Home
: 2009 Léoville-Barton, St-Julien

2009 Léoville-Barton, St-Julien (Pre-Arrival)

SKU #1055159 98 points Wine Enthusiast

Outer quote mark A major success of the vintage. The wine exhibits extreme richness of the fruit, with all its sweet blackberry flavors. It also has underlying firm structure, density and solid tannins. Bring in the acidity at the end, and this is both impressive and ready for long-term aging. (RV) *Cellar Selection, Wine Enthusiast Best of Year 2012* Inner quote mark (2/2012)

96 points Decanter

Outer quote mark Measured and confident tannic hold with subtle grilled oak notes, a ton of ripe cassis and blueberry fruits, liquorice and eucalyptus on the finish, and a mouthwatering, moreish construction overall. This is a powerful St Julien, but with clear and present finesse. 60% new oak. A standout wine from this property, and a wonderful showcase of the slow burning brilliance of St Julien. (JA) Inner quote mark (10/2020)

96 points James Suckling

Outer quote mark A super-classic St.-Julien that only has a hint of the opulence of the vintage. The beautiful cassis fruit and elegantly dry tannins push briskly through the long and graceful finish. Inner quote mark (3/2019)

95 points Vinous

Outer quote mark The 2009 Léoville-Barton is one of the few Saint-Julien '09s to suggest just a smidgen of brettanomyces on the nose, although frankly it does not detract from its allure, with lovely meat juice and brown spice aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, juicy and slightly chewier than its peers, well judged acidity with ample density and rondeur towards the finish. It might benefit from another year in bottle but otherwise, this is just a wonderful, life-affirming and disarmingly charming Léoville-Barton. (NM) Inner quote mark (3/2019)

95 points Wine Spectator

Outer quote mark This is powerful Cabernet, with gutsy weight, but also polished feel to the fresh plum, warm blackberry sauce, bittersweet ganache and roasted apple wood notes. Long and tarry through the finish, but still invigorating despite its heft. Needs some time to round fully into form. (JM) *#6 on Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2012* Inner quote mark (3/2012)

94 points Wine Advocate

Outer quote mark Medium to deep garnet colored, the 2009 Leoville Barton gives up expressive cherry cordial, warm cassis and blackberry tart scents with nuances of menthol, cigar box and fallen leaves. Medium-bodied and elegantly played with loads of freshness and soft tannins, it has a long, perfumed finish. (LPB) Inner quote mark (3/2019)

93 points Int'l Wine Cellar

Outer quote mark Bright ruby-red. Red- and blackcurrant, licorice, chocolate mint and sexy oak tones on the nose. Dense, solidly built and youthfully backward, with strong acidity and a medicinal quality leavening the sweetness of this plush, seamless wine. Most impressive today on the very long finish, which features a firm spine of dusty tannins, hints of cedary oak and dark chocolate, and lovely lift. Should evolve positively over the next two decades. (ST) 93+ Inner quote mark (7/2012)

Jancis Robinson

Outer quote mark Something reminiscent of a schoolmaster about this wine – ink and pencil lead? Fresh and minerally and sleek with a hint of mint and very strong Cabernet Sauvignon personality. A fine wine by any measure. 17.5+/20 points (JR) Inner quote mark (2/2019)

K&L Notes

77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22.5% Merlot, 0.5% Cabernet Franc. "Deep, grapey, masculine wine. It was really good the second time we tasted it." (Ralph Sands, K&L Bordeaux buyer)

Share |

2009 Léoville-Barton, St-Julien

Price: $169.99

Quantity:

Real Time Inventory by location:

The item you have chosen is not in stock in our retail stores or within our main warehouse.

Product turnaround time varies by location of inventory and your chosen method of shipping/pickup. For a detailed explanation click here.

Related Items

Product Reviews:

By: Ralph Sands | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 3/5/2012 | Send Email

Deep, grapey, masculine wine. It was really good the second time we tasted it.

Additional Information:

Varietal:

Cabernet Sauvignon and Blends

- Cabernet Sauvignon has come a long way from its role as a blending varietal, however dominant, in the wines of Bordeaux. Today it is the most planted red varietal in the world. Identified as a descendent of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, the late-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon needs to be planted in warmer climates to fully ripen. Its small berries can easily be identified for their distinctive blue color, thick skins and high tannins. And while the varietal has its own definitive characteristics: green pepper-like aromas and black currant flavors among them, it is perhaps most prized for its ability to convey terroir, vintage and winemaking. A relatively new varietal, Cabernet Sauvignon started making inroads into the wines of the Médoc and Graves in the late-18th century. Today it is also dominant in the up-and-coming Entre-Deux-Mers region of Bordeaux and can also be found in Southwest France. It is the companion varietal to Sangiovese in Italy's Super Tuscans and is planted all over Europe, stretching to lesser-known winegrowing regions like Russia and Lebanon. In the Americas Cabernet Sauvignon has found champions in every nook and cranny of California and among winemakers in Washington, where it complements plantings of Merlot. In South America, Cab thrives in Chile, but can also be found in smaller amounts in Argentina and even in Mexico.

Country:

France

- When it comes to wine, France stands alone. No other country can beat it in terms of quality and diversity. And while many of its Region, Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne most obviously, produce wine as rare, as sought-after and nearly as expensive as gold, there are just as many obscurities and values to be had from little known appellations throughout the country. To learn everything there is to know about French wine would take a lifetime. To understand and appreciate French wine, one only has to begin tasting them.

Sub-Region:

Bordeaux

Specific Appellation:

Saint Julien

- St. Julien, the smallest of the four famous appellations of the Haut Medoc, is known for highly extracted, finely structured, Cabernet-based reds. It is nestled between Pauillac to the north and Margaux to the south. Like St. Estephe, there are no first growths in this area. Leoville-las-Cases, Leoville Poyferre, Leoville Barton, Ducru Beaucaillou, and Gruard Larose are the second-growths of St. Julien followed by Lagrange which is the only third-growth. Beychevelle, Branaire Ducru, St. Pierre, and Talbot, which are all fourth-growth wines, round out the grand cru classe chateaux. In the last several vintages, wineries from this appellation have been out-performing their traditional rankings making many of the wines from this region some of the best values in red wine today.