Chateau Leoville Barton 1989

Chateau Leoville Barton 1989 is the first wine from Leoville Barton based in St Julien in Bordeaux Left bank, and has been in bottle for 20+ years - one would expect it to lack fruit and have low tannins, but on the nose it is still has red and black fruit notes, along with sweet cigar box aromas, this is echoed on the palate and here it shows elegance and balance, minerality is mixed up in the multi - layers as are tobacco and herbal flavours . It is beautifully structured, has a long sweet finish with black fruits playing its part. An elegant and structured delight.

Chateau la Reserve de Leoville Barton 2000

Chateau la Reserve de Leoville Barton is the second growth ( one of 15 second growths from the 1855 classification in Bordeaux) of Chateau Leoville Barton in the  good vintage of 2000 and from a good estate, the vineyard is in St Julien in the Medoc which is left bank Bordeaux. Second wines are often made from younger vines or those that are deemd lacking the quality that are required for the Grand Vin. The Barton family have had a prescence in Bordeaux since the 1720's.
The wine was quite pale ruby with some garnet tints, fruit and spice aromas are rich with a licquorice edge.In the mouth there are both red and black fruits , good acidity and medium tannins and warming but well integrated alcohol. It is well structured and has a silky texture through the good long length. Quite delightful at a cost of about £25.