Château Léoville Las Cases Saint-Julien 2017 - Grand Cru Classé

Bettane & Desseauve

About the wine:

Incredibly accessible yet uncompromising in its expression of terroir and longevity. Sumptuously ripe grapes for the year, magnificent texture, uniquely refined aftertaste. The pinnacle of the vintage.

About the domain :

Certainly the second cru classé closest, and for many vintages now, when the cork doesn't give it away, to the level of the finest premiers crus. It owes its class and consistency to the parcel-by-parcel selection that produces it on the large enclosure adjoining that of Château Latour, and to an exemplary perfectionism initiated by Michel Delon in the 1980s and fully pursued by his son Jean-Hubert. The finesse and subtlety of its flavor have few equals in the world, but the wine does us the favor of opening up more quickly than in the past. The young vines produce the lighter but no less elegant petit-lion, and the rest of the estate the remarkable clos-du-marquis, whose value for money remains as astonishing as ever.

Guide Hachette des vins

About the wine:

While the initial bouquet reveals a clear dominance of wood, the elegance and complexity characteristic of the cru soon emerge, with beautiful aromas of ripe red fruit enhanced by a hint of violet. After a round attack, the palate takes a more intense and powerful turn, carried by very fine-grained tannins and a well-dosed freshness that pushes the finish far, far away. A Saint-Julien of incomparable refinement.

About the domain :

With 98 hectares, Las Cases not only owns three-fifths of the former Léoville estate, which was divided between 1826 and 1846 to create the three Léovilles known today, but also the historic heart of the vineyard, the Grand Clos. Nearly 60 hectares planted on fine gravel resting deeply on sandy-clay gravel, in the vicinity of Latour and the Gironde, completed by the current Clos du Marquis. Added to this advantage is the fact that the estate has been run since 1900 by the same family, the Delon (now Jean-Hubert), who have equipped it with state-of-the-art equipment, particularly since 2002.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the wine:

It comes from vines aged between 50 and 90 years and is a blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc and 10% Merlot. The 2017 Léoville Las Cases is a deep garnet-purple color, and the nose bursts with lovely notes of blackcurrant cordial, blackberry tart and blueberry jam, followed by notes of lilac, dark chocolate, cedar chest, saffron and licorice with emerging scents of Oolong tea, lavender and iron ore. Medium- to full-bodied, the palate is a veritable concentrate of elegance and sweet nuances within a palate coated with almost explosive black and blue fruits, framed by very firm, exquisitely ripe, fine-grained tannins and flawless freshness, with an epically long, wonderfully perfumed finish. Damn, it's good.

About the domain :

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the wine:

It's got everything that makes Las Cases such a great wine: a breed! This faux tender has a lot going for it, and will reveal itself within a decade.

About the domain :

The strength of this legendary cru undoubtedly lies in its famous Clos, with its complex terroir and diverse, complementary parcels. The grand vin comes exclusively from this terroir, which in many ways evokes that of Château Latour. Depending on the vintage, it may have a straighter, Pauillac profile, or a softer, more St-Julien expression. The wine regularly sports an impressive blue-black color, even in average years. At its peak (which can reach over twenty years), it offers a bouquet exceeding in complexity and nobility of flavor that of a lambda Saint Julien, with the finest aromatic nuances of Cabernet Sauvignon from the great Médoc terroirs. Owned by Jean-Hubert Delon, one of Bordeaux's finest connoisseurs of fine French wines, this cru has demonstrated unfailing consistency since the 1970s.

Wine Spectator

Wine Enthusiast

About the wine:

The watchword for this wine is style. The tannins underline the fruit. This rich structure, without losing the scent of berries and crunchy blackcurrants, shows the balance between ripeness and freshness of the vintage. Drink this wine from 2024.

Jancis Robinson

James Suckling

About the wine:

The purity here is truly exceptional. Blackberry and cassis with sandalwood, mint and other traditional herbs. Full-bodied and dense with very fine tannins. Silky smooth. Goes on for a long, long time. A blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc and 10% Merlot. A joyful yet serious wine for the vintage. And comparable to 2014 and 2015. To be enjoyed after 2023.