2010 Chateau Langoa-Barton, Saint-Julien

Another wine showing better from bottle than it did from barrel, the 2010 Langoa Barton has the typical structured, dense style, but just as I thought earlier on, it is a much softer and more developed wine than one ordinarily expects from proprietor Anthony Barton. It is full-bodied and impressively endowed with subtle oak, rich cassis fruit and notes of new saddle leather, forest floor, cedar wood and spice box. Full, authoritative and dense, this wine should be at its best between 2018 and 2035.

93+ points Robert Parker Junior

For more than two centuries the Barton family has been synonymous with the finest wines of Saint Julien. Château Langoa Barton, a Third Growth in the 1855 Classification, remains one of Bordeaux's great family owned estates, where traditional winemaking and meticulous vineyard management continue to produce wines of remarkable consistency, classical structure and exceptional longevity.

The vineyards are planted on the deep gravel soils that have made Saint Julien one of the Médoc's most revered appellations. Cabernet Sauvignon forms the backbone of the blend, supported by Merlot and Cabernet Franc, with the outstanding 2010 vintage delivering remarkable concentration, freshness and structure. Now with more than a decade of bottle age, the wine is entering a magnificent stage of development while retaining the capacity to evolve for many years to come.

The colour is a deep garnet with brick red highlights. Aromas of blackcurrant, dark cherry and plum are joined by cedar, cigar box, graphite, dried violets and forest floor. The palate is beautifully poised, combining mature black fruits with polished tannins and vibrant acidity. Layers of tobacco, liquorice, cedar and mineral complexity unfold through a long, seamless finish that perfectly captures the timeless elegance of Saint Julien.

Magnificent with roast rib of beef, saddle of lamb, duck with black olives or wild mushroom pithivier with truffle. Drinking superbly now after careful decanting, this classic Bordeaux will continue rewarding patient collectors well into the 2040s.