
Red wine
Château Léoville Las Cases 2018
2018 suits this estate, which can seem steelier from barrel in cooler vintages. Better perhaps than the superlative 2009. The alcohol is just under 14.5% with high tannins. While some estates – like Cos d’Estournel – are cutting back on the new oak or the aging time on the 2018, director Pierre Graffeuille may extend time in barrel to “20 months or maybe more”. Fine Cuban Cigar. Very long on the finish and veritable velvety lift. There is such density and yet fine finesse and lift. You get a sense of pure red, crystalline fruit, then tobacco, fine Cuban, and density as well as lift, as the alcohol is buffered by excellent acidity. Indeed, the finish is marked by gorgeous orange peel freshness. “This could shut down, as the tannins are there”, owner Jean Hubert Delon stressed. When talking about 2016, Delon says this “could be like comparing 1959”. He recalls smelling the 59 in the vat room as a child, and the 2018 reminds him of that.
Score: 97-100
Wine Details
Colour
Red
Wine Style
Still
Grape Varieties
Cabernet Sauvignon (80%), Merlot (11%), Cabernet Franc (9%)
Alcohol
14.5%
Bottle size
75cl
Origin
Country
France
Region
Bordeaux
Sub-region
Médoc & Haut Médoc
Area
Saint-Julien AOP
Tasting Information
Name of Tasting
Bordeaux En Primeur 2018
Type of Tasting
Tasting report
Blind
No
Tasted by
Panos Kakaviatos