Friday, April 26, 2019

Germany’s Best Dry Rieslings – Feinschmecker Riesling Cup 2018

Picture: The Winners of the Feinschmecker Riesling Cup 2018: Britta and Martin Korell, Weingut  Korell-Johanneshof, Nahe

The results of the Feinschmecker Riesling Cup 2018 - Germany’s Best Dry Rieslings - were published in the February 2019 issue of Der Feinschmecker, Germany's leading gourmet journal.

Der Feinschmecker: The Riesling Cup 2018 goes to Britta and Martin Korell, Weingut  Korell-Johanneshof, Nahe for their 2017 Von den Grossen Lagen Riesling trocken, Korell-Johanneshof, Nahe. Congratulations!

Picture: Feinschmecker Riesling Cup

Dry Riesling in Germany

There are approximately 47,000 hectares planted with Riesling worldwide. Germany—with 22,500 hectares—accounts for about half of the total. From a global perspective, Riesling is a niche grape variety, accounting for less than 1% of world wine production. From a global perspective, it is the fruity-sweet style (with the fermentation stopped so that the wine remains sweet and the level of alcohol low) and the rare noble-sweet style (lusciously sweet wines due to noble rot or frost in the vineyard) that are receiving the attention of the connoisseurs of premium wines.

Dry Riesling has played a minor role in the world of wine, but this is changing. The Rieslings from Alsace and Austria, both considerably smaller producers of Riesling than Germany (Alsace produces approximately 15% and Austria approximately 7% of what Germany produces), have always been in the dry category (although the Rieslings from Alsace have shown a trend toward an increasing level of remaining sweetness in the wine over the past decades), and, importantly, Germany, the dominating Riesling force in the world, has undergone a major trans-formation in the past 40 years: The fruity-sweet Rieslings have been crowded out from the wine lists in Germany, while the “dry wave”—“Trockenwelle”—has swept the country. When you go to a wine bar, wine store, or restaurant in say Frankfurt, Berlin, or Munich, it is very difficult to find a fruity-sweet Riesling. The wine lists are dominated by dry Riesling.

Der Feinschmecker Riesling Cup 2018 - Top 15 Dry Rieslings

2017 Von den Grossen Lagen Riesling trocken, Korell-Johanneshof, Nahe
2017 Königsbacher Riesling trocken Erste Lage, A. Christmann, Pfalz
2017 Auf der Mauer Riesling trocken, Bassermann-Jordan, Pfalz

Picture: Der Feinschmecker Riesling Cup 2018 #1 #2 #3

Pictures: Winery Tour and Wine Tasting at Weingut A. Christmann, with Steffen Christmann – Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)

2017 Trittenheimer Apotheke Riesling Spätlese trocken, Ernst Clüsserath, Mosel
2017 Lorchhausen Seligmacher Riesling trocken, August Kesseler, Rheingau
2017 Niersteiner Pettenthal Riesling trocken, Manz, Rheinhessen

Picture: Der Feinschmecker Riesling Cup 2018 #3 #5 #5

Picture: August Kesseler and Annette Schiller. See also: Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut August Kesseler in Assmanshausen, with Winemaker Simon Batarseh – Germany-North Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

2017 Eierfels Riesling trocken, Diel, Nahe
2017 Herrenberg Riesling trocken Grosses Gewächs, Maximin Grünhaus, Mosel/ Ruwer
2017 Trittenheimer Apotheke Riesling trocken Grosses Gewächs, Grans-Fassian, Mosel

Picture: Der Feinschmecker Riesling Cup 2018 #5 #8 #8

Pictures: In the Vineyards with Caroline Diel and Anouk. See:Tasting with Sylvain Taurisson Diel at Schlossgut Diel, Nahe – Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)

2017 Brauneberg Juffer Sonnenuhr Riesling trocken Grosses Gewächs, Fritz Haag, Mosel
2017 Johannisberger Mittelhölle Riesling trocken Erstes Gewächs, Trenz, Rheingau
2017 Laumersheimer Kirschgarten Riesling trocken Grosses Gewächs, Philipp Kuhn, Pfalz

Picture: Der Feinschmecker Riesling Cup 2018 #10 #10 #12

Pictures: At Weingut Fritz Haag, with Oliver Haag. See: Tasting and Vineyard Walk with Oliver Haag, Weingut Fritz Haag – Germany-North Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

