2016 Château Langoa Barton, St Julien, Bordeaux

Tasted blind

Spicy, intense and interesting on the nose. Now, this has the class and intensity of a great wine! Polish and salinity, too. Pure pleasure. Long and suave. Lots of minerality.

Drink 2026 - 2045

Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting.

The 2016 Langoa-Barton has a minty-fresh bouquet with plenty of black fruit; hints of pencil shavings and loamy elements develop with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, fleshy and generous, but I was expecting more detail and terroir expression to show on the chewy, pastille-like finish. Very fine, although I suspect there will be melioration in bottle.

Drink 2024 - 2045

The blend is 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, and 8% Cabernet Franc.

Another beautiful Saint-Julien, the 2016 Château Langoa Barton, reveals a saturated purple colour with ample black, plummy, and cherry fruits balanced by notes of scorched earth, liquorice, and earth. This sexy, plump, chewy effort doesn’t give up too much elegance, yet it packs tons of fruit, character, and delicious charm. Drink it over the coming two decades or more. It’s well worth having in your cellar.

Drink 2021 - 2041

The fresh blueberry, cherry and black currant flavors give this a wide range, while racy graphite and a mouthwatering anise streak drive the finish. The fruit is so enticing that you lose track of how solidly built this is through the finish.

Langoa is vinified and aged in the same way as Léoville Barton, the difference being the terroir and varietal blend—even that is not strikingly different. It has a vibrant and stylish nose with blackcurrant, black fruits, and liquorice. Juicy and full-bodied, it displays swagger, robust tannins, and concentration, but not to excess. It has a vigorous and long finish.

Drink 2023 - 2042

The 2016 Langoa Barton is succulent, racy and inviting, with striking textural richness and depth. Ripe dark plum, tobacco, cedar, licorice and spice are all generous in this racy, pliant Saint-Julien. The 2016 is an especially fine edition of Langoa-Barton and one of the sleepers of the vintage.

Drink 2022 - 2036

The 2016 Langoa Barton is medium to deep garnet-purple coloured and opens with cedar, red and black currants, kirsch and menthol with smoked meats. The palate is medium to full-bodied, firm, grainy and packed with youthful, energetic fruit, finishing long and perfumed.

Drink 2020 - 2035

Matured in 60% new oak.

Still extremely young, the construction here is clear in that you can feel the architectural hand of 2016 with St-Julien balance. This is rich and deep with intense, concentrated and juicy cassis fruits joined by a touch of sweet liquorice, dark chocolate and charred oak edging. I like the balance here.

Drink 2024 - 2040

Beautiful aromas of flowers and berries, intermingled in fresh and brambly mode with a cedary edge. This is very fresh. The tannins carve an exceptionally deep, long line through the dark berries and cassis and deliver a very powerful, unwavering finish. This is in great form. Very powerful and focused.

Try from 2024