Bunhill: Wine with a rosy bouquet

ONCE UPON a time, like 190 years ago, an enterprising young Irishman, Tom Barton, emigrated to make a new life in France. Twenty years later, he founded a wine merchant's business in Bordeaux.

A century after 'French Tom' first landed, his descendant bought two wine-making estates, still famous as Leoville and Langoa Barton.

Since the 1820s, the estates have been run by French Tom's direct descendants in the male line - latterly by Anthony Barton, who has upheld the family tradition of making fine wines and selling them at a reasonable price.

Sadly, however, Anthony Barton's only son (another Tom) was killed in a car crash 18 months ago. At last week's Hampton Court Flower Show, Anthony and his Danish wife Eva launched a rose named after their son.

You will be glad to hear it is the colour of the claret for which the family has been famous for so long, and that Anthony and Eva's daughter has a couple of sturdy sons who will, eventually, ensure the family touch remains in the wine.

(Photograph omitted)