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Domain: Château Léoville Barton

Château Léoville Barton was created from the division of the Domaine de Léoville in 1826, when Hugh Barton, an Irishman who already owned Château Langoa in Saint Julien, bought part of the vineyard. A new great Bordeaux property was therefore born, alongside the two other plots that resulted from the sale, Léoville Las Cases and Léoville Poyferré. Today, nearly two centuries later, the property still belongs to the Barton family, a relatively rare occurrence in Bordeaux, where châteaux have a habit of changing hands fairly regularly. After taking over in 1983, Anthony Barton managed to put the difficult vintages of the Second World War and the period of decline in the 1970s behind him, and launched a spectacular revival that has been particularly notable since 1985. The 21st century began with a remarkable 2000 vintage, followed by a simply sublime 2005. The property's numerous strong points include a high proportion of old vines and the use of traditional wooden vats, which were deliberately preserved when most Bordeaux properties began changing over to stainless steel. There is no château or winery on site; vinification and ageing are carried out at Langoa Barton.