TN: 1985 Château Léoville Barton
Posted: Wed Dec 01, 2004 12:03 pm
1985 Château Léoville Barton (St.–Julien)
70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. Beautiful mid red colour, with very little hints of brown or ageing. Excellent for an 1985. Nose is deep, with rich blackberries, hints of cedar and ash, thyme and coriander. Still quite youthful. Very focussed. Bit of an alcohol ‘kick’ at the end. Palate? Nice wine. Good length. Quite chalky, in fact very chalky tannins on the finish. Rich wine and seems quite atypical for an 85 given its power. Drinking very well now but I remain concerned that the fruit may not outlive the tannins. Very dry finish. Very good but will never be exceptional.
90 / 100
70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. Beautiful mid red colour, with very little hints of brown or ageing. Excellent for an 1985. Nose is deep, with rich blackberries, hints of cedar and ash, thyme and coriander. Still quite youthful. Very focussed. Bit of an alcohol ‘kick’ at the end. Palate? Nice wine. Good length. Quite chalky, in fact very chalky tannins on the finish. Rich wine and seems quite atypical for an 85 given its power. Drinking very well now but I remain concerned that the fruit may not outlive the tannins. Very dry finish. Very good but will never be exceptional.
90 / 100