2017 Devon S Riesling trocken, Toni Jost, Mittelrhein
2017 Hipping Riesling trocken Grooses Gewächs, Gunderloch, Rheinhessen
2017 Muschelkalk Riesling trocken, Friedrich Becker, Pfalz

Picture: Der Feinschmecker Riesling Cup 2018 #12 #14 #15

Picture: Annette Schiller, Max von Kunow, Johannes Hasselbach of Weingut Gunderloch, Alwin Jurtschitsch and Christian G.E. Schiller at BToo in Washington DC. See: Weingut Gunderloch – The New Generation: Owner Johannes Hasselbach in Washington DC, US

Pictures: Tasting at Weingut Gunderloch in Nackenheim with the Parents of Johannes Hasslebach, Agnes Hasselbach-Usinger and the late Fritz Hasselbach. See: Wine Tasting at Weingut Gunderloch in Nackenheim, with Owners and Winemaker Fritz Hasselbach and Agnes Hasselbach-Usinger – Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)

Previous Feinschmecker Riesling Cup Winners

For previous years, see on schiller-wine:

Germany’s Best Dry Rieslings – Feinschmecker Riesling Cup 2017
Germany’s Best Dry Rieslings – Feinschmecker Riesling Cup 2016
Germany’s Best Dry Rieslings - Feinschmecker Riesling Cup 2015: Dönnhoff Rules! The Nahe Rules!
Germany’s Best Dry Rieslings – Feinschmecker Riesling Cup 2014
Germany’s Best Dry Rieslings – Feinschmecker Riesling Cup 2013
Germany’s Best Dry Rieslings – Feinschmecker Riesling Cup 2012
Germany’s Best Dry Rieslings - Feinschmecker Riesling Cup 2011
The 11 Top German Dry Rieslings – Feinschmecker German Riesling Cup 2010 (Vintage 2009)
The 13 Top German Dry Rieslings – Feinschmecker German Riesling Cup 2009 (Vintage 2008)
Riesling Cup 2009 - Germany's Top Dry 2007 Rieslings

schiller-wine: Related Postings

Announcement: ombiasy WineTours in 2019 - Germany-North and Bordeaux

Ombiasy Wine Tours 2018: 3 x France and 3 x Germany - Ombiasy Newsletter December 2017

UPCOMING Tours/ Wine Dinners/ Tastings - Annette and Christian Schiller/ ombiasyPR & WineTours/ schiller-wine, Germany, France, USA (Issued: April 1, 2019)

Winery Tour and Wine Tasting at Weingut A. Christmann, with Steffen Christmann – Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Weingut August Kesseler in Assmanshausen, with Winemaker Simon Batarseh – Germany-North Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

Tasting with Sylvain Taurisson Diel at Schlossgut Diel, Nahe – Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)

Tasting and Vineyard Walk with Oliver Haag, Weingut Fritz Haag – Germany-North Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours

Wine Tasting at Weingut Gunderloch in Nackenheim, with Owners and Winemaker Fritz Hasselbach and Agnes Hasselbach-Usinger – Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2014)

Weingut Gunderloch – The New Generation: Owner Johannes Hasselbach in Washington DC, US

Thursday, April 25, 2019

Tasting at Vins Jean-Luc Colombo in Cornas, Northern Rhône - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Pictures: Tasting at Vins Jean-Luc Colombo in Cornas, Northern Rhône - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Vins Jean-Luc Colombo in Cornas, Northern Rhône, is a relatively young winery by French standards, established in 1987. Today Jean-Luc Colombo is one of the most progressive and influential winemaker of his generation and is nicknamed “The Winemaking Wizard of the Rhone.”

Jean-Luc, a native of Marseille, moved with his wife Anne to Cornas in 1982 to set up a pharmacy and oenology lab. Both are oenologists and they created the “Centre of Oenology of Côtes du Rhône” in Cornas in 1984. Jean-Luc has ever since been a consulting winemaker for some 100 of the best “Domaines” in the Rhône Valley, Provence and Bordeaux.

In 1993 Anne and Jean-Luc sold the pharmacy to focus only on wine. They purchased more vineyards and started to work as négociants in the region. The Domaine now has 30 acres of vineyard holdings in Cornas. The bulk of the entire production is through the négociant business, with around 30 wines, the biggest line being the Côte de Rhône.

