Chateau Leoville Las Cases 2eme Cru Classe, Saint-Julien 2005

Still inky hued and not yet in its prime, the 2005 Château Leoville Las Cases is nevertheless jaw dropping good, and certainly a perfect wine in this reviewer’s opinion. Cassis, ripe currants, leather, graphite, crushed stone, and smoke all define the aromatics, and it has a massive, full-bodied profile on the palate as well as the more focused, regal style of the Chateau. There’s no shortage of tannins, it has incredible purity, integrated acidity, and a monster of a finish. It actually has a touch of Latour-like character, and it needs another 4-6 years, if not a decade, to hit prime time, and will have 30 years of longevity. The 2005 is 87% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot and Cabernet Franc, representing only 37% of the total production.

A stunningly complex and complete nose of flowers, dark fruits, and minerals. Very perfumed and subtle at the same time. The palate is full, yet tight and powerful with perfect tannins and a long, long finish. The quality of the tannins is phenomenal, please leave this alone for ten years. Pull the cork in 2020.

The 2005 Léoville Las Cases is a classic that numbers among the wines of the vintage in the Médoc. Wafting from the glass with notes of dark berries, cassis, incense, burning embers, sweet soil tones, dark chocolate and cigar wrapper, it's medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, with a vibrant core of fruit, lively acids and sweet, powdery tannins. More elegant and refined than the hulking, uncompromising 2006, the 2005 is nevertheless a powerful, tightly wound wine that will reward further bottle age, even if it's actually quite expressive today.

The 2005 Leoville Las Cases is a blend of 87.6% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7.6% Merlot, and 4.8% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-brick in color, it explodes with black and blue fruit preserves notes before giving way to a spray of creme de cassis, hoisin, Indian spices, and crushed rocks scents. The medium-bodied palate is finely knit with elegantly styled, fragrant black fruit and earthy layers, supported by firm, densely pixilated tannins and lively acidity, finishing long and opulent. At a sweet-spot in its evolutionary curve, poised between fruitiness and a tertiary spice bomb, this is gorgeous right now, although it will cellar easily to 2055+. Leoville Las Cases is owned by the Delon family - now Jean Hubert Delon. It consists of 125 different parcels, but the heart of the estate is a walled clos that borders Latour, including around 124 acres (out of 240 in total). Of all the Saint-Julien estates, Leoville Las Cases is the closest to the estuary and to Pauillac, so in some vintages it can seem more like a Pauillac. The style here is more concentrated and opulent than other Saint-Juliens with a firmer backbone. It does behave, in many respects, like a Pauillac, except with more perfume and decadence.

The 2005 Léoville Las-Cases retains a deep colour at 20 years of age, with little aging on the rim. The bouquet leaves you instantly besotted with blackberry, wild hedgerow, black truffle, incense and light lavender scents in the background. The nose is very complex and one of the most vivacious that I encountered revisiting this vintage. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins that frame mineral-rich black fruit, as well as touches of smoke and meat juices in the background. This is very harmonious but has genuine weight and depth on the finish, elevating this to one of the best Left Bank 2005s. Superb. Tasted at the château.

To some, this is the best wine estate in St-Julien. Château Léoville Las Cases is one of the three Léovilles and is the largest at 97 hectares. Though the wine is a 2ème Cru Classé, or second growth, many see this old estate rivalling the first growths and have prices to match. I've been lucky enough to taste this a few times this year, and the last one (at a Christie's dinner in early November) confirmed once again what an incredible wine this is. With a full 87% cabernet sauvignon, and the rest made up of merlot and cabernet franc, the colour here is rich ecclesiastical purple, and the fruit still tight and brooding, although it starts to soften up with a good carafing even now. It's the texture of Léoville Las Cases that often hits you, and the confidence of a wine that knows it has years ahead of it. Dark fruits, bitter chocolate, black truffles, all perfectly in place. One to savour.

Saturated ruby-red. A confiture of dark berries on the nose, with a complicating torrefaction note of coffee. Fat, sweet, plump and full, with a silky, enveloping texture rare for this wine in its youth. The highly concentrated cassis, violet and bitter chocolate flavors really take over the mouth and stay awhile. The huge, chocolatey finish features big, ripe, building tannins. One can easily taste this massive wine today, but there are great reserves here to ensure a long and slow evolution in bottle-and I would not be at all surprised if it shut down soon for a very long time. Our cabernet sauvignon was perfectly ripe in both '05 and '06, noted cellarmaster Rolland.