TN/. 1989 Chateau Leoville Las Cases

WINE TALK
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This past year I have developed the love for LLC. I think early in my wine growth I was popping these wines too young. If I have learned anything about LLC - and I am not declaring any expertise here, just a supposition based on recent experiences - this wine needs a ton of age. Not surprisingly, the cepage is heavy on the Cab fruits, 67% Cab Sauvignon and 10% Cab Franc, per our denizen Bordeaux expert, @Jeff_Leve .

This past year I have also had a ton of 1980s Bordeaux. It categorically remains my favorite decade in Bordeaux. And sadly, I do not think it will be repeated. The profile has changed. Not necessarily for the worse, but the profile is a bit different. Just drinking an 85 Lynch Bages this past weekend next to a 96 Mouton and Lalande, and the stylistic shift is notable. Of course you can make the case that the change is better, purer expression of fruit and a much cleaner profile. But of course, you can also say that some soul is being stripped from the wines in this quest for perfection. None of us are perfect. Our imperfections are what makes character.

This is a burly wine. One might call it inelegant. Itā€™s like a sweaty jock after an impressive athletic feat, pheromones in full glory. Strutting like a vainglorious peacock. Ok, Iā€™m not describing myself, though it may be a fair comparison. Aging, holding onto some semblance of prime, hairline receding just a touch, perhaps some residual graying. The classic 1980s Bordeaux perfume is palpable. Dark cassis, barn plank, saddle leather, sous bois and hints of an exotic spice that I just canā€™t capture. A very ephemeral note, like a whisper of something from Outremer. The palate is a bit chunky, texture grainy, with an explosively broad range of the fruit color spectrum, underscored by a distinct green streak. I may be nuts, but picking up some maritime notes as well, oyster shells and sea salt. Remarkably fresh for its age, but there are drying hints to the finish. A bit of a bitter clip, almost metallic, though this is a minor nit. Overall the mouthfeel and presence on this wine is excellent.

Iā€™m 94 pts here.

So my general sense is:

82 > 86 > 85 > 89 > 88

But the margins of difference, qualitatively, are not huge.

Need to pop an 83 and 90 now. The 83 Bordeaux vintage has been my recent sleeper.

Been enjoying this wine with my son as he regales us with his culinary skills, cooking Italian fare, rigatoni with Italian sausage. Iā€™ve begged him to tone down spiciness! The Bottle is gone, off to dinner and the next bottle. . . .

2014 Bedrock Oakville Farmhouse.

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Really nice.

I am fond of 1980s Bdx as well.

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Iā€™m also a big fan of LLC, vintage dependent. Done years, especially in the 80s produced wines that are quite austere. On the other hand, 90 and 96 are equal to Latour!

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The Las Cases in ā€˜89 is one of the rare vintages that not does come off as having a stick up its backside. Most of the wines I have had from here lack joy; they have done everything they should have done to make a good wine, they have done it well, but grudgingly. I have done a couple of large Las cases tastings and 1989 is one of three Las Cases that I have enjoyed rather than admired.

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Happy Holidays!

I am sure this will come as a surprise but, we donā€™t agree. Yes, wine, like everything in life has changed. With the exception of some members of this board, most of the wine buying and drinking public prefer wines being produced today. And this is from someone that drinks a fair amount of 82 & older BDX throughout the year, and love them. The best are the stars of my cellar!

Today, all over the world, though my comments are Bordeaux-centric, wines are cleaner, (no Pyrazines), tannins are softer, rusticity has been replaced with more elegance, and refinement. Now, fruits offer greater purity, and wines do not require decades to become civilized. They drink well much younger.

The downside is prices have escalated. And yes, for some wine lovers, the loss of Pyrazines and rusticity is a turnoff.

I get it. I find the sexy looks of the best cars from the 60s and 70s to be unequaled today, even if cars drive better today, my heart still skips a beat when I spot one of those stunners on the road. But thatā€™s progress for you.

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Well apparently my 25 yo punk kid has a more refined palate than you geezers! Happy Holidays, my friends!

:stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

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The 85 Lynch Bages is stunning, I got a case of 12, 18 months ago for something such a good price in such a great condition. It outshone anything from any region I have with decent age and was finished a few months ago.

Wine making and mainly climate mean Bordeaux will never be the same as the 80s which I think will definitely be a sweet spot - I agree with Jeff that overall the wines are ā€˜betterā€™ now but weā€™ll have to wait a long time compare.

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Presumably wonā€™t have to wait more than 10 years to compare say 95 LB to your experience with 85 LB over the past year, you think?

