CLOS DU MARQUIS

2010 du Château Léoville Las Cases Saint Julien Château Léoville Las Cases

IN STOCK
Colour Red
Origin France, Bordeaux
Sub-district Haut Médoc
Village Saint Julien
ABV 13%

Classic dry, complex, Saint Julien floral and black Cabernet nose. Quite surprisingly high-toned and Poyferré-ish. More Cabernet Sauvignon than usual. Driven, intense dry black fruit, coupled with a lively tonic freshness. Very concentrated and long. Very intense finish - rather amazing. Rating: 93 L&S (Apr 2011)

*Case price discount: Mix any 12 bottles of wine (or 9 litre equivalent) or 6 bottles of Champagne, Spirits, Sweet Wine or Fortified (4.5 litres) to get the discounted 'case price' for each bottle.

The 2010 Clos du Marquis offers blackberry, melted tar and tobacco scents on the nose, this comes across a tad more introspective than its peers. After a few minutes it reveals fine delineation and focus, more precise than initially thought. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-boned tannins, well judged acidity, slightly peppery with a harmonious and persistent finish that is very satisfying. Excellent. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal. Drinking range: 2022 - 2045 Rating: 92 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Apr 2020)

Deep, bright red. Inviting aromas of black cherry and sweet spices lifted by a floral nuance. Supple and fine-grained; remarkably smooth and plush for a young Clos du Marquis, with black cherry and dark berry flavors conveying a restrained sweetness and an impression of elegance. Plenty of stuffing here for mid-term aging but seamless enough to give immediate pleasure. Rating: 90 Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar (Jul 2013)

This second wine of a château that officially doesn’t have one – it comes from its own designated vineyards – is even more marked by Cabernet Sauvignon this year, but it’s another classy red: cassis scented, finely balanced and elegant, with plenty of tannin and fruit concentration in reserve. 15+ years. Rating: 94 Tim Atkin MW, www.timatkin.com (May 2011)

Château Léoville Las Cases

St Julien Deuxième cru 1855 One of the leading "super-seconds" - a second growth chateau who's wines rival, in terms of quality and often price, the fabled First Growths of the Haut-Médoc. Before the Revolution, the Leoville estate was one of the largest and grandest in the region. At the time, it was in the aristrocratic ownership of the family of the Marquis de Las-Cases-Beauvoir. Unsurprisingly, the Marquis had to flee. To avoid Leoville being seized, the family decided to sell up but the complicated ownership of the estate, which was split between siblings, prevented the sale of Leoville as a whole and, in the end, only a small portion was sold off, to Hugh Barton, and this became Château Leoville Barton. The remainder of the estate came back to the Marquis' family when his son, Pierre-Jean, inherited most of Leoville, the only exception being a small portion inherited by his sister Jeanne. Jeanne's daughter married Baron Jean-Marie de Poyferré and, in 1840, this portion of the estate sheered off to become Château Leoville Poyferré. To stop further divisions among inheriting children, a holding company was founded to own Château Las Cases. Théophile Skawinski, who managed the estate, bought some shares which later passed to his son-in-law André Delon. The Delon family continued to buy share as they became available until, eventually, they became the owners of Château Leoville Las Cases. The bulk of Las Cases's vineyards - the Grand Clos - sit at the very northern end of St Julien, facing Château Latour across the Ruisseau de Juillac. The vines are planted to 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. The hand-picked grapes are fermented in an unusual array of wooden, stainless-steel and cement tanks. Wines spend 20 months in oak, with the proportion of new wood for the grand vin varying from 50% to 100% depending on the vintage. Château Leoville Las Cases have one of the most highly regarded "second wines" in Bordeaux - Clos du Marquis. The first vintage was in 1902, long predating most of its competitors. Its status as a true "second wine" is sometimes disputed, as there is a distinct Clos du Marquis vineyard, a little way to the west of the Grand Clos, although the cuvée does include some declassifications from the grand vin and fruit of younger vines. Its status as a "second wine" also belies the quality which exceeds many of the region's "first" wines.

This wine isn't currently part of a mixed case, but you can always browse our full selection of mixed cases here.
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