1988 Leoville Barton
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Tasting notes
It has been several years since I last encountered the 1988 Léoville Barton. It is just a tad smudged on the nose compared to the 1988 Lynch Bages. Pencil box aromas mix with black fruit and a liberal sprinkling of black pepper. The palate has evolved in the interim period, grainier in texture than I recall and spicy, but allow 15 to 20 minutes in the glass, and it manifests real elegance and grace on the finish. Just a lovely, mature Saint-Julien from the late Anthony Barton. Tasted at the 1988 Bordeaux dinner at Noble Rot Mayfair.
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More reviews and scores
The 1988 Léoville Barton has a lovely nose of brambly black fruit, melted tar, tobacco leaf and undergrowth, very traditional in style but after three decades, remaining fresher and more vibrant than many of its peers. The palate is medium-bodied and possesses more fruit and greater density than the Langoa-Barton. I love the acidity here - very fresh - no sign of hardness or greenness, adorned with a spicy, black pepper and sage-tinged finish that suggest this Saint Julien will offer another decade’s worth of pleasure. Excellent wine from Anthony Barton. Tasted at the château.
Magnum. This is what claret is all about. Utterly correct, bone dry, straight-backed, not opulently fleshy nor fruity (cf Ch Brown 2010) but fresh and racy. Super-appetising. A health drink? Certainly not for sipping without food but this went admirably with the duck provided for us 1950s babes. (JR)
Delightful and fully mature. This was the red wine served (blind) at the AGM lunch of the Royal Household Wine Committee and charmed us all. The 1988s were chunky and austere for so long but, to judge from this wine, the best have come into their own at last. This was beautifully balanced, even if pretty dry but had evolved a delightfully classic perfume. No more than medium weight but with no tannins left in evidence. Very fragrant and complex, (JR)
About the producer
Ch. Léoville Barton is a Second Growth Saint-Julien estate, one of the three famous Léoville estates (along with Léoville Poyferré and Léoville Las Cases). Owned by the Barton family (along with Ch. Langoa Barton), it produces classically structured Claret that ages beautifully.