“I always consider Las Cases the sixth first-growth,” said senior editor and Bordeaux taster James Molesworth as he introduced a four-vintage vertical tasting of Château Léoville Las Cases’s St.-Julien grand vin at the Wine Experience. “I might get in trouble for that, but it was clearly an oversight in that classification … Since the ’08 vintage, all of the wines I've reviewed from Las Cases have earned 90 points or better. In fact, 10 of the 14 wines earned 95 points or better. You cannot get more consistent.”
Molesworth pointed out that Las Cases has been resolutely traditional, that its owner, Jean-Hubert Delon of Domaines Delon, “is very proud of the fact that [it] is one of the estates from the 1855 classification whose vineyard has not changed at all.” But not all things have stayed the same at the estate.
Alongside Molesworth was Domaines Delon sales director Florent Fresse, who discussed the new winery recently built at Las Cases. “The four vintages you will be tasting come from the old winery,” Fresse explained, adding that 2023 and 2024 would be the inaugural vintages for the new facilities. “If you came to the estate before, [it was] probably one of the most simple technical facilities that [existed] in Bordeaux. So we have to stay very humble with the new winery and new technology.”
How a Famed Wine Develops Across Four Decades
Two of the greatest treats at the Wine Experience are the deep pleasure and learning that come from wineries’ generosity, providing some of the world’s finest bottles to taste. This vertical—of the 2016 (98 points), 2006 (95), 1996 (92) and 1986 (95) vintages—served as a Bordeaux masterclass as well as an opportunity to fix the distinctive character of Las Cases St.-Julien in attendees’ palates. The Cabernet-based wines are reliably expressive of their micro-terroir, as this tasting revealed, in part because the Las Cases estate’s proximity to the Gironde estuary protects it from extreme weather that can ruin vines farther inland.
“2016 is a perfect vintage to taste. It has everything [in] the right place,” said Fresse. “It’s an example of harmony. And you've got everything you need: I mean, it's rich, [there’s] lots of tension, lots of fruit, very good quality of tannins and drinkability for such a young Las Cases.”
“The ’96 is really showing nicely,” Molesworth continued. “The ’86 is kind of dreamy and great. I love old Bordeaux because it has that herbaceousness, but not in an underripe way. It just sparkles.” The audience applauded that point.
Las Cases poured the 2018 vintage at this year’s Grand Tastings, so there were, in fact, five vintages to compare during the Wine Experience. “[It] is pretty different,” Fresse said of the ’18. “It was very warm, day and night. It’s a great vintage … probably easier to understand right away. Easier to approach.”
Molesworth and Fresse also discussed Delon’s broad knowledge of the wine world, as well as his dedication to the château. “His objective is not to produce more expensive wine but to make you happy with wine,” Fresse explained. “He's an authentic and humble man.”
