Professional Ratings

• 96 Decanter
  With vivid - and subtle - notes of cassis, iris, violet and seashell minerality, this seamless wine impresses in 2023. Prominent tannins (it is, after all, dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon), show refinement with much palate depth and classy juiciness leading to a long finish that denotes both lightness and depth. A quintessential St-Julien. Ageing in 60% new oak will ensure a long-lasting wine that would be fine upon release but will benefit from a decade of ageing in your cellar.
  Barrel Sample: 96
• 96 James Suckling
  A classy Leoville-Barton. Aromas of raspberries, currants, lavender and a hint of cedar. Medium-bodied, showing very fine tannins that are integrated and polished, with brightness and precision. Very attractive. Drinkable now, but better after 2028.
• 96 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
  The 2023 Léoville Barton is a lovely classic in the making, unfurling in the glass with aromas of cassis and blackberries mingled with notions of pencil shavings, licorice and violets. Medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy, it's layered, concentrated and suave, with beautifully refined tannins, vibrant acids and a long, penetrating finish. Benefiting from the Barton family's new highly functional winery, as well as experimentation with more discreet cooperage choices, it's somewhat reminiscent of the estate's terrific 2016. The 2023 blend is 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc.
  Barrel Sample: 94-96
• 95 Jeb Dunnuck
  The 2023 Château Leoville Barton is another terrific wine from this château, and it plays in the fresh, vibrant, lively style of the vintage beautifully. Utterly classic blackcurrants, ripe tobacco, graphite, and cedar pencil notes define the aromatics, and this beauty is medium to full-bodied, has terrific concentration, the pure, focused, mineral-driven style of the vintage, building yet ripe tannins, and a great finish. It has plenty of acidity as well as tannins and is built for the cellar. The blend is 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, and 3% Cabernet Franc, raised in 60% new oak. Harvest dates were the 12th of September to the 2nd of October.
  Barrel Sample: 93-95+
• 95 Vinous
  The 2023 Léoville-Barton marries the classicism the château is so well-known for with an extra kick of textural intensity from the heat of the year. It’s powerful, dark and serious, with compelling notes of black cherry, lavender, spice and blackberry. This is an especially dense, somber Léoville-Barton endowed with tremendous presence. The blend is 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc, the first time Franc has appeared in the blend. This will need time to soften, as the tannins are imposing. Tasted two times. –Antonio Galloni
  Barrel Sample: 93-95
• 93 Wine Spectator
  This red’s sappy intensity belies the overall modesty of the vintage, offering an enticing wave of kirsch, plum compote and blackberry reduction that melds with melted black licorice and roasted apple wood. Youthfully grippy, but a velvety accent emerges on the ink-stained, lingering finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2027 through 2042.