The 2021 Léoville-Barton was picked from 27 September until 7 October, matured in 60% new oak. The alcohol is 13.12%. It has a clean and pure bouquet with blackberry, bilberry, cedar and hints of shucked oyster shell: focused and very well delineated, classic in style. The palate has a smooth and cohesive entry, very well-knit with beautifully integrated oak. Crisp acidity with the perfect amount of tension on the classically-styled finish, this Léoville Barton demonstrates the advantages of their brand new cellar (even though the reception was not finished in time!) I cannot see any reason not to own a few bottles of this in your cellar. 04/2022

The 2021 Léoville-Barton is a wine of notable intensity, but all of that power is directed inward. Tightly coiled and vibrant, the Léoville-Barton is going to need time to be ready, but that is to be expected. There is terrific energy here, if not the volume of the preceding three vintages. That's not a problem. 04/2022

A terrific success, the 2021 Léoville Barton unwinds in the glass with aromas of blackcurrant, wild berries and plums mingled with hints of pencil shavings, loamy soil and cigar wrapper. Medium to full-bodied, deep and seamless, it's concentrated and tensile, with beautifully refined tannins, lively acids and all the class that an elevated percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon growing in deep gravel can provide. It's the first vintage vinified in the Barton family's new winery, and I suspect that contributes to the ultra-refined quality of tannin this year. The blend is 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc. Tasted three times. 04/2022

I continue to love Château Léoville Barton, and their 2021 doesn't disappoint. (If anything, the fresher style favored here played nicely with the vintage character.) Lots of cassis and darker currants as well as crushed stone, graphite, and floral notes emerge on the nose, and it hits the palate with medium-bodied richness, pure, elegant tannins, no hard edges, and a great finish. It's not going to match the all-time greats here, but it's a seriously good wine in the vintage and I'd be happy with bottles in the cellar. 06/2022

Belle couleur intense et pourpre. Nez très aromatique, au fruité pur. La bouche se présente tout en douceur tactile, avec beaucoup de goût, du fruit noir et une trame tannique raffinée. C'est juteux, délicieux et long. Ce millésime a été vinifié dans un nouveau cuvier qui deviendra gravitaire l'année prochaine. Assemblage : 84 % cabernet sauvignon, 11 % merlot, 3 % cabernet franc. Degré d'alcool : 13°12. Rendement : 39 hl/ha. 04/2022

A medium-bodied red with redcurrant, crushed-stone and earth character, following through to fine tannins and a polished finish. Balanced. 05/2022