Producer Profile
Area under vines: 97 hectares
Soils: Garonne gravel, sand, clay
Average age of the vines: 30 years
Planting density: 8800 vines/ha
Production: 180 000 to 200 000 bottles a year
Ageing: in 60-100% new oak barrels for 16 to 20 months
Grape varieties:
- Cabernet Sauvignon 66%
- Merlot 24%
- Cabernet Franc 9%
- Petit verdot 1%
Other wine: Clos du Marquis
Average Annual Production: 250,000 Bottles
Grape varieties:
Tasting Notes
JancisRobinson.com 18
Tasted blind. Sweet start and a very deep colour. Intense and minerally. Massively stony and dense. Sinews to the fore! Thick and sweet – a little foot-dragging at the moment but it s got everything and the kitchen sink in there waiting to open out. Very dramatic and concentrated. [23/01/2020]
Anticipated maturity: 2030-2050
Vinous 98
The 2016 Leoville Las-Cases underwent three more months in barrel than usual, and was bottled in September 2018. It has an extremely intense bouquet that manages to retain otherworldly delineation. It is not as expressive as its peers at this early stage (but then again, it rarely is). Yet there is palpable coiled-up energy on the nose, and you can feel the mineralite. The palate is medium-bodied with super-fine tannin and layers of pure black and blue fruit laced with allspice and a pinch of white pepper. It fans out wonderfully on the finish, which exerts fine grip but never overwhelms. This is undoubtedly one of the best wines ever made by the estate. Close to perfection. [Neal Martin, 24/01/2019]
Anticipated maturity: 2026-2060
Robert Parker 100
Very deep purple-black colored, the 2016 Leoville Las Cases (composed of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot and 11% Cabernet Franc) is quite closed to begin, yet with patient coaxing it unfurls beautifully to reveal suggestions of ripe blackcurrants, black raspberries, warm redcurrants and wild blueberries, followed by touches of unsmoked cigars, tilled red soil, cast iron pan, fallen leaves and lavender plus wonderfully fragrant wafts of lilacs and baking spices. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is packed with tightly knit, very subtle layers of minerals, floral notions and black and red berries, all framed by exquisitely ripe, silt-like tannins and fantastic freshness, finishing with epic length and depth. Simply captivating even in its youth, give it at least a decade in the cellar and then enjoy it over the next 50+ years. [Lisa Perrotti-Brown, 30/11/2018]
Anticipated maturity: 2028-2078
