Freddy R. Troya

9.4

Château Léoville Barton 2023 – Saint-Julien, Grand Cru Classé en 1855, BDX France 🇫🇷

Overview
A classic Saint-Julien expression showing clarity, harmony, and structural polish, driven by a 77% Cabernet Sauvignon–led blend with 20% Merlot Merlot, and 3% Cabernet Franc as a support. The wine balances ripe fruit concentration with restraint, delivering precision, finesse, and a seamless flow from attack through finish.

Aromas & Flavors
Blackcurrant, ripe blackberry, red plum, cassis, graphite, cedar, subtle baking spice, crushed stone, light tobacco and gentle floral lift.

Mouthfeel
Medium-plus body with finely woven tannins, excellent balance, fresh integrated acidity, supple texture, and a long, graceful finish that feels effortless rather than forceful.

Food Pairings
Herb-crusted lamb, roasted duck breast, grilled filet mignon, mushroom risotto, aged Comté or Gruyère.

Verdict
An elegant, dependable Saint-Julien that delivers purity, structure, and drinking pleasure without excess. Refined, polished, and quietly authoritative, a wine that rewards both immediate enjoyment and patient cellaring.

🍷 Personal Pick
This is the kind of wine that wins through composure and precision rather than horsepower. Easy to enjoy today, yet layered enough to keep you leaning back into the glass. Subtle sophistication done right. — 5 months ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.4

Elegant Ruby red color with red fruit aromas and gentle floral spice, aged for about 12 months in French oak, signature blend of grapes from Dundee Hills, Eola-Amity Hills, and Yamhill-Carlton AVA's. On the palate flavors of cherry and black raspberry with notes of herb, licorice and wet stone notes. Soft dusty tannins on a long finish ending with fruit, spice and earthy notes. Very Nice! Drinking well now! — a year ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

Established in the village of Marsannay in the 1960's by Bernard Coillot, father of owner Christophe Coillot. Deep Ruby red color with aromas of berry fruit and gentle spice. On the palate flavors of cherry and blackberry with notes of fig, mushroom and spice. Fine soft tannins, long finish ending with fruit, spice and earthy mineral character. Nice! — 3 years ago

Neil Blaze

8.9

Tart cranberry and cherry flavors and racy acidity. There was also a sour, yeasty component on the back palate that was slightly redolent of sourdough bread. Interesting. Nonetheless an enjoyable bottle for all its funkiness. 100% Valdiguie. 7/4/22. — 4 years ago

Marta

9.4

Fantastic wine. — 5 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

Part of their "Blue Series," Isabelle, named after the birth of Jim’s daughter in 1995, was first top end Pinot Noir that was a blend from different locations, 6 in 2015. Ruby, Aromas of berry fruits with citrus, herbs & floral notes, aged for 2 years in new French Oak. On the palate layers of gentle ripe fruit flavors of raspberry and cherry with citrus and oak wrapped in gentle spice. Wine has great depth, soft tannins, well integrated, savory, long ending with a nice mouthfeel. Very Nice! Last bottle! — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Merry Christmas 2025! 🎅🎄🎁 🍷 ❄️ ⛄️

23 yrs since birth and 21 yrs in bottle and the evolution is beautiful. Perfect w/the ribroast.

Fruits still holding with excellent integration. Blackberries, black plum to pudding, strawberries, raspberries, black cherries, sandalwood, soft, dark spices with gentle heat, mocha powder, some milk chocolate, caramel notes, understated graphite, anise to some black licorice, gravel, dry stone, used tobacco & leather, mid berry cola presence, dry twig, moist clays, red, dark florals with a violet frame, excellent acidity, well; made, balanced, tensioned, structured with an elegant finish that lasts nearly two- minutes and falls of soft earthiness & soft spice. — 6 months ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.5

Ruby with elegant red fruit aromas and gentle floral spice, aged for 11 months in 30% new French oak. On the palate flavors of black raspberry and strawberry with notes of herb pepper, licorice with wet stone nuances. Soft full tannins on a long finish ending with fruit, herbs and savory earthy mineral notes. Very Nice, tasting well now! — a year ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.9

100% Tempranillo, about 12 mos in mostly new French oak. Deep Ruby, aromas of dark fruits, spice, floral and earthy oak. On the palate flavors of fresh blackberry & currants with tobacco, licorice and gentle bits of cedar. Tannins, are tight supporting the backbone of the wine, needs more bottle age, resist opening now. Well balance with acidity, full body, long finish ends with some fruit, spice, and earthy character. Nice! — 2 years ago

Dana Silver

8.9

Easy drinking, bright, light. — 4 years ago

Will Stanley

9.4

Ever the benchmark for Rioja, Viña Tondonia shows very well again in the 2007 vintage, if slightly less powerful, and impressive, than the 2006.

The nose is a gentle affair offering aromas of dark chocolate, roasted coffee, dry cherry and vanilla pod, and takes some coaxing from the glass. The palate is so splendidly traditional: saturated, slightly tart with its orange peel acidity and long through the finish with sweet flecks of vanilla. I think the 2006 will be longer lived, but this is drinking very well now with good ageing potential. — 5 years ago

Tom Wildenhaus

9.3

Very different than what we usually drink. On the nose I get dusty & musty with my old dark fruit. On the pallet it confirms the dusty and musty but with gentle dark fruit notes. Medium acid and low alcohol. Not sure what the sweet spot is for the wine but it’s really good. — 5 years ago

Nick Richards

9.2

Got as part of a tasting box. Great find. Would go nuts on these if I could get them for $14-18 — 6 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.1

Medium Ruby with elegant red fruit aromas and gentle floral spice, sourced from 20 acres of organically dry-farmed Pinot noir on south-facing slopes in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA. On the palate flavors of cherry and cranberry with notes of tea, herb pepper, floral with wet stone notes. Soft tannins on a long finish ending with fruit, spice and earthy mineral notes. Very Nice! — a year ago

ESF

9.2

@S.S. Mandani really nailed this note: didn't hesitate grabbing an obscure southern French varietal from Redwood country in northern CA. there was a distinct genuineness to this wine, a juicy savory engaging mouthfeel, very cerebral & well made (11%!) - you can tell they just got out of the way and let the grapes shine... — a year ago

Jay Kline

9.4

Poured into a decanter about 30min prior to service and enjoyed over the course of several hours. This bottle of the 1985 was more recently acquired from the chateau and in pristine condition. The wine pours a deep garnet color with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of ripe and desiccated dark and red fruits: black currants, mixed brambles, tobacco, pencil shavings, some dried purple flowers, some green bell pepper, mushrooms, leather, some ferrous earth and gentle warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin (integrated) and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and slightly savory. Elegant and beautiful this was such a fun and rewarding wine to follow as the hours rolled by. A very strong showing at 40 years young and not slowing down soon. Drink now through 2040. — a year ago

Russ W

9.4

Beautiful finesse for a ‘19. Cinnamon, tea leaf, black cherry cola, caraway, and olive start the show. Gentle texture/tannin. Soft finish. — 4 years ago

M

8.9

$25ish org, tart, acidic, mild, cherry tomato -Sam liked more than Mimi — 5 years ago

steph I

10

Perfect to pair with Thanksgiving dinner — 6 years ago

Jillian Meyers

8.9

Bright. Light funk. Delicious. — 6 years ago