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 : Another prodigious, but brutally tannic, offering from the affable Anthony Barton, the inky/blue/black-hued 2005 Leoville Barton exhibits a sensational perfume of charcoal, burning embers, underbrush, cedar, creme de cassis, and subtle toasty oak. Painfully concentrated (much like the 2000 was at the same stage), with full body, admirable purity, and several boatloads of muscular tannin, this St.-Julien is built for 50-60 years of cellaring. Its purity and precision are typical of today’s winemaking, but Barton is certainly not making a wine for near-term gratification. This is another 2005 that will require enormous patience. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2065. robertparker.com (30.04.2008)

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