CHATEAU LANGOA BARTON 3eme Grand Cru Classe, Saint-Julien 2022 Bottle

Description

IN BRIEF
Château Langoa Barton 2022 opens with composed intensity: cassis, blackberry and plum threaded with pressed violet, rose petal, cedar and graphite, while crushed bay, dried herb and a faint leather note add terroir clarity. Medium–full-bodied, it has a smooth, focused arrival, bright acidity and velvety, finely grained tannins that provide structure without excess weight. Concentrated dark fruit and plum are framed by black olive and a discreet liquorice twist; the mid-palate shows toasted cedar, dark chocolate and warm baking spice, with a stony mineral seam and saline thread driving a long, precise finish. Oak is judicious and integrated. Drink now with decanting or cellar 10–25 years. Top scores: James Suckling 96–97; WA 95; Decanter 95; Vinous 94; Wine Enthusiast 94.

ABOUT THIS WINE
Château Langoa Barton 3ème Grand Cru Classé, Saint Julien 2021 opens with composed intensity, a textbook Saint Julien profile marrying floral lift with concentrated black fruit and firm backbone. The bouquet shows blackcurrant, Morello cherry and red plum, threaded with pressed violet and a fresh rose petal note, while cedar, graphite and a savoury tobacco leaf add poise and complexity. With air the aromatics broaden to reveal crushed bay, dried herb and a faint leather nuance that underlines the estate’s classic terroir.

The 2022 vintage was cool and late, marked by a temperate growing season and intermittent rain that extended hang time and encouraged gradual, physiological ripening. At Langoa Barton the team responded with rigorous plot by plot assessment, picking according to phenolic ripeness rather than calendar date, and applying delicate extraction strategies to preserve freshness and aromatic detail. Fermentation took place in small vats with gentle temperature control and restrained cap work, emphasising purity and silky tannin extraction. Elevage combined a careful balance of one year and older oak, used sparingly to lend structure and spice without obscuring the fruit, resulting in wines that favour elegance and precision.

On the palate the 2021 is medium to full bodied, offering a smooth, focused entry, bright natural acidity and fine, well judged tannins that give shape without undue weight. Primary fruit is pure and concentrated, dark berry and plum framed by black olive and a subtle thread of liquorice. The mid palate develops layered interest, showing toasted cedar, dark chocolate and warm baking spice from measured oak ageing, while a stony mineral seam and saline thread provide momentum into a long, focused finish. Texture is polished and tactile, the wine balancing silk and tensile grip as it evolves in the glass, revealing savoury strata of leather, graphite and a faint ironstone note. Secondary notes of forest floor, cured meat and dried herb emerge with time, adding nuance without detracting from primary clarity.

Drink now with careful decanting for immediate complexity, or cellar for ten to twenty years to allow tertiary layers of truffle, cedar chest and sous bois to integrate fully. Serve at 16 to 18°C with roast lamb, braised beef, game or mature cheeses to complement its structural depth and savoury finesse.

JAMES SUCKLING 96-97 Points
13 Apr, 2023 – Deep fruit, dark spices and graphite with wide yet polished, linear tannins. Full-bodied and intense with depth and structure. Long and chalky at the end. Big wine.

THE WINE ADVOCATE 95 points
Reviewed by: William Kelley
Published: Mar 06, 2025
Drink Date: 2030 - 2055
The 2022 Langoa Barton has turned out superbly in bottle. Offering up aromas of cassis, blackberries, pencil shavings and violets, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and multidimensional, with velvety tannins, lively fruit and a long, penetrating finish. Seamless, integrated and intense, Langoa's more morcellated vineyards means that this estate has, if anything, gained even more from the Barton family's new vat room than its big brother Léoville Barton, as each parcel can now be fermented separately, optimizing its potential. This is the best young Langoa Barton I can remember tasting.

DECANTER 95 points
Drinking Window: 2026 - 2048 - Supple and lively, this has energy and intensity from the start. Clean and precise, well worked, cool and fresh with tannins that do well to give the frame and structure without overwhelming the fruit. Really nice this year, good movement and liveliness, rich fruit but juicy and fun. Doesn't take itself too seriously and I really like it!! Harvest 8-23 September. Yield of 30hl/ha. Ageing in French oak, 60% new. - Georgina Hindle Apr 23

VINOUS 94 points
The 2022 Langoa Barton has a wonderful bouquet that has really blossomed since I tasted it from barrel. There is still a trait of Margaux thanks to its wilted violet element, but there may be more graphite and tobacco tones now the wine is in bottle. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-boned tannins and a precise, sensual finish. It's fresh and definitely a more elegant Langoa compared to recent vintages. Bon vin. - Neal Martin

WINE ENTHUSIAST 94 points
93-95 Barrel sample. Ripe and juicy, this wine also has a fine structure. Rich black fruits set the scene for the wine's future with tannins and acidity marching together. — Roger Voss

JANCIS ROBINSON 17 points
Deepest crimson with purple-crimson rim. Open and scented with cassis and the merest hint of cedary leafiness as well as subtly sweet oak. Big, rich, firmly, chewily tannic and with a bite of freshness on the finish. Chewy but smooth in texture, the oak not as dominant as when James Lawther tasted it en primeur. Not at all flashy yet deeply satisfying and whole-hearted. Fills the mouth with fruit and yet has a clean aftertaste. (JH)

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ABOUT CHATEAU LANGOA-BARTON
Château Langoa Barton, a historic Saint Julien estate long associated with the Barton family, is celebrated for producing poised, classically styled Bordeaux that balance refinement with tensile structure. Situated on the gravelly soils typical of the Médoc, the vineyards benefit from excellent drainage and favourable exposure, conditions that favour Cabernet Sauvignon while allowing Merlot and small amounts of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot to add early charm and aromatic complexity. The estate has been under the steady stewardship of the Barton family for generations, a continuity that has shaped its measured approach to viticulture and winemaking and preserved a recognisable house style rooted in site expression.

Vineyards are managed with parcel by parcel attention, thoughtful pruning and canopy work, and yield control to ensure concentration and clarity of fruit, with increasing emphasis on sustainable practices to support long term vine health. In the winery traditional methods sit alongside modern precision, grapes undergoing meticulous sorting and gentle handling before fermentation in temperature controlled vats, where extraction is tailored to achieve balance between ripe tannin and aromatic lift. Ageing takes place in French oak, a portion of which is renewed each vintage, to provide structure and subtle spice while respecting the purity of fruit and the wine’s inherent elegance.

The Grand Vin of Langoa Barton typically shows a composed bouquet of blackcurrant and dark cherry, cedar, tobacco leaf and a fine mineral thread reflective of Saint Julien terroir, framed by firm yet refined tannins and a bright supporting acidity. With cellar time the wines develop layered tertiary notes and greater silkiness, rewarding patient ageing while remaining recognisable for their freshness and focus. Second and reserve cuvées offer earlier accessibility yet echo the estate’s stylistic emphasis on balance and typicity. Through consistent stewardship, careful parcel selection and a restrained, terroir driven philosophy, Château Langoa Barton continues to produce wines that combine elegance, structure and enduring character.