The 2020 Leoville-Barton Bordeaux Blend from St Julien, Bordeaux, France, is a red wine that has garnered exceptional reviews from several professional reviewers. This wine is composed of 85.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14.5% Merlot, aged in 60% new French oak, and has an alcohol content of 13.5%.
Starting with a review from Decanter, which awarded it a score of 95, the wine is described as having "liquorice on the nose with blue fruit aromas - cool and expressive." The reviewer notes that the tannins are quite pronounced and the wine has a "softly classic" character with elements of red and black berries, pine, cedar, coffee, liquorice, and tobacco.
James Suckling, who scored the wine 96, highlights its "aromas of dark berries, ash, tar, blackcurrants, and lead pencil" with a "medium to full body" and a "firm and integrated tannins and a medium, chewy finish." He suggests that the wine will benefit from four to six years of aging.
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate also gave it a score of 95, with William Kelley noting its "generous aromas of blackberries and crème de cassis mingled with hints of licorice, pencil shavings, and classy new oak." Kelley praises its "concentrated core of fruit, sweet tannins, and a nicely defined finish," comparing it to the estate's 2000 vintage.
Jeff Leve of TheWineCellarInsider.com awarded the wine 96 points, describing it as "deeply colored" and "a powerful wine with all the fresh, ripe, black and dark red fruits you could hope for." He also notes its "nuances of tobacco leaf, cedar, flowers, cigar box, espresso, smoke and crème de cassis."
Jeb Dunnuck gave the highest score of 97, calling it "another sensational wine from this team" with "fabulous aromatics of crème de cassis, graphite, liquid violets, spring flowers, and background oak." He emphasizes its "purity of fruit" and "great mid-palate," suggesting a long aging potential of 30-40 years.
Wine Enthusiast, Wine Spectator, Vinous, Jane Anson, and The Wine Independent also provided high scores, ranging from 95 to 98, praising its structure, concentration, and aging potential.
In summary, the 2020 Leoville-Barton is a robust and complex Bordeaux blend that has been universally praised for its depth, tannic structure, and aging potential. It is a wine that promises to evolve beautifully over the coming decades.