1996 | Château Léoville-Las Cases | Grand Vin de Leoville (Magnum)

Incredible nose of blackberry, mineral, cedar and currant. Full-bodied, with silky and refined tannins and a medium caressing finish.

Reviews:

• Wine Advocate: Having previously rated it nearly perfect, I was apprehensive of a letdown about tasting the 1996 Leoville Las Cases once it had been bottled, but that concern was quickly dismissed once I put my nose in the glass. A profound Leoville Las Cases, it is one of the great modern day wines of Bordeaux. This wine's hallmark remains a sur-maturite (over-ripeness) of the Cabernet Sauvignon grape. Yet the wine has retained its intrinsic classicism, symmetry, and profound potential for complexity and elegance. The black/purple color is followed by a spectacular nose of cassis, cherry liqueur, pain grille, and minerals. It is powerful and rich on the attack, with beautifully integrated tannin, massive concentration, yet no hint of heaviness or disjointedness. As this wine sits in the glass it grows in stature and richness. It is a remarkable, seamless, palate-staining, and extraordinarily elegant wine - the quintessential St.-Julien. Despite the sweetness of the tannin, I would recommend cellaring this wine for 7-8 years

• Wine Spectator: Incredible nose of blackberry, mineral, cedar and currant. Full-bodied, with silky and refined tannins and a medium caressing finish. It's a beautiful wine that begs to be drunk now but will age and improve for a long time.

Producer Information

Château Léoville-Las Cases is an estate in the Saint-Julien appellation of Bordeaux, ranked as a second growth in the 1855 Classification of the Médoc and Graves. Typical of the appellation, Château Léoville-Las Cases is Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant, with smaller amounts of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The estate has a history dating back to the mid-17th Century, when it used to be part of a much larger estate. During the French Revolution (1789-1799) the estate was divided in two with a small section becoming Château Léoville Barton. In 1840, the original estate was again divided, creating Château Léoville-Poyferre. All three of the Léoville châteaux were named in the 1855 Classification as second growths, but Léoville-Las Cases remains the largest. There are 98 hectares (242 acres) of vineyards, planted with 66 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 24 percent Merlot, 9 percent Cabernet Franc and 1 percent Petit Verdot. The vineyard's soils are mostly gravel over sand and clay, with some areas where the clay reaches the surface. The proximity of the Gironde moderates weather extremes, lowering the risk of frost and allowing grapes to ripen earlier than vineyards further inland. The vines are on average 40 years old. Léoville-Las Cases produces three wines, all red Bordeaux blends. It is credited with being one of the first Bordeaux producers to release a second wine in 1902, even though the second wine in question, the Clos du Marquis, is made from a separate vineyard and thus is not really a second wine. A true second wine, Le Petit Lion du Marquis de Las Cases, was released in 2007, and is a Merlot-dominant wine made from younger vines, which are not yet ready for the grand vin. Domaines Delon, proprietors of the estate, also own Château Potensac in the Medoc and Château Nénin in Pomerol.

DISCLAIMER** This is a single item listing unless otherwise noted in the description. Retailer advises either in stock or in route to their location. Usually ships within one to four business days. Longer processing times may occur especially around holiday(s). Some items may become backordered or delayed without notice due to demand & will ship out upon arrival. Overseas 700ml products typically have longer processing/transit times. You can always verify product availability by calling 1-888-548-0333. Please refer to our cancellations & returns agreement or reach out to our support team at help@caskcartel.com for any additional questions.

Our dedicated team specializes in creating personalized shopping experiences. If you’re looking for a specific item or collection that isn’t appearing on our marketplace, please reach out to us at concierge@caskcartel.com or fill out the product inquiry form and one of our dedicated team members will be in touch.  Whether it’s a product you’ve experienced while traveling or a rare, hard to find item you’ve been searching for, we have an established global network of retailers with the ability to locate and source the rarest and hardest to find products.