2016 - Leoville Barton, Saint-Julien

Austere but confident, firm muscular tannins, this needs a good few moments of opening before the softer side appears, with creamy blackberry fruits with spiced rosemary and cumin notes alongside cedar, mint leaf, coffee bean and licorice. This makes it slapbang in the middle of classic Leoville Barton territory, and this is one to get on board with. Delicious, understated, savoury, boom. 60% new oak.

The 2016 Leoville Barton is deep garnet-colored. It charges out of the gate with powerful notes of blackcurrant pastilles, stewed plums, and blueberry compote, followed by wafts of lilacs, dark chocolate, and licorice. Medium-bodied, the palate is built like a brick house with a solid wall of firm, grainy tannins and lovely tension supporting the taut, muscular black fruits, finishing long with fantastic purity of fruit.

The 2016 Léoville-Barton has a more savory bouquet than its peers: again, slightly tertiary in style, though very well delineated and manifesting lovely incense and pressed violet aromas with aeration. The oak is neatly integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, fleshy and ripe, and gently grippy, leading to a detailed and quite plush (for the vintage) finish. This is a charming Saint-Julien, a bit of a femme fatale. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting.