In 1826, Hugh Barton, owner of Château Langoa Barton, purchased part of the vineyards of the Léoville estate, which was then renamed “Léoville Barton”. The quality of the estate's wines was acknowledged in the famous 1855 classification, when it was listed as a second growth. The estate is still owned by the Barton family who believe very much in the importance of the terroir. Together, they produce signature Saint-Julien wines with superb finesse, balance, and a long-lasting freshness.

Twice in the history of the Bartons, one of the family members has been forced to flee from France: in 1793 Hugh returned to Ireland during the French Revolution, and later, Ronald had to temporarily abandon the château in 1940. He returned in 1945 to produce mythical vintage.

Today, Lilian Barton Sartorius represents the ninth generation of Bordeaux winegrowers and the oldest family to still own a great growth estate.

The harvesting is done entirely by hand. After the de-stemming, the berries are carefully sorted, crushed and poured in wooden vats thermo-regulated, according to their plots. The alcoholic fermentation lasts from 7 to 10 days and the extraction is always respectful of the juice by adjusting the number of pumping depending on the cuvées and the vintages. The maceration is about 3 weeks then the juice is drawn in barrels, lot by lot. This second wine of Chateau Léoville Barton, La Réserve de Léoville Barton, comes from young vines and plots that have not reached the high level of requirement to enter in the Grand Vin. The wine is then aged between 16 and 18 months in French oak barrels of 1 wine, in a cellar maintained at 15°.

Second wine: La Réserve de Léoville Barton