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True - funnily enough I absolutely love the 93 Lynch Bages, itā€™s one of those off vintage wines that we all seem to find, but itā€™s definitely towards end of life where I think 85 goes a long time more.

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Somehow, I disagree with Robert, Mark and Jeff. I love LLC, esp. from this era (no stick up the ass. I have had the 1989 multiple times over the years, including twice over the last few years.

Marvelous tasting of Leoville las Cases last night

Obviously, I think the 1989 is a great wine. I think of the 1975, 1985, 1986, 1990 and 1996 as great wines. I do think of the 1961 and 1982 as legendary wines, but I would be happy to drink any of these wines any time.

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Donā€™t you mean you agree with me? It is Mark and Jeff that are not as big of fans as the 89. I liked it very very much.

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The 85 is the best LLC Iā€™ve had, with charm and fruit and freshness, better than the 82, 86, 89 and 90 in my experience (joyless is an apt descriptor). The 83 was strong too the one time I had it, but it was still in that dry, earthy, sour cherry, old leather house style.

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I started drinking fine wine about 1990. LLC was always one of my favorite chateaus. In the early 90ā€™s I participated in a 30 wine Paris like competition. Needless to say the 89 LLC was my fave and 88 Ridge MB came in #2 for me. This included the first growths.

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I corrected my original post; I forgot to put in a not.

I do like the 1989 LLC; one of three vintages whose butts are stick free.

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I am confused. ā€œBurly,ā€ ā€œinelegant,ā€ and ā€œlike a sweaty jock after an impressive athletic featā€ are positive descriptors??? I donā€™t think I used those descriptions in any tasting notes on this wine.

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Maybe I should get back to reading the tax code. Reading tasting notes are getting too hard for me. You think the 1982, 1985, 1986, 1990 and 1996 have sticks up their asses?

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When did you last have these wines, particularly the 1982. The 1982 and 1986, in particular, were closed for many, many, many years but have gotten to be fabulous IMHO in more recent years. The 1985 opened up way before the others.

Look, as I said above, I think the 1982, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1990 and 1996 are all fabulous and great wines. But, they are different (as they should be). There is a lot of personal preference in choosing among these wines.

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Again, I disagree with both of you. I think 1982 and 2016 may be the best vintages of my buying lifetime. I also love wines from vintages like 1970, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2005 and 2016 and other vintages. [Come back to me in several years for more recent vintages.] The poorer wines from the different eras have very different flaws, but when I had 2016 Pichon Lalande soon after the 1982 at a Panos tasting a few years ago, I saw the 2016 as a clear successor to the 1982. TN: Pichon Lalande dinner with Nicolas Glumineau - WINE TALK - WineBerserkers

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It has taken me a long time to fully appreciate LLC as well. It was just not something that was very often brought to tastings I attended, and while it comes off very polished and pretty when young- I think maybe I got to thinking that is all there was to it.

I had the 1989 a couple of years ago and as a wine it was quite good, but somewhat in keeping with Markā€™s feedback, in the context of the vintage it has actually proven to be quite a harmonious and well rounded wine where many 1989s remain showy and impressive in certain ways but not terribly friendly.

If you have not tried it yet- get your hands on some 2008. It is absolutely incredible, and being a 2008 is showing now a lot of the nuance that would normally take much longer to emerge. Here is my recent TN which best explains just how much I like this wine.

good deepish red-purple young color, 90 minutes after opening a captivating nose of blackberries, cedar, spicy oak and a bit of dried herbs, wonderful sense of depth and it carries beautifully from the glass attracting ones attention from several feet away, on the palate that sexy jammy LLC fruit core is just starting to emerge from a classically restrained shell, tannins softening, excellent depth on the midpalate and lengthy fragrant finish, razor sharp chalk and stone notes, 3 hours later- the nose gains a little more spice and on the palate the depth surges forward with glorious waves of dark fruit, elegant and seamless though a bit of sternness from the tannins and structure remain (though this will change in due course), as good as this was a couple of hours ago- it is at a whole other level now, as with the 2008 Mouton this is starting to show nicely but I think really needs just a few more years to show at its best, violets, cassis, even a bit of black cherry, best of all- this vintage is showing a bit more nuance and sense of the earth than usual which will make it all the more endearing when it is in full cry, I have always admired Leoville Las Cases but not since the 1988 have I encountered a vintage that really got to me like this one- and in each case for different reasons, a terrific 2008 with a great long life ahead.

*** ( ** ), 2028++

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I think Robert was talking about himself.

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