How I learned to Love Las Cases

I’ve never been a huge fan of Las Cases as a function of a handful of misses when opening bottles. I recall 82s that were underwhelming compared to the hype, and recent vintages that had dangerous hints of spoof. A super second dinner on Saturday convinced me that Las Cases is really superb and generally requires more patience. The wines were more structured and acid-driven than their peers, showing a real long arc of evolution. While more burly and masculine, they had really interesting integration of bell peppery goodness that I dig now that I’m less Bordeaux centric. On to the wines:

2005 Dom P – first encounter with the 05. Very round, well resolved, much less bracing/coiled than the 02 at a similar juncture. Really fine mousse and a fine drink. For the buck, I prefer growers, but the model of consistency is quite remarkable.

First Flight:
1978 Ducru Beaucailou – those more sensitive to TCA immediately called it. To me, it was very tertiary with some sous bois, cherry, a bit thin and clipped. Again, I find older wines sometimes appear corked upon opening only to expand with some air, but this one was pretty summarily DQ’d.
1977 Ringer – Perhaps Ramon can chime in with the exact bottling, but it was presented as a ’77 and as 100% Cab. Definitely not BDX, with far more new world plum, warm notes, resolved tannins and oak. We guessed Tempranillo (not following instructions). It was Spanish.

Second Flight:
1978 Leoville Las Cases – a really wonderful wine, with depth, grip, still on a positive evolution cycle. Far burlier than its flight companions.
1978 Pichon Lalande – far more lithe, feminine, floral. The 78 Lalande was at peak maturity with beautiful expression. A solid bottle.
1988 Pichon Lalande – Like the 78 but more primary in darker fruit, with more depth. Not necessarily tannic or acid driven, but the fruit was more core driven. Drinking very well right now and continued to gain some depth over time, but in no rush to be opened.

Third Flight:
1990 Leoville Las Cases – several at the table that were more experienced with LLC thought the vintage to be atypical to their style, but to me this is one of the better 90s alongside the likes of Leoville Poyferre. Real wonderful tension, “nervosity”, and depth. I tend to like more structured/backward style wines in more open/forward vintages. This was stunning.
1990 Pichon Baron – The Baron to me was also an explosive wine, but it felt more rounded and oak influenced with typical chocolateyness. It lacked that nervosity that the LLC had. A more sumptuous “hedonistic” wine. Stylistic differences…
1989 Cos D’Estournel – I thought this wine was outshadowed or misflighted next to the other two. Far more reticent and coy; it needed some coaxing.

Fourth Flight:
1996 Palmer – I love Palmer in vintages where the merlot can shine. 96 is not the best Palmer vintage, but it had lots of Palmer traits, with its classic violet and Margauxesque nose. If I were buying, I’d be focusing on the 98 versus the 96, but this was a lovely bottle.
“Blind wine” – Correctly (lucky) guessed as 2003 Montrose. Had the grip, structure and tautness of Montrose, but was still purple-eque. Big wine, with deep dark fruit. Didn’t have the Montrose complexity/funkiness that you get in some vintages especially with age. Very primary.
2003 Ducru Beaucaillou – not a huge fan given its size and one-dimensionality in comparison to other wines. Would merit revisiting in 10-15 years, but 2003s don’t do much to inspire confidence in me.

We capped with an 2009 Rieussec which was fine, but I’m more of a Climens guy.

Thanks to Ramon C for setting it up. I’m somewhat shocked at how far I’ve moved away from these wines which used to be more focus/sweetspot. I do have new-found respect for Las Cases, though.

Probably about 10 years ago now, a number of us did a LLC vertical. I have always been a fan of the estate, since I was relatively young - even much younger than Faryan is now. At that vertical, I really loved the 1975, 1986, 1989 and 1990 - the 1986 and 1990 were tied for WOTN, IMHO. Great wines, although only the 1975 was mature. I have also really loved the 1970 and 1996. The 1979 was one of my favorite wines when I first starting collecting (and was about $14 per bottle, so I could easily buy it). I could not understand why the Pichon Lalande got more points. Now, however, the 1979 LLC seems beyond peak and the Pichon Lalande is still great.

As for the 1982, I thought it was truly great when I tasted it young (tasted it at release on a Saturday afternoon at Eagle Liquors in Georgetown). At our vertical 10 years ago, although a couple of others loved it, I thought it was absolutely closed and needed a ton more time. It reminded me of how the 1970 Latour tasted at 20 years old - it took until 30 for that wine to really open up. I have not opened a 1982 LLC since, but was hoping it would have opened up by now, after all it is now 34 years old. Too bad that has not happened.

