At Léoville Barton, the dominant expression comes from the Cabernet Sauvignon planted on our gravel soils. Our wines tend to be at first tight, a bit serious in manner, but have aromatic and textural precision as well as length on the palate, thanks to their fine-grained tannins. To this tightly woven lace provided by the Cabernet Sauvignon is added a bit of fleshy roundness brought by the Merlot cultivated in the lower parts of the plateau. No Petit Verdot is used. The vinification process is quite classic with just the right amount of remontage or pumping over. With ripe grapes coming from such a great terroir, there really is not that much to do in the cellar. No originality is needed.