1934 Leoville las Cases, Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France

1934 Leoville las Cases : the 70 years old bottle was the most ancient Léoville las Cases opened on that day. Despite its mid-shoulder level, the orange hue remains surprisingly vivid. Of course, the nose is much less intense than for more recent wines, but it continues to express wonderful nuances of soft spices, truffle, cocoa and leather. The mouth is round and full with an almost stewed fruit, only balanced by a light acidity. The texture is silky and finishes simply on a nice cigarbox scent. Relatively short finish which reminds me the sole velvety trade mark of ripe red class wines. As quoted by a participant "..this is a peaceful pensioner who benefits from all the good side of life".

1947 Leoville las Cases, Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France

1947 Leoville las Cases : deep red, brown at the rim but darker than the 47 Cruse's hue. Astonishing concentration on very fine aromas: humus, prune and black truffle. At first the structure is almost austere but softens after a few seconds. Smooth and fleshy body but light metallic notes appear by the end. Falls apart in the glass after about 30-40 minutes. This Leoville las Cases is now walking along the downward phase of its evolution, but remains a very remarkable Leoville las Cases for a rapid consumption immediately after opening the bottle. Do not decant by any means! 89/100

1948 Leoville las Cases, Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France

1948 Leoville las Cases : can this really be a 1948 Léoville las Cases? Its intense ruby hue really looks like a 15 years old Bordeaux! The nose is a sweet and complex mixture of maple syrup, candied fruits, cigarbox, mocha and black truffle. Dizzyingly multi-dimensional. Wow what a fascinating bouquet! Wide and round body. Most incredibly the tannins are not yet totally integrated and the structure remains insolently fresh and young. Very long finish. Whereas Léoville las Cases 1947 falls apart after a while, the Leoville las Cases 1948 continues to improve amazingly an hour after it has been poured in the glass, gaining in roundness and balance! A very intense moment. 97/100

1955 Leoville las Cases, Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France

1955 Leoville las Cases : surprisingly young hue despite it is nearly 50 years of age. Fresh flavours of red fruits, black truffles and undergrowth. The mouth is tremendously well structured, harmonious, round and balanced with a splendid ripe fruit. Beautiful long finish and remarkable freshness which gives an amazing youth to the wine. Similarly as with Léoville las Cases 1975, the Léoville las Cases 1955 had perfectly held the distance on the next day with no oxidation signs at all. In my view, Léoville las Cases 1955, alongside with Leoville las Cases 1948, was the revelation of this remarkable Léoville las Cases vertical tasting! 94/100

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1959 Leoville las Cases, Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France

1959 Leoville las Cases : deep ruby with a tint of lightening at the edges. The nose is charming and complex - black tea, mushrooms (morels), plums, raisins, figs and a slightly mentholated note. The palate, although tannic, is perfectly round and smooth. A luxurious texture that comes from perfectly mature Leoville las Cases. Slightly fading finish. A very elegant Leoville las Cases currently at its peak. Drink preferably before the end of this decade. 94/100

1961 Leoville las Cases (Nicolas bottled), Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France

In the glass this 1961 Leoville las Cases seems much older than its real age. Persistent toasty tertiary flavours - mushroom, tobacco, mocha coffee. However the nose lacks of elegance. Rounded tannins but little concentration and width. Funky iodized after taste notes. 83/100.

1966 Leoville las Cases, Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France

1966 Leoville las Cases : dark, ruby with light edges. Elegant notes of cedarwood, Havana, incense, spices and cocoa. The texture is harmoniously balanced, smooth and sensual with silky tannins on a beautiful finish emphasized by ripe fruit. A excellent mature Léoville las Cases  to drink with great pleasure over the next 5 years. 90/100

1970 Leoville las Cases, Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France

1970 Leoville las Cases : luminous ruby hue. Delicate floral (violet) and fruity nose of prune and ripe cherries. Balanced, elegant and harmonious body, not extremely powerful but it has an astonishingly fresh finish. A very pleasurable Léoville las Cases for fine wine connoisseurs. 89/100

1971 Leoville las Cases, Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France

1971 Leoville las Cases : ruby colour getting brown on the rim. Ripe fruit and nutmeg flavours. Average body with a light greenness on the mid-palate. Diluted finish that barely holds its fruit and an excessive acidity. This 1971 Léoville las Cases has passed it's peak and should be consumed without any further delay. 81/100

1973 Léoville las Cases, Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France

1973 Leoville las Cases : light colour with an orange, red rim. Cocoa and smoked notes. After a while in the glass, this 1973 Léoville las Cases reminds me some kind of sweet cough syrup. Medium bodied and fully mature. Jammy fruit but falling apart at the finish. 82/100

1975 Leoville las Cases, Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France

1975 Leoville las Cases :Dark, ruby with light edges. Fine pepper notes in the bouquet and plenty of tertiary aromas: undergrowth, black truffle and crystallized fruit. Fat and well balanced with an impressive body. Amazingly tasty and still firmly tannic. A very beautiful and classic Léoville las Cases. No signs of fruit over-extraction that one may find with some recent wines. Will remain enjoyable for at least 10-15 more years or longer. 95/100.
It's worth mentioning that the remainder of the bottle tasted the next day had further rounded and improved!

