Le Petit Lion du Marquis de Las Cases 2017

A tireless pursuit of excellence is 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. Le Petit Lion de Marquis de Las Cases is the second wine of this exalted estate.  It is held to the same rigorous quality standards as the grand vin yet is meant to be enjoyed earlier than its counterpart.

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, 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 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.  In 2007, Château Léoville Las Cases introduced Le Petit Léon as their second wine, in an effort to improve the quality of the grand vin.  Yet Le Petit Léon has an additional purpose, it is a more user-friendly wine that is ready to drink.  There is a higher concentration of Merlot used in Le Petit Lion du Marquis de Las Cases, and this makes the wine more accessible. With all that in mind, the ageing potential is still impressive and comparable to the grand vin.

"Coming from young Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot plus some older vines, the deep garnet-purple colored 2017 Le Petit Lion is composed of 53% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Cabernet Franc. It is a little closed and broody to begin, opening out to offer notes of baked plums, warm black cherries and boysenberries with touches of garrigue, lavender, anise and tobacco. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is built like a brick house, with firm, grainy tannins and bold freshness supporting the muscular fruit, finishing long with some mineral accents coming through. Needs a good 2-3 years in barrel.- Lisa Perrotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate, Rating: 91+, Drink: 2020-2035