Anthony Barton, Chateau Leoville Barton

Website:           www.leoville-barton.com/          

Contact details:  chateau@leoville-barton.com 

Address:          Chateau Leoville Barton, 33250 St-Julien-Beychevelle     

Telephone:  05 56 59 06 05

The Owner

The Barton family has links with Bordeaux dating back to the 17th century. Anthony Barton had already moved from Ireland - where the family maintain a home at Straffan House - to Bordeaux in 1951. Anthony had worked for Barton & Guestier, which was sold to Seagram in the late 1960s, and later for his own export company.

He quickly began modernizing Langoa-Barton and Leoville-Barton after he took over in 1986, on the death of his uncle Ronald Barton. Today he has semi-retired, and his daughter Lilian runs the estate.

Location

Both properties are located next to each other in the Saint Julien appellation of Bordeaux. There are now 47 ha of vineyards at Chateau Léoville-Barton and around 25has at Langoa Barton, both lying close to the Gironde, sandwiched between the water and Chateau Talbot. While the Leoville part is called Chateau Leoville-Barton, the property has neither a chateau nor a chais, or winery. There is a chateau on the Langoa part of the estate. It was built between 1757 and 1759 by the owner before Hugh Barton, and it is Anthony Barton's home today. They have a typical St Julien terroir of gravelly soils over deeper clay. The vines are 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, the remainder being 20% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc, reflecting the classic, Cabernet-dominated wine produced at Léoville-Barton.

The Wines

Chateau Leoville Barton

Chateau Langoa Barton