2005 Château Léoville Las Cases

Description

99    James Suckling
“A stunningly complex and complete nose of flowers, dark fruits, and minerals. Very perfumed and subtle at the same time. The palate is full, yet tight and powerful with perfect tannins and a long, long finish.” (6/2011)

98    Antonio Galloni for Vinous
“A wine for the ages, the 2005 Léoville Las Cases is slow to come out of the gate, but its beauty and pedigree are evident. The 2005 Las Cases is one of the only wines in this tasting that still needs time in bottle, something that won’t come as a surprise to fans of this St. Julien estate. The 2005 offers plenty of the typical Las Cases power, but it is also remarkably nuanced and translucent for a wine of its sheer size. When all is said and done, it is in my top three or four wines of the night.” (11/2015)

98    James Molesworth for Wine Spectator
“Sleek and racy, with black currant and fig fruit laced liberally with a bright iron streak and singed alder notes. This is very tightly coiled, as the fruit seems to be preserved for now, while the cold fireplace character holds sway. A superb energy in reserve gives this more than enough time to wait. Could outlast them all in this vintage.” (2018)

97+   Lisa Perrotti-Brown for Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
“This is a prodigious effort. A blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon and the balance Merlot and Cabernet Franc (only 37% of the crop qualified for Las Cases), this dense ruby/purple wine has a stunningly pure bouquet of dark fruit, wet rocks, graphite, and subtle background toast/vanillin. Full-bodied, masculine, and very deep and concentrated, this titanic effort is at least 8-10 years away from its plateau of maturity. The Delon family have produced another legend.” (6/2015)

97    Jane Anson for Decanter
“To some, this is the best wine estate in St-Julien. Château Léoville Las Cases is one of the three Léovilles and is the largest at 97 hectares. Though the wine is a 2ème Cru Classé, or second growth, many see this old estate rivalling the first growths and have prices to match. I’ve been lucky enough to taste this a few times this year, and the last one (at a Christie’s dinner in early November) confirmed once again what an incredible wine this is. With a full 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest made up of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the colour here is rich ecclesiastical purple, and the fruit still tight and brooding, although it starts to soften up with a good carafing even now. It’s the texture of Léoville Las Cases that often hits you, and the confidence of a wine that knows it has years ahead of it. Dark fruits, bitter chocolate, black truffles, all perfectly in place. One to savour.”

97    Neal Martin for Vinous
“The 2005 Léoville–Las Cases is a wine that needs more time. The nose remains broody compared to the 2007, but is an absolute joy, featuring brambly red fruit, tobacco, smoke, morels and light estuarine scents. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins that have become more supple over the last couple of years. There is wonderful depth and gentle grip, superb balance and a sense of symmetry on the finish that is quite brilliant. I suspect this will turn out to be one of the château’s greatest achievements of recent years.” (12/2019)