Château Léoville Las Cases 1994

Characteristics and Tasting Tips for Château Léoville Las Cases 1994

Tasting

Colour
The wine displays a deep, dark garnet hue. Despite its age, it retains a remarkable opacity reminiscent of a black tulip, with subtle cherry-red highlights at the rim.

Nose
The bouquet is highly complex, offering savoury aromas of dried black fruit and plum, interwoven with notes of black olive, pepper and juniper berries. With aeration, noble tertiary nuances of tobacco leaf, liquorice and mint, along with delicate floral hints of rose, enrich this smoky, spicy profile.

Palate
Full and perfectly balanced, the palate has a measured, elegant texture true to the restraint of the vintage. The tannins, though still present, have softened and wrap around savoury black fruit notes. The long, lingering finish unfolds on a dry, mineral backbone of great finesse.

Food and Wine Pairings

This great red wine pairs beautifully with roast lamb with rosemary, a fine grilled rib of beef or duck breast served with a red wine jus. It will also elevate mushroom dishes such as a porcini risotto or pan-fried chanterelles.

Serving and Ageing

For optimal enjoyment, Château Léoville Las Cases 1994 is best served at a temperature of 17–18°C, with the bottle opened one to two hours beforehand. Already fully mature, this wine offers great drinking pleasure today and will continue to evolve gracefully until around 2045.

The Depth and Precision of a Saint-Julien Wine

The Estate

Established in 1840 following the division of a vast historic 17th-century estate, Château Léoville Las Cases stands as one of the most iconic properties in Bordeaux. Ranked as a Second Growth in 1855, its level of excellence has often earned it the nickname “first of the Second Growths”. Owned by the Delon family since the late 19th century, the estate is now run by Jean-Hubert Delon, who rigorously upholds a classic, structured style built for very long ageing, making this wine a true benchmark of the Médoc.

The Vineyard

The vineyard covers nearly 100 hectares within the Saint-Julien appellation. The heart of the estate, known as the Grand Clos, spans around 60 hectares and borders the vines of the renowned Château Latour. The vines, with an average age of around 30 years, thrive on Garonne gravel soils over sandy-clay subsoils. The immediate proximity of the Gironde estuary creates an ideal temperate microclimate, encouraging slow, steady ripening of the grapes while protecting them from climatic extremes.

The Vintage

1994 is regarded as a challenging vintage in the Médoc. The weather proved capricious, marked by rain, uneven ripening and difficult harvest conditions. These climatic challenges called for meticulous work in the vineyard and rigorous selection at harvest in order to make the most of this demanding growing season.

Winemaking and Ageing

The grapes are harvested by hand, followed by meticulous sorting to retain only the finest berries. The winemaking of Château Léoville Las Cases 1994 is carried out with great precision to extract concentration while preserving elegance. The wine is then aged in French oak barrels, with a high proportion of new oak, for 16 to 20 months, building the tannic structure required for long ageing.

Grape Varieties

The blend is predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, complemented by Merlot and Cabernet Franc.