The best vintages of Château Léoville Las Cases

Château Léoville Las Cases presentation

Visit Château Léoville Las Cases is owned by the Delon family and is one of the oldest vineyards in the Médoc. The Great Wines of Léoville Las Cases come from the exceptional terroirs of the former Domaine de Léoville. Most of these terroirs are located in the Clos Léoville Las Cases, just outside the Bourg de Saint-Julien, in the direction of Pauillac. The quality of these terroirs and the hard work of the Delon family consistently produce great wines for laying down. In this article, we'll be highlighting the 5 top-rated vintages by Robert Parker.

Château Léoville Las Cases 1986

Rating: 100/100

"The late Michel Delon always thought this was the greatest vintage he'd ever produced. We often tasted it side by side with the 1982, because I always preferred the latter vintage. Of course, these two vintages are very different in terms of style, the 1986 is a monument to classicism, with lots of tannin, extraordinary delineation, and a big, full-bodied nose of sweet, ripe blackcurrant fruit intermixed with vanilla, melon, fruitcake, and a multitude of spices. This wine has always been incredibly concentrated, still wonderfully fresh and vigorous. This wine still seems young, but it's hard to believe it's not close to full maturity. Expected maturity: 2005-2035." Tasted in January 2003

 

Château Léoville Las Cases 2000

Rating: 98+/100

"Along with the Médoc's premier grands crus classé, Leoville Barton, Château Montrose, Sociando Mallet, and a handful of other producers; Léoville Las Cases continues to make a wine destined for great cellaring. This full-bodied blend of nearly 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.4% Merlot and Cabernet Franc still has a youthful ruby/purple color, notes of graphite, kirsch liqueur, cassis and lead pencil shavings, with good acidity, testifying to purity, ripeness and layered intensity, and a deep finish. However, with its high level of tannin, this superb wine should be forgotten for nearly a decade." Tasted in June 2010

Château Léoville Las Cases 2009

Rating: 98+/100

"Analytically, it's rich in tannin and the alcohol is 13.8%, almost a record for this estate. It has an inky/purple color, monumental concentration and lots of sweet, jammy blackcurrant, black cherry and kirsch fruit intermixed with rocks and minerals. As always, proprietor Jean-Hubert Delon has built a massive wine with exceptional precision, incredible purity and 40-50 years of aging potential (at 30, 1982 is still a baby in terms of development!). This is a brilliant Saint-Julien. Tasted in February 2008

Château Léoville Las Cases 1996

Rating 98+/100

"Having already classified as near-perfect, I feared disappointment about tasting the 1996 Léoville Las Cases. My fears were quickly erased once my nose was in the glass. This is one of the great modern Bordeaux wines. Its hallmark remains the over-ripeness of the Cabernet Sauvignon grape. Yet this wine retains its intrinsic classicism, symmetry, and deep potential for complexity and elegance. The black/purple color is followed by a spectacular nose of cassis, cherry liqueur, toast, and minerals. It's powerful and rich on the attack, with beautifully integrated tannins, massive concentration, but no trace of heaviness or inconsistency. When this wine is in the glass, it grows in stature and richness. It is an extraordinarily elegant wine - the quintessence of Saint-Julien. Despite the softness of the tannins, I would recommend cellaring this wine for 7-8 years. Expected maturity: 2007 to 2035. Tasted in April 1999.

Château Léoville Las Cases 2005

Rating: 97+/100

"This is a prodigious piece of work. A blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon and a balance of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. This dense ruby/purple wine has an astonishingly pure bouquet of black fruits, wet rocks, graphite and toast/vanillin background. Full-bodied, masculine, very deep and concentrated, this wine is at least 8-10 years from its plateau of maturity. The Delon family have produced another legend. Expected maturity: 2023-2050 +." Tasted in June 2015.

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