Chateau Leoville Barton, 1986 Red Wine

St Julien 2eme Cru Classe

Bottle size: 75cl

ABV: 13%

Price:

£195.00

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Description

The 1986 Château Léoville Barton is a powerful, classically structured Saint-Julien from one of the most robust and long-lived vintages of the 1980s. The wine opens with an intense bouquet of blackcurrant, cedar, graphite and cigar box, underscored by hints of dried flowers, leather and warm earth. It is immediately recognisable as a firmly built, traditional Left Bank claret of serious pedigree.

On the palate, the 1986 is deep and authoritative, with dense layers of cassis, black cherry and plum wrapped in still-present, muscular tannins. Notes of tobacco, iron, pencil shavings and savoury herbs add complexity, giving the wine a distinctly Pauillac-leaning profile despite its Saint-Julien origins. The structure remains firm, yet the fruit retains enough richness to keep the wine balanced and engaging.

As it opens, mature tertiary nuances emerge—forest floor, cedar spice, dried black fruit and a whisper of truffle. The wine’s hallmark is its precision and longevity: this is a vintage built for the long haul, and even after nearly four decades, the backbone is unmistakably strong. The finish is long, dry, and classically styled, with lingering mineral and cedar notes.

A serious, traditional claret, the 1986 Léoville Barton is ideal for lovers of structured, old-school Bordeaux. Best enjoyed with hearty dishes—roast lamb, beef rib, venison or aged hard cheeses—it remains a benchmark wine of its era and a testament to the Barton family’s unwavering style and craftsmanship.

Condition

good levels and labels

Reviews

**91+ Points Robert Parker***

This wine shows a very dark ruby color with a hint of pink at the rim. The aromatics are beginning to emerge from just pure fruit-driven notes to secondary characteristics. Sweet earth, truffle, black currant, underbrush, and licorice emerge with coaxing. In the mouth, the wine is powerful, dense, with high tannin., impressive concentration, and a formidable, sort of old-style personality. The best 1986 Medocs are terrific wines, but have never been wines that show a lot of charm. Like so many of its siblings from the Medoc, one admires the wines more than actually enjoys them,. I still have high hopes that everything will come together. Last tasted, 5/02.
*e-RobertParker.com*

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***Please note this product is manufactured to fit a 75cl bottle (50cl and 37.5cl bottles can also be packaged inside this box).

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