2020 Léoville-Barton, St-Julien

The 2020 Leoville Barton has a deep garnet-purple color. It is incredibly primary and youthful with expressive scents of crème de cassis, ripe juicy plums, and black raspberries, opening out to hints of vanilla pod, coffee, star anise, and tilled soil. Medium-bodied, the palate is beautifully restrained, with lovely tension and firm, very fine-grained tannins, finishing so long and achingly graceful. Wow! (LPB)

Léoville-Barton's 2020 has all the components to be one of its all-time greats, which speaks volumes, considering the property's reputation. The vintage itself works perfectly with everything that makes the wine so distinctive, providing terrific concentration, structure, and remarkable depth. It wouldn't be a surprise to see this one going strong for decades. Aromatically, the wine delivers a traditional St-Julien profile, with Cabernet-driven notes of cassis, tobacco, and florals. On the palate, it is pure class—concentrated, layered, yet refined—offering that sense of old-school claret with structure. The tannins are extremely well-managed, and the texture gives it a luxurious edge. Léoville-Barton is one of the greats, a wine that always retains its character and could be from nowhere else. Trends come and go, but they are as dependable as it gets. Add the 2020 vintage, however, and it's on another level altogether. To be able to get it direct from Bordeaux at this kind of pricing makes it, once again, one of the best collectible values in the region.