1978 Leoville las Cases, Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France

1978 Leoville las Cases : Bright ruby hue. Lovely nose getting more and more complex in the glass: ripe fruit, black tea leaves, nutmeg, sandalwood, catechu and candy fruit. Full and sensual mouth, beautiful red fruit jam highlighted by a splendid and concentrated structure with noticeable, but by no means aggressive tannins. Unctuous and elegant body. Long finish. A striking Léoville las Cases which should probably hold at that high level of quality for another decade. 90/100

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1979 Leoville las Cases , Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France

1979 Leoville las Cases : Light ruby color with slight browning on the rim. Nice, mature nose of tertiary flavours - undergrowth, cocoa. Good intensity, but a shy mid-palate, ethereal structure evolving into velvety notes. Short finish but has an nice freshness and a good balance by the end. A delicate Léoville las Cases, to drink now with pleasure. 86/100

1982 Leoville las Cases, Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France

1982 Leoville las Cases : Deep, dark, garnet tinted. Flattering almost overripe red fruits balanced by a splendid overall freshness and lovely black chocolate notes. Beautiful concentration pairing with rounded tannins and always this wonderful ripe fruit on the background. Vibrant acidity which gives a sort of Burgundian style to the wine. But surprisingly, the finish is rather short and the 82 Léoville las Cases has problems by the end of the palate. A very nice, but frustrating Léoville las Cases which doesn't quite meet our expectations. Some participants mentioned the hypothesis that the bottle had probably been kept in improper conditions. 90/100 but this review should be confirmed by bottles from other provenances.

1985 Leoville las Cases, Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France

1985 Leoville las Cases : Intense ruby hue. Shimmering nose opening gradually on ripe fruits, tobacco and spices. Silky and elegant. Integrated tannins and beautiful freshness. Harmonious and delicate finish. A classic Léoville las Cases, very far in style from the hyper-concentrated / highly extracted wines sometimes produced at Bordeaux during the more recent years. 90/100

1986 Leoville las Cases, Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France

1986 Leoville las Cases : Dark garnet color. The nose is closed and reveals a worrying greenness. Confirmation on the palate, which is hermetically closed and showing unpleasant tar combined with green and dry tannins. One hesitates to conclude if this 1986 Léoville las Cases is currently in a closed phase of its evolution - but more probably this is a flawed bottle (or magnum in this case!). What a shame.

1987 Leoville las Cases, Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France

1987 Leoville las Cases : More intense hue than the Léoville las Cases 1977. Fleeting nose of sweet pepper, undergrowth, mushrooms. Medium and linear mid-palate, short alcoholic finish. This Léoville las Cases must have seen better times a decade ago. 70/100

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1988 Leoville las Cases, Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France

1988 Leoville las Cases : Deep garnet hue. Spicy (pepper) and smoked bacon nose. Impressive body and concentrated structure. Lively red fruits and beautiful tannins. After a little mid-palate hollowness, the beautiful opening sensation of fruits returned. Long finish with the same spicy notes initially perceived on the bouquet. A very nice Léoville las Cases which requires another 5 years of patience to reach its peak (2008-2010). 89/100

1989 Leoville las Cases, Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France

1989 Leoville las Cases : Intense inky colour. The nose is great from start to finish: cedar box with loads of red fruits, currants, raspberries, and vanilla. Amazing depth and structure, vibrant and bright fruit with layers of blackberries, and cassis. Intense structure and massive tannins which still need a few years to round themselves. Huge volume and remarkably balanced, very long finish. Doesn't reveal all its potential today. A Léoville las Cases certainly built to defy time. 95/100

1991 Leoville las Cases, Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France

1991 Leoville las Cases : Light garnet. Inexpressive nose of pepper and vanilla. Curiously this 92  Léoville las Cases is still marked by wood. Thin body but no outstanding defect. Drinkable but rather lean. This bottle illustrates today's technical progress of the wine making in poor years. Drink now. 82/100

1992 Léoville las Cases, Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France

1992 Leoville las Cases : Slightly orange rim. Little intensity supported by plum, smoked wood, and some curious pharmaceutical flavours (bandaid?). Medium length aftertaste but collapses right after that, marked by unpleasant acidity, alcohol and a short finish. A clearly declining Léoville las Cases. 70/100

1993 Léoville las Cases, Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France

1993 Leoville las Cases : Garnet-red hue. well evolved nose that packs ripe fruits and liquorice notes. The taste was quite different, more astringent and severe tannins. Rounding finish but average intensity. Relative disappointment on this 1993 Léoville las Cases. Drink now. 82/100

