Saint Julien

wines

The 2009 Langoa-Barton has a gorgeous bouquet with blackberry, bilberry, cedar and light tobacco aromas that blossom from the glass. This feels so composed and pure. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit, fine-grain tannin, beautifully judged acidity and a svelte, languorous finish that fans out with style. What a gorgeous and utterly seductive Saint-Julien. It turns out to be Langoa Barton, a wine that I have rated very highly in the past. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting.Vinous Media | 94 VMVery dense and still rather reserved, with dark blueberry, blackberry and fig notes rolled together, framed by freshly brewed espresso and Black Forest cake notes. Long and tarry through the finish, with a melted licorice snap note hanging on at the very end. Best from 2014 through 2030. 10,000 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WSA deceptively approachable wine. Its gorgeous fruits are right up front, their ripeness powered by a generous, complex texture. There is concentration, but it is surrounded by so much richness. It can almost be drunk now, but should age well.Wine Enthusiast | 93 WEA rich and fleshy wine, yet it remains decisively dry. Attractive blueberry aroma and impressive supple tannins make this very harmonious. If it was slightly brighter in the nose this would rate even higher.James Suckling | 93 JSBackward, tannic and beefy, this youthful but formidable 2009 Langoa Barton exhibits a dense ruby/purple color as well as lots of damp earth, underbrush and black currant aromas and flavors, medium to full body, lively acids and, not surprisingly, massive tannins (a characteristic of all the Barton wines). The overall impression is somewhat incongruous, having a certain precociousness in the aromatics, but then clamping down on the taster in the mouth. I recommend waiting 5-7 years before opening a bottle. It should drink well over the following 20-25 years.Robert Parker | 90+ RP

The 2010 Langoa-Barton has a very serious complex and involving bouquet with blackberry, cedar, sage and light sous-bois aromas that are exquisitely defined. The oak here is seamlessly integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with supple rounded tannins that frame its payload of black fruit laced with white pepper and cedar. It fans out brilliantly towards the finish. It is so velvety in texture that you could almost broach this now, but its substance and weight suggests that it deserves another few years in the cellar. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal.Vinous Media | 95 VMTightly focused, with a beam of cassis and blackberry fruit framed by integrated espresso and charcoal notes. The ample structure drives the polished finish, allowing extra notes of plum sauce, pastis and blueberry coulis to stride through. Shows serious grip at the very end. Best from 2016 through 2035. — JMWine Spectator | 94 WSLighter framed than Leoville, and while this is delicious, it is not quite at the level of its sibling. Not that anyone is going to complain, and this will be ready to crack out sooner. Opens up to show bramble berry fruits with confident tannins that provide a frame that is going to hold on tight for a good decade at least. Plenty of St-Julien character. Drinking Window 2020 - 2042.Decanter | 94 DECFruity and juicy, this showcases the accessibility of this estate, while also highlighting some of the tannic structure of its big brother, Léoville-Barton. There is a classic black-currant note that’s balanced by the firm tannins of the vintage. Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEAnother wine showing better from bottle than it did from barrel, the 2010 Langoa Barton has the typical structured, dense style, but just as I thought earlier on, it is a much softer and more developed wine than one ordinarily expects from proprietor Anthony Barton. It is full-bodied and impressively endowed with subtle oak, rich cassis fruit and notes of new saddle leather, forest floor, cedar wood and spice box. Full, authoritative and dense, this wine should be at its best between 2018 and 2035.Robert Parker | 93+ RPBlueberry and blackberry aromas with hints of mint. Full body, with fine tannins and a chocolate, vanilla and berry aftertaste. This builds on the palate with fruit and tannins. Extremely polished. Better in 2017.James Suckling | 93 JS