Château Langoa Barton, 3ème Cru Classé, St Julien, 2021
The first vintage to be vinified in the new Barton winery, although it doesn't appear to be open for visitors yet… We had to trek to deepest Moulis to taste the 2021. Bright cherry blossom and lots of oak. Decent volume here, with plenty of crisp, taut fruit. Crunchy and cool, cranberries and wild berries. Simple, but nicely balanced. 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc.
critic reviews
2021 is the 200th anniversary of the purchase of Langoa by the Barton family, so there is a special label this year. It is a hand-colored drawing, by a family friend of the Bartons, and Anthony is in the picture, sitting on the step with his dog. Langoa Barton 2021 is a blend of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, and 3% Cabernet Franc and is has a medium to deep garnet-purple color. Scents of black cherries, juicy raspberries, and fresh blackcurrants jump from the glass, leading to touches of graphite and wild sage. The medium-bodied palate delivers plenty of lively fruit in the mid-palate, with fine-grained tannins and a red berry lift on the finish.
Ruby red colour, welcoming grilled raspberry and plum fruits, austere even after ageing, but carefully constructed, and this has charm, with cedar, cloves and sandalwood grilling to the tannins, and a lovely salted cracker uplift on the finish. Well handled. 200 years under the Barton family, so a special label that we can see now tasting in bottle. 60% new oak. Technical director François Brehant, consultant Eric Boissenot.
The 2021 Langoa Barton comes in a specially designed, one-off, hand-drawn label and a sustainable cardboard box instead of wood, to celebrate the bicentenary of family ownership. The aromatics have actually moved up a step since I tasted it from barrel: intense blackberry and wild strawberry fruit, crushed violet and just a hint of eucalyptus. The oak is neatly integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with surprisingly plush black fruit, a suave and harmonious Langoa with a dash of spice toward the finish. This is packed full of flavor and will be difficult to resist in its youth.
The 2021 Langoa Barton offers up attractive aromas of dark berries and plums mingled with sweet spices and cigar box. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and seamless, it's polished and fleshy, with an enveloping core of fruit, beautifully refined tannins and well-integrated acids.