The 2015 Leoville-Barton Bordeaux Blend from the St Julien sub-region in Bordeaux, France, is a notable wine that has garnered high praise from multiple professional reviewers. This wine, produced by Leoville-Barton, is a blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Merlot, aged in 60% new French oak barrels, and sealed with a cork. It boasts an alcohol content of 13.0%.
Wine Spectator's James Molesworth awarded this vintage a score of 95, highlighting its "serious wow" factor, with flavors of "warm fig, blackberry and boysenberry reduction notes, along with melted black licorice and fruitcake." He noted the wine's ample grip and polished finish, suggesting it is built for longevity, best enjoyed from 2025 through 2042.
Lisa Perrotti-Brown of Robert Parker's Wine Advocate also rated the wine 95, describing it as "deep garnet-purple colored" with "warm red currants, black raspberries, and dark chocolate" aromas, complemented by "cigar box, violets, and bay leaves." She praised its elegant, medium-bodied palate, firm tannins, and lingering mineral finish.
Jeff Leve from TheWineCellarInsider.com gave it a 96, calling it a "beauty" with "layers of ripe, dark, red fruits, tobacco leaf, spice box and cassis notes." He emphasized its full-bodied, concentrated, and elegant nature, predicting it will age well.
Jeb Dunnuck awarded the wine a 97, describing it as having "everything you could want from a Left Bank Bordeaux." He noted its "cassis, smoked earth, graphite, tobacco leaf, and thrilling amounts of minerality," calling it a "brut of a Saint-Julien" that remains balanced and elegant despite its power.
James Suckling also rated it 96, appreciating its "ultra-fine tannins" and "currant and berry character." He described it as full-bodied, polished, and straightforward, with a "driving tannin."
Wine Enthusiast echoed these sentiments with a 97 score, describing it as "rich, generous, and elegant," with great black fruits balancing its dense structure.
Decanter gave it a 94, noting its "deepest, richest and darkest" nature among St-Juliens, with a "lick of tar and a crack of cassis."
Finally, The Wine Independent rated it 96, describing it as "shut down and reluctant to play" initially but eventually offering "baked blackberries, blackcurrant cordial, and cedar chest" scents, with a "tightly wound" palate and a long, lifted finish.
Overall, the 2015 Leoville-Barton is a highly acclaimed wine, praised for its depth, elegance, and aging potential, making it a standout selection for Bordeaux enthusiasts.