I had met Jean-Luc Colombo in Washington DC, a few months before our visit and had established contact with Jean Luc. Jean Luc was not there when we visited the estate and the visit was a tasting only event.

Pictures: Christian Schiller and Jean-Luc Colombo at the French Embassy in Washington DC. See: Jean-Luc Colombo, Cornas, Rhône Valley, Presented his Portfolio at the French Embassy in Washington DC, USA

Palm Bay International/ Jean-Luc Colombo 

The wines of Jean-Luc Colombo are imported into the USA by Palm Bay International.

Palm Bay International: What happens when you combine a creative, adventurous spirit with an unbridled passion for wines of quality and character? For lovers of fine wines from France's Rhône Valley, the answer is simple: Jean-Luc Colombo.

"Jean-Luc Colombo has become one of the stars of Cornas. Well-known as an oenologist for dozens of Rhone Valley clients, Colombo has had a positive influence in the Rhone, undoubtedly improving the quality of many estate's wines. As for his own wines, there are usually three cuvees of Cornas. In ascending order of quality they are: Les Terres Brulees, Les Ruchets (from a specific vineyard), and La Louvee (formerly known as cuvee JLC) ." (Wine Advocate)

"One of the most influential figure in Rhone wine making in the last 20 years has been the Bordeaux-trained enologue Jean Luc Colombo, who advises many a grower on his wine making and has built up his own Estate at Cornas. Colombo's wines demonstrated what he preaches: they are impeccably vinified, richly fruity and heavily oaked wines without rough edges." (James Turnbull)

"Top 100 Wineries of the Year 2008" (Wine & Spirits Magazine)

"A Cornas wine comparable to the best grand crus" (Le Monde)

"Jean-Luc Colombo shakes up the Rhone Valley. A Cornas wine which is among the best wines." (Le Figaro)

"With his eloquence, his appetite for life, and his incredible ability to realize countless ideas, Jean-Luc Colombo is one of the most endearing characters of the French wineries" (Bettane et Dessauve)

Pictures: Tasting at Vins Jean-Luc Colombo in Cornas, Northern Rhône - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Wine Spectator/ Winemaker Talk: Jean-Luc Colombo
Posted: April 26, 2007

Wine Spectator: Winemaker Jean-Luc Colombo, 50, jokes that he's a bit of a Rhône outcast since he relies on modern techniques in one of France's most traditional wine regions. At the same time, it's hard to imagine where the Rhône would be without him, since Colombo was among the first to travel outside the area and not only aggressively market his own wines, but also tell the story of the entire region. Colombo grew up in a family of cooks, so he knew about food and wine early on, but at first he chose to be a pharmacist instead. It was a short-lived career move; he purchased his parcels of vines in the 247-acre Cornas region in 1986. From that humble start, he now makes his small-production, sought-after Cornas cuvées (Terres Brûlées, Les Ruchets and La Louvée), as well as a range of other wines, mostly from purchased grapes, reaching all the way down the valley to a $9 Côtes du Rhône.

Colombo has even begun to make wines from the Côte Bleue, near Marseilles, from old and neglected vines he found in a national park. The project is near to his heart since it brings him back closer to where he grew up. In addition, Colombo remains in high demand as a consultant, in and out of the Rhône Valley. But wherever he works, his focus remains squarely on making wines that work well with food. He took a quick break between tastings and consulting appointments to talk about his inspirations and his own influence on Rhône winemaking.

Wine Spectator: How did you first get interested in winemaking?

Jean-Luc Colombo: I was first interested in the taste of wine. My mother was a chef--I grew up in a kitchen environment, with a grandmother and a mother who were great promoters of the culinary tradition of Marseille. Not all winemakers have a passion for food, but because everyone in the family was a chef, all we talked about was food. Then, I really discovered enology during my pharmaceutical studies. I got a pharmacy license, and decided to open a lab. The lab was [similar] to winemaking.

WS: What makes Cornas so different from the rest of the Rhône Valley?

JLC: Cornas is part of the Northern Rhône hillsides, which is where Syrah comes from, and where Syrah gives its greatest expression. At the same time, the hills of Cornas benefit from Mediterranean influences, which bring a lot of character to the wine.

WS: And your wines from Côte Bleue?

