Château Léoville Las Cases - Saint Julien 2006 (750ml)
Price: $229.99
| Producer | Château Léoville Las Cases |
| Country | France |
| Region | Bordeaux |
| Subregion | St. Julien |
| Varietal | Cabernet Sauvignon , Merlot , Cabernet Franc |
| Vintage | 2006 |
| Sku | 31783 |
| Size | 750ml |
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Château Léoville Las Cases Description
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. Dark, intense and concentrated, Château Léoville-Las Cases is a tannic and richly fruity wine that takes over 10-15 years to mature.
Wine Spectator: 95 Points
Offers a pure nose of crushed raspberry and violet, with aniseed. Full-bodied, with beautiful, well-integrated tannins and a long, polished texture to the finish. Very beautiful. Harmonious and structured. Best after 2015.
Wine Advocate: 95 Points
Not surprisingly, Leoville Las Cases has produced another classic, potentially long-lived wine in 2006. Among the St.-Juliens, it, Ducru Beaucaillou, and Leoville Barton possess the potential for the greatest longevity. Interestingly, when I visited this chateau in January, proprietor Jean-Hubert Delon offered me two samples, one where the cork had been pulled immediately prior to tasting, and another that had been decanted four hours earlier. Both were superb, but the wine that had had extended aeration was clearly the finer offering. The opaque purple-hued 2006- only 40% of the crop made it into the final blend- exhibits a personality that mimics the superb 1996. Classic aromas of sweet black raspberries, kirsch, cassis, and subtle toasty oak are followed by a full-bodied, concentrated wine displaying moderately high tannin. This cuvee can often resemble a Pauillac wrapped in the St.-Julien appellation, and the 2006 is no exception. A blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14.5% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, it will require significant cellaring before consumption. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2035+.
Wine Enthusiast: 95 Points
While the aromas are tight and firm, once it is in the mouth, this wine just explodes. The tannins are dark, almost impenetrable, dry and dense. These tannins are a layer over the fruit that just piles up with ripe blackberry juice, an edge of blueberry. The soft sweetness of this range of flavors continues on the finish, pitted against the tannins.
Stephen Tanzer: 94 Points
Bright, full ruby. Brooding aromas of cassis, black cherry, minerals, bitter chocolate, shoe polish and violet; more Pauillac than Saint-Julien on the nose. Then rich, lush and powerful, with impressive fullness and volume. As full and sweet as this is, there's no impression of excess weight and the back end shows a distinctly austere quality, even if the serious tannins are nicely buffered by the wine's rich middle. Really stains the palate with flavor on the aftertaste. Wonderfully ripe cabernet sauvignon here; in fact, most of the cab franc in 2006 was declassified into the Clos du Marquis.
