2010 Leoville Barton
By Chateau Leoville Barton
2010 Leoville Barton from Chateau Leoville Barton, St-Julien, Bordeaux, France
The 2010 vintage of Bordeaux stands as a testament to the climatic balance and the meticulous craftsmanship in the vineyards. In this spectacular year, the 2010 Leoville Barton from Chateau Leoville Barton manifests these attributes in a symphony of structure, potency, and longevity. My reverence for this esteemed label is founded upon decades spent chronicling the evolution of their vintages, but it is the 2010 that captures a snapshot of near-perfection amid the ebb and flow of seasonal patterns.
A Vintage Characterised by Exquisite Equilibrium
The season that graced Bordeaux in 2010 was one of near-mythical proportions, balancing rainfall and sunshine with an almost divine touch. This equilibrium gave rise to grapes with an optimal array of aromas, tannins, and acidities—each contributing to the admirable complexity found in the glass. The 2010 Leoville Barton exhibits a robust architecture; its tannic backbone promising a stately aging potential while cradling the opulence of fruit that defines St-Julien.
Refinement and Investment Worthiness Intertwined
A wine like the 2010 Leoville Barton represents more than just a sensory delight—it is a compelling candidate for fine wine investors. The wine's structured versatility and consistent performance over time are hallmarks that merit recognition amidst portfolios. Densely woven blackcurrant, tobacco leaf, and graphite notes emerge triumphantly on the palate, underscoring St-Julien's distinctive terroir influence on this storied estate.
For discerning collectors seeking wines with the prowess to transcend generations, the 2010 harvest from Chateau Leoville Barton fulfils this criterion with aplomb. As it continues to unfold within the bottle's confines, its narrative is one of unwavering quality—a narrative that echoes through cellars where its presence is both prestigious and prudent.
In Summary: The Quintessential Clairvoyance of Seasons Past
The eloquence of seasons endures within each bottle and certainly so in the case of the 2010 Leoville Barton. In revisiting this vintage, one grasps an object lesson in balance: nature's benevolence married to human foresight. This wine encapsulates that rare clairvoyance which characterised the year in Bordeaux—a cardinal point for oenophiles and investors alike. Aptly so, investing in a bottle equates to owning a chronicle of agricultural grace, one penned by both earth and artisan's hand.
Market price (GBP)
£1,238.00
12x75cl
Highest score
97
POP score
72.82
Scores and tasting notes
Aromas of pure blackberries and violets follow through to a full body, with super velvety tannins and a delicious balance of sweet fruit, light vanilla and nuts. Really savory and beautiful. Superb wine. I like this better than 2009. Try in 2018.
James Suckling - jamessuckling.com, November 14th 2013
Tasted at the Union de Grand Cru in London. Anthony Barton appeared to have made a scintillating wine in 2010 and I hoped it would live up to expectations. It does. And judging by the mutterings I heard from others, I was not alone in that opinion. The Leoville Barton is more bashful on the nose than the Langoa Barton, although there are clearly abundant, pure blackberry and blueberry fruit encased within and they will burst forth with bottle age. The palate offers exquisite balance with luscious, intense black tarry fruit on the entry that exert a gentle but insistent grip. There is a wonderful symmetry to this wine and a life-affirming sense of harmony and precision on the finish. This is unequivocally a fabulous Leoville Barton enveloped in an effortless aura – a wine that easily surpassed even my own lofty expectations. Tasted November 2012.
Neal Martin - Wine Journal Mar 2013
A splendid showing, much stronger from bottle than it was from barrel, the Leoville Barton is one of the spectacular wines of the vintage. Inky purple to the rim, its huge tannin gives this wine real potential for 30-50 years of longevity. It is a classic, powerful Bordeaux made with no compromise. A superstar of the vintage, the wine has notes of pen ink and creme de cassis, good acidity, sweet, subtle oak, and massive extraction and concentration. I thought it was one of the most backward wines of the vintage two years ago, and nothing has changed in the ensuing upbringing of the wine in cask except that the wine now seems even richer, denser and fuller than I previously thought. The beautiful purity, symmetry, and huge finish of nearly a minute make this one of the all-time great classics from Leoville Barton. Anticipated maturity: 2028-2065+.
Robert Parker Jr - Wine Advocate #205
The 2010 Leoville Barton is deep garnet in color, and the nose is a little tired, with notes of stewed plums and dried cherries over hints of balsamic, tobacco, spice box and fried herbs. The medium to full-bodied palate has a solid backbone of firm, chewy tannins and plenty of freshness supporting the mature fruit, finishing spicy.
Lisa Perrotti-Brown - The Wine Advocate, 5 March 2020