Description
96 Points, William Kelley, The Wine Advocate, 18th August 2022
One of the finest wines of the vintage in Bordeaux, the 2017 Leoville Las Cases is a beautiful Saint-Julien that bursts from the glass with expressive aromas of cassis, wild berries, pencil shavings, violets and a subtle hint of cigar box. Medium to full-bodied, supple and enveloping, its unusually charming, sensual profile largely conceals a considerable endowment of tannin and a bright spine of acidity. Largely spared by the frost due to its optimal location on the bank of the Gironde, and subject to a draconian selection, the 2017’s giving style reflects not only the vintage but also more restrained use of press wine chez Las Cases, seeing only 7% in the blend as opposed to the 10% to 12% that was typical not too long ago. It’s a masterpiece.
Thanks to its proximity to the estuary, Leoville Las Cases was spared from frost damage in 2017. There was only a small amount of frost on the western edge of the Clos du Marquis vineyard, which was until 2007 a second wine, but now comes from its own dedicated vineyard to the west of Leoville Las Cases, but of course still in Saint-Julien. All the final blends were made in December and the wines were in barrel before Christmas.
