Château Langoa Barton
With over 300 years of history and 10 generations, the Barton family’s passion for wine is reflected in the elegance and consistency of Château Léoville Barton – 2nd Grand Cru Classé in 1855 – on this legendary terroir of Saint Julien in the Médoc.
The History of the Estate:
In 1725, Thomas Barton left his native Ireland to settle in Bordeaux and set up a wine trading company. In 1821, Pierre-Bernard de Pontet sold the Langoa estate to Hugh Barton, who renamed it Château Langoa Barton, and 5 years later, in 1826, Hugh bought a quarter of the former Léoville estate, whose break-up was due as much to the French Revolution as to a complex succession. In buying what was to become Léoville Barton, Hugh acquired only vineyards, but he had no need for wine-making facilities, as he already owned those at Langoa. In the historic classification of 1855, Léoville Barton was awarded the title of ‘Second Cru Classé’.
Many generations succeeded one another, and it was Anthony Barton who raised the reputation of Château Léoville Barton to its current international level. The history of the Bartons continues to be written by his daughter, Lilian, and her two children, representing the 10th generation.
The château was built in 1758 by Monsieur de Pontet, with the distinctive feature of having ageing cellars beneath the private flats, in the form of a vaulted crypt where all is silence and serenity. Peacefully, slowly, the best vintages of Léoville Barton wine are perfected.
The Terroir:
The terroir of Langoa Barton is located on one of the most beautiful gravelly slopes in the Garonne, facing the Gironde, in the heart of the Saint Julien appellation in the Médoc, 40 km north of Bordeaux. The different heights of gravel left by the river characterise the terroir of Langoa Barton, which, combined with the history and people who have shaped it, has produced one of the greatest red wines in the world. The clay-gravel subsoil is a perfect regulator of the vagaries of the year’s climate.
The plots that make up the terroir of Château Langoa Barton ‘look out’ over the river. The mild temperatures resulting from this proximity mean early ripening, often a guarantee of quality. The 20 hectares of Château Langoa Barton, planted in gravel on a clay subsoil, are planted with the following grape varieties: 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and 11% Cabernet Franc. The average age of the vines is 37 years, and the oldest parcel dates to 1953. Since 2012, over 15% of the estate has been farmed organically, without the use of synthetic products.
The wines:
Châteaux Léoville Barton and Langoa Barton share the cellars. During the harvest the bunches are taken to the vat room to be destemmed, then the berries are placed on the optical sorting table and finally poured into the temperature-controlled wooden vats. Once fermentation is complete, the wine is run off into French oak barrels, where it matures for 18 months. 60% of the barrels used are new and come from different coopers. Bottling takes place at the Saint Julien estate.
The blend for the Langoa 2023 vintage is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc.
