Langoa Barton 2016

Tasted blind. Spicy, intense and interesting on the nose. Now this has the class and intensity of a great wine! Polish and salinity too. Pure pleasure. Long and suave. Lots of minerality.Drink 2026 – 2045

Another beautiful Saint-Julien, the 2016 Château Langoa Barton reveals a saturated purple color to go with ample black, plummy, cherry fruits that are balanced by notes of scorched earth, licorice, and earth. This sexy, plump, chewy effort doesn’t give up too much elegance, yet it packs tons of fruit, character, and delicious charm. Drink it over the coming two decades or more. The blend is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, and 8% Cabernet Franc, and it’s well worth having in your cellar. Drink 2021-2041.

Sweetness on the nose the palate has ripe black fruits mid richness. The tannins are fine discreet well integrated the ripeness on the mid palate balance by fresh fruits at the back but it fills out on the finish depth and richness. 2025-40

Often more approachable in its youth than stable mate Léoville-Barton, Langoa has a lovely brightness and poise in 2016, with the Merlot and Cabernet Franc contributing texture and aroma. Sappy and floral, with graphite and green pepper notes, and an overlay of oak that will integrate over the next few years. 2026-34

Owned by the Barton family since 1821, Langoa Barton is a third growth St-Julien estate known for its traditional approach and consistent quality. The 20ha of vines average 35 years in age and are planted on deep gravel soils. The 2016 blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc was vinified in temperature-controlled wooden vats and aged 18 months in French oak barrels (60% new). Georgie Hindle: Ripe, concentrated, evocative nose: sweet florals, toasted tobacco and clove. Linear and a touch strict, wet stone and graphite, toasted cedar on the finish. Great classicism and ageing potential. Vincenzo Arnese: Fresh, lifted and nicely leafy. Palate shows good freshness and structure. Very elegant with a moderate finish. Robert Mathias MW: Violets, cassis, pencil shavings and warm gravel: all the hallmarks of a classic St-Julien. Iodine and oyster shell, accents of cocoa and cedar.

The 2016 Langoa Barton is medium to deep garnet-purple colored and opens with cedar, red and black currants, kirsch and menthol with smoked meats. The palate is medium to full-bodied, firm, grainy and packed with youthful, energetic fruit, finishing long and perfumed. Drink 2020 - 2035.

The 2016 Langoa-Barton has a minty-fresh bouquet with plenty of black fruit; hints of pencil shavings and loamy elements develop with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, fleshy and generous, but I was expecting more detail and terroir expression to show on the chewy, pastille-like finish. Very fine, although I suspect there will be melioration in bottle. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting. 2024 - 2045

The 2016 Langoa-Barton has a very pure bouquet of black cherry and blackberry fruit and briary notes, but I would have liked more intensity. The palate is medium-bodied, rounded and forward, with supple tannin and a lilting, cedar-tinged finish. A delicious and perhaps more approachable Saint-Julien, although I have a feeling that it might close down, so keep a cool cellar handy. Drink 2021-2040.

The 2016 Langoa Barton is a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc picked between 29 September and 13 October. It is being matured in 60% new oak barrels. It has a very succinct bouquet, with a mixture of black and red fruit, a slight sea spray/estuarine tincture, hints of leather and brown spice in the background. The palate is very harmonious on the entry with a grainy texture. There is good backbone here, maybe just a little foursquare compared to other Saint Julien wines, but it gathers pace towards the finish that displays touches of spice and cedar. Understated and classic Langoa. Drink 2022 - 2045.

Exceptionally dark purple. Very meaty, concentrated nose with real lift. Lots of graphite and grit. No spare flesh but truly terroir wine. Sinewy. Bone-dry finish. Very much in its own style. But long and precise.Drink 2027-2045