Château Léoville Las Cases 2025

A serious but classic Las Cases style with a fragrant nose of roses and violets, blackcurrant and plum. Grippy from the off, the Cabernet playing its part in giving structure straight away – so well defined. Power and focus, it’s ripe no doubt but with no dryness thanks to this fresh, mouthwatering fruit in the background – raspberry and cranberry, almost tart. Striking and quite a unique style: supple, energetic and vibrant yet still super coiled and tight. One to wait for with ageing for sure. Has the polish and lots of star power here – refined and focused. 3.56pH.

Deep and dark in color, it takes less than a second to know this is a wine that meshes power with concentration, sports a regal bearing, and delivers layer after layer of vibrant blackberries, cassis, currants, and black cherries with ease. The finish is long, expansive, mouth-filling, and powerful, with a strong mineral essence that adds sapidity. This is another Leoville Las Cases that will age and evolve for over 50 years. The wine blends 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 6% Merlot. 13.6% ABV, 3.56 pH. Harvesting took place from September 5 to September 20. Yields were 23 hectoliters per hectare. Drink from 2032-2075. 98-100 Pts

Deep, violet-hued in the glass, this barrel sample opens with remarkably expressive aromatics of cool blue fruit and ripe cassis, layered with hints of hawthorn and integrated oak spice, signaling this estate's pedigree. The attack is immediate, initially juicy with mid-palate fruit that swiftly yields to a formidable structure. The tannins are powerful (IPT 82), dense and commanding, their presence further accentuated by a relatively low pH of 3.56. At this stage, the balance clearly favors Pauillac styled power over St Julien charm, with the fruit somewhat restrained by the sheer scale of the tannic frame. The Cabernet Sauvignon dominant blend combined with low yields of 23 hl/ha due to the tiny grapes harvested underscores the wine’s concentration and depth. Élevage is expected to extend up to 22 months in 80% new oak, a choice that should help absorb and refine the structure. A distinct mineral, saline edge emerges on the finish, though presently dominated by the tannic grip. This is the first vintage produced in the estate’s new six-story cellar, equipped with 120 fermentation tanks in oak and stainless steel (up from 40), enabling highly precise parcel-by-parcel and intra-parcel vinification. The addition of a vinothèque reflects the estate's long-term vision. Under the direction of Arnaud Delon, marking his first vintage alongside his father, Jean-Hubert Delon, the technical precision is evident in the glass. A wine of impressive scale and clear potential, though one that will require patience to fully harmonize. (PK)

Las Cases surprises with its bouquet and its notes of perfectly ripe dark berries, but to me it almost feels like a tactic designed to capture the taster’s attention, because in the end it’s clearly Cabernet, the king, that takes charge of the aromas! Notes of eucalyptus mingle with scents of blackberry and grenadine before giving way to sharper, fresher nuances where intensity, character and finesse create an almost improbable harmony. Lascases remains Lascases, rising above upgrades and investment, yet it is no less delighted to be able to flourish and to benefit from even more dedicated attention. What a remarkable wine, what a splendid expression of the terroir, what energy. Léoville Las Cases 3.0! Timeless, traditional, contemporary.

Deep black color. An intense, refined nose—fruity, pure, subtle and complex. Even more nuanced with a swirl of the glass. A hint of chilled black fruit evokes the very best of the vintage’s fruit expression. Meticulous on the attack and very quickly full-bodied, the wine dances across the palate, unfolding slowly. After mid-palate, it weaves in—rich and deep—yet always precise and fine. This enigmatic impression suggests a striking identity, difficult to define, not quite that of Saint-Julien or Pauillac, like a mystery. The blend follows the same line as 2022, with a lower alcohol level and a lower pH. 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc, 6% Merlot. Alcohol: 13.65% - pH: 3.56 - IPT: 82. Yield: 23 hl/ha.