LE PETIT LION
2017 Saint Julien Château Léoville Las Cases
The 2017 Le Petit Lion comes from the youngest vines on the terroir and some old Merlot vines since they never have more than 15% in the final blend. It is matured in 30% new oak. This felt very backward on the nose, a little herbaceous compared to previous vintages, touches of pencil shaving and cedar accompanying the black fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannin, a nicely proportioned Le Petit Lion, that Merlot fleshing out the tender and quite persistent, slightly chalky finish. Perhaps the palate is offering more than the aromatics at the moment? This will be intriguing to taste once bottled. Drinking range: 2020 - 2027 Rating: 86-88 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2018)
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Las Cases young vines, mainly Cabernet Sauvignon (52%), and some old Merlot (34%) plus 14% Cabernet Franc. 30% new oak. Parcel selection. pH 3.67, IPT 62. Deep black cherry colour. Inviting dusty/mineral character. Smells refined and fragrant without being pretty. Seems less concentrated than the Clos du Marquis and more silky in texture. Less intensity on the mid palate but long, juicy and fresh. (JH) 13.26% Drinking range: 2024 - 2032 Rating: 16.5 Julia Harding MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2018)
The 2017 Le Petit Lion comes all from the Léoville Las Cases terroir and consists of 52% mostly younger vine Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% old vine Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc, all aged in 30% new barrels. Deep purple-colored with a gorgeous bouquet of crème de cassis, black currants, crushed rocks, and graphite, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a fabulous texture, sweet fruit, and a great finish. It’s in the running for the best second wine in the vintage. Rating: 91-94 Jeb Dunnuck, www.jebdunnuck.com (Apr 2018)
This is always a wine that causes a stir of excitement as it approaches, and it succeeds in this vintage. Dense but gentle, it quite clearly will not take as long to come around as the grand vin, but it is still extremely complex. It's a spicy, well-defined year for Petit Lion - for me above the 2014 and 2015, but not quite as good as 2016. Savoury and extremely elegant, it can be approached within five years. This has some young vines in the Enclos from 3-15 years old, deepened by 40-80-year-old Merlot vines. 30% new oak. A buy. Drinking range: 2023 - 2034 Rating: 90 Jane Anson, Decanter (Apr 2018)
The second wine of Las-Cases, this is a much improved cuvée compared to its debut a decade or so ago. The picking dates are as for the grand vin, while the blend is 52% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Cabernet Franc both from young vines, and 34% Merlot from old vines, a reflection of how Cabernet faired better than Merlot in this vintage. The alcohol is 13.26%, the total acidity 3.6 g/l and the IPT 62. This accounts for about 30% of the crop. It has quite a restrained nose, more quietly spoken than the other Delon St Julien wines tasted alongside, with a very fine, pithy density to the fruit. It does feel a little more backward, perhaps all that young vine Cabernet showing through. The palate shows a succulent character to the fruit though, with creamed red cherry and red plum laced with a little sooty blackcurrant, along with very ripe and fine-boned tannins. It seems fresh and grippy, with a nice acid lift. While reserved, this has potential. Rating: 91-93 Chris Kissack, www.thewinedoctor.com (Apr 2018)
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.