JLC: That's very different from Cornas. Cornas is the best landscape and soils for Syrah--it's very porous. So we can have a good Syrah with a lot of aromas of flowers like lilac and iris. With the fruit it's black currant or licorice. But the Côte Bleue is more for Mourvèdre and Syrah because the land is chalk. It's also a peninsula--almost like an island. You have the huge Lake of Berre, maybe a 30-mile circle, and then south is the sea. It's almost like Long Island. When you're there it's always cool. Not cold, not hot. So the Côte Bleue is a very good terroir to grow Syrah and Mourvèdre. The taste of the grape is never too mature--it's always 13.5 percent alcohol. We never get 15 percent. There is no residual sugar, and we don't use irrigation, because we have the humidity on the leaves.

WS: You've joked sometimes that you're the most hated and loved winemaker in the Rhône. Why?

JLC: Well, when I arrived in the Northern Rhône, techniques were very old-fashioned, and I shook some habits (I use new oak, destemming, green harvest). Obviously, this did not please a few narrow-minded winemakers. Conversely, I did get credit because I contributed to improving today's wine quality and also because I myself invested a great deal to promote the wines of the area.

WS: Who have been some of your greatest influences?

JLC: When I discovered enology I read Le Gout du Vin, by the great Bordeaux enologist Emile Peynaud. In the early years of my career, I also got to meet Michel Rolland, who showed me the importance of the role of the consultant, when most enologists were only interested in analysis.

WS: What would you say is the main difference between someone like you and Rolland?

JLC: We share common ideas, but we have always worked in different wine regions, either different by size or notoriety. I'm very close to the thinking of Michel Rolland--I work like him, he works like me--and we are very close. He's a good friend.

But maybe the difference is I think more about the food [that goes with the wine]. The food 40 years ago and 20 years ago and five years ago is different. But the wine [has always been] the same. I love the fruit of the grape. When you eat the grape in September, the taste is of blueberry, blackberry and strawberry, and I like to find the taste of the grape in the wine, in the glass. I try to have the fruit in the bottle, in that glass of wine.

WS: How do you get that?

JLC: We need to be very clean. Clean cellar, clean barrel. You need to wash your hands, wash the baskets. Simple, but in fact, it's very difficult to be clean.

WS: What are some of your favorite things to cook and eat with your wines?

JLC: Very simple things. Like a truffle with a T-bone and marrow. Maybe not in summer … but very good in winter or autumn. Cornas is also much better with venison. And of course, Lièvre à la Royale, which is stuffed and braised rabbit. There is a very famous recipe--it's cooked for a long, long, long time, maybe 18 hours. The stuffing is truffle, foie gras, a lot of spice and good fleur de sel. Usually the hare is like a big sausage. You cut the hare in slices. It's the best! In the U.S. it's very difficult to find, but one chef who cooks it very well is Didier Virot at Aix. It's wonderful. It's a food to dream, because it takes so long to make.

WS: What is your favorite non-European wine?

JLC: Ridge, by winemaker Paul Draper. Usually you have to like the wine and drink it and you get pleasure, and that's it. The winemaking is good when you get pleasure in the glass. But when you know the guy--and we enjoy sharing food and wine with him--or the philosophy of the person, it is much better. I like him very much because he's very knowledgeable and he knows food and wine.

The Wines we Tasted

We tasted 7 wines, including 4 of Jean Luc Colombo's high-end wines.


2016 Jean-Luc Colombo, Côtes du Rhône Blanc, Les Abeilles

80% Clairette, 20% Roussanne, winer-searcher average price in US$: 13


2017 Jean-Luc Colombo, Saint Péray, La Belle de Mai

60% Roussanne, 40% Marsanne, winer-searcher average price in US$: 20


2016 Jean-Luc Colombo, Côtes du Rhône Rouge, Les Abeilles

60% Grenache, 30% Syrah, 10% Mouvedre, winer-searcher average price in US$: 14


2016 Jean-Luc Colombo, Cornas, Terres Brûlées

100% Syrah, winer-searcher average price in US$: 40

2013 Jean-Luc Colombo, Cornas, Les Ruchets
2010 Jean-Luc Colombo, Cornas, Les Ruchets
2006 Jean-Luc Colombo, Cornas, Les Ruchets

100% Syrah, Jean-Luc Colombo's signature wine, winer-searcher average price in US$: 79

2012 Jean-Luc Colombo, Cornas, La Louvée

100% Syrah, aged 22 months in new and used oak,winer-searcher average price in US$: 87


Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France (Already Released and Forthcoming Postings)

Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Rhône Valley Tour December 2017: From Lyon to Avignon - Wine, Food, Culture, History

Understanding the Wines of the Rhône Valley: The Classification - AOC/ Vin de Pay/ Vin de France

The Rhône Wine Region in Southern France and its Wines: History, Classification, Northern and Southern Rhône

Cellar Tasting, including from Barrel, at Domaine Éric Texier in Charney, with Laurence Texier - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Dinner at Le Bouchon des Filles in Lyon - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Dinner at a Bouchon - Chez Paul - in Lyon: Schiller’s Favorite Bouchons in Lyon, France

Cellar Tour, Tasting and Vineyard Drive at E. Guigal in Ampuis, Côte Rôtie, Northern Rhône - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Tasting at Maison Clusel-Roche in Ampuis, Côte Rôtie, Northern Rhône - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Tasting at Domaine Georges Vernay in Condrieu, Northern Rhône, with Owner Paul Ansellem-Vernay - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Dinner at Hôtellerie Beau Rivage in Condrieu, with Chef Chef Ludovic Mounier - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Maison Delas-Frères in Saint Jean de Muzols, Saint Joseph, Northern Rhône - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Lunch at Restaurant La Grappe d’Or in Saint-Péray, with Chef Pierre Yves Jacques Sébastien - Rhône Valley Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Culture and History, France

Tasting at Domaine Jean Luc Colombo in Cornas, Northern Rhône

Vineyard Walk and Tasting at Paul Jaboulet Aîné in Tain-l’Hermitage, Hermitage, Northern Rhône

Cellar Tasting at Domaine Laurent Habrard in Gervans, Crozes-Hermitage, Northern Rhône, with Owner/ and Winemaker Laurent Habrad

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Combier in Pont de l’Isère, Crozes-Hermitage, Northern Rhône, with Owner/ Winemaker Laurent Combier

Lunch at La Grand Table de Michel Chabran, 1 Star Michelin, in Pont d l’Isère

Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Les Bruyères in Beaumont-Monteux, Northern Rhône, with Owner/ Winemaker David  Reynaud

Winemaker Dinner with David Reynaud, Domaine les Bruyeres, Crozes-Hermitage in the Rhone Valley, at Chef Bart Vandaele's BToo in Washington DC, USA/ France

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine La Martinelle in Lafare, Ventoux, Southern Rhône, with Owner/ Winemaker Corinna Kruse Faravel

Lunch at Restaurant Le Mesclun in Séguret, Southern Rhône

Cellar Tour and Tasting, including from Barrel, at Domaine Marcel Richaud in Cairanne, Southern Rhône, with Owner/ Winemaker Claire Richaud

Tasting at Domaine de Cabasse, Séguret, Southern Rhône, with Owner/ Winemaker Benoit Baudry

Wine Dinner at Restaurant Hôtel Domaine de Cabasse, Séguret, Southern Rhône

Lunch at Restaurant Le Dolium in Beaumes-de Venise, Southern Rhône

Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting of Wine and Olive Oil at Mas Saint Berthe, Les Baux de Provence, Southern Rhône, with Winemaker Christian Nief

Dinner at Restaurant Benvengudo, Les Baux de Provence, Southern Rhône

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine du Pegau in Châteauneuf du Pape, with Owner/ Winemaker Laurence Féraud and Cellar Master Andreas Lenzenwöger

At Pont du Gard: Lunch at Restaurant Les Terrasses

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine de la Mordorée, Tavel, Southern Rhône, with Owner Ambre Delorme

Cellar tour and tasting at Domaine La Bastide Saint Dominique in Courthézon, Châteauneuf du Pape, with Owner Véronique Bonnet and Owner/ Winemaker Eric Bonnet

Tasting at the Caveau of the Perrin Family in Châteauneuf du Pape

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Château la Nerthe, Châteauneuf du Pape

Wine-pairing dinner at Restaurant Château des Fines Roches, with Chef Hugo Loridan-Fombonnet

New Year’s Eve at Château des Fines Roches in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, France

Wednesday, April 24, 2019

Winery Tour and Tasting at Château Léoville-Barton, Appellation Saint-Julien, 2ième Grand Cru Classé and Château Langoa Barton, Appellation Saint-Julien, 3ième Grand Cru Classé - Bordeaux Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours, France

