Château Léoville Barton 2009
300 years of family heritage
1722 - Thomas Barton left his native Ireland to settle in Bordeaux, founding a wine merchant company.
1826 - His grandson, Hugh Barton, purchased 50 hectares of vines located in the Saint Julien appellation. In the historic 1855 classification the château was to be awarded the rank of "Second Classified Growth".
The property was managed by the various generations over the years until Anthony Barton raised Château Léoville Barton to the level of international recognition it enjoys today. The Barton story continues with his daughter, Lilian, and her two children, now writing the chapter of the 10th generation.
Terroir & vineyard
The vineyard nestles in the heart of the St Julien terroir among the most beautiful slopes of Garonne gravel, facing the Gironde river. The clayey gravel subsoil allows excellent growing conditions whatever weather the vintage brings. The plowing is traditional, without weeding or herbicide. The grape varieties are Cabernet Sauvignon (74%), Merlot (23%) and Cabernet Franc (3%).
Vinification
The harvesting is done entirely by hand. After the de-stemming, the berries are carefully sorted, crushed and poured in wooden vats thermo-regulated, according to their plots. The alcoholic fermentation lasts from 7 to 10 days and the extraction is always respectful of the juice by adjusting the number of pumping depending on the cuvées and the vintages. The maceration is about 3 weeks then the juice is drawn in barrels, lot by lot. The wine is then aged between 16 and 18 months in French oak barrels of which 60% are brand new, in a cellar maintained at 15 °.
The wines are topped up 3 times a week to avoid any contact between the wine and the air, the racking is traditional using the so-called "à l'esquive" method.The vintage
Blending
77% Cabernet Sauvignon
22.5% Merlot
0.5% Cabernet FrancAlcohol
13°
Dates of manual harvest
from 23 september to 3 october
Tasting
The opulence of this wine proves it is the fruit of a sun-blessed vintage, yet with none of the excesses associated with this. The power is certainly present but not domineering thanks to the lively freshness and complexity. There are also hints of sugar, toast, tar and spices.
Main appreciations
Wine Spectator 95
James Suckling 96
Decanter 96Jane Anson 96
Neal Martin 95
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