Château Léoville Las Cases 2021

Shows a rare level of finesse, depth and balance in this vintage, with a stream of black currant coulis carried by a pinpoint of acidity, while charcoal and sweet tobacco accents run along the edges. The long, iron-tinged finish offers a late hint of violet and almost no grain. A terrific effort for the vintage. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2026 through 2040.

Utterly captivating on the nose, fragrant and floral with soft orange flecks, sweet cedar and cinnamon. Textured like heavy silk, weighty with a hold to the tannins that says ‘I’m a serious wine’, offering energy and focus. Precision and density, finessed layering that lets the wine deepen and expand over time. Not immediately as attention-seeking as some, but this is classy no doubt and ultimately calls for another sip, and then another. A gorgeous wine that is all the better for what it’s not saying at this point.

A classic Leoville Las Cases with blackcurrants, blackberries, stone, graphite and lavender aromas that follow through to a medium body with firm and refined tannins and a juicy finish. Plenty of subtle flavor at the end. Racy tannins. 80% cabernet sauvignon, 15% cabernet franc and 5% merlot. Already very integrated and attractive but will be even better in three or four years.

Dark ruby with hints of purple around the edge, the wine exudes smoke, cedar, tobacco leaf, slate, lead pencil, blackberries, espresso and currants. One of the more powerful wines of the vintage, the wine offers loads of black and red fruits, ripe, present, salty tannins, and a juicy, almost creamy, yet classically structured finish. Produced from a blend 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Merlot. 13.20% ABV. This is the first time you find more Cabernet Franc than Merlot in the blend in the history of the estate. Drink from 2025-2055. 94-96

Vivid dark ruby colour, opaque core, purple tinge to the narrow rim. Nougat, black berries, fresh dark cherries, a touch of savouriness; an inviting bouquet. Taut, tightly woven, very lively, fine tannins, finesse and persistence, subtle sweetness on the finish, red cherry aftertaste. Potential to age for many years, the proportion of Cabernet Franc gives the wine the special touch.

Unquestionably one of the wines of the vintage, the 2021 Château Léoville Las Cases is flat-out brilliant and brings that classic Las Cases regalness and structure. Cassis, graphite, lead pencil shavings, crushed stone, and an almost bloody, salty character all define this riveting 2021, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a great mid-palate, ripe, polished tannins, and a great finish. It has more mid-palate density and depth than just about every other wine in the vintage, and despite its structure, it's going to be relatively accessible in just 5-7 years. It will most likely be one of the longest-lived in the vintage.

Right away on the nose this is chiselled and austere in all the right places, with huge depth and character. Concentrated crème de cassis, with a hidden creamy mid-palate that lurks beneath the tannic frame. Plenty of estate signature, meaning cassis, espresso, bilberry, slate and graphite. Great quality, and supremely Léoville Las Cases. 85% new oak, just a touch down from normal in reflection of the vintage.

A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, and 15% Cabernet Franc, the 2021 Leoville Las Cases is deep garnet-purple in color. It needs a fair bit of swirling and coaxing to reveal a pronounced core of cassis, Morello cherries, and mulberries, giving way to a fragrant undercurrent of tilled soil, charcoal, violets, and cedar, plus a touch of Sichuan pepper. The medium-bodied palate delivers impressive, tightly wound layers of black fruits and minerals, framed by ripe, fine-grained tannins and wonderful tension, finishing long and perfumed. All minerals and florals - very pretty!

Las Cases 2021 is a wine of remarkable refinement, very well-structured, not the most intense, but with magnificent elegance. An aristocratic wine with ultra-defined tannins and a radiant palate. Its usual tannin grain is present. A wine that, as is often the case here, will require patient cellaring.

Fleshy, sensual notes of ripe fruit and cherry pit form the aromatic core of this intriguing, addictive nose. On the second nose, these notes are veiled by all the refinement we expect from Las Cases: chalky, mineral, chiselled aromas and a delicate sapidity. The palate, dynamically intense and compelling, has a crystalline freshness that makes the wine hover on the tongue, along with very juicy succulence: it “pinots” like a Burgundy. Then come enveloping yet gripping tannins on the long finish.