Country: France
Region: Bordeaux
Volume Percentage: 13%

Awards: Robert Parker 97

Producer: The famous Château Léoville-Barton is located in Saint-Julien, not far from the town of Pauillac. It is considered one of the oldest wineries in the Bordeaux wine region and has been owned since 1826 by the Barton family, who once traveled from Ireland to France to practice traditional viticulture. The terroir of the region is tailor-made for viticulture: Loamy, sandy, clay-enriched soils and France's sunny climate create excellent growing conditions for the vines. The predominant grape variety is Cabernet Sauvignon, whose tannin content and acids are perfectly balanced. Other varieties are also grown, including Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Due to the consistent quality of the wines, the winery was classified as Deuxième Grand Cru Classé very early on.

Region: Probably the most famous wine region in the world: Bordeaux. Unique terroir - great history. Everything plays together here, be it the perfect climate, the exceptional soils or the incredible winemaking tradition with an enormous wealth of experience and knowledge. This makes Bordeaux indisputably one of the absolute top wine regions in the world. The Atlantic climate with humid, mild winters, rainy springs and dry, hot summers and early autumns creates perfect conditions for the Bordeaux-typical grape varieties grown here. In addition, they benefit from excellent soils, which, depending on the location, are characterized by deep gravel, sand, clay or even the Graves. On a vineyard area of 112,000 hectares, Bordeaux distinguishes about 50 areas of origin - so-called appellations. These are commonly divided roughly into left-bank and right-bank areas: Médoc, Graves and Sauternes are the most important left-bank areas (left bank of the Gironde and Garonne rivers), while St. Émilion and Pomerol are the most important on the right bank (of the Dordogne river). Different varieties are grown, mostly for decades. The most cultivated red grape varieties in the Bordeaux region are Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Among the white grape varieties, Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle dominate. Hardly surprising, then, that the wines from Bordeaux have been among the best in the world for years.

Subregion: With only about 900 hectares under cultivation, St. Julien is one of the smaller Médoc communes. The famous St. Julien growing area not only has the most balanced microclimate of all Médoc communes, but also the most uniform soil structure. Deep gravel predominates, planted predominantly with Cabernet Sauvignon, which makes up the majority of the vineyard here with over 60 percent. The fine mixture of loam and sand is good for Merlot, which usually makes up 30 percent of the cuvée and produces particularly complex and long-lived red wines. The production amounts to 7 million bottles annually.

Grape variety: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot

Tasting notes: In the nose royal bouquet with lots of blueberry notes, cassis blackberries, precious woods and a delicate touch of vanilla. The palate is silky elegant, showing highly refined tannins and a beautiful balance.

Production: Aging in barrique

Drinking age: Vintage + 20 years

To enjoy with: Wonderful with beef - from steaks to stroganoff to tartar or slow cooked roasts from the oven. Excellent with mature hard cheeses - from Parmigiano Reggiano, to Sbrinz, to Pecorino or older Alpine cheeses.