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1996 Château Leoville-Las-Cases, 12-bottle Lot

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February 19, 2006 - $2,100

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1996 Château Leoville-Las-Cases

750ml

RATINGS

98Robert M. Parker Jr.

...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...

96+ Stephen Tanzer

...very youthful aromas of cassis, violet and bitter chocolate. Dense and powerful, with great clarity of flavor thanks to a terrific spine of acidity. Almost painfully structured wine but not at all hard. Finishes very long and gripping

92Wine 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...

18Jancis Robinson

..Sweet red fruit and the first touch of undergrowth. Then more cassis, a touch of mint. Lovely fine dry texture,very fine & smooth. Fresh, quite tight. Still not really ready? Very fresh and a long powerful but fresh finish. Great length..

PRODUCER

Château Leoville-Las-Cases

Chateau Leoville-Las-Cases is a Second Growth Bordeaux located in St.-Julien-Beychevelle next door to Chateau Latour. Leoville-Las-Cases was part of a much larger estate that was broken up after the French revolution. It remains large by Bordeaux standards however, and today is comprised of 240 acres of vineyards. For decades the estate was expertly run by Michel Delon, whose wines were always considered some of the best of the Medoc. His son Jean-Hubert is now in charge, and the quality and reputation of the estate’s Bordeaux remain outstanding. Many collectors consider Leoville-Las-Cases in its best vintages to equal the First Growth wines of the region. The vineyards are planted in 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. Annual production of the signature Bordeaux is 216,000 cases. The average age of the vines is 30 years. Clos du Marquis is the estate’s second line.

REGION

France, Bordeaux, St.-Julien

Saint-Julien is the smallest of the four main Médoc appellations with 2,175 acres of vineyards. It is just south of Pauillac on the left bank of the Gironde, and although it has no First Growth châteaux, its 11 Classified Growth estates are widely admired. Robert M. Parker Jr. has written that winemaking in Saint-Julien from all classifications “is consistently both distinctive and brilliant.” He adds it is Médoc’s “most underrated commune.” The best-known estates are Léoville Las Cases, Ducru-Beaucaillou, Léoville Poyferré, Léoville Barton and Gruaud Larose, and most of those have riverside estates. The soil in this appellation is gravelly with clay. Cabernet Sauvignon is the main grape grown, and it is blended with Cabernet Franc, Merlot and sometimes small amounts of Petit Verdot.