Leuk examenvraagje: welke Franse château-wijn heeft geen eigen château? Antwoord: Château Leoville Barton. Wijnen onder dit etiket zijn redelijk betaalbaar en komen van het zusterbedrijf Château Langoa-Barton. Wij lazen erover bij een (betrouwbare) Britse collega:

Léoville-Barton was once part of a much larger estate which included Château Léoville-Las Cases and Château Léoville-Poyferré was a part of that grand estate as well. It was the largest property in St. Julien. In 1836, the property was obtained by the Barton family.

The 116 acre Bordeaux wine vineyard is mostly gravel with a subsoil of clay. The vineyard is planted to 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc. The vines average 30 years of age. Today, the property is managed by Anthony Barton and his daughter, Lillian Barton.

This is a sturdy, structured Bordeaux wine with tannin that requires time to develop. Traditional, masculine and beefy in style, this property is popular with some collectors because of the reasonable prices the estate charged for their wines. Due to the high tannin levels and style of the wine, the best vintages often require decades of age, before drinking well.