2025 Leoville Las Cases

Auslieferung bis zum Herbst 2028!
Delivery until Fall 2028!

(Saint-Julien; 82% Cabernet Sauvignon; 12% Cabernet Franc; 6% Merlot; a final yield of 23 hl/ha; pH 3.56; IPT 82; 13.65% alcohol). Sumptuous at the first encounter, with lovely violet and patchouli floral notes, gorgeous cedar and Las Cases graphite, an intensely dark berry and cherry fruit, copious black peppercorns, a hint of heather and a wild herbal component that's almost more St-Estèphe than St Julien. We have that haunting beauty once again of the truly magical wines of the vintage and a little hint of incense, myrrh and the plume from the recently snuffed cathedral candle. A tight frame, never too ample, gives this incredible depth despite the considerable density. Las Cases, as ever, has massive aging potential yet an accessibility, conveyed by the sheer beauty of the fruit, that is spectacular. Brilliant.
97-99/100 Colin Hay

Château Léoville Las Cases has always held a special place for me, for it never yields its sharpness without purpose. In weaker vintages, it holds its ground without fear; in great years, it advances with authority, fully expressing its regal poise. 2025 is such a moment. The aromatics are precise and restrained, yet beneath that calm surface lies a gathering force of remarkable scale. Black goji and mulberry, wrapped in a trace of agarwood, unfold gradually, thread by thread, like mist rising along a mountain ridge. With each swirl, the wine reveals another layer, like shifting perspectives in a landscape, deepening without ever fully disclosing itself. The texture is ample, supple, and luminous, like silk catching the light in motion. In the closing moments, a trace of violet appears with remarkable precision, shaping the wine while casting an air of quiet nobility. This is Léoville Las Cases: restrained in spirit, measured in bearing, yet when time and place converge, it gathers the breadth of the world and holds it within a single glass.
98-99/100 Alexandre Ma

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2025 Léoville Las Cases storms from the glass with powerful notes of warm cassis, ripe plums, and anise, followed by suggestions of dark chocolate, crushed rocks, violets, and forest floor. The medium-bodied palate is so graceful and intense, delivering wonderfully pure, nuanced black fruit and mineral layers with exquisitely ripe, fine-grained tannins and great tension, finishing long and perfumed. A triumph. The blend is 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc, and 6% Merlot. It has a pH of 3.56 and the alcohol is 13.65%. The wine is aging for 18 months in French barriques, 80% new.
97-99/100 Lisa Perrotti-Brown

Deep, violet-hued in the glass, this barrel sample opens with remarkably expressive aromatics of cool blue fruit and ripe cassis, layered with hints of hawthorn and integrated oak spice, signaling this estate's pedigree. The attack is immediate, initially juicy with mid-palate fruit that swiftly yields to a formidable structure. The tannins are powerful (IPT 82), dense and commanding, their presence further accentuated by a relatively low pH of 3.56. At this stage, the balance clearly favors Pauillac styled power over St Julien charm, with the fruit somewhat restrained by the sheer scale of the tannic frame. The Cabernet Sauvignon dominant blend combined with low yields of 23 hl/ha due to the tiny grapes harvested underscores the wine’s concentration and depth. Élevage is expected to extend up to 22 months in 80% new oak, a choice that should help absorb and refine the structure. A distinct mineral, saline edge emerges on the finish, though presently dominated by the tannic grip. This is the first vintage produced in the estate’s new six-story cellar, equipped with 120 fermentation tanks in oak and stainless steel (up from 40), enabling highly precise parcel-by-parcel and intra-parcel vinification. The addition of a vinothèque reflects the estate's long-term vision. Under the direction of Arnaud Delon, marking his first vintage alongside his father, Jean-Hubert Delon, the technical precision is evident in the glass. A wine of impressive scale and clear potential, though one that will require patience to fully harmonize. (PK)
98/100 Jane Anson