were high for such a great vintage there are lovely wines that punch well above their weight.

The growing cycle ticked all the boxes required for a good vintage, the only drawback being uneven flowering that reduced the volume. Summer in Bordeaux, unlike in much of northern Europe) was unusually dry, causing stress to the vines but concentrating the flavour and the fruit. This is essential in great years. There was ideal weather at vintage with plenty of light but no torrid heat during the day and cool nights over an extended period that provided good harvest conditions into late October. This was particularly beneficial to the later ripening cabernet sauvignon and petit verdot. Grapes had a rich abundance of all the necessary elements: fruit, natural sugar, acidity for freshness and life, and tannins that preserve the wine. The berries were smaller than usual with a higher percentage of skin to pulp, which means more flavour. The elimination of bunches affected by poor flowering was important, as was managing the tannins in the cellar by gentle handling and cooler fermentation temperatures.

Successful wines have superb ripeness and depth of flavour, balance and freshness. No two vintages are alike but the style is closer to a riper, better-balanced 1986 or a fuller rounder 2000 than the gentler charm of 2009. Great wines are to be found all over Bordeaux.

Sauternes also had a good year with lovely pure, succulent, luscious wines, most picked in the second week of October. Dry whites too were aromatic and elegant.
Read more

Decanter

Lush blackcurrantnose, solid fruit, hint of tar, with some chalkiness from the oak. Ripe andsucculent, plenty of upfront fruit. Admirable concentration too. Recommended.

- Médoc Crus Classés Panel Tasting

Bestselling wines

Back to top