2010 Léoville Las Cases

98 POINTS

Robert Parker - Robert Parker Wine Advocate

The 2010 is a quintessentially elegant, classic wine of Bordeaux – firm, rigid, perhaps slightly lighter than most of the other St.-Juliens, but stylish, potentially complex, and reminiscent of the style of the 1986, but more concentrated and powerful. It is a blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc with a normal pH of 3.56. It was raised in 75% new oak and the alcohol came to 13.7%. This wine displays loads of black currants, cedar wood and vanillin, but needs a good 7-8 years of cellaring, if not much longer. It should last for 30+ years. What I like about tasting at Las Cases is that Jean-Hubert Delon opens one bottle in my presence, and has another already decanted four hours in advance to compare. It is nearly unanimous on each visit that the decanted wine shows better, which probably gives you some insight into the aging potential of Las Cases. It is certainly one of Bordeaux’s longest-lived wines, and seems to have more and more of a character resembling Lafite Rothschild more than its nearby neighbor, Chateau Latour.

98 POINTS

Robert Parker - Robert Parker Wine Advocate

As one would expect, this is a powerful, concentrated wine with 13.7% natural alcohol (compared to 2005's 13.2%). The pH is quite normal at 3.56, and its relatively high total acidity gives it a classic, fresh, yet backward style. Given how long vintages such as 1982, 1986, and I suspect, 2000 are taking to reach maturity, prospective purchasers of this wine should easily invest in a decade of cellaring, although I suspect it will be closer to 15 or more years before it reveals secondary nuances. A good 40- to 50-year wine, it is a dense purple, full-bodied style of Las Cases, with classic sweet kirsch, graphite and black currant fruit as well as hints of new saddle leather and subtle oak. Backward, layered and multi-dimensional, the wine is stunningly rich, but brooding. Forget it at least until 2020 or later.

98 POINTS

Gary Walsh - The Wine Front

Tasted through 22 top end Bordeaux last night at a big show put on by United Cellars and Airoldi. Such is the glamour of #claretlife. I’ll dribble out or backpost any wines without a review so as not to fill the homepage with expensive Bordeaux and incur the ‘Wrath of Mattinson’, which is a terrifying thing. Black fruit, melting licorice, sweet herbs, coffee, the whole thing there waiting, but pretty closed down right now. Just medium bodied with thundering but ripe and succulent tannin, rich dark fruit, not too much oak to muck it up, and superb length. So layered and complete. Brilliant. That’s what it’s all about.

97 POINTS

Roger Voss - Wine Enthusiast

96-98 A hugely dense wine, with a great smoky character, power as well as the greatest finesse. It has rich berry fruits, weaving through the dusty tannic structure, very powerful, concentrated. The end is more severe, along with the year's hallmark juiciness.

95 POINTS

Stephen Tanzer - Vinous

Bright ruby-red. Vibrant nose combines black and blue fruits, lead pencil and crushed-stone minerality, with a note of kirsch emerging with air. Utterly silky in texture yet extremely backward, with a medicinal quality keeping the penetrating dark berry flavors under wraps today. But with a powerful impression of tangy energy, a superb spine of saline minerality, and an extremely long, lively, firmly tannic finish, this classic Las Cases should be a knockout with 12 or 15 years in the bottle.

95 POINTS

James Suckling

This is very silky, with a racy and fresh character of violets, currants and raspberries. Full with a super texture. Racy structure. Reminds me of the 1996. Points: 95-96

Julia Harding MW - JancisRobinson.com

Tasted blind. Youthful colour. And youthful aroma of vanilla-laced sweet fruits. Ton of oak spice. Oaky and a bit severe on the palate. Oak has beaten the fruit into submission but I think the fruit is there. Sweet-sour finish. I re-tasted this after the unveiling, and knowing how long this wine takes to come round, I raised my score but only by half a point. It really is pretty tough right now. Score: 16/20

Jancis Robinson

Rather surprisingly low alcohol cited for this wine. Unusually for Las Cases I am smelling a little sweet oak. It’s lighter and less concentrated than I would have expected though there is no shortage of stoniness. Lively on the end – in fact one of the few 2010s in which I am really conscious of the acidity. Was it relatively early picked? A slightly lean 2010. Score: 17-/20