 The Barton estate (comprising châteaux Léoville Barton and Langoa Barton) is situated in the Left Bank appellation of Saint-Julien. The estate has been under the longest family ownership of any Bordeaux châteaux – spanning over 190 years.
The Barton family moved to Bordeaux from Ireland in the 1720s and became involved in the business of wine, but it wasn't until 1821 that they really made their mark with the purchase of Pontet-Langios (now Langoa Barton) and later acquiring a portion of the then huge Léoville estate (which split into Léoville Poyferre, Leoville Las Cases and Léoville Barton).
As Léoville had no cellars, wine for both the Langoa and Léoville labels was made at Langoa. This practice continues today under Anthony Barton who took over from his uncle Ronald Barton in 1986. Together with his daughter Lilian, the congenial owner has succeeded in maintaining Barton's reputation for producing traditional top-flight Bordeaux wines with great ageing potential, yet relatively small Saint-Julien price tags (with the exception of truly great vintages).
Léoville and Langoa are always the subject of comparison but they are definitely two different wines. Langoa Barton invariably shows a more feminine and accessible side while Léoville Barton is more muscular. |
