2023 Chateau Leoville Las Cases - St. Julien 2eme Cru Classe

Falstaff Magazin – 96 pts – PM: *Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Nuancen von Tabak, Waldheidelbeere, frisch und klar. Leicht pfeffrig, aber kein Paprika. Am Gaumen eine hohe Menge sehr hochwertiger Gerbstoffe, frisch und gut Saft freigebend, auf passende Weise geschmeidig grundiert, gute Gaumenfrucht, integrierter Alkohol, sehr gute Länge mit taktil-mineralischen Komponenten.* - 05/2024

Vinum Magazin – 98/100 pts: *Einmal mehr eine Nase zum Wegträumen, tief, nobel, floral, verspielt, pure Emotion; am Gaumen dicht gebaut, ein Monument, mit Eleganz und beeindruckender Leichtigkeit, sensationelle Tanninqualität, knackige Frucht, alle Elemente sind perfekt austariert, grosse Länge. Ein majestätischer Las Cases.*

JancisRobinson.com – 17,5+/20pts – JL: *86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 4% Merlot. 43 hl/ha. First vintage vinified in the new cellars. Cask sample. A powerful statement but very embryonic. Subdued aromatically but dark fruit present. Tight and restrained but builds on the palate. Notable acidity and freshness. Good length on the finish. Clearly built for the long haul.* - 04/2024

Vinous.com – (94-97) pts – AG: * The 2023 Léoville Las Cases is a wine of understatement and class. In so many vintages, Las Cases is quite authoritative, but I find the 2023 rather quiet and unexpressive today. It’s a rather intellectual Las Cases, a wine with tremendous potential, but also a wine that is quite reserved at this early stage. Time in the glass brings out hints of blueberry, graphite, spice and mocha. It will be interesting to see where this goes. This is a very austere, classically built Las Cases for readers who can be patient.* - 04/2024

Vinous.com – (95-97) pts – NM: *The 2023 Léoville Las-Cases was picked from September 9 to October 2 at 43hL/ha and matured in 80% new oak barrels. This has a very precise bouquet, and, like the Clos du Marquis, it is imbued with an attractive estuarine element—aromatics that transport the imbiber to the banks of the Gironde. The oak is neatly integrated; 80% is much more optimal than 100% would have been. The palate is lightly spiced on the entry, moderately deep and quite lively on the mid-palate. This is a more linear Las-Cases than recent vintages, conveying a sense of "seriousness" toward the almost saturnine finish. Impressive in terms of persistence, this is a worthy follow-up to the magnificent 2022, but it will demand patience.* - 04/2024

Thewinecellarinsider.com – (96-98) pts – JL: *Cigar wrapper, creme de cassis, flowers, cherries, mint, and blackberries produce the bouquet. The palate is intense, full-bodied, concentrated, racy, and vibrant. The fruit has lift, length, purity, and a creamy edge to the racy-mouth-feel. The finish lingers, with layers of perfectly, ripe, berries that build, and expand in the mid-palate, through to the juicy, sapid finish. As always, Leoville Las Cases requires bottle aging. But for Las Cases, it is going to be a pleasure to taste relatively early, with just a decade of age. Produced from a blend 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Merlot. 13.10% ABV. 3.79 pH. Harvesting took place September 9 - October 2. This is not only the third time in the history of the estate with more Cabernet Franc than Merlot in the blend. It is also the smallest amount of Merlot ever placed into the Grand Vin. It is also interesting to note that LLC was the first major wine to be released in the 2023 campaign, setting the stage for what could take place this year. Drink from 2030-2065.* - 05/2024