Pictures: Winery Tour and Tasting at Château Léoville-Barton, Appellation Saint-Julien, 2ième Grand Cru Classé and Château Langoa Barton, Appellation Saint-Julien, 3ième Grand Cru Classé - Bordeaux Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours, France

The 9th and last full day of the

Total Immersion in Bordeaux: World Class Wines and Exquisite French Gourmet Cuisine - Bordeaux Tour 2018 by ombiasy WineTours, France

started with a cellar tour and tasting at Château Léoville-Barton, Appellation Saint-Julien, 2ième Grand Cru Classé and Château Langoa Barton, Appellation Saint-Julien, 3ième Grand Cru Classé. Interestingly, while the wines of  Léoville-Barton and Langoa Barton come from different vineyards, they are made in the same production facility, side by side. In fact, the wines of both châteaux are made at Château Langoa Barton.

Pictures: Arriving

The Barton Family

The Barton family is able to trace its Bordeaux roots all the way back to 1722. That was the year that Thomas Barton left Ireland for Bordeaux. Like many successful owners, Barton started out as a Bordeaux negociant.

The first foray into ownership for the Barton family was in St. Estephe, with Chateau Le Boscq in 1745, which was awarded Cru Bourgeois status in 1932. In 1995, the Barton family sold it to Dourthe.

Also in 1745, the Barton family partnered with another powerful Bordeaux family to form a Bordeaux wine negociant company, Barton and Guestier. It was controlled by the Barton family until the Seagram Group got control in 1986. Today, Barton and Guestier is part of the international wine and spirit company Diageo.

The next major purchase for the Barton family took place in 1821. That was the year they bought Chateau Langoa Barton. Following the purchase of Langoa Barton, they bought a second St. Julien estate: Culled from the vineyards of Château Leoville Las Cases, that estate became Chateau Leoville Barton, a deuxième cru en 1855. Interestingly, because no wine making facilities came with the purchase, they were forced to make the wines at Château Langoa Barton. Until today, production of both wines takes place at Langoa Barton.

When Ronald Barton, who had inherited the family’s property from his father, who was tragically killed in a hunting accident in the 1920's, died without an heir in 1986, his nephew Anthony took control of the family properties. Anthony had already moved from Ireland - where the family maintains a home - to Bordeaux in 1951.

Pictures: Winery Tour and Tasting at Château Léoville-Barton, Appellation Saint-Julien, 2ième Grand Cru Classé and Château Langoa Barton, Appellation Saint-Julien, 3ième Grand Cru Classé

The 3 Léoville Chateaux

The 3 Léoville chateaux are the result of vast property broken up a long time ago. But up until the French Revolution, Léoville was the largest Médoc wine-growing property.

The story of the 3 Léoville estates go back to 1638. At the time, the estate was called Mont-Moytié, named after its founder, Jean de Moytié. Domaine Mont-Moytié remained in the family for almost 100 years. It is through the marriage of one of the Moytié women that the estate passed into the hands of Blaise Antoine Alexandre de Gascq, who was the seigneur of Léoville and a president of the Bordeaux parliament.

The groundwork for the split was laid in 1769, when Blaise Antoine Alexandre de Gascq died without an obvious heir. As a consequence the Léoville estate was inherited by four family members. One of them was  the Marquis de Las-Cases-Beauvoir. One quarter was sold off by the four heirs. A number of years later, in 1826, this part of Léoville estate was purchased by Hugh Barton and became Château Léoville Barton.

The other three quarters remained in the family. This was the state of affairs when the Marquis was succeeded in 1815 by his son, Pierre-Jean and his daughter, Jeanne. Pierre-Jean inherited what is now Château Léoville Las Cases, whilst the portion that came to Jeanne was passed onto her daughter, who married Baron Jean-Marie de Poyferré; this is the part that is today Château Léoville-Poyferré.

Although the estate bears the name of the Poyferré family to this day, it was not in their ownership for a long time. But it was under the ownership of the Poyferré family when the estate was classified as a deuxième cru in 1855 (as were the Barton and Las-Cases estates).

In 1865 Château Léoville-Poyferré was purchased by Baron d'Erlanger and Armand Lalande, bankers and local courtiers. The Lalande family, and later through marriage also the Lawton family, were in charge of Château Léoville-Poyferré until after World War I had passed. The Cuvelier family bought Château Léoville-Poyferré in 1920.

