Chateau Leoville Barton 2020 750ml
Intense purple color. The nose is complex revealing aromas of black fruits, currant and blackcurrant. On the palate, the wine is incredibly smooth and juicy while being subtly spicy. It reveals raspberry and plum notes with elegant acidity and fine tannins. Blend 85.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.5% Merlot
Critical Acclaim
97 Jeb Dunnuck
The flagship from this great chateau, the 2020 Chateau Leoville Barton checks in as 85.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14.5% Merlot that saw 60% new French oak. It has fabulous aromatics of creme de cassis, graphite, liquid violets, spring flowers, and background oak. Full-bodied and concentrated on the palate, its purity of fruit is just about off the chart, it has a great mid-palate, and enough tannins to warrant 7-8 years of bottle age. This is another sensational wine from this team that will have 30-40 years of overall longevity. Best After 2030.
96 Wine Enthusiast
Dense and with velvety tannins, this wine has great structure and concentration without being too weighty. This solid wine is sure to age. Drink from 2027.
96 Wine Spectator
A bold, strapping young wine, with vivid plum, cassis, kirsch and black licorice notes that meld steadily as they cruise through, carried by a bolt of graphite and finishing with a flourish of violet, anise and apple wood. Mouthwatering in the end. Built for the cellar. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2030 through 2045.
96 James Suckling
Aromas of dark berries, ash, tar, blackcurrants and lead pencil, following through to a medium to full body, with firm and integrated tannins and a medium, chewy finish. Needs four to six years to soften and come together. Very tight and nicely structured. Try in 2027 and onwards.
95 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A superb wine, the 2020 Léoville Barton exhibits generous aromas of blackberries and crème de cassis mingled with hints of licorice, pencil shavings and classy new oak. Medium to full-bodied, broad and fleshy, with a concentrated core of fruit, sweet tannins and a nicely defined finish, it bears some similarities with the estate's demonstrative 2000 vintage, even if the two growing seasons were quite different. I suspect it will tighten up with more time in bottle, hence the plus sign next to my score, but right now, the 2020 is unusually accessible out of the gates.