The 2012 Bordeaux harvest offers a lighter style for claret lovers and the best wines show a fine balance of fruit and tannin. It is a vintage to buy for those whose budgets cannot accommodate the $100 – $200+ price tags on many famous Bordeaux estates. For most of the last three decades, Château Léoville-Barton has been producing top-notch Bordeaux at a relatively reasonable cost given the quality of the wine and the formidable prices of its second-growth peers. The 2012 is one of the top wines of the harvest and shows a classic claret style with blackcurrant, plum and blackberry fruit aromas enhanced by elements of cedar, violets, herbs and toasty oak. The flavors are elegant and supple, with the plush black fruits interwoven with the herb, vanilla and spice tones. The wine exhibits a harmonious style even in its youth, and the 2012 Château Léoville-Barton will provide delicious drinking for the next decade and beyond.
Château Léoville-Barton, St. Julien (Bordeaux, France) 2012
By Wayne Belding