Château Langoa Barton 2010
200 years in the heart of St Julien
1722 - Thomas Barton left his native Ireland to settle in Bordeaux, founding few years later a wine merchant company - that still bears the name Barton today.
1821 - His grandson, Hugh Barton, purchased Château Langoa, an elegant residence built in 1758. He was seduced by the architecture and its 20 hectares of vines planted in the Saint-Julien appellation. His passion and pride in his wine were only to grow when he saw Langoa awarded the rank of "Third Classified Growth" in the historic 1855 classification. 6 generations later, the Barton story continues with Anthony's daughter, Lilian, and her two children, now writing the chapter of the 10th generation in Bordeaux.Terroir and vineyard
The plots that compose the Château Langoa Barton terroir overlook the river. The splendid slopes of quaternary gravel bring the grapes to full maturity and then they undergo a rigorous selection process before being chosen for the Langoa Barton. The plowing is traditional, without weeding or herbicide. The grape varieties are Cabernet Sauvignon 57%, Merlot 34% and Cabernet Franc 9%.
Vinification
The harvesting is done entirely by hand. After the de-stemming, the berries are carefully sorted, crushed and poured in wooden vats thermo-regulated, according to their plots. The alcoholic fermentation lasts from 7 to 10 days and the extraction is always respectful of the juice by adjusting the number of pumping depending on the cuvées and the vintages. The maceration is about 3 weeks then the juice is drawn in barrels, lot by lot. The wine is then aged between 16 and 18 months in French oak barrels of which 60% are brand new, in a cellar maintained at 15 °. The wines are topped up 3 times a week to avoid any contact between the wine and the air, the racking is traditional using the so-called "à l'esquive" method.
The vintage
Blending
73% Cabernet Sauvignon
17% Merlot
10% Cabernet-Franc
Alcohol
13°
Dates of manual harvest
from 28 September to 8 October
Tasting
This wine a promisingly powerful, generously built teenager. The top class oak is still present for the moment, with floral notes and a touch of acacia peeking through. Perfect balance, full and lush, rounded off with long, tasty tannins.
Main appreciations
Wine Spectator 94
Neal Martin 94
Wine Enthusiast 94
Jane Anson 94Neal Martin 95
Your message has been sent.