If the name Barton seems familiar to you, don’t be surprised. Because the Barton family are to fine wine what the Fondas are to showbiz. Ergo, generation upon generation of royalty in their field. In fact, the Bartons are one of the oldest wine making families in Bordeaux, despite not even being French!

It all started in 1722, when Irishman Thomas Barton landed on the banks of Bordeaux seeking fame and fortune. This he managed fairly quickly, becoming a successful negociant in just three years, with the creation of Barton and Guestier in 1725 (B&G is still working today and enjoys the illustrious title of being the oldest fine wine house in Bordeaux). While Thomas was happy to content himself with being a merchant, the family had loftier ambitions and moved into ownership in 1745, with the St. Estephe property Chateau Le Bosque. Miraculously (despite having their property seized), they escaped with their fortune (and heads) back to Ireland during the French Revolution.

But they were soon back in Bordeaux, dealing with overseas trading (that negociant expertise came in handy after all) until the purchase of Chateau Langoa Barton in 1821. Hard work and ambition paid off and in 1855 the estate was granted third growth status in the 1855 appellation tables. The Bartons have retained ownership ever since, and today Langoa Barton is the oldest family owned chateau in the history of fine wine. And if the name did seem familiar then it will They are also proprietors of Chateaux Leoville Barton, Mauvensin-Barton (in Medoc) and the merchant company Les Vins Fins Anthony Barton. With nine generations of expertise behind them, to say the Bartons know a thing or two about fine wine is no overstatement!

After taking the reins of the estate in 1951, current owner Antony had to think fast on how to get Langoa Barton back on track. The estate had been operating at a loss for years and the war meant that the export business had all but stopped. Thankfully, under Anthony’s steerage, the wine had some good vintages in quick succession, the 1953 and the 1955 being particular favourites on the connoisseur’s market. Very old wine, some dating back as far as 1890 are still available to buy on the open market, although drinkability is questionable. However, as the estate has always favoured classic methods and highly tannic styles (a method still used today), savvy investors might just get a lot of bang for their buck on these older vitnages.