Château Léoville Las Cases

"It is certainly one of Bordeaux’s longest-lived wines, and seems to have more and more of a character resembling Lafite Rothschild more than its nearby neighbor, Chateau Latour." — Robert Parker

Chateau Leoville Las Cases: One of the Three Leovilles

Leoville Las Cases has remained one of Bordeaux's powerhouse estates for over two centuries, first beginning as part of the famed Domaine de Leoville. In 1826, part of the land broke off, becoming Leoville Barton, before Leoville Las Cases became its own estate in 1840. Las Cases attained 3/5th of the original territory and was purchased by Pierre Jean de Las Cases. Eventually, the Delon family took control at the end of the 19th century and have remained as owners since. 

Now, Leoville Las Cases is universally regarded as a Super Second estate and has even gained mention as the possible "Sixth First Growth" from Bordeaux, with James Molesworth from Wine Spectator praising Las Cases "to have been overlooked for first-growth status."

Leoville Las Cases St. Julien Vineyard & Terroir

Located on one of Bordeaux's highest-regarded terroirs, Chateau Leoville Las Cases is home to 55-hectares of land near the Gironde River. The nearby water provides excellent heat regulation for the gravel soils, as well as a special microclimate that shields the vines from frost and enables early ripening for the merlot and cabernet vines. Furthermore, the vines receive restricted water supply, forcing them to struggle for nutrients and produce highly concentrated fruit that displays beautifully in the Grand Vin. 

At an average of 52 years, Leoville Las Cases is home to some of St. Julien's oldest vines, which are planted at 8,600 plants per hectare. Jean-Hubert Delon is now the estate owner, enlisting the help of the experienced Pierre Graffeuille to tend to the vines and craft the final blends. 

Grand Vin de Leoville Las Cases

Graffeuille took over as head winemaker in 2011, crafting top vintages of the flagship label, Grand Vin de Leoville Las Cases. The final blend often consists of roughly 80% cabernet sauvignon, 10% cabernet franc and 6% merlot. Each harvest is hand-picked, then sorted on an optical sorting table and destemmed prior to a gentle pressing and fermentation. Wooden, cement, and stainless-steel vats are used in the cellar, and the blends are typically aged for 18 months in new French oak. 

Las Cases wines have been renowned for their fine tannins, black fruit flavors, and great age ability. Sales director Florent Fresse has described the final blends as "rich, [there’s] lots of tension, lots of fruit, very good quality of tannins," underlying its reputation as a top Bordeaux wine, 

Chateau Leoville Las Cases Second Label

Beyond the Grand Vin, Leoville Las Cases also offers two exceptional wines: Clos du Marquis, a separate wine that originated as a single-vineyard bottling, and Le Petit Lion du Marquis de Las-Cases, a second wine introduced in 2007 that showcases a higher percentage of merlot from younger vines. These wines provide a glimpse into the estate's unwavering dedication to quality across its range.

Las Cases Wine: Acclaimed Vintages

1995 Leoville Las Cases

The 1990s were a particularly triumphant decade for the estate, with the 1995 vintage becoming a notable release. James Suckling awarded the wine 97 points, captivated by its "forest flowers, wild mushrooms and tobacco" aromas and describing the drink as "long and enticing." The 1996 vintage achieved even greater renown, earning 98 points from The Wine Advocate, which declared, "It stands as one of the best wines of the vintage without one iota of doubt and it will last 30-40 years." 1996 was a distinctive year that has grown more herbaceous and savory with time while still maintaining its pronounced intensity.

2005 Leoville Las Cases

2005 was a universally admired vintage that has shown enormous energy and aging potential. It was not only a successful vintage throughout the Bordeaux region, but a special achievement for Leoville Las Cases, in particular. The bottle was rated a perfect 100-points by Jeb Dunnuck with additional 98-point scores from Antonio Galloni and Robert Parker.

Buy A Bottle of Leoville Las Cases 

It is rare to come across a top Super Second around $200 per bottle— such is the incredible value drinkers receive from Las Cases. The average Leoville Las Cases wine is priced at an accessible for collectors to add one of Bordeaux's greatest red blends to their cellar, with the ability to drink young or enjoy decades from the purchase point. Ultimately, the choice is yours!