While the vineyards were separated, the buildings remained connected, just as they are today.

Anthony Barton and Lilian, Mélanie and Damien Barton-Sartorius

Anthony Barton was born and grew up in Ireland. After he got his educated in England, he headed to Uncle Ronald in Bordeaux in 1951. There, he started off in his family’s merchant firm of Barton and Guestier and met his future wife Eva, with whom he has 2 children. Athony and Eva Barton live at Chateau Langoa-Barton.

Picture: The Barton Family

Anthony Barton has already transferred ownership to his daughter Lillian, who is married to Michel Sartorius.

Pictures: Anthony Barton and Annette and Christian Schiller at the Fete de Bordeaux 2012. See: Fête du Bordeaux of Calvert and Woodley in Washington DC, 2012, USA

Lilian Barton-Sartorius and Michel Sartorius have two children who are in the process of taking over from their parents. Daughter Melanie has completed studies in agriculture and enology in Burgundy and Bordeaux. Their son Damien also put in two years in agriculture school, followed by studying at a business school.

Pictures: With Lilian Barton Sartorius and Mélanie Barton Sartorius in Washington DC 

Pictures: With Damien Barton-Sartorius at the 2017 Fete du Bordeaux Dinner in downtown Washington DC

Château Léoville-Barton

Château Léoville-Barton is a Deuxième Cru en 1855 in the Saint-Julien appellation.

There are now 47 hectares of vineyards at Château Léoville-Barton, planted with 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc. Vinification is performed in the cellar at Langoa-Barton, as there is in fact no château at Léoville-Barton.

The grand vin is Château Léoville-Barton, the second wine is La Reserve de Léoville-Barton. Total production is 20.000 cases.

Château Langoa-Barton

Château Langoa-Barton is a Troisième Cru en 1855 in the Saint-Julien appellation.

Located along the banks of the Gironde river, Langoa-Barton has 15 hectares under vine: 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot.

About 7,000 cases of Château Langoa-Barton are produced.

Château Mauvesin-Barton

In September 2011, the Barton family purchased an additional Bordeaux estate, Château Mauvesin, in Moulis. It is an estate with 48 hectares of vines in a single block surrounding the château. 40 of those hectares, which are planted with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon in roughly equal measure, are in the Moulis appellation, the rest being Haut-Médoc. The property has been owned by the Baritault du Carpia family and their predecessors since the late 15th century. The imposing, classically proportioned château was built in 1853.

When the Bartons took control of the property, the extensive cellars underwent a quick temporary renovation. The Bartons installed 22 new, squat stainless-steel vats in various sizes, allowing increased precision during vinification and blending. For the harvest, the Bartons brought in a new tractor that offloads the grapes by vibration, a vibrating sorting table, and an optical sorter—a rare sight in Moulis.

Tasting

We tasted 3 wines in the tasting room next to the wine cellar.

Pictures: Tasting

The Wines


2014 Château Mauvesin

Wine-searcher aveage price in US$:20

A ripe full-bodied wine that has great structure and fine tannins. The bold red fruits are right to the front. It is a wine with great potential, generous tannins and the acidity of the vintage beautifully balanced. This wine will develop well. Drink from 2024. Wine Enthusiast.


2012 Château Langoa-Barton

Wine-searcher aveage price in US$:73

90 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Plenty of juicy blackcurrant fruit and background oak are present in this plump, medium to full-bodied, ripe, well-made wine. Not nearly as tannic as I feared, this wine shows a forward plumpness, excellent purity, texture and length. Drink it over the next 15-20 years. (RP) (4/2015)


2017 Château Léoville-Barton

Wine-searcher aveage price in US$:74

93-96 points Vinous

One of the few truly exceptional Left Bank wines of the vintage, the 2017 Léoville-Barton is simply fabulous. The 2017 also has the distinction of having a very high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon. Inky crème de cassis, white flowers, lavender, crushed rocks, menthol and spice give the 2017 a distinctly layered, resonant feel. The 2017 offers fabulous density and structure, although the tannins need time. The blend is 93% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Merlot. The September rains were especially challenging for the Merlot and Cabernet Franc. As a result, Cabernet is pushed up in the blend, while there is no Franc at all. Tasted two times. (AG) (5/2018)


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