99+ Lisa Perroti-Brown
Made from 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Franc, the 2019 Leoville Las Cases is deep garnet-purple in color. It bursts from the glass with seductive scents of black cherry compote, creme de cassis, violets, and dark chocolate, leading to wafts of cedar and star anise. The full-bodied palate has amazingly fine tannins and great tension supporting the mineral-accented black fruits, finishing very long.
The 2019 Château Léoville Las Cases is one seriously majestic beauty that shows the elegant, pure, balanced style of this vintage to a T. The 2019 is a blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc that was raised in 90% new French oak. Notes of crème de cassis, smoked black cherries, graphite, tobacco, and damp earth all emerge from the glass, and it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a fresh, chiseled texture, layers of ripe tannins, and a solid spine of acidity. The 2019 will be one for the ages and will need at least a decade of bottle age, but it will drink well for 50-60 years or more.
98 - Decanter
I love it when a wine steals up on you, and you very definitely get that here, taking its time on the first attack then rapidly expanding outwards and upwards. Undoubtedly it will knit down as Las Cases can't help itself but do, but there is a creamy almost caramel side hiding among the tannins here. Beautiful power and layers of charcoal, slate, crushed stones, cassis, bilberry and tobacco - all displayed with elegance and tension. (JA)
