(95–97 points) Barrel Sample. Loaded with juicy acidity and layers of spice. The wine is packed with fruit that contrasts with the firm tannins that lie in the background giving a polished structure to this ageworthy wine. ROGER VOSS

This wine has aromas of blackberries, graphite, tar, bramble berries and blackcurrants. Grape skin as well. Medium- to full-bodied, with very integrated, ever-so-refined tannins that fan across the palate and show definition and tension. It's supple, savory and svelte, long and vivid at the end. A little shy but will deliver more excellence in three or four years. Better after 2027.

Heady on the nose, perfumed and scented. The palate is alive and playful, delivering high acidity but also focused fruit so it's both lightly framed and fun, but also savoury and serious. Smooth and silky tannins give the gentle frame, letting the strawberry, creamy raspberry and red cherry fruit do the talking. It's unfussy, all the elements to the fore but all well balanced with a charming texture overall and persistence of high-toned red berry fruits with saline sides. Hints of green pepper, black pepper, slate and pencil lead on the finish. I like this a lot!

Bang on classic, extremely well balanced and enjoyable, rich cassis and blueberry, black tea, cloves, earthy. Tannins are present, a little austere but in no way drying and this should age well for a good 15 to 20 years. There's an emotional reason to buy this 2021 vintage also, if you are fan of Léoville Barton, as Anthony Barton, long-term owner and Bordeaux legend, died in January 2022. 60% new oak. Tasted twice.

(94+ points) The 2021 Léoville Barton has turned out beautifully in bottle, wafting from the glass with notes of cassis and plums mingled with subtle hints of pencil shavings, menthol and spices. Medium to full-bodied, deep and impressively concentrated, it's layered and refined, built around lively acids and a chassis of sweet, powdery tannin that will reward some bottle age with greater plenitude. It's a real success. - William Kelley

(94+ points) The 2021 Léoville-Barton is a gorgeous, classically built Saint-Julien. Graphite, leather, blue-toned fruit, spice, tobacco, licorice and lavender are immediately alluring. Medium in body and vibrant, the 2021 exudes finesse from start to finish. It is very much on the restrained side, with all the elements impeccably balanced. I would give this a few years in the cellar. It really blossoms with air, but the best is clearly yet to come. -- Antonio Galloni

Dark currants, tobacco, graphite, and an undeniable sense of minerality all define the 2021 Château Léoville Barton, a medium-bodied, concentrated Saint-Julien that has good mid-palate depth, ripe yet polished, integrated tannins, and outstanding length. It's a ripe, textured, impressive 2021 that stays in the fresher, classic style of the vintage. Based on 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Franc, aged 18 months in 60% new oak, it will be an early-drinking Barton by this cuvée’s standards, yet it’s still going to have well over two decades of prime drinking.

Fresh, vibrant and energetic, there is a crispness to the red fruits that perfectly balances classy and classic. You also find ample notes of cigar wrapper, cedar, flowers and savory-edged, red currants in the nose and on the lifted, medium/full-bodied, crisp palate. The wine blends 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, and 3% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2027-2060.

A stride ahead of the pack, with more flesh to its core of black currant and black cherry notes. Backed by singed applewood, cedar and tobacco accents, this shows a subtle twang of iron on the slightly austere finish, but the grain is relatively fine. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2025 through 2036. — J.M.