Léoville Las Cases - Saint-Julien 2021

Vinous

96

byAntonio Gallonithe4/2/2024

The 2021 Léoville Las-Cases is a wine of elegance and restraint. Yes, I am writing that about a young Las-Cases. Perhaps it is the higher level of Cabernet Franc in this year's blend that adds aromatic presence and gives the wine its refined character. Bl

Vinous

96

byAntonio Gallonithe2/28/2024

The 2021 Léoville Las-Cases is a wine of elegance and restraint. Yes, I am writing that about a young Las-Cases. Perhaps it is the higher level of Cabernet Franc in this year's blend that adds aromatic presence and gives the wine its refined character. Blue/purplish fruit, lavender, mint, spice and rose petal linger on the delicate, understated finish.

Wine Advocate

96

byWilliam Kelleythe2/22/2024

The 2021 Léoville Las Cases has turned out beautifully in bottle and clearly numbers among the very finest wines of the vintage. Unfurling in the glass with aromas of dark berries and cassis mingled with notions of cigar wrapper, violets and pencil shavings, it's medium to full-bodied, layered and concentrated with a deep and multidimensional core of fruit framed by beautifully refined tannins and girdled by lively acids, concluding with a long, penetrating finish. Serious and structured without being austere, it's a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc and a mere 5% Merlot. 96+

Wine Spectator

94

byJames Molesworththe2/22/2024

Shows a rare level of finesse, depth and balance in this vintage, with a stream of black currant coulis carried by a pinpoint of acidity, while charcoal and sweet tobacco accents run along the edges. The long, iron-tinged finish offers a late hint of violet and almost no grain. A terrific effort for the vintage. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2026 through 2040.  –JM

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

94

byJane Ansonthe1/30/2024

Right away on the nose this is chiselled and austere in all the right places, with huge depth and character. Concentrated creme de cassis, with a hidden creamy mid palate that lurks underneath the tannic frame. Plenty of estate signature, meaning cassis, espresso, billberry, slate and graphite. Great quality, and supremely Léoville Las Cases. 85% new oak, just a touch down from normal in reflection of the vintage.

matthewjukes.com

18,5

byMatthew Jukesthe8/2/2022

Las Cases has a thrilling Cabernet-drenched theme spiked with hints of anise and spice, and yet it stays the elegant and sophisticated side of the track and never lapses into flamboyance or ostentatiousness. This is the beauty of Bordeaux, and it is what makes every wine fascinating and so different. The skill of adapting to the vintage and creating the finest wine possible sets apart the great estates from the rest, and Las Cases has made a beautiful and immutably Las Cases-shaped wine in 2021. Interestingly, Cabernet Franc plays a vital role in this wine, lifting the nose and adding filigree, violet and blackberry leaf details to the Cabernet Sauvignon. This is a fleshy, bold wine with a sublime density of fruit, and yet it is the length that is most impressive. I tasted it directly after Clos du Marquis, and the finish must be two or three times as long! This is another triumphant 2021, and I do not doubt that while it will drink fairly young in the greater scheme of things, it will age perfectly, too. 18.5

Jamessuckling.com

96-97

byJames Sucklingthe6/8/2022

This is very tannic and powerful with currant and salty undertones. Inky. Blackberry and blackcurrant, too. Full-bodied with lots of power at the end. 80% cabernet sauvignon, 15% cabernet franc and 5% merlot.

Jeb DUNNUCK

93-95

byJeb Dunnuckthe6/2/2022

I loved the 2021 Château Léoville Las Cases. This deep, chalky, mineral-laced beauty has tons of character and reminds me a little of the 2001. Lots of ripe black fruits, graphite, lead pencil, and hints of iron define the bouquet, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a pure, balanced, layered mouthfeel, plenty of tannins, and a good mix of power and elegance. It shows the fresher, lively style of the vintage, but it brings plenty of depth and density, and it's an undeniable success in the vintage.

Bettane & Desseauve

96-97

by Bettane & Desseauvethe5/24/2022

Robe profonde, ensemble complet pour le millésime, parfaite maturité du raisin, noblesse aromatique évidente, prise de bois exemplaire. Autorité totale de l’assise tannique. Unité quasi idéale de tous les éléments aromatiques ou tactiles. Niveau égal aux premiers crus. 80 % cabernet-sauvignon, 15 % cabernet franc, 5 % merlot.

