Very deep purple-black colored, the 2016 Léoville Las Cases (composed of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot and 11% Cabernet Franc) is quite closed to begin, yet with patient coaxing it unfurls beautifully to reveal suggestions of ripe blackcurrants, black raspberries, warm redcurrants and wild blueberries, followed by touches of unsmoked cigars, tilled red soil, cast iron pan, fallen leaves and lavender plus wonderfully fragrant wafts of lilacs and baking spices. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is packed with tightly knit, very subtle layers of minerals, floral notions and black and red berries, all framed by exquisitely ripe, silt-like tannins and fantastic freshness, finishing with epic length and depth. Simply captivating even in its youth, give it at least a decade in the cellar and then enjoy it over the next 50+ years. Robert Parker
Dominated by the great Cabernet Sauvignon vines of the clos of Léoville las Cases, this wine is superbly rich and smoky while being stylish. Its power comes from the complexity, ripe fruits and dense tannins.This wine has enormous potential. Drink from 2025. WINE ENTHUSIAST
This is really dense, yet remarkably polished and poised, delivering wave after wave of blueberry, açaí berry, raspberry and blackberry puree notes, all while warm tar and sweet tobacco details cruise underneath. There's a long, smoldering cast iron note through the finish that adds both austerity and authority in a truly unique manner. Best from 2025 through 2045. 13,333 cases made. WINESPECTATOR
The 2016 Léoville Las-Cases underwent three more months in barrel than usual, and was bottled in September 2018. It has an extremely intense bouquet that manages to retain otherworldly delineation. It is not as expressive as its peers at this early stage (but then again, it rarely is). Yet there is palpable coiled-up energy on the nose, and you can feel the mineralité. The palate is medium-bodied with super-fine tannin and layers of pure black and blue fruit laced with allspice and a pinch of white pepper. It fans out wonderfully on the finish, which exerts fine grip but never overwhelms. This is undoubtedly one of the best wines ever made by the estate. Close to perfection. VINOUS
Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, dezente Randaufhellung, zart nach Lakritze und Cassis, tabakige Nuancen, feiner Edelholztouch, zart nach kandierten Orangenzesten. Kraftvoll engmaschig, reife Kirschen, präsente, integrierte Tannine, frischer Säurebogen, dunkle Beerenfrucht im Abgang, gut anhaltend, zitroniger Touch, mineralischer Nachhall, ein Vin der Garde, der gute zehn Jahre bis zur ersten Trinkreife benötigen wird. FALSTAFF
Nothing under 20 years old supplies fruit for the grand vin de Léoville. It's extremely dark and rich, a stately purple in colour with some violet around the rim. Right from the off it expands upwards and outwards, showing polished dark, dark fruits such as black cherry and cassis, alongside slate, liquorice and rosemary. It's mouthfilling and almost less austere than all of the others, yet it's a serious wine. The tannins close in on themselves at the end, showing how this is built to last. A great advert for the whole of Bordeaux, and for me it's the clear wine of the vintage. Drinking Window 2026 – 2045 DECANTER
75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc picked between 30 September and 19 October, the result aged in 90% new barrels. Amazing combination of the stoniness and backbone of traditional Las Cases with extraordinary vitality and energy, all overlaid with fully ripe fruit. Such richness! Round tannins but the most youthful wine I have yet encountered. Extremely minerally and thrilling. Jean-Hubert Delon bemoans the fact he will not be alive to see it at its peak, and is convinced it will shut down at some point. It is glorious to taste now. JANCIS ROBINSON
The 2016 Leoville Las Cases looks to be an instant all-time classic from this iconc Château. This simply has it all, as it starts with hauntingly seductive aromas of fresh ripe blackberries, dark currants, fresh florals, tobacco, gravel, crushed stones aalong with hints of graphite and iron minerals all emerging beautifully from the glass. On the palate this doesn't miss a beat, it possesses a gorgoeus full body, with incredible textural richneess, beautifully polished tannins and incredible overall balance making for an utterly ethereal experience. It contines to impress as it displays remarkable purity and sheer class, as it heads through the long, majestic finish. This is without question the finest young Las Cases I personally have ever tasted, and I can only imagine it will go on to age brilliantly over the course of the next three decacdes or more. INTERNATIONAL WINEREPORT
Kunz Fassprobe 17: (75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc, 40 hl/ha, 65% Grand Vin, 13.6% vol. Alkohol) Frisches, kräftiges, komplexes, fein opulentes Bouquet, schwarzer Cassis, Tabak, Zedern, Black Currant, Feuerstein, Trüffel. Dichter, kraftvoller, ausgewogener, eleganter, vielschichtiger Gaumen mit dichter Frucht, viel feinem Tannin, kräftiger, dunkler, vielfältiger Aromatik, sehr langer, cremiger Abgang mit vielen Rückaromen. Kann noch zulegen. BORDEAUX TOTAL
The 2016 Léoville Las Cases is the finest vintage I’ve ever tasted from this estate; in fact, in this reviewer’s opinion, this magical, perfect wine couldn’t be better. Made from 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc aged 22 months in 90% new oak, it reveals a deep, saturated purple color as well as a thrilling bouquet of crème de cassis, iris flowers, graphite, crushed rocks, and freshly sharpened lead pencils. A perfect example of the old saying “an iron fist in a velvet glove,” it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a deep, layered, stacked mid-palate, flawless integration of its acidity and tannins, and a monster finish. The balance and purity here are off the charts. Hide bottles for a decade or so and enjoy over the following half a century. JEB DUNNUCK
Very complex and alluringly spicy aromas that bubble in and out of the nose, together with fresh tobacco, raspberries and iodine, moving into blackcurrants, blackberries and a gently gravely, stony edge. The palate has incredible polish that is a foil for the intense power and concentration of this wine. The texture is flawless, building smoothly with fine-grained and focused tannins that sustain a long, fresh finish. The new 1986, which was a legend. This is probably better. A blend of 75 per cent cabernet sauvignon, 14 per cent merlot and 11 per cent cabernet franc. Try from 2024. JAMES SUCKLING
Das Château Léoville-las-Cases
Das Portal zum Clos von Léoville Las Cases schmückt auch das Etikett des Grand Vin. Dieser ummauerte Teil des Weinbergs aus denen die Trauben stammen, grenzt im Osten an die Gironde und im Norden direkt an Château Latours l’Enclos, aus welchem wiederum der Grand Vin Latours gewonnen wird. Getrennt werden beide Weingärten nur durch eine kleine Wasserscheide. Eine solche Nachbarschaft, in Geographie und Qualität, ist vermutlich einmalig.
Léoville Las Cases ist trotz seiner unmittelbaren Nachbarschaft zu Pauillac seinem Terroir immer treu. Trotz seiner immensen Dichte lässt er den spielerischen Aspekt eines St. Juliens niemals vermissen. In schwierigen Jahren untermauert er seinen potenziellen Anspruch auf einen 1er Cru-Status noch mehr als in guten und zählt immer zu den besten zehn Rotweinen Bordeauxs. Mit 97 Hektar ist das Weingut auch eines der größten im Bordeaux. Die Weinberge sind mit den Sorten Cabernet Sauvignon (65%), Merlot (19%), Cabernet Franc (13%) und Petit Verdot (3%) bestockt. Der Wein wird bis 18 Monate in zu 100% neuen Barriques ausgebaut. Der Löwe ist das Wappentier von Leoville Las Cases und steht dabei auch sinnbildlich für die Kraft, Tiefe, Reichhaltigkeit und nahezu vollkommene Ausgewogenheit dieser großartigen Weine.