Château Leoville Barton 2025 Saint-Julien 2e Grand Cru Classé - OWC6

Jeb Dunuck
97-99 punten
A Cabernet-dominant blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc, the 2025 Château Léoville Barton checks in at 13.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.6. Crème de cassis, smoked tobacco, liquid violets, iron, and an incredible sense of graphite all define the aromatics of this brilliant, deep, pure, and layered beauty. On the palate, it's full-bodied, inward, and powerfully structured, and reminds me slightly of the 2010 with its deep, concentrated style. It has enormous potential.

Jane Anson
97 punten
Beautiful vintage at Léoville Barton, delivers layer upon layer of crayon, graphite, textural interest and character, we are on another level of St Julien and right at the top of the vintage. Black chocolate and espresso coupled with finesse and fragrance that takes you into the heart of St Julien. A flood of flavour, what a brilliantly judged wine, powerful with air in all the right places. Just a breath below the brilliant 2023 for me.

Decanter
97 punten
Beautiful aromas, expressive and open, really fragrant with bright purple flowers and dark cherries. Supple and so energetic, you can feel some tension here with the tension coming from the really quite high acidity matching the soft fleshiness of the dark blackcurrant and raspberry fruit. I love the character, this has personality and focus. Quite a fun and really engaging wine with great balance and plenty of structure and outer bones that should soften and maybe thicken a little over ageing. I’m sure this will be a beauty. Crushed stone minerality on the finish. One of the lowest yields ever at 22hl/ha.

Lisa Perotti-Brown
95-97 punten
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2025 Léoville Barton bursts with bold notes of cassis and kirsch, leading to hints of crushed rocks, violets, mossy tree bark, and damp soil. The medium-bodied palate is wonderfully bright and earthy with great tension and firm, fine-grained tannins supporting the intense black fruit layers, finishing long and perfumed. The blend is 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc. The alcohol is 13.5% with a pH of around 3.55. The wine is aging in French barriques, 60% new.

The wine Cellar Insider
95-97 punten
With just a swirl, you find blackberries, espresso beans, cigar box, cassis, smoke, and licorice in the compelling aromatic profile. The palate is packed with soft, creamy, vibrant fruits, silky tannins, and polish, finishing with a big, chewy mouthful of sweet ripe, black fruits, and a refreshing touch of minty herbs that seals the deal in the finish. Drink from 2032-2065.

Vinous
95-97 punten
The 2025 Léoville Barton was picked between 4 September and 18 September and matured in 60% new oak barrels. This has an exquisite bouquet already, with ebullient blackberry and bilberry scents, beautifully integrated oak, keeping the DNA of Léoville Barton despite the warm summer. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, gentle grip, very pure fruit and a "cool" and focused finish. With lower alcohol, between 13.0 and 13.5%, the terroir really shows through here. Superb.

James Suckling
96-96 punten
Dark ripe fruit and a touch of licorice on the nose. Medium- to full-bodied with a firm tannic structure on the palate, showing dark fruit, chocolate and walnut flavors.

Jancis Robinson
17+/20 punten
Slightly reticent, dark-fruit nose. Layered fruit on the palate with firm, ripe tannins behind. Oak still present so still embryonic and not fully knit but clear potential.

Falstaff
96 punten
Deep dark ruby garnet, opaque core, violet reflections, delicate edge brightening. Floral nuances, dark forest berries, smoky notes, underlaid with blackberries and cassis. Juicy, elegant, extra-sweet core, ripe tannins, sticks well, a hint of nougat on the finish, good length, definite ageing potential.

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
93-95 punten
​Another wine that will appeal to purists, the 2025 Léoville Barton offers up notes of crème de cassis, violets, pencils shavings and new oak, followed by a medium- to full-bodied, taut and penetrating palate that's racy and youthfully structured, with a concentrated mid-palate that reflects the very low yields (22 hectoliters per hectare) this year. It's a blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, harvested between September 4 and 18.