The Vintage Journal

95-96

byAndrew Caillard MWthe5/17/2022

Medium-deep crimson. Blackcurrant lead-pencil cedar aromas with roasted chestnut notes. Classically structured wine with blackcurrant blackberry fruits, fine sinewy/ grainy tannins and roasted chestnut oak. Finishes muscular firm with leafy notes. Lovely precision. Fresh and voluminous but needs several years to show itself. 80% cabernet sauvignon, 15% cabernet franc, 5% merlot. Maturation in 85% new French oak. 13.2% alc

Alexandre Ma

96-98

byAlexandre Mathe5/16/2022

Maybe it's the 15% Cabernet Franc working its magic...Léoville Las Cases 2021 is thus enveloped by a certain inexpressible mystery throughout. On the first sniff, I was attracted by the lilac scent. The more I smelled it, the more mysterious and addictive I found it to be, making me unable to run away from her charm. The image of hearing the siren singing from afar would be the best matching description. Be it the pure fruit aromas, the concentration, the tannic texture, or the signature graphite scent, they all are perfectly reflected in this vintage. If a blind tasting is to be conducted after 10-20 years of aging, many may find it hard to believe this comes from the sun-deprived 2021. If you want to find an all-around expression of Saint-Julien, Leoville-Las Cases is undoubtedly your first choice. ??????15%?????????,?????????????????????????????????????????,???????????,???????????????,????????????...?????????????????????,???????????????????????????10-20????,???????????????????2021???????2021??????????Saint-Julien, ??????????????

The Wine Cellar Insider

94-96

byJeff Levethe5/16/2022

Dark ruby with hints of purple around the edge, the wine exudes smoke, cedar, tobacco leaf, slate, lead pencil, blackberries, espresso and currants. One of the more powerful wines of the vintage, the wine offers loads of black and red fruits, ripe, present, salty tannins, and a juicy, almost creamy, yet classically structured finish. Produced from a blend 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Merlot. 13.20% ABV. This is the first time you find more Cabernet Franc than Merlot in the blend in the history of the estate. Drink from 2025-2055. 94-96

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

94

byJane Ansonthe5/13/2022

Vinous

94-96

byNeal Martinthe5/12/2022

The 2021 Léoville Las Cases was picked from 28 September until 8 October and includes just 5% Merlot from the northern sectors of the vineyard due to coulure. They found that increased percentages of Merlot did not contribute to the blend. Matured in 85% new oak, it has an intense nose with black fruit, graphite and light iris flower aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit, quite a potent marine influence at play, almost briny (perhaps accentuated by the changeable weather on the day of my visit). Very impressive in terms of depth and backbone/grip with iodine and oyster shells towards the finish, this is a cerebral Las-Cases that will demand patience. Then again, name me a vintage of Las-Cases that doesn't! Alcohol here is at 13.20%.

Vinous

94-96

byAntonio Gallonithe5/11/2022

The 2021 Léoville Las-Cases is classy, nuanced and so expressive. There's gorgeous depth, and yet the 2021 is not as explosive as it has been in the recent past. That's not a bad thing, not at all. Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc comprise fully 95% of the blend in a Las Cases that is beautifully persistent from start to finish. It's a wine that has one foot in its rich, historical past, and the other very much in the more modern style of contemporary vintages. There is so much to look forward to.

vvwine

96-98

byAdrian Van Velsenthe5/10/2022

Kräftiges Rubin. Die Nase ist eine kleine Droge, super fein, dunkle und rote Beeren tanzen um die Wette, Cassis, Himbeeren, steinige Noten, darüber Veilchenblüten, hochkomplex und mit viel Tiefgang. Der Gaumen ist saftig, frisch, baut mehr und mehr Druck auf, bleibt dabei hochelegant, mit Tanninen, die wie aus dem Stein gemeisselt sind, strukturiert und gleichzeitig mit viel Charme, der Wein ist wie ein Balletttänzer, kontrolliert und fokussiert, mit magischer Harmonie und einem sehr langen Abgang. Ausgezeichnet und mit grossen Reserven. 2026-2055+ (Verkostet im April 2022. Château Léoville Las Cases)

Anthocyanes

96-98

byYohan Castaingthe5/6/2022

Assemblages réalisés. Un pourcentage très faible de merlot, historiquement le plus bas. Magnifique nez de fruits noirs, de fleurs de printemps, de violette, de rose et de mure pour un bouquet très élégant, racé et subtil. Bouche droite, tendue, élégante et bien structurée avec des notes de graphite et de réglisse. Superbe toucher de bouche tout en délicatesse, en charme et en velouté. Ce qui est extraordinaire de ce vin, c'est d'être charmeur dans un millésime austère alors que Las Cases est connu pour sa légendaire austérité en primeur. Superbe toucher de bouche avec de très beaux amers finaux et une sensation saline et iodée. Uniquement 4 % de vin de presse et 85 % de bois neuf. 96-98+

Wine Advocate

95-97

byWilliam Kelleythe4/29/2022

One of the wines of the vintage, the 2021 Léoville Las Cases is reminiscent of a hypothetical blend of the 1999 and 1996—only better. Offering up incipiently complex aromas of cassis, plums and dark berries mingled with loamy soil, cigar wrapper and exotic spices, it's full-bodied, layered and multidimensional, with superb amplitude and concentration, velvety tannins, lively acids and a long, penetrating finish. Uniting classicism and charm, it exemplifies how a great terroir, exigent agronomy and meticulous winemaking can deliver greatness even in a less propitious vintage. It's a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc and a mere 5% Merlot this year, checking in at 13.2% alcohol.