2012 Château Léoville Barton, St Julien, Bordeaux

As with its sister property Ch. Langoa Barton, Ch. Léoville Barton shows well in 2012. Not as initially exuberantly fruity as Langoa, but more profound. There is a good density of fruit and a robust but not clumsy approach. The tannins, which, in 2012, can be problematic elsewhere, are well-judged and support the typically assertive Léoville Barton fruit. Again, selection was the key.

The difficulties faced in 2012 persuaded the Bartons to rent a new-fangled optical sorter for the harvest, a machine developed initially for the garden pea industry and subsequently found to be ideal for identifying and ejecting less-than-perfect grapes. It has become the must-have gadget in the most advanced Bordelais cellars. The Barton cellars retain a homely feel, but such was the success of the optical sorter that the short-term rental was quickly converted to a full-time purchase. The proof of the value of the investment is in the wine.

Mark Pardoe MW, Wine Buying Director, Berry Bros. & Rudd