TN: 20 Vintages of Château Léoville Las Cases

WINE TALK
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20 VINTAGES OF CHÂTEAU LÉOVILLE LAS CASES - (11.01.2013)

  • 1945 Château Léoville Las Cases - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
    Although mid-shoulder fill this one had surprisingly much red, fine long brim, meat juice and forest floor on the nose, and – surprisingly – some mint as well, complex; very clear fruit, tannins still lively. Long, complex, and intense wine. (97 pts.)
  • 1959 Château Léoville Las Cases - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
    Powerful and warm smell, almost exotic, some plums; warm in the mouth as well, and plums/dried fruit, tannins still there, good complexity. Perhaps a tad unfocussed, compared to the 45 and 61. (95 pts.)
  • 1955 Château Léoville Las Cases - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
    Ox NR (flawed)
  • 1961 Château Léoville Las Cases - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
    Fine long brim; A little spicy, an initial hint of bullion blew off; red berry fruit, complex, slim and long – intense and complex in the mouth. Clear fruit. (96 pts.)


  • 1966 Château Léoville Las Cases - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
    Impressive and complex nose, some earth; earthy in the mouth as well, some complexity. A very fine bottle. (94 pts.)
  • 1971 Château Léoville Las Cases - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
    This also had some bullion when opened, but good fruit emerged after a while. Tannins present, fresh, noticeable acidity. (91 pts.)
  • 1975 Château Léoville Las Cases - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
    Cork NR (flawed)
  • 1976 Château Léoville Las Cases - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
    Flowers, mint, a lot of tannins, slim and a bit short, some fruit residue. (88 pts.)


  • 1976 Château La Lagune - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc
    Fairly short, a bit rustic albeit some complexity, a hint of sweetness in the finish. Good with the lamb. (88 pts.)
  • 1976 Château Latour Grand Vin - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
    Very dark for its age; meat juice and tobacco on the nose, convincing complexity, a lot of tannin, almost some primary fruit, minerals, lovely balance, complex and very long, powerful. A hint of fruit sweetness in the finish. The best 1976 I have ever had. (96 pts.)
  • 2002 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Clos de la Roche - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos de la Roche Grand Cru
    Blind. Clear albeit a little thin fruit, fine acidity, an uncomplicated and a bit raw wine. Seems closed. (92 pts.)
  • 2002 Dominique Laurent Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Chaignots - France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru
    Blind. Oak present, animalistic, a bit thin fruit, good entry but the finish collapses. (87 pts.)


  • 1978 Château Léoville Las Cases - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
    Some cellar smell blew off, earthy, primary-ish fruit, a kind wine with some complexity and very fine length. (90 pts.)
  • 1979 Château Léoville Las Cases - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
    Varm fruit, a bit short, sweet and sour. Made me think of Nebbiolo. (87 pts.)
  • 1981 Château Léoville Las Cases - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
    Old cellar smell that eventually blew off, but it took a while. Not the best of balance, decent length. (88 pts.)
  • 1983 Château Léoville Las Cases - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
    Some bullion on the nose mixed with some fruit, unclean in the mouth but became a bit fresher after a while, peculiar. An off bottle. NR (flawed)


  • 1982 Château Léoville Las Cases - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
    Deep fruit, minerals/crushed stones and tobacco on the nose; warm and long in the mouth, fine tannic finish. Good fruit, wonderful combination of tobacco and black fruit balanced with fine acidity. (96 pts.)
  • 1985 Château Léoville Las Cases - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
    Very good balance and fruit, complex, almost peacock tail finish, structured, some sweetness, a tad short? (93 pts.)
  • 1986 Château Léoville Las Cases - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
    Meaty, more developed than another recent bottle. Complex, tobacco, intense and long . Promising, rating for now. (95 pts.)
  • 1989 Château Léoville Las Cases - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
    Mineral-driven with a fine fruit core, some complexity, a bit closed? (94 pts.)


  • 1989 Château Cos d’Estournel - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
    Blind. Warm, sweet entrance, fresh fruit, but drying wooden tannins in the finish. Seems a bit overdone. Some brett? (91 pts.)
  • 1993 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Pignan Reserve - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
    Blind. Tobacco and earth, lots of tannin in the finish, even oaky/oaked, but red clear fruit. (89 pts.)
  • 2009 Coche-Dury Bourgogne Blanc - France, Burgundy, Bourgogne Blanc
    Citrusy, clean and focused, albeit a bit short and simple. Easy going. (87 pts.)


  • 1990 Château Léoville Las Cases - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
    Most balanced, complex and rich, very fine fruit core, promising indeed. (94 pts.)
  • 1994 Château Léoville Las Cases - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
    A big surprise, concentrated and mineral driven, some green though, a hint of mint, black currants. (91 pts.)
  • 1985 Château Léoville Las Cases - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
    A bit shut down, metal and fruit, but blossoms in the glass, black currants and minerals in the mouth as well. After about 1 hour this was an open and wonderful claret. (93 pts.)
  • 1998 Château Léoville Las Cases - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
    Appeared somewhat closed, but wonderful black fruit and bonfire smoke on the nose; the mouth does not deliver completely what the nose promised, albeit a fine finish. (92 pts.)


  • 2003 Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
    For a 03 this had decent acidity, some botrytis, and even complexity. Young, of course. (92 pts.)
  • 1990 Château Rieussec - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
    Heavy and rich, caramel, some freshness though, some complexity. A monumental wine, but not cloying. (93 pts.)
  • 1990 Château de Fargues - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
    Caramel, something burned, rich, but still elegance in there. A bit less complex and playful compared to its heralded sister. (95 pts.)

We got lucky (mostly) with the older bottles, once again. Summary across vintages: Las Cases is a surprisingly powerful and tannic wine which rightfully deserves its second growth status (surprise!), but not quite up there with the first growths. The 1982 was less warm than other 1982s. After decanting the 1982 is drinking well, but from 1986 (which holds great promise, no lack of fruit there) onwards, more cellaring is needed, at least according to my taste.
Posted from CellarTracker

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Thanks for the notes.

On release, the 82 had a little porty scent that always put me off. Interesting that it seems “less warm” now.

I’m curious if you noticed any changes in style over the decades. At some point 20-25 years or so ago, for instance, they began to use reverse osmosis regularly, I believe.

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John, it isn’t that easy a task, projecting how the, say 1986, will taste 30 years from now. That aside I found remarkable continuity. The 1945 and 1961 was quite akin to 1986, whereas the 1959 appeared as a warm version of 1982. Never found ‘recent’ bottles overdone or too extracted, even in warm vintages like 1982, 1989 and 1990, but perhaps that impression would have been different if we included vintages from 2000 onwards.