Château Léoville Las Cases Saint-Julien 2005

ws100wa98we96

BN#178720

Château Léoville Las Cases

Dark, intense and concentrated, Château Léoville-Las Cases is a tannic and richly fruity wine that takes over 10-15 years to mature. Château Léoville Las Cases is one of the largest and oldest classified growths in the Médoc. Originally the other two Léovilles, Léoville Poyferré and Léoville Barton were part of the large estate. Today Léoville Las Cases comprises over 209 acres and has been owned since 1950 by the Delon Family.

Wine Advocate

Another titanic effort from the Delon family, the 2005 Leoville Las Cases is probably the greatest wine made at this estate since Jean-Hubert Delon’s father produced the 1986 and 1996. Only 37% of the production made it into the 2005, a blend of primarily Cabernet Sauvignon with less than 13% Merlot and Cabernet Franc. An inky/ruby/purple color is accompanied by reticent aromatics that, with considerable coaxing, offer up subtle notes of toasty vanillin intermixed with lead pencil shavings, wet rocks, and enormously ripe, intense black cherry and creme de cassis. The wine hits the palate with a full-bodied, layered mouthfeel as well as enormous extract, concentration, and purity. This ageless, monumental claret requires a minimum of 15-20 years to approach maturity, and should last for a half century. It is about as classic a Leoville Las Cases as one will find. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2060

Score: 98. —Robert Parker, April 2008.

Wine Enthusiast

95-97 Barrel sample. A big wine with dense tannins, but so elegant. Dark, intense, with layers of acidity underneath that only show through at the end. Unusually, Cabernet Sauvignon dominates this wine, a sign of the ripeness of the Cabernet fruit.

Score: 96. —Roger Voss, June 20, 2006.

Wine Spectator

This is breathtaking. Black in color, with incredible aromas of crushed blackberry, mineral, licorice and lead pencil. Full-bodied, with a mind-blowing texture of seamless tannins that coat every millimeter of the palate. Goes on and on, with licorice, currant and flowers. Time will tell if it's better than the 2000. Best after 2017.

Score: 100. —James Suckling, March 31, 2008.