2017 Château Léoville Barton

93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot. Aged for 16–18 months (60% new oak). Deep, glowing crimson. Very distinctive nose. Heady undergrowth aromas if that’s not an oxymoron! Rich and velvet-textured but with some freshness. Glowing fruit with a good tannic charge underneath. Good for now and the future. Pencil-shavings quality. Went down in the glass. (JR)

Tasted blind. Deep ruby. Dark-fruited and brooding on the nose – this has clear potential. The palate is very muscular, with a solid framework on which to build the fruit. Notes of cassis and spice are in harmony, showing the precision of the winemaking here. Rich and spicy but well managed. This is chiselled and very fine. Long and driven on the finish.   (TP)

Léoville-Barton is one of the very few wines, from any appellation, that combines power and finesse with such grace in 2017. Rich, deep and wonderfully expressive, the 2017 has so much offer. The high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon comes through loud and clear. Inky dark, fruit, game, spice, mint, licorice and lavender all build in a wine of regal elegance and head spinning beauty. For its combination of quality and price, Léoville-Barton remains one the most consumer-friendly wines of the Left Bank. The blend is 93% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Merlot. The September rains were especially challenging for the Merlot and Cabernet Franc. As a result, Cabernet is pushed up in the blend, while there is no Franc at all. (AG)