2012 - Leoville Las Cases, Saint-Julien

Medium to deep garnet colored, the 2012 Leoville Las Cases drifts out with fragrant notions of warm cassis, dark chocolate, roses, and dried mint with hints of iron ore and forest floor. Fragrant black fruit absolutely dances on the medium-bodied palate, with super-ripe, fine-grained tannins and vivacious freshness, finishing long and perfumed. This beautiful wine still has a good 20-30 years left.

Wafting from the glass with aromas of rich berries, plums, loamy soil, baking spices and pencil shavings, the 2012 Léoville Las Cases is medium to full-bodied, lively and layered, with impressive concentration for the vintage, supple tannins and a charming, enveloping profile. Seamless and beautifully integrated, at age 10, this quintessential classic is already surprisingly approachable, though of course it still has several decades of graceful evolution ahead of it.

The tannins are noticeably bigger than the other St Juliens in the lineup, with more grip through the palate and you feel the structure exerting a gentle pressure at the close of play. There are fruits here also, in the cassis and bilberry frame as with Léoville Barton, with touches of mint leaf and eucalyptus. Not generous, but plenty of impact, and a gentle mouthwatering salinity. Lighter framed within the Las Cases world, but one of the more impactful 2012s overall.

The 2012 Léoville Las-Cases is much more closed on the nose, quite strict with blackberry, cedar and gravelly aromas, later hints of cassis and a splash of soy. The palate is medium-bodied with a fairly oaky entry, though there is fruit concentration to soak that up with bottle age. Maybe it just lacks a bit of personality at the moment and a second bottle at Bordeaux Index's horizontal confirms a bit of roughness, a bit hard-edged at this stage. Give this time. Tasted twice at Bordeaux Index's Ten Year-On tasting and blind at the Southwold Ten-Year On tasting.

Looks a little more evolved than Léoville Barton and it’s not one of the monolithic vintages for this property. A little middle of the road, in fact. Light minty note. (JR)