Château Léoville Las Cases Saint-Julien 2022 - 2nd Grand Cru Classé

Certainly the closest second cru classé—and for many vintages now, when the cork doesn’t let it down—on par with the best premiers crus. It owes its class and consistency to the plot-by-plot selection that allows it to be produced on the large vineyard adjacent to that of Château Latour, and to an exemplary commitment to perfection initiated by Michel Delon in the 1980s and fully carried forward by his son Jean-Hubert. The finesse and subtlety of its flavor have few equals in the world, yet the wine is kind enough to open up more quickly than in the past. The younger vines yield the “Petit-Lion,” which is lighter but no less elegant, and the rest of the estate produces the remarkable “Clos-du-Marquis,” whose value for money remains as astonishing as ever.

Not only does Las Cases own 98 ha—three-fifths of the former Léoville estate (which was divided between 1826 and 1846 to create the three Léoville estates known today)—but the estate also owns the historic heart of the vineyard, the Grand Clos. Nearly 60 hectares are planted on fine gravel resting deep on sandy-clay gravel, near Latour and the Gironde River, complemented by the current Clos du Marquis. Added to this advantage is the fact that it has been managed since 1900 by the same family, the Delons (now Jean-Hubert), who have equipped it—particularly since 2002—with state-of-the-art facilities.

Léoville Las Cases 2022 is just as remarkable in the bottle as it was in the barrel. As it opens up in the glass, it releases aromas of blackcurrant of exquisite purity, intertwined with notes of violet, glowing embers, and a subtle hint of cigar box. Its aging in new oak barrels is already almost fully integrated. Full-bodied, dense, and complex, it is deep and vibrant, with striking concentration, precision, and harmony, and concludes with a long, lingering finish. This exceptional Saint-Julien is undoubtedly one of the standout wines of the vintage, and the best young Léoville Las Cases I have ever tasted.

 

Las Cases 2022 ranks among the estate’s legendary vintages. Its deep, luminous color, its concentrated nose of black fruits and spices with a floral note, and above all its immense fullness on the palate make it a Médoc legend. Who will have the time and patience to wait for it?

The strength of this legendary vintage undoubtedly lies in its famous vineyard, with its complex terroir and diverse, complementary plots. In fact, this great wine is produced exclusively from this terroir, which in many ways resembles that of Château Latour. Depending on the vintage, it may exhibit a more straightforward, Pauillac-style profile or display a softer character, more reminiscent of a Saint-Julien. The wine consistently displays an impressive blue-black color, even in average vintages. At its peak (which can extend beyond twenty years), it offers a bouquet that surpasses that of a typical Saint-Julien in both complexity and nobility of flavors, featuring the finest aromatic nuances of Cabernet Sauvignon from the great Médoc terroirs. Owned by Jean-Hubert Delon, one of Bordeaux’s foremost connoisseurs of great French wines, this cru has demonstrated unfailing consistency since the 1970s.

Sophisticated and pure in beauty on the nose, it reveals intense aromas of pencil lead, blackcurrant, ink, and blackberries, along with notes of crushed stone. Enchanting. Medium-bodied, it unfolds endlessly on the palate, with superb tannins that caress the palate like the finest silk. Uninterrupted length. Its character is immaculate. Ethereal. Power and elegance. 83.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10.5% Cabernet Franc, and 6% Merlot. It gives the impression that it could be enjoyed right now, but it needs 5 to 6 years of bottle aging. A neoclassical masterpiece. Best enjoyed after 2031, but if you want to taste it right now, I understand.

There are wines that hardly need to speak to make their mark. They are simply there, scanning the horizon, creating silence, and calling for a thoughtful, almost religious tasting—not because it is a matter of prayer, but because it is essential to devote all one’s senses to the energies this wine exudes. Notes of graphite, blueberries, pepper, and cedar set the tone. The aromatic promises are nothing like an election campaign, for they are embraced, assimilated, and brought to life on the palate. The wine radiates power and proves more contemporary than usual, offering moments of openness and approachability—lasting just a few seconds—before unleashing an improbable intensity that not only restores the Church to its rightful place in the heart of the village but also in all of Bordeaux. While it may not stand alone at the summit of Olympus, it is certainly above the fray. An exceptional, imperial, unsettling, and fascinating wine that will be hard-pressed to find its equal—so brilliant is it! I cannot possibly rate this wine 100/100 because it is better than all the 2022s that have received that score. So I’m awarding it a 101/100 to mark the occasion. When something is better than the best (I’m talking about the wine, of course), you have to highlight the difference. 2030–2080

A dark, intense, beautiful, deep purple color. The nose is very aromatic, refined, pure, fruity, and complex. It evolves subtly, nobly, and intriguingly when the glass is swirled. Ultra-smooth on the palate at first, very aromatic in the mid-palate, with indescribable elegance, the wine evolves slowly—deep, complex, both velvety and powerful—toward an immense finish. It’s fabulous and impossible to put down. This marks the grand return of Léoville Las Cases. Note that this wine was vinified in the new winery, which has not yet been officially inaugurated.

A contender for the title of “wine of the vintage,” this is the finest Léoville Las Cases ever produced. Majestic on the palate, it offers a succession of layers of perfectly ripe black and red fruits of remarkable intensity. But what makes it so exceptional is that, despite its power and density, it retains an ethereal lightness, making it incredibly easy to drink. The fruit displays rare richness on the mid-palate, with a harmonious finish that easily lasts 60 seconds. Léoville Las Cases requires bottle aging. However, with the 2022 vintage, part of its magic lies in the fact that it will be enjoyable to drink as early as its first decade, evolving and improving effortlessly over the next 40 to 50 years. This wine is a blend of 83.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10.5% Cabernet Franc, and 6% Merlot. This is only the second time in the estate’s history that the blend has contained a higher proportion of Cabernet Franc than Merlot. Best enjoyed between 2030 and 2065.