Chateau Leoville Barton

The Barton Dynasty began with the arrival of Thomas Barton in France in 1722. He arrived in Bordeaux around 1725 and began showing his interest in wine and he founded his first wine (trading) company.

In 1786, his grandson Hugh Barton began his career as a wine merchant. In 1821, he was able to purchase Château Langoa and in 1826 he bought a parcel of the Léoville estate, which he renamed after himself: Château Léoville Barton was born. In 1855, Léoville Barton was ranked a “Deuxième Grand Cru Classé” (2nd Growth) in the official Bordeaux Classification. Château Léoville Barton doesn’t have a château building on its property. All the wines are produced at Château Langoa Barton, which has all the facilities. (The château depicted on the current label of Léoville Barton is actually Château Langoa Barton, which is also owned by the same family).

Since 2010, Lilian Barton Sartorius (9th generation of the Barton Family) took over the reigns from her father Anthony Barton.

The vineyards (47 Ha) are situated in Saint-Julien, on the left bank of the Bordeaux region, along the Gironde river and are planted with Cabernet Sauvignon (72%), Merlot (20%) and Cabernet Franc (8%). The soil contains for the most part gravel, with a subsoil of clay.

The wine is aged in 50% (or more) new French oak barrels. Besides the “Grand Vin”, Château Léoville Barton also produces a second wine, consisting mainly of grapes from the younger vines.

Léoville Barton is a true “Vin de Garde” and very good vintages are able to keep for many decades. Top vintages are: 1929, 1945, 1948, 1949, 1953, 1959, 1961, 1966, 1982, 1985, 1989, 1990, 1996, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2018. Although the various wines received very good ratings, the price remained very competitive.