Tasted the 2007 Leoville and Langoa-Barton, 2nd and 3rd Growth St Julien with owner Anthony Barton. He explained how a miracle occurred in September of 2007 when the sun started to shine after such a wet Summer and saved the day. 2007 will be a wine for drinking (not for collecting) and is one of those ‘intermediary vintages’ which the market always has need of (depending on the price or course). Leoville and Langoa are renowned for being very fairly priced. The producers have no control over the market and the way the prices escalate once the wines have been sold. It is exactly this phenomenom which may ‘kill the market’. Anthony Barton noted that he noticed in Las Vegas that Leoville Barton was for sale for over 300 dollars (release price of 25€). He claimed to have no template style in his head when making his wine but only that he aims to produce a wine that is ‘facile et agreeable a boire’ –pleasant and easy to enjoy.
Underlined the importance of picking date when the fruit is ripe not under or over-ripe. He could not understand the new trend for leaving grapes to ripen so long. There are only two or three days when the grapes are perfect (friend’s dog Mozzie will only eat the grapes off the vine for two days a year). It is like eating fresh fruit not cooked fruit. (25/3)
2007 Château Langoa-Barton: 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot
Spice and black fruit on the nose. Juicy blackcurrant and liquorice on the palate with an attractive freshness. Never as good as Leoville but still a very good wine which is always second-best as always raced against its thoroughbred stable-mate. Always the bridesmaid and never the bride.
2007 Château Leoville-Barton: 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc
Creamy black cherry ripe fruit on the nose. Rich concentrated ripe black fruit on the palate with fine smooth tannins. Fresh and elegant. Not a ‘blockbuster’ but refined and elegant like the man himself
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