Château Léoville Las Cases Saint-Julien 2009
Leoville Las Cases is one of these old Chateaux, which is “classic” and/or “traditional,” as they say in Bordeaux.
I visited many times in the 2000s to taste the wine in the barrel and always found it quite challenging to appreciate it “En Primeur” and during its early years after bottling. This wine tests your patience and generally only starts to open up shyly after 8-10 years in the bottle.
I have always described “Las Cases” as an old, grumpy lady (no offense), as it is often dry and austere, showcasing a lack of ripeness, hard and green tannins, and traces of bitterness in the finish (the same as Lafite and a few other Grands Crus of the left bank, for that matter), especially in lesser vintages.
It is a style. An old “classic Bordeaux” style, as they say! And I’m not judging. It is just my opinion. Yet, it is pretty obvious when tasted alongside its neighbors.
When compared to the fruit-forward, friendly, and youthful “Leoville-Poyferre” (which experienced a renaissance in the 2000s and became one of the rising stars of Saint-Julien) and the aristocratic, well-mannered and suave “Leoville Barton”, “Leoville Las Cases” seems still anchored in the past, the reflection of an old style of Bordeaux classicism, shy of moving forward and embracing the future.
Yet, despite some changes and innovations in recent years, my hometown of Bordeaux, the now-resplendent city, the beautiful region, and appellations, the old family-owned Chateaux, and the wines are all somewhat embedded in old traditions and have previously refrained from changes for decades.
Some, like “Leoville Las Cases”, are so embedded in these old traditions and styles that their wines never seem to have evolved or improved (until fairly recently). They are guardians of the past and the establishment, relics of a bygone age, afraid of turning a page that has been both beneficial and detrimental for Bordeaux in recent years.
In my 33-year career as a Sommelier and Wine-Buyer, how often have I had this type of conversation with some Bordeaux producers, winemakers, Chateaux owners, negociants, distributors, and even retailers? Hundreds of times, and it is incredible how the established Chateaux and producers are reluctant to change anything despite the feedback of many oenologues, critics, writers, buyers, and consumers alike advising them to do so.
And yet, that said, they are probably right to stand their ground, as they have proven to the world, time and time again, that the old traditional style of Bordeaux has endured time, critics, trends, and fashions and remained quintessential to the image, reputation, and taste of Bordeaux.
“Las Cases” is a perfect example of most amateurs and connoisseurs' love-hate relationship with the old traditional Bordeaux style. Some want Bordeaux to revamp itself, its taste, and its style to cater to the palate of the new generations and appeal to the market. Others wish the old Bordeaux style to remain and continue defying time, trends, and fashion. I’m kind of in between.
And yet, although “Las Cases” has always been considered a “Super Second,” I would have loved to see it evolve and improve back in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when I was tasting it nearly every year “En Primeur” and many times after at the restaurant and in various tastings. It had the potential to be significantly better.
However, it was difficult for me to foresee it back then, as every time I visited “Las Cases” for the “En Primeur,” I told myself, “Dom, stop your preconceived ideas, clear your head, forget your past experiences and maybe this year you’ll be surprised!” …
… but I was not. Each time, especially in lesser vintages (as stated above), it was closed, restrained, dry, austere, unripped, slightly green, astringent, and bitter. And all my efforts to persuade myself I would like it were in vain, once again. It was not bad but not great, especially for its rank and price.
Then, nearly a decade later, they came to reason, starting with the 2007 vintage when they decided to produce “Petit Lion du Marquis de Las Cases,” a second wine made from the same vines and terroir used to produce Chateau Leoville Las Cases (basically from the younger vines and grapes that are not going into the Grand Vin). It is a “second wine,” not to be confused with “Clos du Marquis,” which is their “second label” (read my article explaining the difference here).
From that vintage on, my dream came true. “Las Cases” became greater and better, more concentrated, more complex and layered, less dry, less austere, still quite earthy and tannic, but less astringent and more fruit-forward, more approachable, and, more importantly, drinkable earlier. The 2009 vintage was (and still is) a fantastic example of how excellent “Las Cases” can sometimes be.
I said “can sometimes be” because even nowadays, I still find “Las Cases” to be an “old-style Bordeaux” despite its evolution for the better over the last decade or so. However, that’s just my opinion and taste.
Yet, who am I to judge? Maybe that’s what it means to be and remain a “timeless classic.” It is a heritage from our ancestors, passed from generation to generation, to be respected and preserved through thick and thin despite the evolution of styles, trends, fashions, and opinions.
The Delon family knows all about it, as it has owned the chateau since the late 19th century. Despite all I said above, I still enjoy opening a bottle of Leoville Las Cases, especially this 2009 vintage. It was magnificent.
Chateau Léoville Las Cases Saint-Julien 2009
A blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, and 9% Cabernet Franc, the "Gand Vin" de Leoville Las Cases is produced from vines planted on quaternary gravel atop gravel-sand and gravel-clay subsoil on the former Léoville estate’s terroirs, located
mainly in the “Clos” of Léoville Las Cases (also called "Grand Enclos" in French), extending nearly over 60 hectares. These are the vineyards enclosed by a wall
with the famous arched entrance topped with a lion (depicted on the label), which you pass by on the road when
you leave the village of Saint-Julien to go to Pauillac.
For the 2009 vintage, the flowering and growing season started with ideal conditions, thanks to beautiful climatic conditions without excess heat. Veraison was then rapid and homogeneous, thanks to a very sunny period from the end of July to the beginning of August. Very little precipitation occurred during the grape ripening phase, and August was dry and sunny without scorching the grapes, resulting in an early harvest and remarkable ripeness homogeneity. Overall, 2009 was an excellent vintage in Bordeaux and it showed in the bottle.
Years of experience with this wine taught me that Leoville Las Cases is always shy and needs decanting, and this 2009 was no exception. After removing and smelling the cork, I poured some into a glass to assess its quality and aromas. It was fragrant yet a little subdued. I then poured the glass into a decanter, swirling the wine to rinse and impregnate the decanter with its aromas. I poured the wine back into the glass and took a sip to assess its quality and flavors. Then, decanted the wine.
It displayed an intense, dark ruby color. The decanting enhanced the nose, which was more expressive. Aromas of ripe cassis and dark fruits mingled with notes of tobacco cigars, spices, oak, and earthy nuances. The palate was rich, generous, ample, ripe, and layered. Well balanced between the ripeness of the fruit, enough acidity to keep it fresh, and a good amount of present yet integrated tannins, providing both backbones and structure, enhanced by the chewy, fleshy texture. Although really enjoyable now, its gorgeous expansion from the attack to the long and lingering finish promises a long aging potential for those who prefer to wait a little longer.
I have been disappointed many times by Las Cases for not being as good as it could be while tasting many vintages during my 33-year career in the wine industry, especially for its rank and price (as stated above). Still, I must say that I was really surprised and pleased at the same time by the quality and taste of this 2009 vintage. It was magnificent.
The moral of this post is that you should never take what you believe for granted. It is better to keep an open mind and remain open to the possibility of being proven wrong. Even if you doubt it first, you could be surprised.
That's all, folks!
Cheers! Santé!
Dom
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