1995 Leoville las Cases, Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France

1995 Leoville las Cases : Beautiful dark purple. Floral (violets) and copious amounts of fruit on the nose (blackcurrant). The wood has not totally been integrated yet. Tight and elegant structure. Well balanced, and suprisingly smooth. Crunching tannins. Slightly bitter finish. Many loved its finesse and elegance very much. Léoville las Cases 1995 is delicious to drink now and will continue to improve over the next decade. 94/100

1995 Leoville las Cases, Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France

January 2007 - decanted 2 hours.
The appearance of this bottle of 1995 Chateau Léoville las Cases is very deep and almost black.
Closed aromatic structure but the palate has gobs of ripe black fruits.
The tannic structure of 1995 Léoville las Cases is tight but already well integrated and silky. A woody feeling at the back of the mouth is perceptible but still not awkward. This is a Top Bordeaux wine! A similar bottle tasted 3 months ago was shut down with harder tannins and much less fruit. 94/100.
(Tasted by Fred Godin for ccvo-bg)

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1996 Leoville las Cases, Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France

1996 Leoville las Cases : Opaque crimson colour. The nose was still closed but a wonderful fleshy fruit aroma could finally tease out. On the palate, it is monumental! Complex and tight structure, silky tannins, huge body. A paradoxical balance illustrated to me by the image of a fat elephant moving with the grace of a petite ballerina. Phenomenal finish with an unbelievable fruit richness. Difficult however to recognize the appellation. This could easily be one of Pauillac's First Growths hidden under the Marquis' label. What a Léoville las Cases! 98/100

1997 Leoville las Cases 1997, Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France

1997 Leoville las Cases : Visually the 1997 Leoville las Cases is in a different category. Youthful crimson hue. Forward nose with notes of scorched barrel, candied fruits and mocha. The body is silky, but not excessively rich, pleasant finish. A seducing "modern" style wine that should easily hold another ten years. But can it really improve? This Léoville las Cases had its detractors and supporters, but from a general point of view the consensus within the participants was that the woody tannins appear to be slightly unbalanced relative to the fruit's richness. 88/100

1998 Leoville las Cases, Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France

1998 Leoville las Cases : Intense crimson hue. Beautiful smoky oak and cedar nuances, red fruits (blackcurrant), violet flowers and a little peppered note. Opulent and fleshy mouth. Chewy and fat tannins. A beautiful bottle contrasting with the Léoville las Cases 1996 by its "easy" and somewhat international style. Nevertheless, a very pleasurable Léoville las Cases to keep for another decade (2015). 93/100

1999 Leoville las Cases, Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France

1999 Leoville las Cases : Beautiful intense crimson hue. Discrete nose with black fruits (bilberries), liquorice and almost disturbing aromas of vanilla and roasted wood. Well balanced and fresh with a velvety finish. Quite similar in style to the Léoville las Cases 1997 tasted previously, but with less smoothness. This wine sparked much controversy within participants as all didn't appreciate its "easy" style so much. Currently a bit closed. Will probably show better in a few years. 88/100. (April 2004)

1999 Leoville las Cases, Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France

Rich and complex 1999 Leoville las Cases. Blackcurrant, dark cherry fruit, spice and liquorice. Very expressive on the palate as middle fruit and ripe tannins finish the wine off. An nice work of power and elegance. 90/100. (Oct. 2002)

2000 Leoville las Cases, Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France

The colour of 2000 Léoville las Cases is opaque with ruby edges. Gorgeous and complex nose of overripe fruit, blackcurrant liquor, lead pencil, liquorice and spices. Incredible exactness. Strong and silky tannins. Huge density and elegance. Beautiful balance and long finish. The winemaking is totally in control giving an almost too precise picture of this giant. Unbelievably classy. 98/100

2002 Léoville las Cases, Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France

2002 Leoville las Cases : Deep purple hue. Complex and sensual red fruit flavours, slightly roasted, mild tobacco. Dense on the palate with a wonderful definition of the fruit, tight but not aggressive tannins. Remarkable balance. Long aftertaste. Great elegance and an indisputable ageing potential. A classic Las Cases, close to the quality of the 2000 Léoville las Cases according to the estate's cellar master, Bruno Rolland! 91/100

2004 Léoville las Cases, Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France

06/2007 - What finesse on the nose! A wonderful medley of red fruit with hints of menthol and delicate toasty oak. There are also rich, floral aromas of great complexity.
Remarkably tight, well-focused, spirited structure on the palate. Characterful fruitiness with remarkably silky tannin and a hint of liquorice that offset the tight, austere texture.
A superb wine not dissimilar to the excellent 2001.

Further articles on ccvo-bg

Bordeaux wine tasting by topic

Bordeaux wine tasting by Chateau