Léoville Barton St-Julien 2021

97 points/'Cellar Selection,' Wine Enthusiast: "[$90 list] The sandalwood and grey-pepper aromas lead to a powerful wine with elegance and refinement. It has weight and beautiful concentration. It is impressive and sure to age well. Drink from 2028. Alcohol 13%. (Jul 2024)"

95 points James Suckling: "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. (7/8/24)"

94+ points William Kelley (Wine Advocate): "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. Drink: 2027-2045. (2/8/24)"

94+ points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "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. Drink: 2028-2051. (Feb 2024)"

94 points Georgina Hindle (Decanter): "Concentrated and herbal, creamy and smooth, this is immediately classy with concentration, while keeping a cool blue fruit and mint freshness throughout. Structured, with well-defined texture and some power, it doesn't have the overt acidity and vibrancy some 2021s do, so this is a more serious take, but I like it a lot – a classic St-Julien wine with signature and salty, wet-stone finish. Tannins are verging on austere, but this has the bones to age well and to be very enjoyable. Drinking Window: 2026-2046. (11/30/23)"

94 points Lisa Perrotti-Brown (The Wine Independent): "A blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Franc, the 2021 Leoville Barton was aged in 60% new oak. It has a deep garnet-purple color and it gently wafts from the glass with classic scents of cassis, blackberries, and kirsch, giving way to nuances of violets, crushed rocks, and powdered cinnamon. The medium-bodied palate delivers taut, muscular black fruit, with approachable, grainy tannins and a lively line, finishing long and minerally. Wonderfully classic! Alcohol 13.1%. Drink: 2026-2038. (4/23/24)"

94 points Jane Anson (Inside Bordeaux): "(84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc). 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. Alcohol 13%. Drink: 2027-2041. (1/30/24)"

94 points Neal Martin (Vinous): "The 2021 Léoville-Barton marks the first vintage with Cabernet Franc in the blend, which Damien Barton explained was thanks to the smaller vats recently installed in the cuverie. There is a sense of airiness on the nose, very focused and well-defined with blackberry, bilberry and crushed stone aromas. The palate is medium-bodied and sappy with ripe black fruit and a fine bead of acidity, showing a touch of spice box and cinnamon on the finish. Superb. Drink: 2026-2050. (Feb 2024)"