Château Leoville Las Cases 2010

A tireless pursuit of excellence is deeply entrenched within the winemaking philosophy at Château Léoville Las Cases.  It is no wonder this Saint-Julien estate is considered one of the original “Super Seconds,” and could be promoted to a First Growth if the 1855 Classification were to be revised. With its exceptional terroir, rigorous adherence to tradition, and openness to new winemaking technology, Château Léoville Las Cases could be considered one of finest examples of great winemaking in the Médoc.  

Château Léoville Las Cases was one of the oldest and largest estates in the Médoc. This sprawling Saint-Julien property was the first estate credited for producing 2nd Growth Wines in Bordeaux.  In the mid 18th Century, the massive estate was split into three smaller parcels – Château Léoville Las Cases, Château Léoville Barton, and Château Léoville Poyferre.  Château Léoville Las Cases led the way in terms of viticultural technique during the 18th Century.  It was one of the first  châteaux to cultivate smaller berries for winemaking and use pine trellises in the vineyards.  They were also one of the first producers in Bordeaux to age wine in French Oak Barrels and use a Sulphur cleaning solution between vintages.  These may not seem like novel ideas now, but in the late 18th Century they were revolutionary. Château Léoville Las Cases continued to lead in the 19th and 20th centuries by being the first Bordeaux producer to have a separate label – Clos du Marquis.

Château Léoville Las Cases is family owned and has been for over a hundred years.  Michel Delon and his son Jean-Hubert are considered to be the men responsible for taking the Château’s production to new heights.  Perfectionism is in their blood and they are not afraid to invest in state-of-the-art technology that rivals some of the First Growth Estates.  These 97-hectare vineyards are a stone’s throw away from Pauillac and views of the First Growth powerhouse, Château Latour, can be seen at the property.  It is of no coincidence that the wines of Léoville Las Cases possess the same strength and remarkable ageability of this Pauillac First Growth.  Many a drinker has commented that this St-Julién estate’s wines drink a lot more like Pauillac wines because of their sheer fortitude and classic elegance. 

Château Léoville Las Cases hosts numerous plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and a small portion of Petit Verdot.  The vines are on average 40 years old, with some exceptions that are almost a century old.  The winemaking team tends the vineyards with loving care and the vines are harvested by hand for the Grand Vin.  In 2007, Château Léoville Las Cases introduced a second wine called Le Petit Léon in 2007.  The purpose for Le Petit Léon was to raise the bar for the Grand Vin and serve as a more user-friendly wine that is ready to drink.  That being said, Le Petit Léon still has the enormous ageing potential of its sister wine.  Château Léoville Las Cases produces wines that unfold beautifully after 15-20 years due to their painstaking commitment to quality.  Their meticulous attention to detail is imitated by many, achieved by few, and surpassed by none.  

"As one would expect, this is a powerful, concentrated wine with 13.7% natural alcohol (compared to 2005's 13.2%). The pH is quite normal at 3.56, and its relatively high total acidity gives it a classic, fresh, yet backward style. Given how long vintages such as 1982, 1986, and I suspect, 2000 are taking to reach maturity, prospective purchasers of this wine should easily invest in a decade of cellaring, although I suspect it will be closer to 15 or more years before it reveals secondary nuances. A good 40- to 50-year wine, it is a dense purple, full-bodied style of Las Cases, with classic sweet kirsch, graphite and black currant fruit as well as hints of new saddle leather and subtle oak. Backward, layered and multi-dimensional, the wine is stunningly rich, but brooding. Forget it at least until 2020 or later." - Robert Parker Jr, The Wine Advocate (5/1/2011), Ratings: 95-98, Drink: 2020-2050

"Composed of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc, the deep garnet colored 2010 Léoville Las Cases delivers tons of evolving black fruits on the nose with notes of crème de cassis, prunes and incense plus wafts of cloves, cedar, cigar box and powdered cinnamon. Full-bodied, rich, bold and decadently fruited, it has a solid frame of grainy tannins, and the oak is faintly notable on the palate. It finishes impressively with long-lingering mineral notes. This one probably needs 3-5 more years to really hit its stride!" - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate (5/5/2020), Ratings: 97+, Drink: 2023-2060

"Layered, textured, deep, cigar box, cassis and earth, managing to simultaneously stretch out, and burrow down. The edges open slowly but surely and seductively. Still inky in colour, this has all the powerful texture and tannic architecture that you expect from Leoville, and unlike the 2009 at its ten year point it is still keeping plenty of secrets close to its chest. But you are going to want to be around when it fully opens." - Jane Anson, Decanter (4/30/2021) Ratings: 100, Drink: 2022-2050

"Stunning and pure from the get-go, with intense cassis and blackberry fruit. Ultimately takes a slightly austere approach, with a wrought-iron structure driving along while pastis, black tea, licorice snap and asphalt notes course underneath. Long and loaded with grip, this remains remarkably fine-grained. A very chiseled Cabernet that is wonderfully precise and incredibly long. Best from 2020 through 2040." - James Molesworth, Wine Spectator (June 2021) Rating: 99