Le Petit Lion du Marquis de Las Cases 2018

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.

"The 2018 Le Petit Lion is blended of 45% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Cabernet Franc, harvested from September 15 to October 4 with yields of 35.5 hectoliters per hectare. The wine has 14.47% alcohol and will be aged in barriques, 30% new. The finished blend was put into barrels last December. Deep garnet-purple colored, it gives a wonderfully perfumed nose of violets, star anise and fragrant soil over a core of plum preserves, blackberry pie and blueberry compote plus a waft of spice cake. The palate is rich, seductive and spicy with plush, rounded tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and opulent. Love it!" - Lisa Perotti-Brown, The Wine Advocate, Ratings: 92-94

"The second wine of Château Léoville Las Cases, the 2018 Le Petit Lion checks in as a more Merlot-dominated wine that is 45% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest Cabernet Franc. It also sees slightly less new oak, being brought up in 30% new oak. Beautiful crème de cassis, graphite, white flowers, cedary herbs, and tobacco give way to medium to full-bodied, elegant wine with classy, fine-grained tannins, beautiful overall balance, and a great finish. Give bottles 4-5 years of bottle age and enjoy over the following 20+." - Jeb Dunnuck, (03/16/2021), Ratings: 93, Drink: 2025-2045