The 2022 Leoville Barton, the second vintage made in the new winery, was the first to be completely gravity-fed instead of using pumps. It has a magnificent bouquet that fulfills my admittedly lofty expectations given its showing from barrel, blessed with an almost pixelated quality that previous vintages perhaps lacked. The nose is very precise with pure black fruit and fine mineralite. Elegant and poised, the medium-bodied palate features finely chiseled tannins and just the right amount of bitterness on the finish. Very persistent—a Saint-Julien you just don`t want to finish. This ranks among the finest in the appellation. 97 points

The 2022 Leoville Barton is superb. Soaring aromatics are immediately arresting. Beautifully precise and nuanced, the 2022 is all finesse. The style of this warm, dry vintage is very much in evidence, and yet Leoville Barton retains a gorgeous sense of classicism. Readers will have to be patient, as the 2022 is very, very young. Its quality and pedigree are beyond reproach. 95 points

Balanced, elegant, built to last, with campfire smoke, turmeric, cloves, blackberry, cassis, cherry pit, graphite and mint leaf. As with the Langoa, this has more exuberance and spice than usual, but the tannins kick in pretty quickly, providing intensity, and balance. The concentration of the vintage almost seems to take it from St Julien into Pauillac, and this has the frame and density to age for decades. Highly impressive from Lilian, Melanie and Damien Barton. 60% new. 96 points

One of the stars of the Medoc and a wine likely to equal or surpass its 2019 and 2016 counterparts, the 2022 Leoville Barton unwinds in the glass with deep aromas of cassis, pencil shavings, spices and tobacco leaf, followed by a medium to full-bodied, deep and layered palate that`s vibrant, pure and seamless, with beautifully classy tannins and a long, penetrating finish. The 2022 is a blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11.5% Merlot and 5.5% Cabernet Franc; and it`s the first vintage produced in the estate`s new winery, which more than doubled the number of vats, permitting sub-plot by sub-plot harvesting and vinification, along with a number of other technical improvements which translate into enhanced purity and precision. 96-97+ points