At A Glance
- Field
- Detail
- Region
- Bordeaux
- Appellation
- Saint Julien
- Main grapes
- Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc
- Signature wine
- Château Léoville Las Cases Grand Vin
- Defining feature
- The Grand Clos parcel, deep gravel, and a Cabernet Sauvignon led style
The Producer
The Grand Vin comes from approximately 60 hectares of exceptional terroirs from the former Léoville estate. The wider vineyard covers 98 hectares, planted to 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. Cabernet Sauvignon leads the planting, with Merlot and Cabernet Franc completing it.
The estate is part of Domaines Delon and managed by the Delon family. Its wine style is firm, austere, powerful and classic Bordeaux. In top vintages, the tannins need 15 to 20 or more years to develop.
Place
The château is in Saint Julien. The Grand Clos contains approximately 50 hectares on the northern side of the appellation, next door to Château Latour and bordering Pauillac. The parcel places the estate close to the boundary between Saint Julien and Pauillac.
Soil And Site
The Grand Clos has deep gravel soils. Gravel allows rainwater to move away and stores warmth after sun, helping Cabernet Sauvignon ripen while keeping the root zone from staying waterlogged. The ground suits the estate's Cabernet Sauvignon led planting and firm tannin style.
Story
In the 18th century, the estate's early proprietors changed the vineyard varieties to smaller berries, trellised the rows with pinewood, and began ageing wine in oak barrels cleaned with a sulfur solution. These choices changed both vine material and cellar practice.
In 1987, Jean Hubert Delon used reverse osmosis to extract excess water from grape must. The machine is employed only in select vintages, making the intervention dependent on the condition of the harvested fruit.
Vineyards And Cellar
Grapes ferment in temperature controlled wood, concrete or stainless steel vats. The cellar also includes eight oak vessels ranging from 176 to 290 hectoliters. Malolactic fermentation takes place in tank.
Recent vintages spend approximately 18 months ageing in approximately 90% new French oak before bottling, with the percentage varying annually. Barrel ageing allows oxygen to soften tannin gradually, while new French oak contributes spice and wood derived texture.
Wines
Château Léoville Las Cases is the Grand Vin, drawn from exceptional terroirs of the former Léoville estate. Clos du Marquis is a second wine with a different range position and a more immediate fruit profile.
Clos du Marquis shows ripe black fruit aromatics, subtle gravelly mineral notes and a juicy fruit core. Firm tannins are balanced by freshness, with closely knit complexity.
In The Glass
The Grand Vin opens with blackberries, cassis and black currant, followed by Cuban cigar, cedar, tobacco leaf and slate. The palate is firm and austere, with massive yet ripe tannins and a firmly built mouthfeel.
The fruit and savoury notes keep the wine firmly within the classic Saint Julien style, where Cabernet Sauvignon provides dark fruit and tannin while the site and cellar work add cedar, tobacco and mineral detail.
A Bottle To Understand It
Choose Château Léoville Las Cases 2021. The blend is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Merlot, matured in 85% new French oak.
The vintage brings cassis, graphite, lead pencil shavings, crushed stone and an almost bloody, salty note. Blue and purplish fruit, lavender, mint, spice and rose petal remain on a delicate, understated finish. It has more mid palate density and depth than most other wines from 2021 while remaining relatively approachable.
Anecdote
In 1976, the 1971 Château Léoville Las Cases ranked sixth among ten French and California red wines in the Judgment of Paris competition. The field included First Growth Pauillacs and California Cabernets. French and California reds appeared in the same ten wine field, with the Léoville Las Cases entry listed as the 1971 vintage. Château Léoville Las Cases occupied number six in the final ranking.
Final Word
Léoville Las Cases is a Saint Julien château where the Grand Vin draws on former Léoville terroirs, the Grand Clos supplies deep gravel, and tank malolactic fermentation precedes French oak ageing. Clos du Marquis provides a separate second wine within the range.
Sources
- www.domaines-delon.com/en/leoville-chateau_leoville_las_cases_vins.html
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C3%A2teau_L%C3%A9oville-Las_Cases
- www.thewinecellarinsider.com/bordeaux-wine-producer-profiles/bordeaux/st-julien/chateau-leoville-las-cases-st-julien-bordeaux-wine
- farrvintners.com/wine.php?wine=79281
- www.lagunacellar.com/chateau-leoville-las-cases-2021
- www.lagunacellar.com/clos-du-marquis-2020