I must admit I do not love LLC as much as I used to (Ducru has been my substitute), but I still love a good one a great deal.

I have some of the 1996 and 2000, and I suspect the wines are in a race with my life expectancy. I’d rather not have “left his LLC to his kid” on my tombstone

Thanks for the fun read, Faryan. I have to admit that I have only limited experience with this estate.

How about left to some of us, instead?

Deleted.

Great notes, thank You.
I learned the Delon style from a 1986 Clos du Marquis, cheap buy, in the late nineties.
It was so juicy and aromatic, that I had to try the “big brother” LLC right after.
-Still got a 82 LLC, will not open yet, thx for the warning. The 86 LLC (so strong) can take 10y more, -and still be at primary stage, IMO.
1996 and 2000, the last two vintages I bought… Oh man, will I be around to taste them mature. Maybe storing a few at a higher temp. (living room) to accelerate the processes could be an option ?

Regards, Soren.

I once named LLC as my “most disappointing Bordeaux”. I’ve never had a bottle shine – all were either closed down despite being 25+ years old or off-bottles – except the 1996 which was more awe-inspiring than pleasurable. In my experience, this is the chateau that never seems to be ready (I almost never get to drink Latour, so it’s all relative) – for example, at a big 1986 horizontal which included Chateau Marguax, Lafite, Mouton, Cos, and Pichon Lalande, it was easily the most closed and inscrutable – or is over the hill (I’ve had bottles of the 78, 79, 80, and 81, all of which had that cigarette ash smell of over-the-hill claret).

I had a bottle of '82 LLC two years ago and it was very much closed for business…but a bottle i had a year ago was absolutely gorgeous. That being said, if I’m being totally honest, my overall experience with LLC has tended to be less rewarding than I would like it to be.

Pat, to get back on the Delon track, try to get the Clos du Marquis with some age (2000 and back).
They are priced very fair, and will be ready, decades before the monster. There is plenty of concentration in this “second” wine (or is it from own plot(clos) ?).
With air-time, the 2000 Marquis is just beginning to show some secondary notes.

-Soren.

A bottle of the '66 LLC two weeks ago was incredible. Far better than I was expecting, and this particular bottle was every bit as good if not better than bottles of '66 Latour and Palmer I’ve drunk.

My advice is to stay clear of the super vintages with the glacial evolution. Like waiting for obsidian to erode. In the past year, I’ve opened a 1999 and a 2001 – both provided a lot of relatively open-knit pleasure while retaining that sense of LLC restraint/austerity/elegance. Love the mouthfeel of these wines.

I love the notes, Faryan. I’m in concurrence with your thoughts. Thanks.

Btw, the 1977 ringer was (I had to look and enlarge the photo that was sent to us via email) was a 1977 Torres Corona Gran Reserva.

My $0.02:

While this dinner was somewhat hastily assembled and was done primarily on account of former NYCer Ian and his girlfriend Maureen coming in for a visit, all the attendees, their wines and the food made for an enjoyable evening.

Just like you, and other than the same excellent 1996 that Patrick mentioned, I have not put up LLC in the top pedestals of my Bordeaux-drinking experiences, but fwiw I still stand by my dinner-time declaration that the 1978, 1990 and 1995 LLCs were my top 3 for the night. They had mostly everything that a Bordeaux drinker can ask for.

A fun night it was.

Faryan -

Great notes and I agree what a night! Only 2 minor comments (1) Justin’s mystery 1977 was the Torres Gran Coronas Reserva which in this vintage was 90% cabernet sauvignon and 10% cabernet franc from vines that were planted in 1966 according to the back of the label and (2) what happened to the 5th flight, '95 LLC vs the '02 LLC?

And here was a pic of the lineup for those that like pictures

Woah forgot about those and he 95 las cases was quite fine.

Good night when you forget your consumption!

For those that don’t drink a ton of LLC, it requires more patience on avg than any St Julian, but man does it ever reward patience (in the stereotypical Bordeaux way). It’s like they took all of the good parts of modern winemaking but chose not to make a wine full of superficial flash that is good on day 1.

88 is drinking like a dream right about now

I’ve never been a huge fan of St Julien including LLC. The best one I can remember is '66 served in '87 and it was not a great wine.

I think I will open a 90 based upon your notes. Thanks!

This is Levenberg’s favorite estate…he can never get nough of Las Cases…when discussing Las Cases his words are like poetry…Right Keith?