Winemaker and vineyard : The Léoville Barton terroir is located on one of the finest gravelly slopes in the Garonne, facing the Gironde, in the heart of the Saint Julien appellation in the Médoc, 40 km north of Bordeaux. The different heights of gravel left by the river characterise the terroir of Léoville Barton, which, combined with the history and people who have shaped it, has produced one of the greatest red wines in the world. The clay-gravel subsoil is a perfect regulator of the vagaries of the year's climate. https://www.leoville-barton.com

Tasting : This well-made, complete St.-Julien possesses a dense purple color as well as surprisingly soft tannins for this wine which tends to be jacked up with a lot of structure, masculinity and muscle in most vintages. The 2012 offers attractive cedary, black currant fruit and vanilla notes, and a medium-bodied, denser mid-palate than many of its peers’. The tannins are noticeable in the finish, so give this wine 4-5 years of cellaring and drink it over the following two decades as it will be one of the longer lived wines of the vintage. robertparker.com (25.04.2013)

Service : Serve it at a room temperature of 16-18°C to accompany hard cheeses.