Le Petit Lion du Marquis de Las Cases, Saint-Julien 2020

This is very deep and rich with ripe tannins that take your down and through the palate. Full and layered. This is really plush and intense. Could be the best ever for the second wine. Goes deep.

Powerful and concentrated, this is just so tasty with plenty of fine grained tannins, but also the depth and width of a lovely Petit Lion. It has touches of graphite, peony and violet as it opens up and strikes the right tone between intensity and keeping the St-Julien balance. It holds the line right through the palate until those tannins become a little biting on the finish. 30% new oak; 3.69pH.

The 2020 Le Petit Lion du Marquis de las Cases is a very serious second wine. The aromatics alone are immediately enchanting. This mid-weight Saint-Julien is so expressive today. Crushed flowers, bright red-toned fruit, mint, rose petal and cedar are all very nicely lifted. Firm, but precise tannins lend energy and proportion. The Petit Lion is a blend of young vine Cabernet and old-vine Merlot from Las Cases.

The second wine of this great estate, the 2020 Le Petit Lion checks in as 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc. It has the class of the Grand Vin yet is made in a slightly softer, more forward style and offers lots of black cherry and dark currants fruits as well as notes of lead pencil, dried tobacco, and loamy earth. Playing in the medium to full-bodied end of the spectrum, it's balanced, has ripe tannins, the hallmark purity of fruit of the vintage, and a great finish. I’d be thrilled to drink a bottle any time over the coming 10-15 years or more.

The 2020 Le Petit Lion (the second wine of Léoville Las Cases, mainly from younger vines) is a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc and 44% Merlot, aging in 30% new French oak barriques, weighing in with an alcohol of 13.61%, a pH of 3.69 and an IPT (tannins index) of 75. The Cabernet Sauvignon was harvested from the 17th to the 29th of September, the Merlot from the 10th to the 15th of September and the Cabernet Franc from the 15th to the 17th of September. Sporting a medium to deep purple-black color, it springs from the glass with vibrant notes of black cherries, redcurrant jelly and cassis, plus touches of lavender, fallen leaves and cinnamon stick, with a waft of black truffles. The medium-bodied palate has bright, bold black and red berry layers with a grainy texture and loads of freshness, finishing long with a spicy kick. A very impressive second wine!

Representing around one-third of the total production, the 2020 Le Petit Lion sees 30% new oak. It has an attractive nose with blackberry, raspberry coulis, hints of iodine and pressed iris flowers. Not intense, but nicely focused. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins that frame the red berry fruit laced with white pepper and touches of thyme. This is a very capable Deuxième Vin.