1986 | Château Léoville-Las Cases | Grand Vin de Leoville (Magnum)

The nose offers up aromas of exceptionally ripe cassis fruit intertwined with scents of vanillin, minerals, and spices. The wine is full-bodied, exceptionally well-delineated, and phenomenally concentrated.

Reviews:

• Wine Advocate: The late Michel Delon always thought that this was the greatest vintage he had produced. We often tasted it side by side with the 1982, because I always preferred the latter vintage. Of course, the two vintages are quite different in style, with the 1986 a monument to classicism, with great tannin, extraordinary delineation, and a huge, full-bodied nose of sweet, ripe cassis fruit intermixed with vanilla, melon, fruitcake, and a multitude of spices. The wine has always been phenomenally concentrated, yet wonderfully fresh and vigorous. The wine still seems young, yet it is hard to believe it is not close to full maturity. It is a great example of Leoville Las Cases, and another compelling reason to take a serious look at the top Cabernet Sauvignon-based Medocs of 1986.

• Decanter: Michel Delon, then owner, believed this to be the greatest wine he ever made. It's not often the case that wines with this much expectation riding on them live up to the hype, but this one did. A stunning wine that, at 33 years old, still feels fresh, concentrated and with a long way left to go. The tannins have the characteristic Las Cases weight and definition to them, giving form and shape to the sweet berry fruit, but the overall impression is of welcoming, juicy pleasure. Harvested from 1 to 17 October. 4% Petit Verdot completes the blend.

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.

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